Voyager's World March 2014

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Vol XI

Issue 5

Pages 52

March 2014

Rs 60

NEW ENDEAVOURS IN THE INDIAN MICE MARKET

Also read...

Demand

for in-flight entertainment!

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From The Desk Editorial

Advertising

Managing Editor

Online Advertising

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagers world.in

Mobile +90-9844092150 advertising@voyagersworld.in

Associate Editor

Advertising

Priyamvadha Balaram priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Assistant Editor

Kaustuv Das, General Manager Mobile +90-9916129116 kaustuv@voyagersworld.in advertising@voyagersworld.in

Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

Advertising (Chennai)

Chief Designer Shyam Vishnot shyam@voyagersworld.in

Graphic Designer Nanda Kumar M nandu@voyagersworld.in

Web Developer Rohith Pinto info@voyagersworld.in

Tina Joseph Email: tinajoseph@voyagersworld.in Mobile: +91-9940620565

Operations Executive Selvarajramaswamy operations@voyagersworld.in

Circulation Circulation Executive Shyam Vishaak circulation@voyagersworld.in

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

06Industry Buzz 12Cover Story

Changed BSP Scenario hits Indian Travel Trade

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ome March, it is that time of the year, when travel agents generally go berserk dealing with the world largest last minute leisure market, amid finalizing the year-end closure of accounts. Last month also saw the courts dismissing petitions filed by TAAI and TAFI against IATA, against a seven day Bill Settlement Plan. This is a serious setback to the Small and Medium sized IATA agents and will further prioritize the wholesale Airline ticket market. Am not sure, this is enough for the already beleaguered Indian Airline industry to improve its cash flow. In an open field era where airlines, the world over are trying to woo passengers to book direct, and limit the role to travel agents to play God, IATA is probably the only industrial association, where its unilateral ‘dictat’ becomes a gamechanger and we in India continue to take pride in its growing number of travel-agent associations!

In new-age aviation marketing, where obsessive revenue management is key over creating and nurturing business relationships, it will hurt both the parties. The travel agent will find another business stream and the airline will lose another cog in its distribution wheel! With more airlines entering the Indian airspace, hope better sense prevails.

Voyager’s World in this issue also looks at Aviation branding in the Indian skies in the recent past. We also look at the Indian Wildlife tourism marketing segment. Wildlife is a vital part of the Indian Holiday portfolio and is one of country’s most complicated segment with more issues than it can presently handle.

Voyager’s World also mourns the death of two fantastic industry veterans, Ram Kohli of Creative Travels and Francis Wacziarg of Neemrana Hotels, who have helped put India on the Inbound tourism map with a passion for perfection and an eye for detail to create memorable experiences for the discerning.

New business travel trends in India

20Wild Life Exploring opportunities in wildlife tourism and marketing prospects

Warm Regards

ROHIT HANGAL

rohit@voyagersworld.in

25Flight Talk

What are the airlines coming up newly to entertain their passengers?

31India Outbound

Focus Canada 2014, Luxury hotels of Portugal entering India and a resort’s offering in Maldives

49Top Appointments

Voyager’s World > March 2014

# 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560 071, India Ph: +91 - 80 - 4083 4103, Fax: + 91 - 80 - 4083 4101 info@spheretravelmedia.com, www.spheretravelmedia.com

All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2012.

No part of this magazine may be reproducted without the prior written permission from Voyagers’s World

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Industry Buzz

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Tourism Malaysia to launch new initiatives for India

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s part of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) celebrations, Tourism Malaysia unveiled new marketing initiatives during their annual sales mission in India from March 12 to 20, 2014 in Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. This year, the Malaysian delegation was led by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, the Honorable Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and other top officials from the ministry of Tourism.

While the primary goal was to strengthen Malaysia’s standing as a dream travel destination and increase tourist arrivals from India, Dato Nazri also aimed at driving strong support from Indian travel trade and media for the ongoing Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

TripAdvisor honours 6 Club Med resorts

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ix of Club Med’s resorts have been included in the list of ‘Top Hotels for Families’ in 2014 by TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards.

Club Med Cherating Beach continues to be a traveller’s favourite, clinching the 4th place this year in Asia’s Top 25 Hotels for Families. Club Med Bali, Bintan, Phuket, Guilin and Yabuli also feature in the list. This recognition confirms the travellers’ confidence in the brand as the best holiday destination for families.

Wego adopts Lotame's DMP solution

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ego announced an additional refinement to their ad targeting solution for marketers, powered by a partnership with Lotame, a Data Management Platform (DMP) in the Asia Pacific. Some of these audiences available to advertisers will include individual business, family, frequent flyer and budget travelers.

“Wego has vast experience in the travel purchasing funnel and sharing this knowledge with other online advertisers helps them to increase their reach and scale providing a far more valuable result for an online campaign, ” said Rick Mulia, VP, Media & Advertising at Wego. “Upgrading our audience targeting solution with Lotame’s DMP, we are better equipped to place ads with more relevance to an audience with high travel intent, use the data to build specific audience segments with zero waste.”

Jordan appeals to adventure seekers

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utdoor adventure tourism is expanding at a fast rate in Jordan and promises to be one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors in Jordan in 2014. Moderate year round climate; unique cultural attractions as Petra, Jerash and Bethany Beyond the Jordan, hotels, restaurants and spas throughout the country to suit all budgets mean that thrill-seekers who want to pamper themselves in between adventure treks have a wide range to choose from.

One can take a four-wheeldrive vehicle to retrace the journey of Emperor Hadrian from north to south of Jordan, through biblical cities and legionary fortresses. Or a caravan of 25 people on camels or donkeys to retrace the journeys of Lawrence of Arabia in the central highlands and eastern deserts.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Maharashtra launches first seaplane in Aamby Valley

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aharashtra launched its first seaplane in Aamby Valley Aamby Valley, along with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR) in Mumbai recently. The companies’ amphibian planes will eventually connect Mumbai with state tourist destinations adjacent to suitable water bodies although there are no runways at these destinations. The service will save a lot of travel time for the users given the aircraft will take a far lesser time to connect two points as opposed to road or rail journeys. MEHAIR is consciously pricing the service to suit all pockets.

TIRUN organises 'Cruise to Comedy'

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IRUN Travel Marketing welcomed past cruisers for a fun evening with, ‘Cruise to Comedy’ in Bangalore last month by noted stand-up comedians Vasu Primlani and Ahmed Sharif.

The intent was to bring ashore select Celebrity Cruises on-board experiences.

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, said, “It was a wonderful way for our guests to bond and reminisce over their cruise memories as well as inspire their friends to cruise.”

Industry Buzz

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DoubleTree by Hilton to enter Agra this August

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ilton Worldwide and DoubleTree by Hilton signed a management agreement with Archer Hospitality Pvt Ltd for DoubleTree by Hilton Agra, scheduled to open this August. The 104-room hotel will also feature four dining outlets, an outdoor pool with views of the Taj Mahal, fitness centre, a spa and salon. The conference space will include a 4,700-sq ft ballroom, four meeting rooms and a 24-hour business centre.

“India is a key strategic growth market for Hilton Worldwide. We are delighted with the opportunity to partner with Archer Hospitality Pvt Ltd for our foray into Agra, the leading tourist destination in India noted for its magnificent Mughal-era buildings, said Martin Rinck, President, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.

Thomas Cook India launches 'Marhaba' services for UAE, Bahrain

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C Visa Services, a subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India) partnered with ‘Marhaba’ for Indian travellers at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain airports- on arrival or departure. The services include swift visa on arrival approvals, meet-and-greet on arrival and departure, assistance through airport clearance, baggage assistance and handover at the pick-up point.

Trafalgar offers 90% Definite Departures

Hong Kong records 434,648 Indians

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I

rafalgar announced that 90% of its Departures for Europe & Britain in 2014 were already guaranteed as Definite.

Extra incentives are the current Early Payment Discount (EPD) of 7.5% (valid until 31 March) which is combinable with Trafalgar Frequent Traveller discounts, for further 5.0% saving.

Kerala Travel Mart 2014

ndia registered around 5% increase in its arrival figures to Hong Kong over 2012 with 434,648 arrivals in 2013. India being the largest new market in Hong Kong, these figures were achieved through an increase of short-haul arrivals by 3.4% and overnight arrivals by 5.8%.

Tourism New Zealand Launches New Trade Website

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K

TM 2014, the eighth edition of the Kerala Travel Mart is scheduled to take place from 18-20 September 2014 at Samudrika Convention Centre, Cochin Port Trust, Willingdon Island, Kochi.

KTM (Kerala Travel Mart) is held once in two years during September and KTM 2014 will reach out to buyers from new markets like Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden and USA. The Mart will highlight innovative tourism products like village life experience, culture tours and destination wedding themes.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

ourism New Zealand recently launched its new look trade website, which is now aligned with the organisation’s online brand to provide a consistent ‘look and feel’.

As a primary source of information, the site provides training tools and resources such as TNZ’s online modules and the 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist programme.

Australia woos Indians via TV show

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ourism Australia (TA) along with Tourism Victoria (TVIC) and Malaysia Airlines, have collaborated with Star Plus, India’s leading Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) to showcase Australia on their top-rated show ‘Pyar Ka Dard’. Shot at iconic locations in Melbourne and surrounds, uniquely Australian tourism experiences will be highlighted through a romantic journey of the iconic characters of the show thereby influencing viewers to consider Australia as their next holiday destination.

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A wide selection of sports & leisure Children’s Clubs for all ages Night entertainment & parties

Royal for a Reason

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oyal Caribbean International has been cruising for over 45 years and they have continuously pushed the limits of what’s possible at sea, to deliver an experience of a lifetime, every time. Whether celebrating a family reunion, a special occasion, be it a honeymoon or anniversary, or just a fun family vacation, a Royal Caribbean cruise is the way to go!

Innovative ships, impeccable service and exotic destinations unique to an ocean voyage all make up a package of unbeatable value. To top it all, Royal Caribbean receives a very high level of guest satisfaction and that is a very encouraging element for travel agents to promote and sell Royal Caribbean cruise vacations. Royal Caribbean is Royal not just for one reason, but many!

Innovations & Firsts- at-sea Royal Caribbean ships are custom-designed to provide the highest level of amazement, relaxation and enjoyment. Royal Caribbean International is well known for introducing ‘firsts at sea’ and they are the proud operators of the world’s largest ships the Allure of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas. The concept of ’neighborhoods’ were introduced and these ships that have their own Central Park that has gardens filled with varieties of plants and flowers. Promenades and Boardwalks are popular public areas too on board Royal Caribbean ships. The Quantum of the Seas, scheduled to be launched in November this year will boast such innovative new features as the first skydiving simulator at sea and a glass capsule that will rise high above the ship for bird’s-eye views.

Royal Caribbean already leads the way with many industry firsts such as rock climbing at sea, the FlowRider® surf simulator, zip lining, ice skating, Broadway shows, and the industry’s first Aqua Theater featuring water and diving extravaganzas.

Destinations Royal Caribbean travels the globe — sailing to over 240 destinations in 72 countries, covering six continents. Whether you are looking for a cultural cruise in Europe or the Mediterranean, a scenic tour through the icy glaciers of Alaska or even one that scales the top of the earth at the Arctic Circle, a journey of discovery through in Asia, there is a destination for everyone! Caribbean is their middle name so stands to reason the Caribbean is a popular region for them too. Royal Carib-

bean owns two private islands there - Labadee in Haiti and Coco-Cay in the Bahamas that offer sugar-white beaches, natural trails and water sports facilities, and are ideal for group functions.

On board Experience You are free to do as much or as little as you want when on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. There is something for everyone on board Royal Caribbean ships. Relax in the spa, get your high by climbing a rock wall, or show off your moves at the ice skating rink. Shop for goodies, stroll along the Royal Promenade or sip a café latte at one of the coffee shops.

Adults, teens and kids – all are going to have fantastic time. The kids will splash around in the pool, and will love it when DreamWorks characters show up at their breakfast table! Evenings spell entertainment, with ice shows, comedy acts, and more. There are many bars, restaurants and dining venues too, with Indian food on the menu in the elegant main dining room, and in the more casual Windjammer Café.

TIRUN Travel Marketing, the India Representative for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, provides the utmost support to the travel agent community to make sure that selling a Royal Caribbean cruise is a win-win proposition for all, and recognizes that the dynamic participation by the travel community will give a further impetus to the fast growing cruise vacation segment!.

DISCOVER THE WORLD REPRESENTS HURTIGRUTEN IN INDIA

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iscover the World has expanded its sales and marketing representation into India for Hurtigruten cruises. Discover represents Hurtigruten’s unique Norwegian fjord cruise destinations in 12 other countries including Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

“There is a huge potential for new business in India where travelers are looking for a more unique experience,” said Discover the World CEO Jenny Adams. “Hurtigruten offers coastal and Expedition voyages with exciting excursion experiences that provide something different from other cruise companies.

Our success in increasing Hurtigruten’s profile and revenue shares in other markets, especially Australia and New Zealand, was a factor in expanding our relationship with the cruise line in India where we expect to replicate our track record.”

Discover the World India can be contacted on +91 22 292 10300 for Hurtigruten enquiries.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

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Cover Story

EMERGING BUSINESS TRAVEL TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA MICE has become the byword for new business pastures in the dynamically changing travel industry, particularly the Indian meetings industry front.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

ties for buyers for negotiations.

China will continue to experience a surplus of new supply from global chains and emerging brands for Chinese travellers but demand is expected to keep pace.

T

he constantly on-the-move business traveller hops on and off flights and checks in and out of hotels in a frequently evolving industry, struggling to keep pace with technology and other trends that strive to make business and travel easier for him.

shows that India is expected to hit a growth rate of 6.0% while China will be the leader in terms of growth at 8.0% projections. Some more Asian carriers are likely to join traditional alliances and long haul low cost carriers will also be emerging trends.

The sliding rupee, rising fuel costs, soaring ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) prices, user development fee at airports, excess baggage, hotel loyalty programmes, flying miles and other ancillary costs,

Asia Pacific cities have the highest occupancy rates in the world for the upcoming year. The law of supply and demand will create interesting dynamics in India and China. In India, the excess construction of global chains has created too much supply, exceeding the demand, thereby creating opportuni-

The forecast for travel prices for 2014

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Meetings and Events Projections The strongest overall growth will take place in Asia Pacific, with both group sizes and daily attendees sizes anticipated to increase. The demand will remain strong though supply vs. demand will vary according to the country.

Ground transportation projections for 2014 Carlson Wagonlit Travel studies and found that car rental prices will increase modestly though options are limited by local restrictions in some locations that prevent foreign visitors from driving without a local driver’s license.

In those countries, such as China, car rental is typically chauffeured by local drivers. China’s continually developing high speed rail infrastructure will gar-

ner strong interest from travel buyers in 2014, who are increasingly interested in using this option instead of air travel where applicable.

Challenges According to a recent survey by Abacus, it identified some key trends that are anticipated to have an effect on business travel in the next few years.

97% of respondents have received instructions to further tighten business travel policies. There is no relaxation of the rules in sight, despite the more favourable economic outlook acknowledged by all. 73% reported business clients implementing policies to decrease the number of business trips.

Six in ten clients are extending economy class thresholds to reduce business class travel.

47% of travellers are also now encouraged to opt for lower-star accommodation. 43% of respondents felt that their role had recently shifted more in favour of business procurement.

73% of business clients have increased their preference to use low cost carriers. Other parameters in the

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Cover Story

The main USP of Eureka is its compatibility with the technology and its service style. Our aim is both to help our clients experience a new kind of meeting and to help us enliven our conversations with clients and prospects.Bandish Mehta, General Manager, Novotel Pune policy include the flight time, booking channel, trip changes, etc.

73% of business travel companies have implemented a business booking tool (CBT). 64% of respondents agreed that a good number of travellers wants to deal with travel management companies and agencies, with 55% perceiving business travel itineraries to be too complex a task to undertake themselves.

Over 83% of travel management companies and agencies felt that smartphones would have a moderate to significant impact on business. Only 33% had implemented any mobile web or native applications for smartphones, leading with a simple mobile itinerary tool. Though the adoption rates of smartphones and tablets are high in Asia Pacific region, only four in ten enable flight and hotel bookings on mobile. 33% of business travel companies have created a mobile web or native mobile app for smartphones for business bookings.

Keeping aside the trends and expectations, let us take a look at the challeng-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

es that business travel is burdened with. Rising costs of travel and accommodation seem to be the biggest concern presently.

In the last few years, airfares have gone sky-high, so also the room rates, thereby adversely affecting travel budgets. Going beyond complaining, the need to travel is still there. Employees demand access to first class travel and hotel arrangements; hence companies have to design their travel budgets in a way as to keep costs at a certain level.

While people talk about technology pervading all levels of travel on the one hand, a lot of people still find it difficult to book a LCC flight. There are several issues pertaining to booking the seat, hand luggage, meals onboard, window seats and making reservations in the first 10 rows, for instance. With varying demands on part of the employees and rising airfare and different airline policies, it is quite a challenge for companies to draw up a cost-effective, value for money travel and accommodation plan.

Hence, it is not surprising that businesss these days are resorting to a single-window booking system to take care of all the booking aspects. Some of them also engage a separate travel concierge desk in their organizations.

This kind of a set up not only eases the process, but also brings about a lot of deals and discounts in hotels and flights for the employees.

Besides this, companies can also formulate a meticulous travel policy in order to keep a lid on costs. These policies can be about fixing a ceiling on the accommodation category like star hotels, guest houses or serviced apartments and also go on to limiting budget on first class travel and opting for economy class. Through this, companies will be able to effect a substantial cut in their travel spending. As for those who face disagreement on such conditions, the best alternative would be to re-look at their supplier-vendor contracts. Business travel planners can reach a deal with long-standing suppliers and bring about contracts that reward loyalty while ensuring a win-win situation for both the parties.

They can negotiate with the airlines

and the hotels for a certain number of seats and rooms during a certain period and reach an amicable policy while drafting their request for proposals.

Other problems encompass increase in the number of new airlines entering the skies, growing passenger numbers, route expansion, need for trained manpower and infrastructure, all required to grow at the same pace.

As for price sensitivity, airlines have become cost conscience more than just Passenger Revenue by changing the business models constantly. For instance, carriers generate revenue on sale and lease back (wet lease). Indigo 89 % planes are on lease. Jet Airways is 90%, SpiceJet is 69% and GoAir is 93%.

It is expected that the near future capacity will increase in the domestic market. As of today, the entire industry in India is 62 million passengers annually; but the market will add 40 million passengers over the next four years.

LCCs have paved for a new trend with the industry going for adding capacity in short haul segments that are usu-

15>> ally more profitable. On an average, a Mumbai-Delhi flight is sold at INR 8 / Air Mile and in comparison MumbaiAhmedabad is sold at INR 12/Air Mile.

Airlines in India are following models like Air Asia and Southwest Airlines by charging extra for specific seats like by the window or the aisle seat, reducing baggage allowance and increasing cancellation of ticket and no show charges. Indigo is expected to add nearly 10 aircrafts a year over the next decade or so mostly to operate domestic segments.

Cover Story A business booking tool or an OTA usually facilitates the work. However, an inefficient and unproductive booking tool will not serve the process. One requires the complete booking options to find out the best and most ideal travel and hotel choices, that would not only fit in their budget but also be of a certain standard.

India still has a very adoption rate for business travel technology in comparison to western markets. An exhaustive travel solution is the need of the

hour to ensure the most effective delivery of travel services, be it a simple individual package or complex group itineraries, domestic or international.

With online booking tools offering user friendly booking ideas, people still tend to check with their travel concierge or a travel agent over the phone, simply with a need to understand technology by personal communication.

While it was mentioned earlier that a single window booking system could alleviate booking hassles, what organi-

zations look for are a comprehensive technology solution that covers all aspects of bookings. A solution that would be a one-stop site listing all the types of travel and hotel choices quickly, including ground transportation, is likely to be adopted by a business.

Having said that, today the proliferation of smartphones in our personal and professional lives, have necessitated us, employees to be able to have more access to information. More so, when it comes to dissemination of

In so far as fares are concerned, Zero Frill Carriers are found to offer a reasonable alternative to the premier carriers. A successful LCC in India is very clear about what it promises to deliver.

If the airline charges a fare without any frills, whilst promising a certain standard of service, with ‘Arriving on Time’ being their USP, then it stands to win hands down in terms of running full or almost full. Meals, water and other such add-ons have to be borne by the passenger.

This kind of a policy is better than running a LCC and supplying a newspaper, a sandwich and a water bottle. Tiny supplementary costs can go a long way in adding to its overall cost.

Business travel managers have implemented compound strategies in order to make sure the lowest reasonable fare is offered to the employee at the time of booking.

Here is where policies such as a 7-Advance Purchase, business fare vs. retail fare, day trips and round trip fares are executed. With so many promotions happening every few months, these strategies ensure that the business does not lose out to the retail purchaser when it comes to negotiating bulk deals.

And now awarded ISO 9001:2008 What does that mean to our travel agents?

Close on the heels of being an Innovative 100 Company, now the ISO Certification recognises our Quality Management Systems too. Simply put, you are only a click away to find out our many firsts that differentiates us from the others around.

No duplicate hotels. Each hotel appears only once.

This simple feature eliminates your confusion whilst booking a hotel

In a study done on bookings for the month of February 2013, booking seven days ahead of departure saved 33% on a LCC while one saved 15% on a Full Service Carrier (FSC) while booking three days ahead of departure.

Irrespective of the nature of the travel, work or the company policy, employees anticipate and desire a four or a five star hotel accommodation . Budget accommodation options remain at a secondary level.

High-res images, videos and 360° virtual tours.

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Another hindrance faced by businesss while dealing with travel plans for their executives would be demanding and insistent travelers. With increasing international travel and exposure to world class travel and accommodation standards, today travellers seek the best arrangements.

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Cover Story

travel information. While one may have travelled on a particular international airline once, with the booking done by a business, the regular emails and mailers on the flying miles that one accumulates is sent to the end-user by the airline; again a resultant benefit of access to data.

When he uses the same flight the next time, he can utilize these regular miles information to seek upgrades.

Again the use of smartphones varies from person to person. Not all employees use a smarphone to communicate booking information. Some would much rather prefer the nitty-gritty of travel to be taken care of completely by the company and only the necessary information be communicated to them. Plus, there is the concern of international roaming charges when one is on foreign shores.

In such cases, organizations must look out for those solutions that offer customized or personalized itineraries, like an exclusive app for travel to a particular country. This can help the concierge and the management to effectively be in touch with the executive who is travelling, in real time on their smartphones. For this, they require a cost-efficient, low-cost and secure mobile access platform.

The downside of this is that these complications can lead to the organization deciding to go for videoconferencing or tele-conferencing in order to cut down travel. This would mean fewer trips.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Alternatively, they can review their expenditure and budgeting. Issues surrounding last minute cancellation, refund, meals, combining more meetings in one trip for maximum value for money , and per diem can all be reworked to amend the total trip cost.

One can look at serviced apartments for a change instead of star accommodation. These apartments offer a lot of convenience like more space, fully furnished kitchen and though they may be on par with a luxury hotel , they give a homely ambience during one’s stay.

In order for the company to identify the most optimum OBT, it must know what it requires, outline all the deliverables.

The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector is poised for vigorous growth. The demand for meetings is growing by the day and while the ongoing economic slump causes companies to pull string on their budgets, companies are also considering luxury and exotic destinations.

Bandish Mehta, General Manager, Novotel Pune talks about the latest Eureka theme of meetings introduced by Accor.

Novotel has invented a new Meeting offer, an innovative concept aimed at business men and women for whom discussion and creative exchanges of ideas are central to a successful meeting. It is an all-inclusive solution which fosters mental well-being, boosts energy, and helps you to gain in productivity.

How are the meetings organized in the

Eureka theme? What is the unique feature that you have unlike other similar competitors with regard to your venue?

The Unique concept of Eureka is the flexibility towards customers’ needs.

The main USP of Eureka is its compatibility with the technology and its service style.

Our aim is both to help our clients experience a new kind of meeting and to help us enliven our conversations with clients and prospects.

• A meeting room that has been reconsidered from every angle, offering more space which can be reconfigured by the client to adapt to different times of day, for work sessions, discussions and breaks.

•An innovative space in terms of ergonomics, modernity, ambiance and decor.

•Associated services that encourage a change of pace in order to help participants be and stay at their best.

•The simplicity of the concept, its allinclusive aspect which takes the pressure off of everyone.

What are the meeting sizes that the concept is most suited for?

Eureka - Meeting space is suited for 30-45pax What are the top three requests made by your clients for holding meetings?

- Client expect International standards - Audio Visuals/technology should work efficiently

- Food & Service should be flawless and of 5star standards and preferably organized within the meeting room.

What are the business offerings that are included in the package and what are things that you provide on request and not as part of the package?

Package includes Morning & Evening Tea/Coffee and Lunch at our Signature all day dining restaurant The Square.

Guest request such as WiFi for all meeting attendees, Themed Breaks, Minibar, Cappuccino Machines, etc are offered beyond the package inclusions at additional charge. Novotel Pune is highly equipped to provide all services which cater for the clients’ needs & requests.

Salient features of Eureka may be summed up as: - An all new approach to meeting room design and set-up.

- A catering offer built on the principle of choice and freedom.

- Brand new, never-before break services.

- An invitation to work at a different pace.

- A meeting room that has been reconsidered from every angle, offering more space which can be reconfigured by the client to adapt to different times of day for work sessions, discussions and breaks.

- An innovative space in terms of ergonomics, modernity, ambience.

- Associated services that encourage a change of pace to help participants - All-inclusive aspect which takes the pressure off of everyone.

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Travel Trends

TOURISM EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE

7.3% GROWTH TO iNDIA IN 2014

The recent Visa-on-Arrival relaxation by the Indian government will give a necessary boost and competitive advantage to India against other destinations in South Asia and Middle East.

VW BUREAU

2

014 is expected to be a year of above-average growth for Travel & Tourism in India to counteract a weak performance for domestic travel in 2013. That is according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which has unveiled its Annual Economic Impact Data and forecasts for India today.

WTTC is the global authority on the economic and social impact of the Travel & Tourism Industry. WTTCs Annual Economic Impact Report 2014 for India shows Travel & Tourism’s economic contribution is expected to grow by 7.3% this year, outperforming the general economy by 2.5 percentage points.

Revenues gained from domestic tourism rose by 5.1% in 2013 and is expected to increase by 8.2% in 2014, The amount that International visitors spent in India rose by 6.2% in 2013 but is forecast to slow to a 2.9% growth rate in 2014.

President and CEO of WTTC, David Scowsill, says the predicted boost to tourism in 2014 will be appreciated after a tough year for the general economy in India; “Inbound tourism is continuing to grow both in terms of international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts. But, it is the domestic market which will see particularly strong growth in 2014 with more investment and more Indians

Voyager’s World > March 2014

travelling”.

The Government of India has recently announced that it proposes to extend visa on arrival and Electronic Travel Authorization for tourists from 180 countries and to speed up the application process for those still requiring a paper visa to only three days. David Scowsill says that WTTC and WTTC India Initiative welcome this historic initiative; “This is a result of our continuing conversations with the Government authorities to encourage Freedom to Travel for legitimate, bona fide tourists who want to visit India. It will give a necessary boost and competitive advantage to India against other destinations in South Asia and Middle East.

This will also provide a major thrust to jobs and employment both direct and indirectly linked with the tourism sector in India. We hope the Government ensures an effective rollout of this much-anticipated program before the ensuing tourist season in 2014. Long term, we would also encourage India to move towards e-visa applications”.

A study undertaken by WTTC and UNWTO in 2012 (The Impact of Visa Facilitation on Job Creation in the G20 Economies, May 2012. UNWTO and WTTC) shows that India will gain from improvements to its visa regime. The research estimates that improved visa facilitation could result in up to 6 million more international visitors for

India, resulting in US$8 million more spend and creating 1.8 million jobs over three years.

Scowsill continues; “This latest announcement is a significant step towards achieving these substantial economic gains. A simple additional step of adding the capability for mulitiple entry to these visas on arrival for a longer period such as 6 months could allow India to capitalise on the long term potential from Travel & Tourism”.

In 2013 Travel & Tourism contributed INR6,631.6 billion to the economy of India and generated 35 million jobs.

The WTTC research also highlights the size of Travel & Tourism around the world: • In 2013, Travel & Tourism contributed US$7 trillion to the global economy and is expected to grow by 4.2% in 2014. The total global contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the industry, was 266 million jobs (8.9% of total employment) – one in 11 of all jobs on the planet • In 2014, the industry globally is expected to grow by 4.3% Scowsill says 2013 proved another successful year for the Industry; “Travel & Tourism’s contribution to the world economy grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2013, helped especially

by strong demand from international travellers. Visitor exports, the measure of money spent by these international tourists, rose by 3.9% at a global level year on year, to US$1.3 trillion, and by more than 10% within South East Asia. It is clear that the growth in Travel & Tourism demand from emerging markets continues with pace, as the burgeoning middle-classes, especially from Asia and Latin America, are willing and more able than ever to travel both within and beyond their borders”.

However, Scowsill reminds Governments that they need to take action; “Travel & Tourism forecasts over the next ten years also look extremely favourable, with predicted growth rates of over 4% annually that continue to be higher than growth rates in other industries.

Capitalising on the opportunities for this Travel & Tourism growth will, of course, require destinations and regional authorities, particularly those in emerging markets, to create favourable business climates for investment in the infrastructure and human resource support necessary to facilitate a successful and sustainable tourism industry. At the national level, governments can also do much to implement more open visa regimes and employ intelligent rather than punitive taxation policies. If right steps are taken, Travel & Tourism can be a true force for good.

Wild Life

20>>

Wildlife marketing: ON IT’S

Wildlife marketing plays an integral role in the tourism sector as India has a huge potential with the number of wildlife resorts and national parks.

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

W

ildlife marketing creates a vision for one to be in the wilderness as it is all about living in nature.

The wildlife segment is growing immensely through wildlife photography, bird watching group and conservation of endangered species.

This segment has always witnessed an average of 15% growth in India.

India is a potential country that can grow in higher levels in terms of wildlife segment.

Wildlife Products Amitabh Sarma Head -Marketing, Jungle Travels said, wildlife is more of promoting a destination as a whole rather than focusing on individual wildlife in a destination, where the clients can enjoy the whole experience.

“We also send out newsletters that highlight the destination as well as showcase people who are making

Voyager’s World > March 2014

a difference to wildlife and nature,” he added.

Venkatesh , Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts states that the idea is to offer a wholesome experience by staying at the most exotic resorts situated in the best wildlife sanctuaries of the country and get to learn more about the nuances of wildlife and wildlife photography.

This product aims to target people from special interest groups who are passionate about what they do and who are responsible individuals in their own sense. We have specialized products to offer guests and one of the programme is the wildlife photography workshops called Shutterbug, where we had tied up with Sudhir Shivaram the brand ambassador of Canon India to devise package for wildlife, photography,

adventure enthusiast,” he says.

In the opinion of Rachel Ravi, Managing Director, Red Earth Resorts Kabini & Grassroots Luxury Getaways in Wayanad promoting the wildlife products to inbound operators specializing in wildlife and adventure helps us to build a direct relationship with them.

“Newsletters with latest news and updates are sent out on a monthly basis to the travel industry audience and clients. Kabini is all about experience and not wildlife,” she added.

“We have been promoted our brand through e-mailers, social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc), blogs and creative online campaigns. One of the creative marketing campaigns is Lifescapes that evolved from the idea of telling people a simple story

about the nature and culture of our destinations through an outstanding photograph and accompanying essay. We recently had received the world’s most prestigious experiential travel awards, the PURE AWARDS 2013, at PURE LIFE EXPERIENCES, Marrakech, Morocco,” says Jose T Ramapuram, Director – Marketing, Orange County.

Marketing strategies Venkatesh says: The strategy is to focus on the special interest groups like wildlife photography enthusiasts, backpack adventure groups. It is more of knowing the importance and responsibility of being in the wilderness zones.

“We do a little bit of promoting and developing the destinations and also showcase the diversity and richness in terms of flora and fauna of the region.

Wild Life

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© Orange County

TRAIL IN INDIA

Jose T Ramapuram, Orange County Resorts & Hotels Wildlife caters to people who are mature, well-travelled audience, seeking a range of unique luxury experiential holidays as this segment offers a great scope and potentiality in India.

Wildlife marketing is an integral part of our entire marketing mix, as two of The Serai Resorts are wildlife resorts in Bandipur and Kabini,” he added.

Rachael states that conservation and wildlife tourism go hand in hand. In addition, Kabini is not all about wildlife, as it is all about flora, people, history and all the activities .Our marketing focus is to provide guests with an overall experience that is all about

living in nature with all luxuries being a part of nature.

Amitabh said, our primary focus is North East India and Bhutan when it comes to wildlife and birding tours.

We have two jungle lodges in Assam the Diphlu River Lodge in Kaziranga National Park and the Bansbari Lodge in Manas National Park.

“We have tours that offer a traveler

a full circuit of wildlife destinations across India. We also run a river cruise, ABN Charaidew, in the Brahmaputra in Assam, through a sister concern, Assam Bengal Navigation that primarily focuses on wildlife destinations along the river in Assam,” he says.

“We have vivid channels, through which we market our products and

we participate in a lot of travel road shows, events and fairs. Our strategy is on experiential travel to provide clients a wholesome jungle affair, “he added.

“Our marketing is targeted more towards an audience that is interested in experiential travel. Orange County, Kabini is one of the properties under the brand Orange County Resorts, wildlife

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Wild Life

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Rachel Ravi, Red Earth Resorts Kabini& Grassroots Luxury Getaways in Wayanad Wildlife offers peolple an overall experience that is all about living in nature, as Red Earth Resorts Kabini is a wholesome nature experience with its flora, people and history.

is one of the experiences provided by the brand. Orange County, Kabini also has a cultural angle to experience especially by the local Kadu Kuruba tribe and their culture,” says Jose.

Orange County as a brand is represented in domestic and international trade fairs such as the WTM, ILTM, ITB, and PURE. We also participate in various road shows within and outside India and witnessed the growing popularity of the online world as the target group is a much selected one especially those who spend more time here.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Mid markets Rachael explains that the targeted audiences are people who enjoy nature and silence, live in a place where the ethos is completely that of including the local community of villagers and tribes in its growth.

“We work closely with the NGO SVYM that was started by 12 doctors in providing different camps in this backward area right from medical, to Adhar, to educational/Social awareness. We are currently working on getting support for building the roads to these villages. We are

also tied up with SPJ Sadhana school for the mentally handicapped,” she added.

Venkatesh said: The market as such for wildlife is a huge draw because of the growing awareness. Our mid markets are Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Coimbatore, Salem etc due to the proximity to the resorts. We also have many other markets like Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai.

Amitabh states that with the increasing fold of middle and upper-middle class that has a high disposable income and

a penchant for a holidaying, interest and scope for wildlife/eco-tourism in the domestic sector is bound to grow manifold in the years to come.

“We have a collection of Safari Camps & Lodges spread over the major National Parks & Sanctuaries in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Karnataka ,the focus is on managing and marketing the entire wildlife experience at other destinations and to ensure quality management of the complete wildlife experiences for the traveller ,”added Ranjit Sinh Parmar, Founder & CEO, Palaces of India /

Wild Life

© © Orange County

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Venkatesh, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts Wildlife is growing in the special interest groups like wildlife photography and bird watching group. The industry is expected to increase by 10-12% with more inbound traveler’s growing interest for wildlife.

camps of India. Orange County Resorts is a luxury brand that caters to a selected target group that is a mature, well-travelled audience, seeking a range of unique luxury experiential holidays. Our focus markets are India, Western Europe, US, Middle East, South East Asia and Austrailia,” said Jose.

Challenges Venkatesh says that peaceful environment in an eco sensitive zone is not an easy task. There are various challenges that constantly arise at various levels. We have noticed a

certain percentage of the guests forget that for the animals the forest is their home and they are just visitors as they do not maintain decorum especially during safari’s and also in the forest areas, hence educating the travelers becomes a challenge.

Rachael states that the challenge faced is the limitation in booking safaris in advance and the fact that all safaris are controlled by a Government body and the forest department at another gate .The confirmations are usually available only one day ahead. The high level of taxation

imposed and the erratic and almost nonexistent supply of Power /electricity leading to high costs and poor state of roads.

Amitabh says that the growth rate of wildlife tourism in India has shown a healthy rising trend, the requirement is adequate infrastructure and manpower.

Ranjit added that the setback we face in the wildlife tourism industry is regulatory in nature, as we need to have an integrated policy framework which takes into account the objec-

tives of the Forests & Environment Industry, Tourism Industry & Local Communities living around these wildlife reserves, since conservation & Tourism go hand in hand.

Wildlife tourism has great scope and potential for India. However, it lacks a meaningful and comprehensive vision for future development. Progress and promotion are curtailed due to complex procedures involved in setting up businesses in India that tend to slow down rather than accelerate progress. Tourism is the largest employer in many countries of the world.

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Wild Life

© Jungle Travels India

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Amitabh Sarma, Jungle Travels India Wildlife is a wholesome jungle affair where one to enjoy a destination as a whole and with the increase of middle and upper-middle class of a high disposable income and the scope for wildlife in the domestic sector is bound to grow in the years to come.

Considering our huge and young population, and the employment potential of the tourism industry, we need to make it easier for investors to set up businesses in this industry that are meaningfully regulated by the government,” says Jose.

Future of wildlife Tourism Though the growth in tourism in India has been impressive, India’s share in global tourist arrivals and earnings is quite insignificant. It is universally acknowledged that the tourism resources in the country have the potential to generate significantly higher levels of demand from the domestic and international markets, and, if exploited intelligently in a sustainable manner, can prove to be the proverbial engine of growth for the economy says Jose.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Venkatesh said, Wildlife tourism is catching up immensely especially among the special interest groups like wildlife photography, bird watching group, conservation of endangered species of animals/birds. The industry is expected to increase by 10-12% with more inbound traveler’s growing interest for wildlife and also the diversity of species found in our country.

In the opinion of Amitabh, wildlife tourism has grown at an average of 15%, which is at par with other countries with wildlife destinations, out of which around 70% are domestic Indian tourists.

“This is a healthy trend and another healthy sign is that the wildlife tourist is willing to pay more in terms of park entry fees, etc and they believe that

local people should get benefitted by it. Wildlife tourism in India has always fared well in terms of growth. Due to its varied topography and distinctive climatic conditions, India is endowed with various forms of flora and fauna, and it has numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants life on offer for tourism,” he added.

Rachel says that Wildlife will always have its appeal. The crux would be to fine tune efforts in ensuring tourists enjoy the experience without hampering the forest. The key would be in working towards policies that have tourism be inclusive in the protection of the forests as well as the people who have lived off it.

Jose states that wildlife tourism has averaged 15% growth in India, mir-

roring many countries. This growth is reflected in the increase in visitors to many protected areas in India, as 70% of the visitors to the wildlife parks are Indians.

“Majority of the tourists spends an average of $600 (37200) on their visit and stay for 2 – 3 nights. The tourists visit to see wildlife and appreciate the scenic beauty of the parks, as many tourists are willing to re-visit these parks and are willing to pay more,” he says.

“Wildlife tourism in India has seen a growth from less than 10,000 people per year to more than 170,000 people per year over a 15-year period, as visitors get the best experiences of good wildlife sightings in all parks,” he added.

Flight Talk

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Indian Aviation and its brand avatars..

ROHIT HANGAL

“Brand is the ‘f’ word of marketing. People swear by it, no one quite understands its significance and everybody would like to think they do it more often than they do” - Mark di Soma, Audacity Group

T

he Indian aviation industry has never attracted more headlines than ever before. Since the advent of opening up of the skies, we have been on one hell of a roller – coaster ride with more downs and ups, spiraling fuel costs, new regional airline taking off to nowhere, mergers and acquisitions that belies logic and of course to say the least a war on airline brand perceptions!

In an era where the Indian industry managing to hold its nervous nerves amid the global meltdown, the aviation sector is trying hard to make sense of branding strategies of some of our Aviation brands that also flew in the recent past. I am trying hard to understand its brand credentials and lineage and it’s not been easy.

Kingfisher, probably the best airline ever to be named after a beer used ‘good times’ as a brand virtue amid a tremendous fervour and marketing razzmatazz. At launch time it was purely budget with a single type seating and basic services. Then of course Kingfisher was too grand a lifestyle oriented a brand to be in the ‘budget tier’ and was refocused to be on par with scheduled airlines such as Air India and Jet. The King of Good Times surely, brought style unheard aboard the Indian skies with even the Chairman proclaiming that the attractive stewardesses have been personally vouched by him! Food aboard was an added attraction to take on the lowcost market head on. The airline managed to gain market share from biggies such as Air India, Jet and Sahara.

Similar branding brings in similar brand expectations! It’s a simple marketing success norm, but then, Dr. Mallya’s has managed to somehow have the

same brand for a whisky, rum and a brandy! Airline business and probably most successful brands have stuck to a much more focused approach to create long - lasting impressions, thus acquiring significant loyalty!

In an era, where market-share dictates business strategies, Kingfisher bought over Air Deccan, India’s primary low-cost mega brand. Kingfisher was the new leader in the market-share race. With two distinct brands, it made sense to take on competition across segments. But as a twist in a tale, Kingfisher suddenly decided that ‘Air Deccan’ did not meet the ‘fun-times’ brand-culture of the ‘House of Kingfisher’ and rechristened it as ‘Kingfisher Red!’ and now Kingfisher Airlines, Kingfisher and the Air Deccan have all been relegated to being part of the country’s aviation history. Will the Kingfisher take the skies again? If that happens, it will sure add spice to the times, where in Air Asia and the TATA - Singapore Airline, waiting to jump in.

India’s biggest Aviation brand, Jet Airways decided to take over Sahara, to create another couple of brand extensions in form of JetLite and JetKonnect. With mounting pressures on the bottom line, managing two similar sounding brand names serving two distinct market segments is sureshot at luxury! Presently, Jetlite is history and JetKonnect in its LCC Avatar is bigger than Jet Airways by a huge margin. Jet Airways will always have a bigger brand recall. Will the employees of the Airlines say that they work with JetKonnect; not much of a chance. It will always be Jet Airways!

Managing two brands with a similar sound to it is always difficult, but now with Etihad also involved, makes the

brand management just a little more interesting.

The story is very similar with the exploits of Jet Airways creating two line extensions in form of JetLite and JetKonnect and Air India, first merging Indian Airlines with itself and then creating a low - cost airline in form of Air India Express. All line extensions sound very similar and create unbridled confusion in the market segments it is targeting. But, in this era of diminishing passenger services, Air India is seen for stability in passenger services, with a decent legroom and food for thought, ofcourse!

On the other hand, we heard the headlines scream ‘Indigo orders 100 Airbus A-20s’, and heard more from skeptics claiming it as another of the marketing gimmick to get attention. Seven years there on, Indigo has turned heads with its prowess in terms of market-share and heavy profitability! Indigo has been simple, not wavered amid changing marketing deals and offers of competing airlines. They just ahead, created a model that delivers what is expected of a low-cost airline, thus avoided the trap of being a ‘market juggler!’

The Indian Aviation industry is a relatively new entrant to competition and market dynamics, i.e., if you do not consider the days of competition being limited to chose from Indian Airlines to fly domestic and Air India if you wish to travel overseas!

One of the facets of modern day Airline marketing is trying to align their brands to the cost of the ticket an average passenger pays. Al Ries, one of the world leading branding experts in an article in the New York Times

said on the variable pricing adopted by most revenue managers around the world “The unfortunate answer to that question is that in today’s world, ideas and concepts don’t seem to matter. What matters is “execution”.

If you can execute well, goes the thinking, you are going to win. Which in itself, is true. What is not true is that execution is unrelated to the power of the ideas and concepts driving the business.” He further adds “Variable pricing is one of those ideas. No matter how well you execute a variable-pricing strategy, you wind up undermining the brand. Airline customers used to be brand loyal.

Variable pricing has destroyed the bond between airline and customer.

Almost nobody books a flight without first asking, “What would that cost?”

On the other side, we have had lowcost airlines being opportunistic to take on the ‘demand-supply’ holy route theory to hike up rates to rival full fledge first-class rates. This though makes the airline make some extra-cash for the day, it will eventually lose some more of its ‘loyal’ passenger out of sheer disgust! Well, on the other hand, Airlines are no longer in the business of being the ‘Home in the Skies’, it is just another transportation service to ferry people!

In the world of modern day airline marketing, where ‘revenue management’ dictates marketing policy, the future looks gloomy to airlines hoping to get another loyal customer! The state of airlines around the world is pretty much similar, with only a few rising above short – term gains to create distinct brands that deliver on its perceived promise. In the times to come, how we fly might be just as important as on where you fly?

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Flight Talk

26>>

Demand

for in-flight entertainment!

In-flight entertainment plays an important role in increasing growth in the aviation sector and one of the perks people are expecting for a nice in-flight experience in a long haul flight with updated programmes on board that makes the journey seemingly shorter and one can be connected with friends via their smart phones.

Charlie Stewart-Cox, Cathay Pacific Airways The in-flight entertainment an important part in a passenger’s in-flight experience as the digital entertainment platforms onthe-ground is developing and Cathay Pacific believes that all passengers expect good entertainment.

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

T

he In-flight entertainment technology have developed rapidly in the past few years and a passenger expectations have changed on entertainment, with a lot of innovations within the in-flight entertainment category as technology is improving day by day. Airlines have started providing from just movies to Live TV, from games to infotainment and telephone services to onboard Wi-Fi. Nowadays all the airlines have started attracting customers with In-flight entertainment and there is a rise in the demand for different kinds of inflight entertainment.

Rise in in-flight entertainment Tekeba H. Selassie, Regional Direc-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

tor India, Ethiopian Airlines says, as operating margins remain low and competition intensifies, airlines are identifying factors other than price to attract customers, In-flight entertainment and connectivity are key for airlines to achieve differentiation, at least at the moment.

Charlie Stewart-Cox, General Manager - South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Cathay Pacific Airways states that In-flight entertainment is a big part of our passenger’s journey. Cathay Pacific believes that all passengers expect good entertainment and we must be able to offer them this experience whenever they travel.

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Vice President, India & Nepal, Emirates Airlines, there is always a demand for different kinds of in-flight entertainment by passengers. Emirates is investing continuously and expands its entertainment offering with an incredible range of movies and music.

“Passengers who want to enjoy their journey and in-flight entertainment, as a wide-range of content can help a long-haul flight seem much shorter, and make the trip more enjoyable. A superior experience on-board brings passengers back on their next flight, “he added.

Different types of in-flight entertainment

Mehmet Akay, General Manager, Western & Southern India, Turkish Airlines said: Most of the aircraft in our airline company are equipped with digital audio video on demand IFE systems. Via these systems the passengers are able to watch different types of popular movies and listen to various types of music and play games. In addition to all this the Wi-Fi connection and Live TV onboard s offered in B777 type of aircraft.

Tekeba says: Ethiopian Airlines offers Video and Audio on Demand on its 777 and 787 fleet as well as PTV and main screen viewing on its analog fleet.(B767, B757, B737) On B787 and B777 ETH offer Video and

Flight Talk

© Cathay Pacific Airways

27>>

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates Airlines Emirates recognizes the variety and diversity within in-flight entertainment is important to keep passengers entertained throughout the journey of their flight, the in-flight entertainment offered by any airline becomes one of the comparative parameters for a passenger in a long haul journey. Passengers want to enjoy their journey and in-flight entertainment is a big piece for a long-haul flight. A superior experience on-board brings passengers back on their next flight.

Audio on demand, On B767/B757/ B737 ETH uses PTVs on individual seats and main screens from different suppliers, On one aircraft ETH is using Portable Media Player (PMP) this device to be extended on B767 and B757 Business Class.

Charlie explains that the StudioCX, the in-flight entertainment system has an enchanting array of options for passengers in all age groups.

The personal screen is available on every seat on and offers 100+movies, 500+ TV programmes, and 888 CDs onboard our flights with Audio and Video on-demand system.

“The onboard content is refreshed each month by providing new programmes to passengers regularly.

Since our passengers come from many different Asian and Western cultures, hence we offer audio-visual programmes in many languages. The movies are available with alternative soundtracks in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, French, Italian or German while TV programmes are broadcast in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi,”he says.

“In addition, exciting games and a

wide range of music are also available on board, the Indian passengers, both adults and children can enjoy a wide range of the latest Bollywood movies and Hindi Music and soundtracks.Cathay Pacific in-flight entertainment goes beyond in-flight video programmes,” he added .

“Essa explains that Emirates, a global connector of people and places offers in-flight Entertainment (IFE) system, ice, Digital Widescreen (‘ice’ - Information, Communications and Entertainment) to its passengers.

The airline provides a staggering choice of up to1,600 channels of entertainment; including up to 400 movies from around the world, hundreds of TV choices and thousands of music tracks from contemporary to classical. Emirates’ ‘ice’ has been awarded the Skytrax awards for nine years in a row,” The flight path is another innovative feature that Emirates offers its passengers, for those who wish to follow the progress of their flight can watch video from cameras set up on the outside of the aircraft or watch the route on their screens. Passengers can also make in-flight phone calls to their loved ones, colleagues or

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Flight Talk

© Emirates Airline

28>>

Tekeba H. Selassie, Ethiopian Airlines In-flight entertainment offers growth in aviation sector with a significant profit from ancillary revenue as an increasing number of people look for entertainment and connectivity. friends on the ground or even to other passengers on board. Additionally, they can send and receive text messages and emails,”he added.

Wolfgang Will, Director,South Asia ,Lufthansa Airlines states that Lufthansa offers an extensive on demand entertainment program on its longhaul flights which changes monthly where the passengers can enjoy a wide selection of Oscar awarded movies on their personal in-seat screen as well as TV titles in up to eight different languages such as top sitcoms, exciting documentaries as well as daily news and music concerts.

“For our Indian passengers, we also offer popular Indian movies. Sports fans will find a wide choice of the latest sports coverage in the Sports sec-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

tion.30 international radio channels, 200 CDs on different music types in all genres are also available on Lufthansa long-haul flights as well as language courses, games of skill and action,” he says.

“Children and teenager enjoy a special selected program with movies,audio booksandmusic CDs. Jet Friends, the Lufthansa Club for kids and teenagers also offers its own JetFriends radio channel.Customers can also check details on their travel destination or follow live information about their flight,” he added.

Competition: in-flight entertainment technology “IFE plays a great role in aviation as technology improves in ratio with the needs of the passengers day by day

with the connectivity via Wi-Fi enabled devices on board and providing Live Tv technology. Turkish airlines provide 8 languages in our Graphical User Interface in order to let all the passengers from all around the world have the same great experience with the others, we are working to provide 14 languages in-flight entertainment is very important , “ said Mehmet

vest in more comprehensive entertainment and connectivity.

Tekeba says by providing a four star in-flight entertainment package and equipping the fleet with the latest in-flight entertainment technologies available. For airlines, the in-flight entertainment has always been an important one, as an increasing number of people around the world choose to use air transport for many of their travel needs, it will become critically important for airlines to in-

Essa says the in-flight entertainment offered by any airline has become one of the most critical comparative parameters for a passenger, especially while travelling long haul.The choice of entertainment offered by an airline plays a vital role and has become a great quality differentiator.

“Emirates recognize that variety and diversity within in-flight entertainment is important to keep passen-

Charlie says: The In-flight entertainment is a big part of a passenger’s journey and technology enhances this experience. We are constantly exploring new technology that enable us to further enhance Cathay Pacific’s entertainment experience.

Flight Talk

gers entertained throughout the journey of their flight,” he added.

“The In-flight entertainment plays an important role in the aviation sector as customers spend many hours onboard when travelling on longhaul flights and of course. In addition, technology is making progress at lightning speed, people are constantly connected with colleagues and expect the same when travelling.

With Lufthansa’s broad variety of options and the new FlyNet, passengers can choose whether they would like to watch a movie or if they prefer to spend their time working or chat with their family and friends via facebook for example,” added Wolfgang.

New in-flight entertainment services “Our newest offering is the Wi-Fi and Live TV connection. Currently most of our a/c in our fleet has Panasonic X-Series IFE Systems.We will have Panasonic’s Android based EX3 IFE System for wide body a/c and Thales AVANT IFE System for narrow body a/c,” says Mehmet.

Tekeba said:The latest technology are the Audio and Video on demand services, Video audio on demand plus games and audio books in B777 and B787.

Wolfgang explains that Lufthansa recently equipped over 90% all of its long-haul fleet with FlyNet, the company’s first on-board broadband Internet service, that makes Lufthansa the airline with the world’s largest Internet-enabled intercontinental fleet and India was among the first markets to receive this broadband service. Whether passengers want to surf for fun or prefer to spend the time on board working, FlyNet provides fast and powerful online access above the clouds on their ownWLANenabled laptops or smartphones in all travel classes.

“Customers can even send big file attachments or log into their company’s Virtual Private Network. This year, Lufthansa will also be introducing Board Connect wireless in-flight entertainment, on its narrow body fleet.

Passengers will then be able to enjoy a rich choice of entertainment and information on intra-European flights using their own smartphone, tablet PC or laptop on selected routes.

Movies, music, shopping, electronic magazines, destination information and passenger announcements and much more – everything can be easily accessed. Lufthansa will also be offering the Sport 24 live TV channel on more and more long-haul flights.

Mehmet Akay Turkish Airlines IFE plays a great role in aviation as technology improves in ratio day by day with the needs of the passengers via Wi-Fi enabled devices on board and Live Tv technology.A significant increase is observed in the amount of passengers in terms of the passengers who like to fly with a better IFE. IFE becomes one of the first priorities for the passengers who travel to far destinations.

© Turkish Airlines

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Flight Talk

© Turkish Airlines

30>>

Wolfgang Will, Lufthansa Airlines I Lufthansa offers the new FlyNet as the passengers can choose to watch a movie or to spend their time working or chat with their family and friends via facebook. In-flight entertainment contributes to make travelling more enjoyable.

With this free service in all classes, passengers will no longer have to miss out on sporting highlights during their flight,” he added.

Growth in aviation sector Mehmet states that IFE is generally as good as its hardware and software reliability rate, graphical user interface and richness of content, as the software technology is getting improved, the main target has become to make everything more easily reachable on the IFE menu screen. “If we consider that we have passenger in every age group, it is very important to create a better look and feel of our IFE system.

In the last quarter of 2014 and the very beginning of 2015, the new IFE systems will have a higher content ca-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

pacity and better screens,” he says.

ground have grown significantly.

“The In-flight entertainment will include Android process systems which most people using smart phones or tablets are aware of. The Turkish Airlines will be offering Android IFE Systems to passengers in a close future with a very high quality GUI and content,” he added.

In-flight entertainment plays an important part in passengers in-flight experience. Cathay Pacific aims to offer an in-flight entertainment experience similar to what passengers will experience on-the-ground by providing the most up-to-date programming onboard,” he added.

“In-flight entertainment has given momentum to the growth in aviation sector by providing significant profit from ancillary revenue,” says Tekeba.

Charlie explains that the digital entertainment platforms on-the-ground have developed rapidly in the past few years so a passenger expectations on entertainment, whether in-flight or on

“Emirates the first airline to install TVs in every seat on every aircraft back in 1992 and since then there have been lot of innovations within the in-flight entertainment category as a whole.

For example, airlines have moved from providing just movies to Live TV, from games to infotainment and telephone services to onboard Wi-Fi,” said Essa.

Emirates always focused on delivery the best product for our passengers and in-flight entertainment. We continue to invest in our products and services to ensure people travelling with us enjoy their journey, “ he added.

“In-flight entertainment has contributed for travelling more enjoyable and it is one of the perks people nowadays are expecting when travelling by plane.

We believe that it is one of the important features of many contributing factors to ensure a seamless journey for our passengers,” says Wolfgang .

“People like to be entertained and new services, including the new FlyNet, are highly appreciated by our customers,” he concluded.

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PORTUGAL’S LUXURY HOTELS EYE INDIAN MARKET High-end players form Portugal visit India to unleash their luxury offerings for the evolving Indian traveller.

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ositioning the destination as an unexplored and hidden jewel of Europe, a private luxury travel consortium of high end tourism players in Portugal including Mr. Travel Portugal (a luxury DMC), Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, and the Penha Longa Ritz Carlton, Sintra showcased the varied facets of their spectacular country to lure the ever evolving Indian globe trotter.

The delegation comprised Luis Sousa of Mr. Travel Portugal (Luxury DMC), Cristina Martins of the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, Marta Santos of

the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Algarve nd Joana Melo of the Penha Longa Ritz Carlton, Sintra.

A week long slew of events including participating at the National Tourism Board roadshow along with several other tourism players, meeting with strategic players in the industry, and select cocktails, high-tea sessions and luncheons showcasing the destination with ‘Avant Garde Consulting’ in the key cities of New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, attracted an enthusiastic response from travel partners and the media alike, leaving the represent-

atives enthused to further strengthen their presence in the Indian market.

A next step in discovering the myriad marvels of Europe, Portugal is a perfect spot for the discerning Indian traveller, offering a plethora of tourism attractions including beaches, vineyards, palaces, history, culture, cuisine and natural diversity. A rich heritage of UNESCO sites dot the landscape of Portugal in a world class infrastructural setting.

Temperate weather conditions through the year, easy accessibility

and great value for money offerings are other highlights of the country. The historical capital Lisbon is also a cultural melting pot, a shopper’s haven, and an eclectic city with vibrant night life and a resort character. The country’s 900 km coastline, sun kissed terroirs, virgin and award winning beaches and golf courses, vineyards and world class accommodation options topped with high hospitality values and service standards and English speaking and welcoming populace make it a premier world class leisure and business destination delighting the traveller.

Indian arrivals to Maldives was up 58% in 2013 Q1 Ruth Franklin, Director of Sales, Secret Paradise Resort, Maldives, reveals more exotic ways to experience the island while admitting the importance of the Indian market to the island nation.

VW BUREAU divian airlines have begun direct flights we offer accommodation, activity and flight packages through their agency.

Do you work both on B2B and B2C level in India?

Currently within the Indian market we operate on a B2C basis, our aim is to offer the Maldives at a more affordable price and therefore it is important to deal directly with our guests. Since Mal-

Until now, the Maldives experience has been restricted to an exclusive – in more ways than one – resort lifestyle. We’re delighted to announce however that a recent change in local laws now permits tourists to stay on all islands, and so, for the first time, to experience the real Maldives everywhere in the archipelago and at a less than exclusive price. We can arrange accommodation in local island guesthouses, run by and for local people; meals with island families.

We’ll take you along to watch and join in local crafts lessons and to visit Maldivian schools. We’ll even take you to secret local beaches, where bikini and alcohol laws do not apply.

Our plan is to attend trade fairs in India this year. India has great potential with Air India, Maldivian Airlines and Spice Jet offering direct flights.

Trends in the Indian market Indian visitors to the Maldives have grown 100% since 2009- 15,850 visitors in 2009 to 31,721 in 2012, 3.3% of the total 96,000 visitors to the Maldives in 2012. In the first quarter of 2013 the Maldives saw a 58% increase in Indian visitors versus the same period last year, maintaining a market share of 3.3%. This lift would partially be accountable to the government instability that the Maldives experienced in February/ March 2012. From January to June India remained the second largest market in Asia and the Pacific region with a robust market growth of 45.9%

and has climbed to the 8th best market generators to the Maldives. India shares 3.6% of the total visitors.

A recent visitor’s survey completed in February 2012 at Male International Airport showed the following: • 80% of Indians travel to the Maldives for their honeymoon.

• 90% of visitors from India travelled with their partner.

• 90% of visitors travelled to the Maldives for the first time.

• 38% of Indian travellers researched the Maldives on line before booking.

• 25% of those questioned had booked via an operator on the internet.

• 45% of those people questioned had visited the Maldives because of its underwater beauty, peacefulness and uniqueness.

www.voyagersworld.in

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CTC expects a positive growth in 2014 !

Siobhan Chretien , Regional Managing Director, Canadian Tourism Commission says Canada witnessed a double digit growth in the Indian market and India stands as the 8th source market for Canada.

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN lection help eligible tourism businesses promote their product internationally and there are a lot of experiences and new things to explore in Canada.

Some of these experiences include Polar Bear sighting in Manitoba, Aurora Borealis, Heli Yoga in Canmore, Cliff walk at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, CN Tower, Canadian Rockies and Niagara Falls.

Behavior patterns of Indian travelers The tourists from India on an average spend about 25 nights in Canada. The averages spend by Indians for a trip is $1100 as Canada is a long haul destination.

Canadian Signature Experiences The Canada Signature Experiences offers a collection of once in a lifetime experiences found only in Canada. The Canadian Signature Experiences col-

Segments The corporates are now looking out for new destinations as incentive for their employees. Canada has a number of attractions and a lot to be experienced by the business traveler. In 2014, CTC would like to target Leisure and MICE Travelers. We have started receiving an increasing number of queries regarding MICE activities from India.

Expected growth for 2014 The Indian market has been really good with 16% in Nov and 9% in Dec 2013. Despite the economic slowdown, India generated 147, 091 tourists to Canada in the year 2013.We

are expecting the market to remain the same. We have witnessed a double digit growth in the Indian market and India stands as the 8th source market for Canada. We are looking forward to achieve a sustainable growth in arrival figures from India in 2014.

Bangalore , Chenai, Kolkata, Pune , Hyderabad have been doing well, we organize training sessions every quarter in India as Delhi and Mumbai are our source markets. The Canada specialist programmes is doing well as we have around 4000 plus people trained.

With a fast growing middle class population with high disposable incomes and the propensity to spend, Indians are now looking out for more striking, exotic and exciting destinations for travel. In the recent past Canada has been witnessing a gradual increase in the number of tourist queries from India and is gaining popularity amongst travelers.

Different breeds of travelers Canada offers a myriad of experiences to travelers. We are seeing a lot of corporate business travelers, leisure travelers, adventure travelers and honeymooners. All travelers get to explore endless opportunities depending on their likings and duration of stay.

The CTC tapped Tier II cities in the beginning of December 2012 and continued to do that in 2013. In2014, we are focusing on agent trainings and orientations in these cities to attain better numbers. We have also started to create a buzz on social media and search engine marketing by using various tools. The tier 2 cities like Ahmedbad,

New Products We recently introduced the Canadian Signature Experiences (CSE) to India.

The CSE collection shows what Canada is all about and the experiences awaiting one. CTC will draw on the collection’s expanding pool of high-quality tourism experiences in its campaigns.

International travellers can find exceptional adventures that they can enjoy with memories for a lifetime.

CTC organizes Focus Canada 2014 in Kerala

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he Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) recently organized Focus Canada-India at Kochi, Kerala from February 26 – March 1, 2014, and the 5th annual B2B exchange event with a participation of over sixty buyers from across the country.

A delegation from Canada compris-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

ing of over thirty leading Canadian sellers and led by Siobhan Chretien, Regional Managing Director-Emerging Markets, CTC updated the travel agents and the media on various new experiences that Canada has introduced to the Indian market.

SanJeet, Representative, CTC-India, says, “Our endeavour is to bridge

the gap between our Canadian sellers and Indian buyers through relationship building exercises that are aimed educating and increasing the awareness levels about Canadian tourism products in our key market areas. We are optimistic about the post-event market results of Focus Canada-India 2014.”

Focus Canada-India played a very important role in driving tourism business to Canada, as the event has been helping buyers and sellers exchange market intelligence and boost awareness about Canada as a destination. Since 2008, Canada has been the sixth most visited destination for long-haul Indian travelers.

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Tourism Victoria gears for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Leigh Harry, Chief Executive, Tourism Victoria says the Indian market to grow in numbers with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

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Indian Market The Indian market is more involved in the Australian market. Melbourne is a must to visit for all Indians now and they love to do self drive. The Indian market is growing, we have witnessed 7% growth in 2013 and expecting a growth of 8% to 10%

for 2014.We have had 31% holiday visitors in 2013. We will have a campaign to develop social media. We have launched direct flights through Air India.

ing in more activities like adventure, water sports, tree adventures and shopping. One should not miss out on the unique dining experiences as food and wine is a growing segment.

Segments We are focusing on segments like leisure, honeymooners, family group and students. MICE is a very big market for Tourism Victoria plus wildlife, nature and adventure. Our main highlight is on the ICC Cricket World Cup of 2015 and other events like Formula 1 Grand Prix which is happening in March, the food and wine festival that boosts the culinary and wine tourism sector and the corporate incentive market. We also have a lot of events like world cardiology, world aids day we have witnessed a number of doctors coming over from India. There is a growing interest in Golf tourism as well. People are very keen in indulg-

Marketing & Promotions We have recently promoted pyar ka dhard in conjunction with tourism Australia as TV shows are telecasted for 22 countries with huge audience.

We have come up with a campaign called come alive Melbourne campaign a social media campaign where Rohan Joshi and Tenmai Butt will be flying to Australia to officially launch this campaign in March 2014 especially for facebook and twitter. We already have joint promotions with official agents for Feb and march2015.

We will be organizing the Australia tourism exchange in Australia in May and the India travel mission by the end of August in India.

www.voyagersworld.in

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Crowne Plaza Kochi a gateway to Kerala!

Sanjay Kaushik, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Kochi says Crowne Plaza Kochi expects a growth of 40% and occupancy of 55% for 2014 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN in MICE, Corporates and Leisure segments and expects a growth of 40% and occupancy rate of 55% for 2014.

Expected growth for 2014 The market is evolving with a lot of industries investing in Kochi in terms of oil and natural gas. This year will witness seafood and spice expo in Kochi.

Crowne Plaza Kochi being a gateway destination for Kerala will get to explore and experience entire culture of Kerala. The hotel has strong presence

Segments The MICE segment is our main focus as we have a meeting room with a capacity of 600 people and the backwater lawn that can accommodate over 1500 people. Kochi is the gateway to many of the state’s attractions like Munnar, Alleppey and Thekkady. Kochi also is slowly emerging to be a destination for medical tourism with a lot of multi-specialty hospitals and hospitals offering Ayurveda treatments which is either way known as wellness tourism with more people coming in from the Middle East.

Marketing Plans We are very active in print media, emarketing and social media. We do a lot of joint promotions with different publications and participate in various roadshows.

Mid-market will go on to be the biggest hotel business segment

Anirudh Raithwan, Director, Operations & Planning, Pax Hotels, explains the indispensable nature of mid-segment hotels in smaller cities, so also the relevance of OTAs. VW BUREAU segment hotels as they provide the economical accommodation as good as upscale or luxury segment hotel at a very affordable prices. The mid segment will continue to be the largest business segment for the hotel industry due its sheer size.

Main feeder markets, customer segments, distribution channels Lucknow being the business capital, maximum business gets generated through MICE although we do get few leisure travelers also.

Evaluate the present mid-market segment in Indian hotel hospitality.

Mid-market segment in the Indian hotel industry is growing rapidly specially in tier II and tier III cities. The industrial development in these cities have made the great demand of mid

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Being having good number of Banquet and conference facility we cater maximum to MICE segment although Lucknow has got big potential of getting promoted as Heritage city will definitely boos up the Leisure travelers too.

Upcoming plans PAX Hotels is not getting restricted only to business segment, has already launched Retreat Brand for leisure travellers in Manali and soon coming up with properties in Jaipur, Agra, Goa, Shirdi and Nepal as well.

Our branding team has come up with ampaigns to be launched very soon. future of mid-market We are in the phase of expansions and by the end of 2014 we would have three more properties, making it five properties. We are in talks with our overseas developers and in five years we see ourselves having minimum 15 hotels not only mid segments but also leisure properties.

How are you connected to the OTAs? We are very well associated and

connected with OTAs. The relation between OTAs and the hotels is just like thin string which totally depends on the Price parity which plays a key role in today’s revenue management and hotel distribution strategy. If the rate is not maintained properly on Hotel website and OTAs site, the rate variances will reflect badly on the hotel thus to run a promotion or a rate which is below the BAR on all other channels they should rightfully do so on their brand website.

As travellers are more dependent on online purchase, OTAs play a crucial role. If done in the right manner only commissioning has to be taken care of, thus making the hotel finance hassle free from other financials. I feel the relation between OTAs and hotels will strengthen with the time.

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Today’s travellers are uncompromising on price and quality Ashish Vohra, Founder and CEO, Justa Hotels and Resorts, talks about the rising demand for mid-market hotels.

VW BUREAU bottom lines by opting to shift from the 5 star hotels ad move towards mid segment hotels. We have seen a steady rise in this over the past few years with even the big brands such as Taj, ITC, Starwood and Hilton introducing their products in this range in all metros and cities.

Present mid-market segment The demand for mid-market segment hotels is on the rise as most travellers are looking primarily at pricing factors without compromising on quality. As such, most big corporations have realized the need to cut costs in their travel & hospitality departments to add to their

There was a perceptible gap in the market where customers wanted to stay in a luxury hotel, but wanted it to be small and intimate without it being like a guesthouse, which most small hotels actually are. The guest recognition factor is thus of paramount importance and it’s this customisations of service delivery that sets us apart.

The other key aspect is that there is be no compromise on the quality of the overall experience vis-à-vis the rooms, food & beverage, etc. The ho-

tels have all premium furnishings and a high staff to room ratio, using the finest products in the rooms and the bathrooms with signature furnishings.

We use all natural fibers in our hotels, the finest cottons, silks & Jacquard weaves. The appointments of all guest rooms and the public areas are luxurious and tastefully done by leading designer Deepika Govind. Her signature bears out on all aspects of the hotel.

The staff is well trained and attuned to all guest needs.

Target markets Our source markets are from cities such as Mumbai, Gurgaon, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkatta in addition to tier two city markets in the country such as Pune, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Nashik, Vaizag, Amritsar, Chandigarh, etc. There is a substantial number of overseas travellers that also choose to book our

hotels as they find it value for money and excellent quality on par with global standards – these travelers book through online channels.

Rajasthan as a market Rajasthan is a classic and India’s most important leisure destination.

We tend to overlook the fact that it is also a state with huge interests in textile, gems, white marble and mineral based industries like copper, zinc, sandstone, etc. So, we have two properties in Rajasthan - Rajputana in Udaipur and Lake Nahargarh Palace in Chittorgarh. The Rajputana, Udaipur is set in against the Aravallis amid lush green lawns and water bodies. Lake Nahargarh Palace is set in the middle of a private lake surrounded by 80 acres of land and wildlife. The resort is located amidst nature as it is surrounded by Aravali Hills and dense forest.

INDIAN WINE CONSUMPTION TO GROW BY 71% BY 2017

A recent study conducted by VINEXPO revealed that in 2013 wine consumption in India had grown by 16.3%.

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or the 12th consecutive year, VINEXPO the international wine and spirits exhibition has commissioned a study from market intelligence provider International Wine and Spirit Research (The IWSR). The three-day showcase at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on May 27-29, 2014 is a key reference and destination for the world’s wine and spirits professionals.

- Grape-based wine consumption picks up again in India after decreasing for several years - Indians predominantly drink red - Australia has become the leading wine supplier to India, ahead of France - Spirits consumption growing fast

the sparkling wine consumption in the country would double in the next five years. Having increased significantly by 73.7% between 2008 and 2012, Indian spirits consumption will continue to grow over the next five years reaching a total of 373.5 million litre cases by 2017, up 20.5% compared to 2013.

Xavier de Eizaguirre, Chairman, Vinexpo and Guillaume Deglise, the newly appointed CEO, Vinexpo discussed the survey results.

More than 61% of the wines drunk in India are red and this segment is expected to grow by 71.6% between 2013 and 2017. Pushed by local production, the consumption of white wine should also increase by 71% in the same period.

The VINEXPO / The Iwsr study only concerns light grape-based wines with less than 15° alcohol. With regard to India, the study does not take into account fruit-flavoured communion wines or fortified wines.

Key highlights of the IWSR report are mentioned below - The Wine and Spirits Market in India with Prospects Until 2017 (From the VINEXPO* market study)

Between 2013 and 2017, the VINEXPO / The Iwsr study forecasts a striking recovery in this market with assumed growth of 73.5%. Furthermore, the study also predicted that

This growth is largely the result of a 155.47% jump in brandy consumption between 2008 and 2012 and that of Scotch, which doubled (up 109.75%) in the same period.

These findings position India as the fifth largest spirits importer in Asia.

Australia has become the leading wine supplier to India, ahead of France - One bottle of wine out of four consumed in India is imported.

- Australia increased its sales of wine to India by 71.7% between 2008 and 2012 and has become the country’s leading supplier of imported wines.

- In the same period, the volumes of Italian wines doubled (up 104.5%) and those of Chilean wines increased by 75.89%, while at the same time French wines lost ground by 22.88%.

At VINEXPO Asia Pacific, countries as Italy, Spain, Germany, California, Chile, Australia come together to get a foothold in new markets .

www.voyagersworld.in

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biz travellers seek brand reassurance Gopal Rao, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, India, InterContinental Group of Hotels (IHG) talks about branding efforts and correlates it to guest retention.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM ings programme. All our hotels have Crowne Plaza Meetings Directors who are trained and certified planners that serve as the single pointof-contact to make sure events or meetings run like clockwork from the planning stage to the actual on-site meeting. We also guarantee a twohour response guarantee to any brief and a daily meeting debrief.

In a competitive market as Delhi, how do the five Crowne Plaza properties compete with other business hotels?

Crowne Plaza is known for helping guests be successful by empowering business productivity. We are a recognized and reputable meetings hotel brand, leading the industry with our signature, worldwide meet-

Branded business hotels in emerging tier 2 and 3 cities, There is an increasing focus on tier two and three cities as this is where the untapped potential lies. It is well recognized that these cities will be the future growth drivers of India and with it the demand for reliable branded hotels will also continue to grow. Business travelers want the reassurance of an internationally branded hotel with the high standards of service and experience that they provide. International hotel brands also offer the opportunity of

being rewarded by being a member of loyalty programmes, such as our own IHG Rewards Club.

What are the top five popular demands/requests made by the business travellers in your hotels?

We get a variety of requests from business travellers and our hotels do their best to accommodate every single one. The top we receive include: • Airport transfers • Office transfers • Access to Club Lounge • Early check-in or late checkout What does it take for you customer to come back to you?

There are many reasons our guests come back to visit IHG hotels but we consider one of our most important is that we consistently deliver exceptional guest experience both when they stay with us at our hotels and when they are not staying with us by rewarding them with IHG’s loyalty pro-

gramme, IHG Rewards Club. We always make sure our guests leave with a lasting impression of their stay with us and appropriate training, tools and systems for all our staff help us deliver the level of service our guests expect. We always look for an opportunity to go the extra mile to for our guests, giving them more reasons to always come back.

The Dressed to Rest competition and impact on guest experiences The Dressed to Rest contest was designed to help promote and celebrate up and coming designers and to highlight new ideas on how to get ‘Dressed to Rest’. Students had to create designs that combined form and function for guests. Crowne Plaza understands the need to provide an environment that is conducive to providing its guests with a good night’s rest. We wanted to encourage the creation of sleepwear to help guests rejuvenate after a hard day.

global fare sees dynamic palate shifts

Chef Naowarat Charoenwong from Thailand observes changing global culinary preferences during a recent stint at Sofitel Mumbai BKC. PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM Latest trends in Thai cuisine Known for its balance of flavours between sweet, salty, sour and bitter, the main ingredients or elements of Thai food are cilantro, lemongrass, Thai basil, mint etc. remain eternal.

The herbs and spices are still used that provide the zing to Thai cuisine.

However the cuisine is now trending towards molecular gastronomy which makes the modern interpretation not unusual but gives a refreshing twist.

It has been said that there is a great demand for Japan food recently.

Which country’s cuisine is luring the palates of Thai people of late?

Japanese and Chinese is what people seek for not only in Thailand but globally. The main elements in these cuisines include rice, vegetables, seafood and a number of people are opting for it as it is a healthier option in today’s frenzied lifestyle.

Have you seen a shift in the tastes

Voyager’s World > March 2014

and preference of people with regard to global cuisine?

People today are much more experimental and open to trying out varied cuisines. The youth of today have travelled a lot and are aware of the different tastes and cuisines available. They seek the same cuisines when they come back which has opened a wide gangway for global flavours. Today the generation doesn’t just look at the food and how it tastes but a large emphasis is also set on the presentation of dishes and the experience one garners.

People generally identify Thai cuisine with spices and coconuts. Is it changing?

Thai cuisine gets its unique flavour as a result of freshly blending many ingredients including not only spices but vegetables and fruits. The elements of Thai cuisine that give it its identity essentially stay the same, however variations take place on how

it’s used. With constant innovations one can see chefs trying to break through traditional cooking and setting new benchmarks.

sulate and the Tourism of Thailand ensure their support to every country.

Trends are constantly changing and it is difficult to follow them at all times.

Efforts by the Thai hospitality industry to imbibe the best practices in the cuisine segment worldwide To increase the visibility of Thai food and its diverse heritage, the Thai Con-

One can go online and connect with different chefs however the best know how comes from the audience itself. My motto is to break apart and set a trend rather than follow it.

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Hospitality Industry should simplify distribution strategy for better revenue IDS Next and RezNext discuss ideal revenue and distribution processes in a recent hospitality summit.

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ndustry leaders came together at an event organized by IDS Next and RezNext to discuss real-time distribution, REVPAR, KPIs and technology to enhance guest experience

hoteliers can adopt technology to enhance guest experience. Improving performance with analytics on the go made available to senior management was another topic of discussion.

The recent hospitality industry empowerment summit titled “Transforming Guest Experience and Improving Revenues” held at Fortune Park JP Celestial on February 25 2014, saw several hospitality industry leaders come together and deliberate on industry challenges and technology automation benefits.

“We are constantly looking at ways to engage with our customers to educate them about global best practices and hospitality technology advancements. This hospitality industry empowerment summit has provided us a platform to bring together industry influencers and deliberate with them on the much needed changes in the distribution ecosystem”, said Mike Kistner, Chief Executive Officer, RezNext Global Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Organized by IDS Next and RezNext, this summit had hospitality leaders participate in an engaging panel discussion on the hotel distribution business. The panelists were Keshav Baljee - Managing Director, Spree Hotels, Kumar Subramanian - Assistant Vice President, Sales, Revenue Management & Global Distribution, Royal Orchid Hotels, Arya Srini Rao - General Manager, Sterlings Mac Hotels Pvt. Ltd, Aresh Babu - Assistant Director, Revenue, Crowne Plaza and Don Wilson Senior Vice President, Revenue Management Development, Maxim RMS. The panel discussion was moderated by Mike Kistner - Chief executive officer, RezNext Global Solutions Pvt Ltd. The panel discussion highlighted the need for hoteliers to stay focused on their rate strategy and not allow competition pressures to impact their offering. The panelist recommended providing additional services without lowering rates as a tactic to counter competition. Using opaque channels was another recommendation that would allow hoteliers offer rooms at lower rates with it not impacting their rate strategy in the market.

One of the best practices put forth by the panelists for an efficient distribution strategy was to effectively monitor and evaluate the different channels and look at the net cost associated with it and compare that to the value derived from the channel.

The event also saw sessions on how

According to Binu Mathews, Chief Executive Officer, IDS Next, “IDS Next is committed to empowering the hospitality industry and this summit is part of our customer connect initiatives that we have planned in order to have a continuous dialogue with the industry. We are very happy that the event has been well received.”

Some of the topics that were discussed thre included the use of inventory, simplifying the distribution industry, controlling distribution strategy, real-time distribution techonology at work and so on. The panelists noted that 90% of hoteliers were maintaining rates on availability on a daily basis.

“Simplifying distribution by way of prootions, and pushing different distribution channels, updating rates and inventory with a single click, converting websites into hotel booking, etc would be beneficial for the distribution industry,” observed Mike. The benefits of real time distribution would span revenue management, campaign management and also drive loyalty.

On revenue management, Mike said that hotels first need to take a look at all the history of the property and also note down the booking pages.

Then they ought to come up with a rate strategy that would give the best rates to maximize revenue.

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HOTELIERS: ‘SHIFT’ AWAY FOR A SHORT BREAK! Venu Rao, Director, Peacock Hospitality, writes his views on how people on the hospitality front can better cope with their demanding schedules with a few lifestyle changes.

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e hoteliers are indeed a breed apart in every way; though not rich ourselves, we have all the rich man’s disease and habits. Why? Simply because of the posh surroundings our work hovers around. After a sixteen hour shift, I would make tracks to the coffee shop at the Windsor Manor at 2am, even though I was an outlet manager at the Taj!! Just had to be seen and heard about syndrome I guess. We do crave for tons of externals attractions all the time- always.

But for how long? Before the call comes … That’s when we need to see Inwards and explore. As our learned Swamiji’s inform us- seek your selfgo beyond the body, mind and intelligence to see the eternal Jyoti (light).

How do we carve out the time we busy bodies are so limited with!

Yoga Enrol in an early morning or an evening course. The mere action of the various asanasas gets you started to focus your attention inwards. The mind starts accepting the yoga activity initially though before wandering

off; but with applied concentration, the down load of self gets activated.

Initially it may not be possible to get totally focused, but with consistent determination, we could achieve a little bit of success. This first baby step would be the most crucial one; don’t let it get side tracked, temptations do arise - there are bloody Marries and Moitoes. The question is, haven’t we tried them all these decades! How much more? Please don’t label me as a Sanyasi, yes we do need to be in touch with the industry surely, but all I am inviting you is to go in for those few moments. Pause and play. Seek the divine Dhrusti of which we are all a part - I am THAT.

Meditation As busy professionals we may not have the time to perform extensive rituals or elaborate Pujas, but definitely can spare some time for meditation. This has the power to focus your thoughts to go inwards effectively. There are experts to guide you on a starter course; one can do a Mis-en place of a simplistic meditation. Just sit in a peaceful area (not in the staff café with all your buddies over crusty pizzas) and start chanting: spare ribs, lasagne, tiramisu, Om Swaha.

Simply pick up a holy word like Ram or Vittala; utter inwardly and silent.

It does have the power of focusing your thoughts and channelize these

into streams of powerful yet relaxing waves. Look at the various colours with your eyes closed, do you see ARR, APC or Revpars or slowly start see a different spectrum altogether.

You may be a houseman or a general manager, but internally you are THAT: Soham; as our great sages say. You are part of those billion years entity which has been going through spiritual evolution, actually a never ending part of HIM. All we need is to realise this simple truth. These moments of truth may last us happiness in small packets of time before you get into the real world of hospitality: Yes Maam, Sorry Sir. Hmm No sir…..

Automation spurs manual service

Avinash K Gautam, Vice President, Silvan Innovation Labs talks about hotel room automation trends in the Indian industry.

VW BUREAU tomation as well as manual control, so that the room can be used by a wide variety of guests. Its openness and smart architecture have brought down the costs significantly to reduce the entry barrier by a large number of hotels.

USP of your services/products Silvan’s Hotel Room Automation is derived from its ‘Silvan Connect’ platform which enables guest experience, convenience and operational efficiency of the hotels.Its patented light control technology enables easy and intuitive light control using au-

Voyager’s World > March 2014

Threat for replacement of manual labour by automation Hotel room automation systems do not pose any threat to employment as they are designed to only enhance the guest experience, not replace the work done by the hotel staff. Any form of service requires a personal touch despite the level of technology adopted. In fact hotels have seen an increase in room service requests after deploying such systems, which in turn results in more work for the staff. Therefore, automation only complements the service provided by

the hotel staff and increases their efficiency level.

guests folio without any more manual entries required.

Rate guest preferences for automation vis-à-vis personalised services It is difficult to rate this kind of information. However, we have several guest reviews exist which demonstrate the perceived value of such systems by the guests. There is enough data supporting the fact that room services greatly increased with the use of such systems. For example, a Five Star Hotel has seen a 13% increase in room service revenue since offering guests the option of ordering room service on the iPad as compared to ordering over the phone. The room service ordering on the iPad is fully integrated with the Point of Sale so once the items are ordered it is automatically sent to the kitchen plus it also posted to the

Top automation trends for room security and privacy When someone knocks the door, one can view the visitor on TV before opening the door or view the person on his/her door on the pad.

Security and privacy in hotels can be enhanced if the guests can see and control who comes to their rooms and when. Automation can aid by enabling this easily, by smart use of imaging and status control devices.

Hotel room automation allows guests to electronically change the room status through a control pad. The ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign can be electronically activated by a single touch within the room. These are simple examples enhancing the security in the rooms.

Hospitality

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BANQUETING IS BIG IN INDIA TODAY

Narendra Somani, Chairman & Managing Director, The Grand Bhagwati (TGB) Banquets & Hotels Ltd. shares his views on the prospects of banqueting business in emerging markets in the country.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

The banqueting business in India has expanded its scope from mass catering for parties to more personalised catering looking into specific needs of the guests. Hotels with banquet facilities are proving to be a one stop shop for all needs.

What is the USP of your brand?

‘Be Vegetarian’ is one of the most important USP of our brand. TGB is the sole promoter of the Vegetarian Concept across Asia, therefore through all its hotels and outdoor catering, TGB has started to attract the young generation of the country with the concept of – Be Vegetarian! Apart from the former, our other USP’s comprise of providing bulk catering for weddings which nobody does in Gujarat except TGB. Also pillarless halls in our banquets are one more add on to our USP’s, the largest being in Surat which covers around 20,000 sqft of space. We also offer a distinct fusional vegetarian cuisine which ranges from North Indian, Italian, Mexican, Swiss, Thai, Oriental, Japanese, Lebanese, and Burmese.

Explain how the demand for quality banqueting facilities has evolved over the years in an economically thriving and emerging Tier 2 city as Ahmedabad.

Banqueting, which was earlier primarily driven by food and beverage, has now evolved into a full fledged event management activity. With the MICE sector expanding, we see a broader scope for banqueting in India. Today Banqueting means business.

The banqueting business in India has expanded its scope from mass catering for parties to more personalised catering looking into specific needs of the guests. Hotels with banquet facilities are proving to be a one stop shop for all needs.

That’s the reason TGB gave a professional approach to their catering and banqueting business and opened up 5 and 4 Star hotels in the cities of Gujarat. Today, the spending power amongst youth has increased with time, and it has reached an extent where smallest of the function is celebrated with great zest and fervor and TGB has been able to keep upto their expectations by catering to various segments of all age groups.

ian, Mediterranean, Lebanese, Pan Asian, Japanese, Chinese, Burmese and other cuisines. Vegetarian dining can be made innovative, delectable and fun as a non-vegetarian one. That is the USP at TGB that converts non vegetarian into vegetarian cuisines while retaining the originality and taste of the non vegetarian formats.

The gourmet vegetarian recipes prepared by our chefs can appeal to even the most die-hard meat lovers.

Ahmedabad being a Tier 2 city has witnessed significant growth as it is strategically located to considerable proximity to ports, Special Economic Zones, heritage sites. Air and rail connectivity has also played a key role in the development of Ahmedabad city as it being a potential market for budget hotels.

The common myth that foreigners will not stay in a Hotel which is vegetarian has also been busted by the Hotel with having over 3000 room nights in a year from foreigners coming from various parts of the world including USA, UK, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Middle East & Africa, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Israel etc. which has strengthened our resolve that it’s the quality and variety of our food which ensures that people don’t miss non vegetarian food and relish the Huge spread and variety we have to offer.

With your brand being a vegetarian one, how do you achieve guest satisfaction with different guests preferring different cuisines and other properties offering multi-culinary options?

‘Go vegetarian’ is the buzz in the world today. Not only in a country like India, but in many other Asian, American and European countries people are turning towards vegetarianism and this has played a pivotal role in the growth of our business. TGB is the only hospitality group in India that is known for its innovation in creating all-vegetarian formats of cuisines from every corner of the world.

Innovation by TGB has been relentless in its search for uniqueness and discovering new frontiers from Swiss, Ital-

How do you compete in growing markets like Ahmedabad and Nagpur, with lot of multi-national hotels making an entry in India?

TGB follows a completely different concept unlike the multi-national hotels - We have based our hotel as a banqueting model hotel where 75 per cent of our revenue comes from F&B and 25 per cent from rooms, whereas other brands target 25 per cent from F&B and 75 per cent from rooms. We always knew international brands coming to India might beat us somehow in room business and marketing, but F&B can never be strong for them in India.

Today, GMs of most international hotels are foreigners who find it hard to understand the Indian taste and it is difficult for them to recognize the Indian authentic taste. TGB understands the taste of people and customise the menus for weddings according to their customer’s needs.

Tier 2 cities have always been a target for TGB in terms of business expansion as we feel that these cities lack organized catering and banqueting facilities. Today’s high demand of customized food in parties can be met by providing excellent food and great services in the food and catering segment.

Which are your main feeder markets in India? What is the potential of your outdoor catering business in Bangkok?

TGB sells maximum rooms through social gatherings and MICE segment.

As we are huge players in the banqueting and catering vertical, and this market is spread worldwide, therefore our feeder market is India and Overseas. But in India our feeder markets are All Tier 2 metros like Udaipur, Raipur, Indore, Jaipur etc.

We see a lot of potential in our outdoor catering business when it comes to Bangkok as it is considered a hot wedding destination. Indians looking for a vegetarian cuisine in Bangkok and Macau, prefer TGB as their catering partner as we serve variety of vegetarian cuisines. We create special signature dishes to make their wedding special in our own way.

www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

40>>

green resort turns a trend-setter Amish Sud, Director, The Chalets, Naldehra talks on the property’s green efforts.

VW BUREAU

When did you start following green initiatives and what was the first initiative that you incorporated in your property The Chalets has been a green resort since its inception. Not a single tree was cut during the construction of the hotel.

What are the initiatives that you have adopted to conserve water and electricity?

For electricity we have installed solar panels at the resort that helps capture solar energy which is used for heating water. The resort has an indoor temperature controlled swimming pool which runs on solar energy.

For water conservation we have an ATP (affluent treatment plant). The affluent treatment plant has a capacity to treat about 15000 liters of water in a day. All waste water from the laundry, kitchen, washrooms, spa, health club etc. is collected in the plant and it goes through an aerobic cleaning process. This treated water is pathogen free and is used for gardening purposes for the huge open lawns, gardens, green houses and nurseries keeping them lush green throughout the year.

How do you save in terms of energy and money through such green initiatives?

It is hard to calculate how much we save in terms of % of total consumption, but it is a substantial amount.

Eg- the 30 solar panels heat 3000 liters of water a day. It would take approx. 10 liters of diesel to heat 3000 liters of water to the required temperature.

What are the problems that you face incorporating this initiative on property?

Initial setup cost, close monitoring and annual maintenance of these systems are the problems we face.

Future plans with regard to incorporating newer initiatives We are constantly trying to initiate green processes, technologies and

systems as and when budgets allow us to do so as in the long run these green initiatives are much more cost effective, cleaner and much better for the environment. We have just got in the bio gas plant which converts kitchen garbage to methane gas, which is sent back to the kitchen for basic heating.

This will save us at least Rs.5000 worth of gas a month and will save us the amount we paid to the garbage trucks to transport it to the landfill.

Do you train your employees to follow green initiatives?

All our employees are trained to use all the green equipment, machines, systems and technologies we have on the property and all of them have been made aware and sensitized to the need to adopt such initiatives.

Travel Management

india tops ota access in asia pacific Jeet Sawhney, MD, Abacus India, says wireless technology promises humongous growth potential, with it offering agents the ability to offer 24/7 clients.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Top five services that Indian travel agencies solicit from Abacus Agents choose Abacus to create a better experience for their customers and for the operational efficiencies that help them scale their operations, while reducing costs. This is paramount as labour costs go up and qualified staff are harder to find.

• Abacus WorkSpace is therefore

Voyager’s World > March 2014

very much in demand. In a single desktop, it heightens productivity by 25% and with better content aggregation and a rock-solid platform, makes booking 40% more efficient.

is important in attracting business with the lowest available fares and then cross-selling high yield products - something the technology is designed to encourage.

• Also, Abacus AutomationHub, designed to reduce many of the manual operational tasks of the travel agencies.

Expansion plans for India Our strategy aims to deliver worldclass technology to India’s major travel brands and to develop the second tier agencies so that they also mature and thrive.

Abacus Ticketing Express can issue 400 tickets error-free in just 1 minute and can help agencies save up to 70% on their fulfillment operational costs by automating their pricing and ticketing processes.

Abacus TripCase is a free smart mobile travel itinerary application that helps travellers sync itinerary details and updates. Beyond the technology though is the content. Abacus has integrated over 600 airlines, including the largest portfolio of low cost and hybrid carriers in Asia Pacific. This

The plans we have will see our market share in India share double by 2016. Professional consulting services, available locally are key to our expansion and so we are about to open our 12th office in Lucknow as we build out.

Explain the most utilized technology solutions in the travel business.

India has the highest level of OTA penetration of any country in Asia Pacific (Abacus recently signed Via.com as a

successful and growing example), but it is still relatively low, so offline travel agencies are more commonly using point-of-sale, mid and back-office solutions as suit their individual business models.

Abacus fuses end-to-end technologies to create a differentiated portfolio of solutions and services driven by insights on how online and offline travel businesses operate in this region. Our solutions are deployed at over 20,000 travel agency locations that include a vast array of agency types and specialisms. We offer a choice of over 500 different travel apps to cater to differing business strategies and practices. Also, multiplatform and scalable, Abacus works in commercial settings. We see rapid growth in wireless technology with Abacus Mobility Suite, giving agents the ability to service clients out of office 24/7, with customers having shared access to vital travel information.

Events IITM

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Glimpses of IITM KOCHI - 2014 31 January, 1st & 2nd February, 2014

Glimpses of IITM KOLKATA - 2014 28 February, 1st & 2nd March, 2014

www.voyagersworld.in

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Luxury Travel

VIA Rail to grow 5% to 8% in 2014

Michelle Goodwin, Manager – International Sales (ASIA), VIA Rail says VIA Rail is expecting a growth of 5%-8% in 2014 with the key markets being Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

New Products VIA Rail is excited about the new product the Prestige Class that has a cabin 50% larger than other cabins for 2. Each cabin will have a private washroom with shower and a flat screen TV with video selection and a mini-bar stocked with a selection of beverages. Each cabin will also have a personalized dedicated service provided by the prestige concierge.

Top destinations The top 5 destinations of VIA Rail are Vancouver, Alberta - Canadian Rockies, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec.

Expected growth 2014 2013 was not a great year for VIA Rail

as the market was down. We are looking for a growth of 5%-8% in 2014.

Key markets The Key markets of VIA Rail are Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

Benefits of multiple entry visa process The multiple entry visa process will help people to come back to Canada as they can also explore the other parts of Canada.

VIA Rail unique offerings The unique offerings of VIA Rail are that the travellers get to travel in style and comfort especially travelling through the Rockies. On The Canadian it is a

four-day journey and the only regularlyscheduled train in North America to be included in the Society of International Railway Travelers and included in the World’s Top 25 Trains. The journey from Toronto to Vancouver is more of scenic experience from the 360° scenic dome where one can enjoy the scenery of mountain sheep grazing in the Rockies, elk loitering outside Jasper, the skyline of Toronto looming on the horizon. One can also choose a journey with VIA’s Sleeper Touring class that begins with a bon voyage reception and continues with awardwinning service that includes on-board fine dining, accommodations and attention par excellence. VIA Rail is also offering from May till September, be-

tween Edmonton and Vancouver, the Sleeper Touring class passengers will also have exclusive use of the trains fully glass-enclosed Panorama cars offering stunning 360 degree views.

Marketing Plans VIA Rail will work with Canada Tourism Commission to promote activities and work on joint FAMs for the media and travel trade, plus eNewsletters, followed by presentations in the Metro cities. The training of front desk staff as well as the operation team, Joint Coop ad. VIA Rail is also working with DMC’s with their presence in India, telecalling to the tier-II and tier-III cities and of course working closely with the B2B suppliers and the consolidators.

Celebrity Cruises to unveil ‘Suite Class’ experience in April 2015 VW BUREAU

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iscerning guests who desire the very best in modern luxury vacations will soon be able to indulge in Celebrity Cruises’ new ‘Suite Class’ experience. This will be fully introduced on Celebrity’s state-of-the-art ships from April 2015. With exclusive new benefits including a personal butler, suites-only restaurant, VIP lounge, complimentary premium beverages, plus more, the newly launched Suite Class is designed to offer indulgence like never before.

From the one-of-a-kind Reflection Suite, with its jaw-dropping ocean views and unique cantilevered shower, to the stylish Sky Suites, Celebrity’s exceptional Suite Class experience is designed to set the standard

Voyager’s World > March 2014

in modern luxury vacations around the world.

The new Suite Class will include: Private dining - A dedicated private restaurant reserved exclusively for all Suite Class guests will be available morning, noon and night. Each meal will feature unique menus that offer sumptuous dishes not available anywhere else onboard. Guests can truly immerse themselves in the local culture with specially crafted menus inspired by the local destination, and enjoy the world’s best ingredients.

Memorable and inspiring dishes will be served, from locally caught seafood, to the freshest pasta. The Suite Class chef can provide a tailor-made experience to guests by preparing a

dish to their liking, while the Cellar Master - Celebrity’s head sommelier will select from more than 450 wines to provide the perfect pairing.

Premium ‘all in’ benefits - Premium beverages, dining across all specialty restaurants, unlimited internet access and a private bar with water, sodas and beers will all be complimentary for guests staying in Royal, Penthouse and Reflection suites.

VIP lounge - A private VIP lounge, Michael’s Club, will be available to guests staying in Celebrity, Signature, Royal, Penthouse and Reflection suites. A dedicated Concierge service and unique food and beverage experiences by Celebrity’s featured

chef James Beard will be provided to guests.

“Exceptional quality and service is the hallmark of Celebrity Cruises.

The Suite Class is the next wave of indulgence that we are offering to our discerning guests who expect nothing but the very best from us while on a vacation,” said Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing , exclusive India Representative of Celebrity Cruises. “Our suite guests value privacy, personalized service, exclusive access and flexibility, and providing them with their own exclusive benefits like a dedicated restaurant with a dining experience like no other, will further enhance their vacation with us.”

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Luxury Travel

SEVEN STAR GLOBAL LUXURY AWARD 2014 TO BE BIGGER AND GLITZIER! The 2014 Seven Star Global Award promises a newer and more exceptional agenda.

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fter the great success of the inaugural event in 2013, Seven Star Global Luxury Award, the highest most exclusive award for the pinnacle in hospitality and lifestyle, has, again, opened its doors for Voting in order to identify and separate the exceptional from the very best.

This impeccable property offers luxury, privacy, attention to detail, incredibly friendly and well trained staff along with world class facilities for events and functions. We are delighted that our 2014 event will take place at such an awe inspiring Resort” Khalil El-Mouelhy-President/Founder

Seven Star Global Luxury Award 2014 also brings numerous high profile additions to the Luxury panel of the Seven Star Global Luxury Award.

Industry experts such as, Miss Ece Vahapoglu, Eleonora Meleti, Marina Noble, Dr Yoannis Karlaouzos, Dr. Maria Leventi, Thanos Liontos, Dor-

on Levy, Rohit Hangal and Utkarsh Faujdar, all of whom represent highly valued additions to the Seven Star Global Luxury Award.

Voting for the Seven Star Global Luxury Award takes place online at www.sevenstaraward.com and is now open.

The incomparable Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort will play host to the most luxurious and exclusive event in the hospitality and lifestyle industry on June 14th 2014.

The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort is the world’s first Organic resort and is set in a majestic location in the hills only 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Last year’s attendees included worldwide brands such as Kempinski , St Regis, Great Hotels of the World, SIXT, Conrad, Starwood, Waldorf Astoria as well as some of the world’s most exclusive privately owned properties and Spa’s like the Regency Kuwait, Maradiva, Vila Joya and the Vidago Palace.

HE Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor, Minister of Tourism of Maldives, Mrs Ijlal kastal Erdogan, Director of Turkish Tourism Office Spain, and Mag. Michael Spalek (Austria’s Authority of the Ministry of Economy & Tourism) also attended this extremely exclusive event in order to receive the award for “Seven Star destination” Luxury Watch brand Antoine Martin also attended the event in order to collect the Seven Star Abbas Behbehani Award.

Luxury Panel Member and Honorary Ambassador Prince Max della Torre e Tasso, Prince Dimitri della Torre e Tasso and Princess Costanza della Torre e Tasso also attended the event and presented the winners with the Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, along with other notable Luxury Panel Members.

The night also played host to various VIP’s like the always beautiful Lamia Khashoggi, Princess Beatrice d’Orleans, and Dona Alicia de Villapadierna. “The Chateau Spa & Organic Wellness Resort is the perfect choice and location for the 2014 Seven Star Global Luxury Award Gala ceremony.

www.voyagersworld.in

Festival Watch

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Festivals of March - April

3 - 4 May, 2014

Hanami - Cherry Blossom Viewing Japan

Hakata Dontaku Festival Fukuoka City, Japan

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11 - 18 May, 2014

26 - 27 April, 2014

2014 Amgen Tour of California Statewide

Zythos Beer Festival Brabantlaan, Belgium

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pring in Japan is associated with cherry blossoms. The custom of hanami is to visit mountains and parks with cherry blossoms and hold sake-drinking parties beneath cherry trees in full blossom. Said to have begun in the late 8th century, the flower viewing tradition is widely believed to have started in the Nara Period. The seasonal event was used to welcome in the new year’s harvest while marking the beginning of the rice planting season. A typical hanami consists of holding an outdoor party under cherry blossom trees during the day or night.

merica’s largest and most prestigious cycling event will travel north-to-south this year, and cover more than 700 miles of the most beautiful and scenic roads in California, including iconic highways and coastlines. The Tour challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams including Olympic medalists, Tour de France contenders, and World Champions, to compete along a demanding course each spring. The ATOC will begin in front of the state’s Capital Building in Sacramento and finish in the title sponsor’s home of Thousand Oaks.

Voyager’s World > March 2014

he name Dontaku is derived from the Dutch word Zondag meaning “Sunday” or “a holiday.” It started in 1179 as a New Year performance known as matsubayashi. People dressed up in unique costumes parade through the streets while clapping shamoji spoons and dance on stages and in squares in various quarters of the town. A shamoji, which is a wooden utensil for serving rice, evokes the image of a woman, busy preparing a meal, dashing out to join the parade passing in front of her house.

he Brabanthal is located 10 minutes bus ride from Leuven Station, where you find the shuttle service. The venue has plenty of parking for the non-drinkers. The largest beer trade fair on the European continent will take place again in Leuven’s Brabanthal this year.

Around 100 Belgian brewers often present themselves; will introduce 500 beers to the public. Exclusive brews, completely new beers and great classics can be tasted in glasses of 15 cl. Entry is free and a free shuttle service will run from Leuven Station.

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Festival Watch

the World 25 - 27 April, 2014

8 June, 2014

Carnaval International de Victoria, Seychelles

Ganga Dussehra, North India

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15 May, 2014

15 April, 2014

Aoi Matsuri, Kyoto, Japan

Bihu festival Assam

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s per established tradition, the 2014 carnival will kick off with an official opening in central Victoria, attended by both international and local dignitaries, as well as Seychellois from the tourism trade, and a cross-section of local businesses. Live music, entertainment from home and abroad, and international food stalls will be the order of the day. On day two, participants join in a spectacular carnival procession through the streets of the capital. The final day will be one of pure family fun while live bands play into the night.

ome 500 people wearing splendid ancient costumes and traditional make-up parade through the main streets of Kyoto. It is called Aoi Matsuri because aoi (hollyhock) leaves are used as ornaments on people’s costumes, on cows and horses. The fest reproduces the procession of officials delivering the Emperor’s message and offerings to the two shrines of Shimogamo and Kamigamo. The most important position held in the parade is the messenger on horseback wearing a gold sword at his side, who is followed by a train of attendants.

en days of the month are devoted to the worship of holy river Ganga, venerated by the Hindus as a mother as well as a goddess.

Places along the banks of the river such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, GarhMukteswar, Prayag, Varanasi, etc., hold special significance during this event. At this occasion, devotees keep fast for full day and even they do not drink water for full day and in the evening they take bath and break their fast (by taking only fruit) after moon arises. In Haridwar, ‘aartis’ are performed at twilight and devotees meditate on riverbanks.

ihu or Bohag Bihu is the most important festival of the people of Assam and is celebrated in mod-April to welcome spring. Cattle rites are performed on the first day, and homage is paid to elders, relatives and friends on the second day with a special Bihu meal. The third day is set apart for religious services. Games and sports, special Bihu songs and dances, fairs, etc., are a part of the Bihu celebrations.

The Assamese also celebrate Magh Bihu in January, and Kati Bihu in October.

www.voyagersworld.in

Incredible India

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“FEEL INDIA” - A Cultural Extravaganza VW BUREAU

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Feel India” – A Cultural Extravaganza, is an initiative of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism and the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to showcase the myriad shades of culture to the tourist. The cultural programmes are being organized at the Amphitheatre, The Ashok every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm The event was formally launched by Shri Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India on Thursday, on 20th February, 2014 at the Amphitheatre, The Ashok with the launch performance “Classical Dances of India” led by Yogi and

Danseuse Reela Hota with Narmada Cultural Association, Swati Sinha and Group and other eminent artists. The next two day’s performance consisted of “Heart touching notes on Electric Hawaiin Guitar by Anil Mishra” and Susmita Das, noted Oriya Singer’s musical performance.

Next week’s performances consist of Dances from India’s North East (27th February 2014), exclusive Odissi performance by Kavita Dwibedi (28th February 2014) and musical performance by Mukesh Manch (1st March, 2014)

consist of a mix of classical, folk, fusion and contemporary dance and music. The effort is targeted to fill the much desired gap in the tourist offering of Delhi and enhance the tourist interest in India and its rich cultural traditions.

The subsequent cultural programmes

ITDC has been promoting art and

culture in the country by organizing cultural events at its different Hotels located across India. ITDC hotels also exhibit Indian art and culture in their decor along with providing modern and luxurious amenities to the guests.

Cultural performances organized by the Corporation are further aimed to promote artists and Indian art forms.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals Show a Growth of 7.2% in February 2014 over February 2013 VW BUREAU

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oreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in February, 2014 was 7.38 lakh which was 6.88 lakh in February, 2013 with a growth of 7.2%. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism in Rupees terms in February, 2014 were Rs.11,355 crore in comparison to Rs.10,252 crore in February, 2013.

The following are some important highlights regarding FTAs and FEEs from tourism during the month of February, 2014: Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs): FTAs during the Month of February 2014 was 7.38 lakh as compared to FTAs of 6.88 lakh during the month of February 2013 and 6.81

Voyager’s World > March 2014

lakh in February 2012.

There has been a growth of 7.2% in February 2014 over February 2013 as compared to a growth of 1.0% registered in February 2013 over February 2012.

FTAs during the period January-February 2014 were 14.58 lakh with a growth of 5.1% , as compared to the FTAs of 13.87 lakh with a growth of 1.8% during January-February 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in rupee terms and US$ terms FEEs during the month of February

2014 were `11,355 crore as compared to `10,252 crore in February 2013 and `8,502 crore in February 2012.

The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in February 2014 over February 2013 was 10.8% as compared to 20.6% in February 2013 over February 2012.

FEE from tourism in rupee terms during January-February 2014 were Rs.22,552 crore with a growth of 8.9%, as compared to the FEE of Rs.20,717 crore with a growth of 21.0% during January-February 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.

FEEs in US$ terms during the month of February 2014 were US$ 1.824 billion as compared to FEEs of US$ 1.905 billion during the month of February 2013 and US$ 1.729 billion in February 2012.

The growth rate in FEEs in US$ terms in February 2014 over February 2013 was negative growth of 4.3% as compared to the growth of 10.2% in February 2013 over February 2012.

FEE from tourism in terms of US$ during January-February 2014 were US$ 3.629 billion with a negative growth of 5.2%, as compared to US$ 3.830 billion with a growth of 12.3% during January-February 2013 over the corresponding period of 2012.

Incredible India

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Kerala Blog Express to hit the road VW BUREAU

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5 of the world’s top travel bloggers from a dozen countries were selected for a trip on board the ‘Kerala Blog Express’ organised by Kerala Tourism.

The winners of the online voting were announced by Kerala Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. The ‘Kerala Blog Express’, a luxury bus carrying the winners of the competition, will be flagged off by Anil Kumar from Thiruvananthapuram on March 10. The bus will travel along the length of Kerala from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod in a road trip lasting two weeks.

There are four winners each from India and the USA, three each from Brazil and the Philippines and two each from Germany, Spain and Indonesia. The remaining five are from Denmark, Mexico, Poland,

Italy and Portugal.

Anil Kumar said it was one of the biggest tourism promotions to be undertaken by the state with the help of social media and hoped that the first-of-its-kind event will go a long way in boosting tourist arrivals in the state in the future.

The selected bloggers are all internationally renowned with a reputation of swaying travellers’ choice of destination through accounts of their journeys around the world.

During the two weeks on the ‘Kerala Blog Express’, the participants will write on their experiences of ‘God’s Own Country’, reaching millions of people.

“Social media is changing the way people make travel decisions, it has a tremendous influence on the tourism sector,” said Tourism Secretary Suman Billa. “With Kerala Blog Ex-

press we hope to leverage this power and promote our state globally.”

World Tourism Organization Ulysses Prize for Innovation and Excellence.

Many of the bloggers such as Inma Gregorio (Spain), Nelson Carvalheiro (Germany), Oscar Augusto (Brazil) and Gael Hilton (Philippines) enjoy a worldwide following and have been featured on international travel magazines like the National Geographic Magazine and Lonely Planet.

The bloggers will also visit Kerala Kalamandalam where they will be introduced to the classic art forms of the state. Other destinations on their itinerary include Thekkady, Bekal fort, Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. They will also be introduced to the millennia-old traditional medicine of Ayurveda.

The luxury bus, branded specially for the campaign, will take the participants from Thiruvananthapuram to Kovalam before going to Varkala.

The bus will also travel to the Great Backwaters of Kerala in Alappuzha and in Kumarakom, where the visitors are expected to get a first-hand experience of village life.

The Responsible Tourism project of Kerala Tourism in Kumarakom had recently won the United Nations

The bus will be equipped with cutting edge connectivity solutions throughout the journey to help them write and post about their experiences in real time.

The winners were chosen from over 600 entries from 80 countries.

Netizens and fans of the contesting bloggers were given a chance to vote for their favourites on the www. keralablogexpress.com website.

www.voyagersworld.in

Happenings

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Brand USA organises 'Experience America'

Goa Tourism bags PATWA Award at ITB Berlin

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Attendees included over 170 representatives from the travel trade, airlines, US consulates and select media.

Dilip Parulekar, Minister for Tourism stated that the award is a recognition of path-breaking initiatives undertaken by Goa Tourism, such as introduction of Single Window System for Watersports activities on Beaches, Single Window System for according permission for Music festivals and Tourism events.

oa Tourism won the PATWA Award for the ‘Best Destination in Relaxation, Watersports and Entertainment’ during a glittering function held at ITB Berlin, Germany recently.

rand USA recently organized an interactive evening for the travel trade and airlines called ‘Experience America’. The event provided a unique platform of entertainment, culture, music and fun- coupled with destination education. The objective was to have a fun-filled networking evening while simultaneously updating the attendees on the unparalleled tourism offerings and products in the USA.

Inprotur conducts an experiential learning programme in bangalore

A

rgentina Tourism (INPROTUR) conducted an interactive experience called ‘Discover the Wonders of Argentina’ with travel agents in Bangalore. The session included a virtual reality experience and showcased various aspects of the country.

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Medha Sampat, Director ‘Knack’ Marketing (Representative for National Institute of Tourism Promotion – Argentina), said: “The destination offers an assortment of products which can be packaged in an innovative way, so it is important to educate the trade on this amazing destination. Argentina is a dream for destination travellers and they have been fascinated with the marvellous scenery, the vibrant cities, variety of cuisine along with wine tourism bundled with adventure, sport and entertainment. They can plan fantastic and unique itineraries with the amazing array of opportunities available.”

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Voyager’s World > March 2014

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Top Appointments

49>>

Gagan Deep Singh

Hemant Tenneti

General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre

Hotel Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan

H

emant Tenneti has been appointed the Hotel Manager at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan. With a career spanning over 15 years in F&B and convention business, he was associated with Taj and Accor Hotels before.

In his new role, Hemant will oversee the daily operations of the hotel along with brand management and strategy development.

G

agan Deep Singh joined Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre as the General Manager. With a career spanning over 15 years in the field of hospitality and having worked in many Marriott properties including JW Marriott Mumbai as Director of Operations, in his new role, Gagan will be responsible for the smooth functioning of the property.

Manish Garg

Kunal Dewan

General Manager, Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum

Director of Sales, Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park

T

he Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park recently announced the appointment of Kunal Dewan as the Director of Sales of the hotel. He has been associated with the brand since 2011 and has over 10 years of experience with brands like Le Parker Meridien Hotel, New York, U.S.A, The Oberoi Group of Hotels & Resorts.

M

anish Garg has been appointed General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum. Manish has over 17 years of experience in F&B operations, Conference and Events with Four Seasons and Marriott Hotels & Resorts in India, Australia and UK. He joined Hilton Worldwide in 2011 as the Director of Operations for Hilton Chennai.

Rakesh Mitra

Piiyush Kapoor

General Manager, The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata

R

akesh Mitra is the new General Manager of the Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata. His experience in the hospitality industry spans over 17 years at various hotels including Intercontinental The Lalit Mumbai, Intercontinental the Grand Goa Resort, Leela Goa, Sarovar Park Plaza Hotels in Goa, Chennai, Bangalore, Raffles Merchant Court Hotel in Sydney.

General Manager, The Lalit Jaipur

P

iiyush Kapoor is the new General Manager of the Lalit Jaipur. He experience in the hospitality industry spans over 21 years. Prior to this, he was associated with hotel chains such as IHG, Wellworth Hotels, ITC Welcome Heritage, Jaypee Hotels, Hyatt Regency. In his new role, he will carry forward the innovations in services and F&B section of the hotel.

Sudeep Jain

Sanket Chugh

Vice President, Acquisitions & Development - South Asia, Starwood Hotels

Director of Sales, Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel,New Delhi

S

anket Chugh has joined as the Director of Sales at Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi. With over 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry in the revenue segment, account management and operations; he had previously worked with the Oberoi Group and the Taj Group in senior positions in their properties across the country.

S

tarwood Hotels and Resorts has appointed Sudeep Jain as Vice President, Acquisitions & Development for South Asia. With 13 years of industry experience, he has worked with Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and Hospitality Group for India. In his new role Sudeep will spearhead Starwood’s expansion strategy in the region in order to achieve its growth goals.

Shinoj Joseph

Supakan Yodchun

Hotel Manager, Ginger Hotels Whitefield, Bangalore

Assistant Director Mumbai Office, TAT

T

ourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has appointed Supakan Yodchun as Assistant Director at its Mumbai Office which oversees Western and Southern India. She has been with TAT for 20 years now across its offices in Thailand in places such as Phuket, Chiang mai, Rayong in various positions and most recently in Phetchaburi.

S

hinoj Joseph recently joined Ginger Hotels Whitefield, Bangalore as Hotel Manager.

With 12 years of experience, he has worked with Air India and Qatar Airways as Cabin crew from 2001 and later joined with Kumarakom Lake Resort and The Raviz, with expertise in the field of hotel sales, marketing as well as hospitality operations.

www.voyagersworld.in

Events Calendar

50>>

networking is the key March2014

July 2014

24, 25, 26

18, 19, 20 July

Gulf Incentive Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

India International Travel Mart Bangalore

25, 26, 27 July

April2014 2, 3

Visit Scotland Expo Glasgow

2, 3, 4

GITM Goa International Travel Mart

India International Travel Mart Chennai

August2014 8, 9, 10

Holiday Expo Vadodara, Gujarat

5, 6, 7, 8, 9

International Pow Wow 2014 Chicago

May2014 5, 6, 7, 8

September2014 3, 4, 5

IBTM India ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

Arabian Travel Market Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre

5, 6, 7

2, 3

12, 13, 14

World Travel Market Africa Cape Town,South Africa

India International Travel Mart Mumbai

10, 11, 12

17, 18, 19

INDABA South Africa

India International Travel Mart Gurgaon, Delhi

PATA Travel Mart 2014 Phnom Penh, Cambodia

June2014

October2014

4, 5, 6

3, 4, 5

Thailand Travel Mart Thailand

Holiday Expo Nagpur, Maharashtra

22, 23, 24

27, 28, 29, 30

Routes Africa Zimbabwe

International Golf Travel Mart Villa Erba, Lake Como, Italy

24, 25, 26

29, 30, 31

Gujarat Travel Mart Mahatma Mandir, Gandhi Nagar Gujarat

Voyager’s World > March 2014

ITB Asia Singapore

India Outbound

33>>

Himachal Tourism makes waves in Berlin VW BUREAU

T

he Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh, organised an interesting presentation on 5 March, 2014 alongside the recently concluded ITB Berlin.

The presentation, which was held at Amrit Restaurant in Berlin, invited international travel trade buyers, tour operators, travel agents as well as media persons. The presentation was led by Shri Mohan Chauhan, IAS, Director - Tourism & Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh.

The invitees were from different countries from across the globe such as Russia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Poland, Cyprus, Spain, England, etc.

The presentation showcased the multi-faceted personality of Himachal Pradesh such as Manali, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, Dalhousie and so on and sought to appeal to international travellers as a year-round destination. For winter holidays, Himachal Pradesh offers ice skating, skiing and heli-skiing while adventure lovers can seek adrenaline rushes in paragliding, water sports, trekking, angling, mountain cycling, etc.

The attendees showed keen enthusiasm in knowing more about Himachal Pradesh and promoting it in their respective countries. The presentation was followed by dinner. Himachal Tourism makes waves in Berlin

The Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh, organised an interesting presentation on 5 March, 2014 alongside the recently concluded ITB Berlin.

The presentation, which was held at Amrit Restaurant in Berlin, invited international travel trade buyers, tour operators, travel agents as well as media persons. The presentation was led by Shri Mohan Chauhan, IAS, Director - Tourism & Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh.

The invitees were from different countries from across the globe such as Russia, Turkey, Czech Republic,

Poland, Cyprus, Spain, England, etc.

The presentation showcased the multi-faceted personality of Himachal Pradesh such as Manali, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, Dalhousie and so on and sought to appeal to international travellers as a year-round destination. For winter holidays, Himachal Pradesh offers ice skating, skiing and heli-skiing while adventure lovers can seek adrenaline rushes in paragliding, water sports, trekking, angling, mountain cycling, etc.

The attendees showed keen enthusiasm in knowing more about Himachal Pradesh and promoting it in their respective countries. The presentation was followed by dinner.

www.voyagersworld.in March 2014