Voyagers World May'18

Vol XV

Issue VII

Pages 40

May 2018

EVOLUTION OF A

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DESTINATION BRAND AND THE PROMISE IT BRINGS

Voyager’s World

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4>>

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he 2018 summer beats down the country raising dust - storms to an unprecedented level. Busy as a bee, the discerning Indian travel agent is hell-bent on breaking records to send more holidaymakers out of the country than ever before with more airlines, more airports and even more destinations queuing up to curate experiences, that an Indian traveller has seldom seen!

While at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai last month, India seemed to be the flavour of the day, with more National Tourism Boards and noted Destination Management Companies committing to an India Plan!

Market entry strategies have now evolved into a scientific pattern where destinations plan for their B2B and B2C segments to reach out to the Indian outbound market! The action is on this summer and before the monsoon sets in; the time is perfect for another high-five to the Indian travel industry. More satisfied customers will bring in more satisfied customers! Simple as that...

Warm Regards

Rohit Hangal

rohit@voyagersworld.in

Managing Editor

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

Content Writer

Jeelani MN jeelani@voyagersworld.in

Creative Head

EDIT

Shyam Vishnot shyam@iitmindia.com

ORIA

L

Advertising & Marketing

Industry Buzz

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Published By

Mobile +91-9844092150 advertising@voyagersworld.in

ADVERTISING CIRCU & LATIO N

06

Assistant Editor

15

India Outbound Destination Branding

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

Hospitality World Hospitality Day

23

32

MICE Point Global Healthcare

Festivals of the World

37

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Industry Buzz JetSetGo acquired Indo Pacific Aviation

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etSetGo announced the acquisition of Indo Pacific Aviation Limited- India’s oldest non-scheduled aircraft operator (NSOP) with operations in India.

Kanika Tekriwal, CEO of JetSetGo said, “This acquisition will now give us a significant boost to our ability to grow our fleet and offer unique services and next generation aircraft for personalized on-demand mobility.”

With growth in the domestic civil aviation market and increasing global investor focus on hybrid electric planes, flying taxis and disruptive transportation models, JetSetGo has been positioning itself well at the centre of India’s evolving on-demand air travel market with a simple vision to enable the fastest form of travel from any Point A to Point B at a time when most forms of commute unfortunately remain far too inefficient in the country for a variety of reasons.

Thomas Cook India bagged two awards at the Times Travel Awards 2018

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homas Cook India received two prestigious awards at the Times Travel Awards 2018 for ‘Best Outbound Tour Operator’ – In the Travel Agent and Operator Sector and ‘Editor’s Choice – Leading Tour Company with cutting edge travel innovations.’

Mahesh Iyer- Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “This inspires us to set even higher benchmarks of excellence.”

6>> THAI Smile wins the Grand Prize from Tripadvisor

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HAI Smile received TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Awards as the Winner of Regional Airline in Asia and the Best Airline in Thailand for the second consecutive year, also the Winner of Economy Class in Asia based on the review of passengers in 2018. Chatchai Panyoo, Acting Chief Executive Officer, THAI Smile Airways Co Ltd, says, “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees through our heartfelt service which is the concept and value of our organization. We also strive to provide the best experience for our customers in every touch point and create a superior travel experience for our clients in every flight.”

Sarovar Hotels opens Sarovar Premiere Jaipur

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arovar Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of Sarovar Premiere Jaipur that features 80 guest rooms and suites. The property was launched in the presence of Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels and Sandeep Sharma, Executive Director, R.S. Sharma & Co. (Delhi) Pvt. Ltd. Jaipur.

Ajay Bakaya, MD, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. “Jaipur is one of the most well-known destinations in India for leisure as well as business travel. The brand will continue to expand its presence and we are further opening hotels in Ajmer and Jaisalmer soon” The hotel offers dining options like Terrazo, the multi-cuisine restaurant with an indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the garden; Lattice, the elegant bar located at Lobby Level and the swimming pool; and the Rooftop restaurant. The 1,800-square-foot meeting space can accommodate up to 200 people. The hotel is ideal for discerning corporate as well as leisure travellers.

Sarovar Hotels is targeting to have 100 hotels by 2020.

Some of the hotels opening this year are in Jaisalmer, Jhansi, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

OYO targets for a larger portfolio in India

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YO plans to have a large hotel portfolio consisting of 100+ rooms under its Franchisee and Management contracts by partnering with hotels and real estate. Over the years, we hope to have 10,000+ rooms as a part of its large-asset category .Currently, OYO has already partnered with 12 such hotels and is managing them across markets including Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Noida, Vrindavan and Patna. Commenting on the milestone, Maninder Gulati, Chief Strategy Officer, OYO said, “We are optimistic about the Indian market and plan to go deeper into our existing markets while adding 50+ cities to the network and capturing a 5% share of India's hotel market by 2018-end."

Emirates and flydubai celebrates their partnership

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mirates and flydubai witnessed a rise in passenger numbers for the first six months of their partnership. The first code-share flights began at the end of October 2017.

Between November 2017 and March 2018, over 400,000 passengers have taken advantage of the partnership and more than 250,000 passengers have already planned their trip for the year ahead. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chairman of flydubai, said: “We have seen a strong demand for travel on combined Emirates-flydubai itineraries from Europe and the United States to the Middle East and West Asian destinations.With this partnership, Dubai as a destination benefits from the enhanced connectivity and new travel flows.”

UK 27 The Fern - An Ecotel Hotel opens in Belagavi

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he Fern Hotels & Resorts opened UK 27 The Fern - An Ecotel Hotel in Belagavi Karnataka. With this hotel opening, the hotels managed by The Fern Hotels & Resorts goes up to 53 hotels.

UK 27 The Fern an upscale 90 room hotel that offers rooms in different categories such as Winter Green, Winter Green Premium, Fern Club Studio, Fern Club Premium Studio, Hazel Suite and Fern Club Suite. The hotel offers dining options Mélange, The UK 27 Lounge and Spices, the authentic Indian vegetarian restaurant and The Deli @ lobby level.

Suhail Kannampilly, COO, The Fern Hotels & Resorts said, “This is the first ecotel hotel in Karnataka, we look forward to introduce more and more environment friendly hospitality opportunities to our guests in future".

Voyager’s World > May 2018

Terms and Conditions Apply | Rate is subject to change without prior notice Package is subject to availability | The rate is nett and non comissionable | Contact us for customised packages AKQUASUN HOLIDAYS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

Industry Buzz

8>> “Koi Match Dekhega, Koi Duniya” campaign

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xigo introduced all-new brand campaign that attracts people to take a break from their TV screens and travel. The campaign will feature off-screen friend duo - Gaurav Kapur and Cyrus Sahukar, who humorously debate over their love for cricket and travel.

The ad series also includes quirky lines that tie in to the campaign theme of “Koi Match Dekhega, Koi Duniya.” Commenting on the campaign launch & agency onboarding, ixigo CEO & Co-Founder, Aloke Bajpai said - “The campaign is directed towards creating brand awareness amongst travellers, enabling us to provide a larger customer base with the best travel planning solutions. We are looking forward to engaging with a broader audience, who will witness wanderlust Cyrus encourage cricket-lover Gaurav to ditch the couch and plan his next trip. We are happy to be associating with Lowe Lintas and both these talented actors to launch this campaign.” Lowe Lintas COO, Naveen Gaur says “We have used a short format film approach to inspire people to travel and showcase the seamless travel planning experience that ixigo offers.”

Radisson Blu Dwarka New Delhi teams with Shoojit Sircar for the movie ‘October’

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adisson Blu Dwarka, New Delhi has teamed with Shoojit Sircar, Indian film director and producer of films like Piku, Vicky Donor and Pink for the shoot of ‘October’ – starring Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu. The film was shot completely at the property and became home for the entire crew of ‘October’ film for 45 days.

Gaurav Mehta, Director Sales and Marketing, Radisson Blu Dwarka said, “We are delighted to have had this opportunity. We are grateful for ‘October’ movie that showcased out the life of a hotel employee so vividly and beautifully”.

Regenta Central opened in Somnath

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oyal Orchid Hotels just opened a new property ‘Regenta Central’ in Somnath with the growth in religious tourism in India. Regenta Central offers well-appointed rooms and spacious banquet halls and plush lawns that can accommodate up to 2000 people for various occasions such as large scale family social gathering, business presentations, seminars and confidential corporate meets. The hotel also offers various relaxation activities gym, spa and swimming pool. For dining options the hotel serves two restaurants PINXX and Sugar N Spice. Chander K. Baljee, Managing Director, Royal Orchid Hotels said , “With a constant surge in domestic travelers, this year looks very promising for the hospitality industry and we plan to make the most of it by expanding our brand all over India.”

Karnataka Tourism appoints New Director

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he Karnataka State Tourism Department appointed Ramu.B as the new director who will be responsible to improve the marketing of Karnataka tourism. Prior to this, he has worked as the District Collector in Chamarajanagar.

Voyager’s World > May 2018

Radisson Hotel Group launched Family Moments campaign across South Asia

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adisson Hotel Group is running a ‘Family Moments’, an exclusive integrated marketing campaign curated for South Asia in celebrating family time.

“We are focusing on promoting this campaign through digital media in line with our company’s overarching marketing strategy,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.”

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism appointed Sartha Global Marketing as the India Representative

Palladium Hotel Group appoints Blue Square Consultants as India Representative

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anta Monica Travel & Tourism recently announced the appointment of Sartha Global Marketing as its representative office in India. Visit California sees India as one of the fastest growing inbound markets for the state and is currently investing $1 million each year into tourism development there.

Misti Kerns, President & CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism states, “Santa Monica an ideal location for travelers to use as a base for a Southern California visit. With its proximity to Los Angeles International Airport and year-round excellent weather.”

Sheema Vohra, Managing Director, Sartha Global Marketing says, “We are excited to represent Santa Monica Travel & Tourism in India mainly to attract leisure, business and conference clientele from India.”

alladium Hotel Group a Spanish hotel chain appointed Blue Square Consultants (BSC) as India representative.

Palladium Hotel Group a Spanish hotel chain with 50 diverse properties located across Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Sicily (Italy) and Brazil. Blue Square Consultants will be promoting PR and sales strategies for three of their Spanish properties in India - Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife and Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel in Spain.

Sergio Zertuche, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Palladium Hotel Group said, “India is turning out to be a strong outbound market in the world and is ranked among our top 20. Ibiza is among the popular places visited by Indians which is also known for its vibrant music scene and eagerlyawaited concerts every season while Canary Islands is a new destination that Indians are exploring in Spain.”

MIDDLE EAST 10 -13 FEBRUARY 2019

DUBAI, KUWAIT, QATAR, OMAN (OPTIONAL)

India Outbound

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EVOLUTION OF A DESTINATION BRAND and THE PROMISE IT BRINGS ROHIT HANGAL

Destinations reach a level of brand maturity, where they no longer require a help of a tag-line or a slogan?

Destinations Marketers always seem to be in love with the 'one big tagline'

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he lifetime of a 'Destination brand' and its elements form a distinct identity till the next CEO comes along or for that matter the next advertising agency is on a trigger point pitch-spree! In an era, where destinations are more perceived than experienced, the hope to create the next tagline out of a century long destination baggage' is pure 'nirvana'.

The Destination brand evolves from a 'Promise' it brings. Mere play of words or your agency's most creative line may still fall short of delivery. What drives a destination to go for a change of direction? Is it merely to impose the new-found desire to create an identity as a 'supermarket destination' (there is something for everybody kind of approach) or a destination's newfound love to focus on its geographical or cultural attribute!

to be". - Ireland used a tag line many years ago for the incentive market in the USA, I believe, along the lines of "Ireland - ancient birthplace of great times" - absolutely brilliant! Other good ones that have achieved impact are: - New Zealand - "100% Pure" and Costa Rica - "No artificial ingredients"

bombardment over a period of the last about 10 years. One smart attribute of the campaign is that it did not talk beyond 'Incredible India!’ it left the rest to its visual impact and the consumer's imagination. It saved the creative team from putting their foot in the mouths!

He further adds "Otherwise, sadly most tag lines are no more than distracting noise and marketing blah.

How many can you remember? And how many can you look at and say they really talk to you in a way that epitomizes their country, as well as inspiring you? And how much money has been wasted with expensive agencies generating mediocre calls to action in insipid tag lines?"

The downside is India being what it is; it is a big country with a plethora of 'marketable destinations / products'.

The fact that India is often at the receiving end of natural and manmade disasters making cancellations of inbound tourist is a tad higher.

When something like this happens; most times, tourists taking cue from our television channels on sublime ‘breaking news’ mode, do not realize how big India actually is; what happens in one part of the country seldom affects other parts.

Do Destinations reach a level of brand maturity, where they no longer require a help of a tag-line or a slogan? Destinations Marketers always seem to be in love with the 'one big tagline'...What does it take a destination to be independent of any taglines or slogans? and let the consumer decide for himself on the attributes of the destination!

If you can't come up with the holy grail of a killer tag line, use a descriptive one (e.g. "Peru- Land of the Incas") or be brave and don't have one - like Australia and Texas. One of the key elements of a branding success is the longevity of the branding elements such as the tagline if one, its logo and visible traits. Destinations trying to change its branding every time there is a change at the helm are purely not helping the cause.

Tom Buncle, Managing Director, Yellow Railroad interestingly says "Tag lines are brilliant when they are inspired, convey a country's benefits succinctly in a way that evokes the essence of the country, and could be nowhere else. But mostly they fail spectacularly. I've only ever seen two that really tick these boxes: - Croatia - "the way the Mediterranean used

Incredible India! is case - study material! A simple couple of words backed with a multi - million advertising budget and smart advertising visuals, has been bombarded the world over and over again till it claimed marketing nirvana. 'Incredible India' would not be claimed to be successful if it was not backed by the continuous

It is more important than ever before, to create 'regions / city / attractions' into strong destination brands with an independent brand identity.

Kerala has been one of a few success branding stories as far as India is concerned. They have not aligned with the 'Incredible India' bandwagon and have gone ahead and implemented an independent marketing plan and have delivered results.

Does having a 'brand document' help create a focus, especially for destinations?

Tom Buncle adds "Yes, absolutely. A set of clear brand guidelines - or toolkit - is the critical bridge that links the branding strategy to its implementation. It is the brand manager's manual - and should

also be distributed to all who are in any way projecting the destination brand internationally (e.g. NTO staff, tourism operators, airlines and, ideally inward investment promotion and development agencies, exporters and diplomatic posts - all of whom should ideally have been involved in developing the brand itself, as key stakeholders). It should explain what the values/essence, personality, positioning statement, emotional benefits and rational attributes are, what they mean, and how to apply them in marketing communications".

"In other words, the brand toolkit is the vehicle that explains how to bring the brand to life in a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand way for everyone.

Without it, the brand may be no more than theory and impenetrable gobbledygook for many people, no matter how brilliantly it has been conceived".

How often have we seen the promise line change at every change at the helm? The destination brand gains momentum with its longevity in focus, and not on the ‘one smart tagline’ that change along with every season. At the same time a bad line that adds complexity of trying to sell a bit of everything and the kitchen sink, has to simplify itself into what the consumer will accept! Focus on one big attraction or an attribute, it does not matter if it is geographical or cultural. Super market approach to marketing destinations will not add value, either to the discerning tourist or to the scattered visitor number game!

www.voyagersworld.in

India Outbound

12>>

Tourismede Portugal attracts Indian travellers WITH music festivals IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Miguel Moraes, Head of Trade Marketing Department, Tourismede Portugal says The country offers a mix of landscapes and leisure options for families along with some of the best music festivals and surf spots in the world.

Portugal offers a Mediterranean influenced cuisine, recognized by UNESCO under the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the cuisine is rich in flavours and aroma; a diversity available across the country and spanning 21 Michelin Starred restaurants. Portugal has over 250 indigenous varieties of wine and a few imports that have adapted well to the Portuguese landscapes. Port Wine is the most famous and most exported wine from Portugal that grows in the Douro valley, the world’s oldest demarcated wine region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

events in Portugal are:Madeira Flower Festival -Funchal, 19 April-6 May,Eurovision song contest -Lisbon, 8-12 May,Fatima Shrine celebrations –Fatima, 13 May, WRC Portugal Rally -Porto & North, 1720 May, Lisbon Popular FestivitiesLisbon. 10-30 June, Rock in Rio Music Festival- Lisbon,23-30 June, NOS Alive Music Festival- Lisbon, 12-14 July, Portugal Masters, PGA European Tour- Vilamoura, 2023 September, Lisbon MarathonLisbon, 14 October, WSL Tour Rip Curl Pro Portugal- Peniche, 16-27 October, Web Summit – Lisbon, 5-8 November. The country offers a mix of landscapes and leisure options for families along with some of the best music festivals and surf spots in the world.

The upcoming Festivals and main

Some of the Portugal delicacies are

been appointed as the Sales, Media, Marketing and PR Representative in India for Tourismo De Portugal.

Growth of Indian market Portugal has been growing rapidly from the Indian market with an average close to 20% per year and reaching a total of 34,500 Indian travelers visiting Portugal last year.

For 2018, we expect to growth at the same level of the last few years, and even higher for the coming years, due to the huge potential of the market. Think Strawberries, India and Middle East's market has

MATATO woos Indian luxury outbound at Mumbai

Cozido à portuguesa or Portuguese boiled platter. The traditional Portuguese stew the dish is considered part of the Portugueseheritage, as well as one of the national dishes of Portugal. The other dishes are Bacalhau the Portuguese traditional dishes, cooked in 365 different recipes based on salted cod fish and Caldoverde a popular soup.

Segments We looking forward to increase visitor arrivals for the high end leisure travelers, MICE and Buisiness travelers. We are also targeting on value-added segments such as Weddings, the Bollywood film industry etc. Portugal has been recognized as the best European Golf Destinations for 4 years in a row, and nearly 2 million rounds of golf were played last year.

VW BUREAU

More than 200 travel professionals from the two countries attended this exclusive event, hosted at the Four Seasons, Mumbai.

M

aldivian Night was presented in part as a business networking event, where Maldivian hoteliers and Travel agents had the opportunity to meet with more than 150 prominent travel agents and tour operators from India.

Eight Maldivian companies took part in the business networking.

The event was concluded with an entertainment evening, to promote and feature Maldives Travel Awards.

This event was joined Indian media by representatives from International travel brands based in Mumbai.

Organized as part of destination marketing efforts by MATATO, this event marks the 3rd Travel Trade event lead by MATATO in India

Voyager’s World > May 2018

in 2018 alone. They had earlier participated in IITM Bangalore, OTR 2018 and SATTE. “We are really excited about having stepped up Destination Marketing efforts this year. And we look forward to continuing on this branding of events at major travel markets for Maldives.

This year so far we have been very loud in our marketing activities in Asia Pacific region especially in India” Said Abdulla Ghiyaz Riyaz, President of MATATO. This is the first ‘Maldivian Night’ organized by MATATO in India, a similar event is scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka before the Maldives Awards Gala.

India Outbound

13>>

TOURISM MALAYSIA KICKS OFF EIGHT CITIES ROADSHOW ACROSS INDIA Tourism Malaysia implements promotions for the year 2018, showcasing new developments and their participation in trade tourism fairs.

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ourism Malaysia along initiate’s 8 cities road show across India covering major cities in India.

The campaign, a joint promotion effort with Akquasun Group, a destination marketing company based in India, begins this month and entails a comprehensive promotion effort undertaken in major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

In addition, the Tourism Malaysia promotion will also reach Tier 1

cities such as Bangalore, Lucknow, Surat, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Pune, Hyderabad, Mysore, Cochin and Coimbatore, and Tier 2 cities such as Chandigarh, Rajkot and Ahmednagar.

Utilising a comprehensive promotion mix, the campaign will be implemented across print and online advertising, trade networking roadshows to meet top travel agents, participation in consumer and trade tourism fairs, workshops and product briefings on Malaysia, familiarisation

trips, and other joint promotions and incentives. Malaysia participated to showcase the new developments.

Selected Tour Operators and Travel Agents were invited from the cities, who had very good experience in this interactive networking event.

Malaysia is represented by some ten organisations including tourism product owners, hotels and representatives from various tourism

organisations, namely Desaru Coast, Legoland, Fantasy Rain Forest, Marina Putrajaya, Lexis Hotels & Resorts Sdn. Bhd., Ombak Villa Langkawi, Forest City Phoenix Hotel, Malindo Air dan Tourism Selangor.

Akquasun Group with its enhanced new set up in Malaysia is focused in good volumes from all sectors MICE, Group Tours and FIT Travel.

Source: Tourism Malaysia

www.voyagersworld.in

Association

14>>

IAAPI NAMES INDUSTRY VETERAN PRADEEP SHARMA AS PRESIDENT JEELANI MN

Pradeep Sharma, takes over the role of President for the Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI), and speaks to us about the changes that are about to happen.

P

radeep Sharma has a breadth of experience that spans over 20 years and has worked with a variety of international suppliers, lead operations for EsselWorld/Water Kingdom.

Any changes you would like to implement?

Today, IAAPI has established itself as an apex body representing the interest of a diverse range of

amusement park theme park and Family Amusement Centre in India.

IAAPI has a strong membership base of 374 members consisting of park operators, manufacturers and suppliers of with 82 are international members.

IAAPI international reach will boost the outlook of Indian Amusement Industry which in turn will attract international investments in parks, setting up of high thrill precision rides, theme and dark rides in Indian parks which will attract more domestic and international tourist to amusement parks.

How does amusement industry tries to attain sustainable- fun?

Project viability is a crucial factor in setting and operating of amusement parks other than land due to the

heavy capital investment involved.

The industry has to sustain fixed cost of operations, man power, fuel even during slack season makes operational cost very high.

In order to attain sustainable fun amusement park has to attract good footfall throughout the year in spite of other competitive or low cost entertainment options available such as cinemas, circus etc.

How do you perceive the future for this industry?

The future of Indian Amusement industry is very positive because:The Indian Amusement Park industry is pegged at $400m compared to $25bn global amusement park segment and is expected to register a 15%- 20% Compounded Annual

Growth Rate (CAGR) in the next five years, How has the level of safety changed according to you?

Safety has always been of prime importance in Indian Amusement Industry for patrons. Since its inception, IAAPI’s focus has been to educate members on safety through various in-house initiatives from its committees on Training and Safety.

IAAPI organizes free safety training program for employees of member parks by inviting industry experts from amusement and hospitality industry.

IAAPI engages in giving soft skill and practical hand on training from industry experts so that amusement industry is kept in breast with latest happening in amusement industry worldwide and other related industry.

THE FUTURE‘S NOT AN OPTION AS IT HAS TO BE GREEN JULIAN MATTHEWS, Chairman, TOFTigers

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et’s cut to the chase. ‘The World Economic Forum’s latest report recognises that India is ranked 6th for its number of natural world heritage sites – yet the attractiveness of its overall natural assets is a disappointing 113th. A ‘gap’ that ensures that tourism, a critical conservation tool is not prioritized by governments or supported significantly enough by private enterprises, even though it’s one of the 5T’s in the Government’s own National Development Strategy.

Worse than this is the fact that this same report rates India’s environmental sustainability in Travel and Tourism at 134th in the world, with only Kuwait and a war-torn Yemen below it. This is a shocking place for a major powerhouse to find itself and highlights the reason why nature tourism charity TOFTigers campaigns so hard on sustainability in this sector. It’s also why tools that allow us to encourage, monitor,

assess and highlight the very best, like TOFTigers’ PUG eco-friendly kitemark and the TOFTigers Wildlife Travel Awards make so much sense.

Now for some good news. Despite these negative statistics, nature tourism is winning a fight, even if we have not yet won the war. Nature based travel is turning the tide on wildlife conservation and on the tiger’s survival across South Asia.

From a low of 1400 wild tigers in a few denuded reserves at the turn of this century, when both domestic and International tourism was small, we now officially have over 2400 wild tigers in India and growing numbers in Nepal too. But let’s be absolutely clear - we are in fact saving much more than a single species. WWF calculates that 830 million people depend on the water that tiger range forests release in Asia. Forests help to mitigate the very worrying effects of climate change on the

subcontinent. If we save tigers we save whole ecosystems, millions of species and a host of other essential nature-based services for hundreds of millions of both urban and rural peoples.

This new rural green economy is giving new livelihoods and new economic opportunities for once poor rural communities bordering these forests, decreasing rural poverty, enhancing living standards and raising local educational standards, as a new

research report that TOFTigers funded highlights. Visitors in parks deter poachers, woodchoppers and illegal grazers and brings the spotlight to bare on a host of magnificent and invaluable wildlife and wildlands that few people cared about – even a few years ago. Opening up wildlife parks has also brought exciting nature experiences to millions of domestic and overseas visitors – enabling many to become passionate local advocates for conservation and protection.

Hospitality

15>>

Accor Hotels Chennai expects optimistic growth in 2018 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Jayakrishnan Sudhakaran, Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing, AccorHotels Chennai says the growth in the hospitality industry for 2017 has been good and we are expecting 2018 to witness better responses than the earlier years. huge overseas participation and attendance in good numbers. Hence minimal slippages are expected in corporate performances and the elections are a huge economic churner. Thus years 2018 and 2019 are expected to be good for the hospitality industry.

Growth of Indian Market 2017 The Corporate performances have been significantly better and stable, especially across industries such as automotive, auto-components, gem & jewelry, Information Technology, engineering exports, leather and fashion apparel industries. In 2018 Auto shows at Delhi, and Defense Expo in Chennai have noticed

Corporate clientele forms the biggest segment especially over weekdays with weekends witnessing a mix of leisure and long stays. We have noticed expats from USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan & Korea form a large community in Chennai, and Culinary tours from USA and Canada are other exciting aspects of the city. Domestic tourism is on the rise in India and this is further aided by our loyalty program Le Club AccorHotels and its ancillary programs

such as Meeting Planner Rewards.

Besides that large groups of in-bound tourists visit India, particularly in the months of October and March.

Some of the segments we are promoting are meetings, training programs, product launches and social groups which form a very important contributor to the revenues of our properties and religious tourism is yet another major contributor.

Marketing plans We have been focusing on video promoting on client stories, live streaming of occasions to target audience that has helped in advancing the USP of the property and planning time to time promotional campaigns. Influencer marketing on social media is evolving since, and

the power is moving from enormous influencers to littler ones as the clients understand that influencer marketing is commercialized when in larger scales with huge investments.

In recent times, we have seen a trend in the number of Indian travelers, especially in the age group of 25 to 35, buying memberships in travel clubs, hotels, and vacation stays.

Some of the factors like food and beverage, evening lounge clubs and DJs, music, and facilities such as spas, kid-friendly setting and so on have added benefits to the movement of the leisure traveler.

Expansion Plans We will be opening the Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road shortly that will be a total of 7 hotels in Chennai.

ACTE STUDY REVEALS A CHANGE IN HOTEL SOURCING JEELANI MN

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CTE Global (Association for Corporate Travel Executives) announced today results of its latest research study, underwritten

by HRS, focusing on how corporate hotel procurement practices continue to evolve. The study, “A New Horizon in Hotel Sourcing,” found that change is in the air for travel executives: More than half (51 percent) of programmes have made some change in their approach to hotel sourcing in the past three years – with the vast majority saying they have derived savings from a new direction Driven by multiple pressure points, including rising hotel rates, a fragmented hotel marketplace and the amount of time that traditional hotel sourcing takes, 48 percent of travel managers who made a change decided to outsource some or all of their hotel procurement to either a global hotel services

provider or a third-party specialist.

The research reveals several other noteworthy trends that point to a shift in how companies – particularly larger, multi-national programmes – approach hotel supplier negotiations: • Companies working with a global hotel services provider or a consultancy report annual savings of seven percent, while those working with a travel management company (TMC) reported saving four percent per year.

• Approximately one in ten programmes (11 percent) report implementing continuous sourcing – a relatively new practice that sources hotels year-round, as opposed to during a limited RFP process at the end of each year. These companies report positive changes, including improved traveller compliance and

satisfaction, financial savings and increased portfolio flexibility.

• One of the primary barriers to continuous sourcing adoption is education: 42 percent of travel executives who have not implemented continuous sourcing are not familiar with it. About one third (31 percent) cite lack of time or resources.

• One-fifth of travel executives report that they do not stay abreast of business changes that could impact their hotel programmes, such as an emerging need in a new geographical market, unless it’s RFP season. This suggests that, for the remaining executives who do monitor throughout the year, continuous sourcing may help them act on business shifts more quickly.

“We live in an age of information overload and constant disruption,

and failure to quickly act on market developments can be costly for travel executives, both in terms of dollars and traveller satisfaction,” said Greeley Koch, executive director of ACTE. “More than half of early adopters of continuous sourcing report savings -- illustrating how travel managers can leverage cutting-edge practices to position themselves at the forefront of the changing business landscape and as leaders in their organisations.”

“Hotel sourcing offers travel programs their best opportunities for both financial and strategic change,” said Marco D’Ilario, vice president of sourcing for HRS. “This global survey depicts an industry where programs are clearly seizing newfound opportunities and leveraging irrefutable data to gain not only savings, but superior program performance. It’s nothing less than a redefinition of the RFP process.”

www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

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CLARKS EXOTICA SET TO BE THE NEXT MICE DESTINATION JEELANI MN

Newly appointed CEO M Balaji, Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa speaks about the importance of expanding and creating a space that will cater to MICE events, and corporate outings, touted to be a first of a kind event space.

Seventh Heaven and more banquet space was added later. Today, we have 144 rooms and suites, over 2 lakh square feet of banquet space including Bengaluru’s largest pillar less event space - Ocean, and a spa - Seventh Heaven.

Inception Clarks Exotica began as a conversation between Ronald Colaco, Vivek Kumar and myself 10 years ago. We began with 21 rooms, boardroom with a staff of 25 people, the property is spread across 70 acres. The Club House, as we call it today, is our oldest wing. The Olympus wing and a spa,

We’ve hosted weddings, MICE events, and corporate outings and have been the preferred partner for several other activities over the years. It has been a fantastic journey, with awards and milestones at every step.

Philosophy & USP Our philosophy has always been one of achieving excellence and establishing new standards. The place is designed to suit varied moods - fun, romantic, relaxing.

We’ve a range of sport activities like cycling, basketball, tennis, squash, swimming pool designed for some quality family time. For those who are all about food, they get to experience world cuisine.

Our spa, Seventh Heaven, voted Asia Best Spa in 2017, offers over 14 carefully curated therapies.

Expected growth We expect to increase our revenues by 20% y-o-y for the next year, and we’re targeting ARR of about 6000 – 6500. MICE is a new area for us and we’re growing to be one of the key MICE destinations. We’re also looking to expand our F&B range, with more offerings that we believe will be the new trend and incorporate healthy lifestyle. In the next 2-3 years, we are planning a

convention centre with an attached hotel of 400 rooms, 3 lakh sq ft of banquet space, which would be located close to the Kempegowda International Airport.

Hospitality industry in India is in a great place as the focus on tourism is increasing, and this has a directly correlation to growth of the hospitality industry. In terms of numbers, India has to scale up considerably to meet the demand for hotel rooms.

There is considerable growth in this segment in the next few years. In terms of challenges, maintaining quality of service is an eternal challenge of any property in this industry, and has to be addressed every day.

GLION INSITITUTE MAKES ACADEMICS LUXURIOUS FOR THEIR INDIAN PRODIGIES JEELANI MN

Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education says “that luxury is what consumers seek for a memorable and authentic experience in hospitality, and Glion is all set to deliver the best to the industry.

London, UK. Glion also offers a dualdegree MBA and MSc programme in partnership with Grenoble Ecole de Management, a leading French business school.

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lion Institute of Higher Education was founded in 1962 by hotelier Frédéric Tissot and Vice-President of the Swiss Tourism Federation Walter Hunziker. A private Swiss institution, Glion today offers bachelors and masters degree in hospitality, luxury and event management to an international student body across three campuses in Switzerland and

Voyager’s World > May 2018

The concept of changing luxury in India In India and across the world, we see a common trend: the rise of experiential luxury.

For many consumers, it’s no longer just the product that matters.

The luxury market in India offers enormous potential. In India, where there is a young population with growing disposable incomes, we can expect to see increasing demand for luxury experiences.

Offerings in the hospitality market The hospitality industry is built

on experiences, but even in this industry we can see how demand for experiential luxury is growing. Luxury hotels are responding by elevating their services to create memorable and customised experiences, creating brand loyalty among a younger generation of guests.

At the same time, the definition of luxury is in flux. Budget boutique hotels represent a new kind of “affordable luxury” for the Millennial. These hotels offer perks such as immersion in cultural neighbourhoods, social spaces and community events, and high-tech, mobile-friendly services — features that many Millennials may value more than traditional material luxury.

Creating a foray of opportunities The hospitality and luxury industries are transforming rapidly, opening up many promising opportunities for the right talent. Digital innovations such as online travel agencies, social media are sharing-economy platforms and have completely disrupted traditional business models and changed how customers interact with brands.

But, in order to succeed in the luxury industry, developing human talent is essential. With this in mind, Glion offers a dedicated bachelor degree specialisation in Luxury Brand Management, which enables students to gain vital skills for this specific sector in addition to obtaining a classic hospitality business education.

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17 - 19 October 2018, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

940 Exhibitors from over 110 Countries

6,140 Minutes of Conference

951 Quality Buyers

22,000 Business Appointments

More than 11,000 Attendees

Guranteed 1 : 1 Ratio for Buyers & Exhibitors

For more information, visit www.itb-asia.com Tel: +65 6635 1188 | Email: exhibitor@itb-asia.com Supported by:

Held in:

OfďŹ cial Partner Hotel:

Organised By:

Hospitality

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Bangalore’s Hospitality Industry Felicitated on World Hospitality Day VW BUREAU

Bangalore’s esteemed hospitality industry came together to felicitate the promising talent on the occasion of the 3rd World Hospitality Day. Over 50 people from the leading hotels in the city were awarded.

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he Bangalore chapter of this celebratory event was hosted

by The Shangri-la Hotel, where key members from the industry came together to share their ideas and passion that binds them together.

The awards were presented by Shalini Khanna Charles, Director, IIHM Bangalore in presence of the respective General Managers of the hotels. The event was attended by Amaan Kidwai, GM, ITC Gardenia, Shekhar Sawant, GM, ITC Windsor Manor, Andreas Strieber, GM, The Shangri-la Bangalore, Ian Dubier, Taj Bangalore, Mr Rayan Aranha, GM, Grand Mercure, GM, Chef Vikas Seth, Culinary Director, Embassy Group and many other notable personalities from the hospitality industry. April 24th was established as World Hospitality

Day by the International Hospitality Council, in association with IIHM, in 2016. This day is celebrated across 50 countries connecting the world by a common cause.

As a part of the event, each hotel across the world is invited to conduct activities that indicate their commitment to the society. Each hotel also nominates one employee who they believe is suitable for recognition as the “Best Hospitality Personality” and be felicitated by the leading names in the industry. The highlight of the event was the webinar conducted

by Prof. David Foskett from the London office of the International Hospitality Council. Shalini Khanna Charles, Director - Bangalore, IIHM, said, “It is a great honour to be associated with an event like World Hospitality

Day, wherein we can recognize and encourage the talent that rarely is acknowledged in everyday life. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate each person who has been recognized as the Best Hospitality Personality 2018!”

Prof. David Foskett, Chairman – International Hospitality Council, said, “On this occasion we must tell the world about the opportunities, jobs, learning and studying together and getting to understand one another through

the medium of food and hospitality.”

Dr Suborno Bose, Founder & Chief Mentor of IndiSmart Group & IIHM, said, “International Hospitality Day brings together all the professionals who work in the hospitality industry throughout the world under the prestigious International Hospitality Council and celebrates the success of the industry. It’s great to see that this year over 50 countries around the world are celebrating this amazing day.”

WELLNESS TRAVEL FORESEES GOOD GROWTH THROUGH INDIAN DOMESTIC TRAVELLERS IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Abhilash K Ramesh, Executive Director, Kairali Ayurvedic Group says “We have seen that the domestic travellers seeking customized treatment so are witnessing a high rise in demand from within India”. which caters to 43% of our group business.

Marketing plans Most of our marketing plans are white paper campaigning that highlights on knowledge and awareness on Ayurveda and Yoga.

In the recent past we have aligned our marketing plan with the Indian government initiative on Yoga.

This year we have spawning our interest in the Domestic market

Voyager’s World > May 2018

Travellers The Indian market has witnessed the domestic market growing each year, we have seen bookings not only from local patients but across whole country. Majority numbers are dominated by the female section but a large number of enquiries can be seen from married couples in their late 30s and early 40s who seek personalized solutions and a break from their concrete life.

As a wellness travel destination how is the property been promoted with the various treatments?

According to the most recent data obesity exceeds by 35% in metropolitan cities, Heart diseases

have become common even in individuals in their 20s. Our contemporary campaign “Seasons of Ayurveda” targets health issues related to Women, obesity and heart diseases. With specific attention to major health related issues SOA will donate a designated time-period and will provide free doctor consultation, effective solutions and exciting offers.

Wellness Travel is growing in India

are you expecting this concept to grow tremendously in a few years explain?

The Indian wellness industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 per cent for the next five years to achieve a Rs 1,50,000 crore turnover by 201920. A report by Federation of Indian chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has titled Wellness Industry as a huge business opportunity.

Hospitality

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LEISURE HOTELS GROUP PLANS TO EXPAND IN MORE STATES IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Vibhas Prasad, MD, Leisure Hotels Group says the Indian market in the hospitality industry is seeing a growth of approximately 7% and a development ratio of 64%.

50%, Western India) (Maharashtra & Gujarat: 30% & Rest of India: 10%), Foreign FIT’s & Groups: 10%, MICE: 25% .Some of the segments we have focused are weddings and MICE.

Growth in Hospitality industry The Leisure Hotels Group has had a static growth in 2017 where we have consolidated our leadership position in Uttarakhand. We now have 26 operational hotels at Uttarakhand, UP, Goa and recently opened a Hotel at Himachal Pradesh in 2018.

Travellers We have had travellers that include Domestic FIT’s: 65% (North India:

Expansion Plans We have been focusing on leisure destinations in Uttarakhand, Goa & Himachal Pradesh across bespoke villas, boutique resorts, luxury camps and smart business hotels.

Alternative accommodation also known as homestays & bed and breakfast is also growing in huge numbers and the growth of Airbnb globally is a known testament of the same.

Some of the developing properties

in progress are Hostel with Budget Hotel, Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh by October 2018, Midscale Business Hotel, Pari Chowk, Greater NOIDA

by October 2018, Upper Upscale Resort, The Earls Court Nainital by June 2019, Wildlife Resort - Jamun, Corbett Park by October 2018, Luxury Heritage Haveli, Haridwar

by April 2020 and Luxury Resort, Bhimtal by October 2021

The concept of boutique hotels are growing in numbers in India do you foresee an exponential growth in this segment in a span of 5 years explain?

We have witnessed a steady growth of such properties across the country as the discerning travellers are looking for experiences that enables them to feel more like a local during their trip.

RAVIZ HOTEL AIMS TO INCREASE ITS OCCUPANCY BY MORE THEN 89% THIS YEAR VW BUREAU

Manoj Padhi General Manager of Raviz Hotel Dubai, says “With Us, You are Always at Home” lives upto its expectations, with business growing in leaps and bounds at the Raviz Hotel which will be a forerunner in the hospitality industry. in November 2015, growing by leaps and bounds. Last year, the average occupancy was 89%.

Do share with us how last year was in terms of business for the Raviz hotel?

We have been in the hotel business since June 2006 when we acquired Versailles Hotel in Al Rigga in Deira.

Growing from strength to strength, last year Versailles By Raviz did an average occupancy of 85% .Since the inception of the Award Winning Raviz Center Point Hotel, Bur Dubai

From which markets did you see an increase of tourists?

The source markets for Dubai hotels are dynamic and shift of source producing countries keep happening.

Our major markets are India, Europe, US and African subcontinent. Since last year, we have made deep inroads to Vietnam, Cambodia, Phillipines, Myanmar and South America.

Do you have more leisure or business tourists?

We have a guest arrivals mix of 60% Leisure and 40% Business visitors at both our four star hotels primarily because of our strategic locationproximity to Metro Stations.

What is unique about the Raviz hotels and could you share a brief about it; number of rooms/suites, facilities, meeting rooms etc The Bur Dubai property has 109 beautifully adorned Rooms and Suites which include Family Suites and Diva Rooms for lady guests travelling alone. The Hotel has a 24/7 All Day Dining, Taste, a Speciality Pan Asian Restaurant, Oriental open for Lunch and Dinner, a quaint Coffee Shop, Metro, the famed Sports Bar, Elevens ,the best Indian Nightclub in Bur Dubai, Rhythm and Regency the

Conference and Banqueting venue.

Could you share some unique events or activities planned for this year to lure more tourists to the property?

We are constantly doing theme based events keeping the local community in mind. Every moth, we have a new theme –based evening like Salu Salo Night, Zaika e Hind, Utkal Night, Sri Lankan nights and Comedy Nights.

Post Ramadan,we shall be adding Hanoi Nights and TukTuk Nights with the induction of our new Chefs from Vietnam and Thailand respectively.

www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

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St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort promotes experiential travel IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Alexander Blair, General Manager, St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort observes the Indian travellers are looking for experience led holidays and prefer to experience new properties in the Maldives.

Spa, which presents six overwater treatment rooms, including two that are dedicated to healing Ayurvedic treatments. The Heavens Portfolio has been appointed as the PR – India.

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he St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort was opened in November 2016 and is represented by the manta ray shaped lagoon villas, a signature bar in the shape of a whale shark, a lobster-inspired spa and a spiral shell shaped library.The hotel serves six dining venues, including an Asian specialty restaurant, a modern Italian restaurant that features a grand staircase, an underground wine cellar restaurant, a shack style restaurant, a signature overwater bar and a pop-up restaurant in the middle of the resort. Besides that, the hotel offers the Iridium

Indian Market 2017 was our first year of operation but we are seeing strong growth from India in 2018 vs. 2017.

Although India is not in our TOP 10 source markets at this stage but we are keen to develop this market over 2018 and are hopeful we can have India break into our TOP 10 source markets by revenue in 2019.

Most of our travellers are families, honeymoon and couples celebrating birthdays.

The Indian travelers are last minute and more spontaneous but the lack of direct connectivity does not help.

Wish to experience the "newest" and properties in the Maldives. Looking for experience led holidays.

Promotional plans We wish to work with key and niche social media influencers in the Indian market who understand and have experienced luxury and in turn share their experiences within our clearly defined target market. We look forward to work with leading print and digital marketing channels as well.

Segments Some of the segments we are focusing on are Weddings, the Honeymoon market and Wellness.

How important is India as a growing market for us? Are you expecting the Indian market to grow in huge numbers in the future?

The Indian market is important to us but is still in its nascent stages. We have activities on the digital marketing and social media channels to promote our resort to the Indian market and look at an all strategy that brings together facet of direct sales and marketing, targeting our key nice demographic in this vast market where some legacy hotels in the Maldives have been targeting for many a year before us.

Cruise

Association

Norwegian Cruise Line releases 2018 - 19 Guide

SKAL to hold it's Annual Convention in Kolkata

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orwegian Cruise Line has released its 2018-2019 Europe Cruising Guide, with over 30 cruise itineraries embarking from nine cities departing between June 2018 – November 2019.

Cruisers can undertake itineraries such as a nine-day Scandinavia, Russia and Baltics sailing from Copenhagen that explores ports such as St. Petersburg and Helsinki; a 10-day sailing exploring destinations including Barcelona and Cannes before disembarking in Rome, and an 11-day sailing around the Greek Isles, where you can discover the delights of Santorini, Corfu and Mykonos, amongst other island escapes.

Norwegian had pioneered the cruise industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design

Voyager’s World > May 2018

their ideal cruise holiday on their schedule with no set dining times, a variety of entertainment options and no formal dress codes. Norwegian Cruise Line sails around the globe, offering guests the freedom and flexibility to explore the world on their own time.

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he City of Joy will play host to the 'SKAL National Congress' from the 17 - 19 August 2018. Over 600 - 700 delegates are expected to attend.

Skål is a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, the industry's managers and executives, meet at local, national, regional and international levels to Do Business Among Friends.

The first Club was founded in 1932 in Paris by travel managers, following an educational tour of Scandinavia. The idea of international goodwill and

friendship grew and, in 1934, the “Association Internationale des Skål Clubs” was formed with Florimond Volckaert as its first President, who is considered the “Father of Skål”.

Skål International today has approximately 15,000 members in 400 Clubs throughout over 90 countries. Most activities occur at local level, moving up through National Committees, under the umbrella of Skål International, headquartered at the General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.

Bangalore shall host Asia SKAL Congress in Mid 2019 as well.

For more information pertaining to the Congress, mail on theskalsecretary.ccu@ aaryanholidays.com

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ASSOCIATION

glimpses of arabian trave mart

ATM April 21 - 25 brought in all the global masters of travel and toruism in a threee day fiasco with recognitions and awards playing forefront and utmost excitement for new sectors of tourism such as halal tourism etc..

www.voyagersworld.in

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Indonesia reaches to the Bangalore Travel Market IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

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he Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, Mumbai conducted an industry event in Bangalore to showcase it's major tourism destinations and update the travel-trade on the latest activities in the India-Indonesia realm of affairs.

The Indonesian delegation was led

by Ade Sukendar, Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia.

The event was attended by Amish Desai, Chairman - Travel Agents Association of India Karnataka Chapter; Niranjan Sachidananda Bhargava - Hon. Secretary, Travel Agents Association of India Karnataka Chapter; S.V.Chidambaresh, Hon Treasurer - Travel Agents Association of India Karnataka Chapter; Jimmy Alexander Murickan, Chairman Travel Agents Federation of India Karnataka Chapter; Shanthi Soni,

STAT Corner

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs): FTAs in March 2018 were 10.26 lakh as compared to 9.05 lakh in March 2017 registering a growth of 13.4%.

FTAs during the period JanuaryMarch 2018 were 31.27 lakh as compared to 28.45 lakh in JanuaryMarch 2017 registering a growth of 9.9%.

The percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India during March 2018 among the top 15 source countries was highest from Bangladesh (19.59%) UK (11.56%), USA (10.79%), Russian Federation (3.89%), Sri Lanka (3.72%), Malaysia (3.36%), Canada (3.35%), Germany (3.19%), China (2.67%), Australia (2.62%), France (2.58%), Japan (2.11%), Thailand (2.00%), Singapore (1.64%) Afghanistan (1.60%).

Voyager’s World > May 2018

Secretary - Travel Agents Federation of India Karnataka Chapter; Sanjay Gupta, Co-opted MC Member Travel Agents Federation of India Karnataka Chapter and Anita Kamath, Committee Member Travel Agents Federation of India Karnataka Chapter.

Ade Sukendar, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia, Mumbai said, “We are targeting to have 700,000 tourists coming from India for 2018. Last year we recorded 485,314 Indian tourists with almost 55% to 60% travelling to Bali".

He added "On 23rd April, Garuda Indonesia launched its direct flights from Mumbai to Indonesia which will be twice in a week. We will also be organising a trade expo at Jakarta in October 2018.”

Amish Desai, Chairman - Travel Agents Association of India Karnataka Chapter explains, “We have witnessed a good number

of tourists travelling from India to Indonesia. The TAAI Convention was organized three years back in Indonesia, we have seen a dramatic increase in terms of growth after the event. We will be able to increase the number of tourists only if you could start direct flights from South India.”

Jimmy Alexander Murickan, Chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India Karnataka Chapter also envisaged direct flights out of Bangalore to Indonesia.

The percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India during March 2018 among the top 15 ports was highest at

The percentage shares of top 15 source countries availing e-Tourist Visa facilities during March, 2018 were highest from

Delhi Airport (30.68%) Mumbai Airport (14.31%), Haridaspur Land Check Post (9.12%), Chennai Airport (6.53%), Goa Airport (4.87%), Bengaluru Airport (4.73%), Kolkata Airport (4.66%), Cochin Airport (3.29%), Sonauli Airport (2.45%), Hyderabad Airport (2.39%), Gede Rail Land Check Post (2.20%), Amritsar Airport (1.65%), Ghojadanga Land Check Post (1.40%) Ahmedabad Airport (1.37%), and Trivandrum Airport (1.21%).

UK (19.6%) followed by USA (9.8%), Russian Federation (6.0%), France (5.5%), China (5.3%), Germany (5.3%), Canada (4.8%), Australia (3.3%), Thailand (2.8%), Italy (2.2%), Malaysia (1.9%), Spain (1.9%) Oman (1.9%), Republic of Korea (1.9%) Singapore (1.9%).

FTAs on e-Tourist Visa: During the month of March, 2018 a total of 2.46 lakh tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1.46 lakh during the month of March, 2017 registering a growth of 68.8%.

During January-March 2018, a total of 7.62 lakh tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 4.67 lakh during January-March 2017, registering a growth of 63.0%

The percentage shares of top 15 ports in tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during March 2018 were highest from New Delhi Airport (46.0%), Mumbai Airport (16.8%), Dabolim (Goa) Airport (9.5%), Chennai Airport (5.8%), Bengaluru Airport (5.2%), Kochi Airport (3.1%), Kolkata Airport (2.7%), Hyderabad Airport (2.0%),

Other members present included Vijay V Tawde, Trade Section Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, Mumbai; Ferry Samuel Jacob, Trade Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia,Delhi; Yadi Suriahadi, Consul-Economic Affairs, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, Mumbai; Walfred Tagor Manihuruk, Director, Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), Chennai; Siti Fatimah, Vice Consul (Economics).

Amritsar Airport (1.9%), Trivandrum Airport (1.2%), Ahmedabad Airport (1.0%), Jaipur Airport (0.9%), Gaya Airport (0.7%), Mumbai Seaport (0.6%) Tirchy Airport (0.6%).

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism FEEs during the month of March 2018 were Rs.17, 294 crore as compared to Rs. 14,667 crore in March 2017 and Rs. 12,985 crore in March 2016.

The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in March 2018 over March 2017 was 17.9%, compared to the growth of 13.0% in March 2017 over March 2016.

FEEs during the period JanuaryMarch 2018 were Rs. 52, 916 crore with a growth of 15.5%, as compared to the FEE of Rs. 45, 819 crore in January-March 2017 with a growth of 13.6% over January March 2016.

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Incredible India Destination

Destination

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Top Trending Incentive Group Experiences in Korea VW BUREAU

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ncentive travel is a very dynamic sector in the meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE) industry.

Beyond the usual sightseeing, groups these days seek bolder, newer activities that promote local culture, well-being, and sustainability.

Although visiting ancient royal palaces and making kimchi, Korean traditional side-dish made from fermented cabbage, are still a fun way to spend a day in Korea - the number of returning incentive groups to Korea is gradually increasing and the best way to welcome them is to offer fresh activities to keep their excitement alive.

Read on to discover experiences many groups have never done before, and would likely try, in Korea: Running Man Thematic Experience Center Hallyu (Korean wave) fans will definitely enjoy this new indoor playground! The center is inspired and designed after 'Running Man', a very popular Korean variety show where celebrities compete in solving various missions.

Groups up to 250 people can enter the center at once - the more, the merrier. The rule of the game is easy. Delegates can be divided into three groups. Groups must complete

Voyager’s World > May 2018

missions and collect as many R-points in 60 minutes. The game is filled with quirky, sweat-breaking missions such as digital rope jumping, mirror maze, and more.

Participants will be happy to receive a "Running Man Certificate" after completing the program, while top performers will be delighted to see their names flashed at the Hall of Fame inside the experience center.

Sportsmonster Get ready to flex your muscles as you enter the world's first 'sportstainment' theme park. Sportsmonster is a recreational sports venue that has a lot to offer from basketball, rock climbing, 8.5m parachuting, Icarus flying experience, and 26 other activities to enjoy.

With all these energy-boosting games, meeting planners can brainstorm the perfect team building activity for their groups here. The best part is, this arena is located inside Hanam's luxurious shopping center complete with Korean-style sauna, international restaurants, digital zones, and pet zones.

Yeon Hyo Jae Makgeolli is a Korean traditional alcoholic drink made from rice, through a fermentation process. It has a sweet, slightly pungent flavor and a smooth milky texture - making

it an easy favorite among locals, and even foreigners.

Ever fancy making an alcoholic drink? Yeon Hyo Jae is a cultural space offering various programs related to makgeolli. One of the favorite activities for groups is a quick session on making this delicious drink. In addition to that and taste-testing, groups can enjoy making cosmetic products using natural ingredients and, surprise makgeolli!

contribute to the preservation of the haenyeo community.

Jeonju Hanok Village This quaint village is home to 800 well preserved hanoks, Korean traditional house, built during the 1920s. Groups can spend a day here simply by walking over cobbled pathways, checking out every nook and cranny, discovering unique handicrafts and tea rooms, and admiring the beautiful design of traditional Korean architecture.

Haenyeo Haenyeo are women divers from Jeju Island. What sets them apart from ordinary divers is that they do not use air tanks to dive as deep as 10m below sea level. They dive to catch fish, gather sea urchins and other edible sea creatures to make a living out of it.

However these days, it transformed into a mecca of Korean street food.

Where else can you get a taste of cheese ramyeon hotdog, bacon kimchi, beer-flavored ice cream, and the famous Jeonju Bibimbap? Or have a drink served in dextrose packs?

Only a few Haenyeos remain in Korea because of old age, most of them are 80 years old. To keep the culture alive, planners create activities incorporating the Jeju Haenyeo Culture, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A fun way to explore this area is to rent a hanok (Korean traditional costumes), divide into groups, and compete in completing a mission of visiting top attractions inside the village (i.e. Gyeonggijeon, Jeongdong Cathedral, Bamboo Forest inside Hongsalmon, etc) and trying at least five street food.

Small groups can dive with haenyeo, catch fish, and enjoy a delicious plate of seafood cuisine.

Diving with haenyeosis not only a fun activity, but it is a program that practices sustainable tourism and

Jeonju Hanok Village is indeed a perfect destination for groups who want authentic, local immersive culture programs for their company retreats.

(Courtesy: Korea MICE)

Destination

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AMEX New Business Travel Survey on Loyalty programs VW BUREAU

Ashish Kishore says "Indian business travellers deem earning personal loyalty points or rewards to be a good reason to book outside policy".

With airlines and hotels offering a range of personal incentives for continued loyalty, it appears that personal rewards provide sufficient justification for some employees to ignore standard company policies.

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eceiving a percentage of money saved by the company is the top reason Indian employees would be incentivised to book within policy.

92% of Indian business travellers believe earning personal loyalty points or rewards is a good reason to book outside of company policy, according to a new survey commissioned by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).

While a large majority of business travellers from India acknowledge the value of travelling for work, and are aware their company has a travel policy, many are reluctant to comply with company travel policies citing issues including wanting business lounge access (93%), using preferred airlines not within current policy (88%) and desire to stay in a safer location (94%).

Desiring accommodation closer to a meeting or business event venue (96%), staying in a more convenient location (96%), and staying in a

better quality hotel (96%) were the top reasons Indian business travellers provided as a rationale for booking outside the company travel policy.

Ashish Kishore, GBT’s Managing Director, India, said companies need to regularly review their travel policies and ensure they are fit for purpose.

“There are many reasons why Indian business travellers consider it appropriate to book business travel outside of company policy, and while some are practical, some would be considered insufficient by most companies,” Ashish said.

“Most employers would happily accept safety reasons or practical business reasons such as staying closer to a meeting business event venue as justification for booking

outside policy. However, ninety-six percent of Indian business travellers believe wishing to stay in a better quality hotel is a good reason for booking outside policy, and it is unlikely that excuse would pass scrutiny.”

Interestingly, 92% of Indian business travellers also considered saving their company money to be a good reason for booking outside of policy, however such practices do not always result in true savings.

“When employees book within travel policy it not only helps companies keep track of their staff and fulfil their duty of care obligations, it also provides valuable data which companies use to negotiate good deals with airlines and hotels,” said Ashish.

event Crisis Management and Public Relations - Guidelines by ICCA VW BUREAU

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risis Management and managing Public Relations can be strange bed-fellows specially during an unforeseen event. The the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in 2017 published a white paper on handling a probable Media disaster.

Excerpts from the guidelines are published herewith.

Managing media summary guidelines by Tina Altieri Media Australasia Xchange (MAX) As with the operational crisis – the most effective means of dealing with the media is preparation and leadership. The most senior member of the crisis management team and ideally the Chief Executive of the association should always be considered as the first option to act as spokesperson or provide a statement to the media. Prepare positioning statements & background material in advance. A standard pre-prepared

positioning statement as a general response to crisis or emergency incidents should be considered and composed through the association PR representative.

Maintain a communications network Keep out of hours contact numbers of crisis management team to hand Keep out of hours numbers of support personnel – administrative and ad-hoc representatives to hand.

Maintain on-going rapport with influential local media and PR contacts through networking channels.

Maintain an early warning system to monitor external trends Help anticipate potential incidents and understand their context in the event they become an emergency and crisis through the following information channels Check the media regularly – editorials, radio and TV reports, newsletters etc.

Analyse internal intelligence – direct

feedback from clients, local market research.

Monitor public opinion - Identify local social issues - be aware of local government decisions and political decisions.

General Do’s and Don’ts when talking to the Media during a crisis: Do’s: Demonstrate concern for the people affected and personnel Have an approved answer to the question: ‘what are you doing about the situation’ Provide facts brief and

straightforward Respect media deadlines – return every call Dont’s: Speak with the media ‘off the record’ Guess or speculate Lie or give half-truths Answer a question you do not understand (repeat it in your own words) Lose your temper Be humorous or sarcastic Say ‘no comment’ unless absolutely necessary (your silence may be interpreted as a sign of guilt)

www.voyagersworld.in

26>>

ICCA announces its Annual Meetings and Event Ranking Lists VW BUREAU

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arcelona has claimed first place for 2017 in the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) annual ranking of top cities for meetings and events.

The new report also showed strong growth in the meetings and events industry in 2017, with a record number of 12,558 rotating international association meetings taking place,

346 more than 2016. The ICCA said that, over the past five to 10 years, the exponential growth of the industry has seemed to slow into a more mature, but still solid, growth pattern.

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Here are the top 20 cities by number of meetings organized in 2017: 1. Barcelona 2. Paris 3. Vienna 4. Berlin 5. London 6. Singapore 7. Madrid 8. Prague 9. Lisbon 10. Seoul 11. Buenos Aires 12. Budapest 13. Hong Kong 14. Dublin 15. Copenhagen 16. Amsterdam 17. Bangkok 18. Tokyo 19. Stockholm 20. Montreal, QC 20. Rome Since 2016 there has not been much change in the top 10 country rankings, apart from a minor shift in positioning.

As it has done for the past two decades, the United States remains in the number one position with 941 meetings, 7 more than reported at this time in 2016.

The top 20 countries by number of meetings organized in 2017 are: 1. United States 2. Germany 3. United Kingdom 4. Spain 5. Italy 6. France 7. Japan 8. China 9. Canada 10. Netherlands 11. Portugal 12. Austria 13. Republic of Korea 14. Australia 15. Sweden 16. Brazil 17. Switzerland 18. Poland 19. Belgium 20. Denmark Source: ICCA

27>>

Global Healthcare Tourism Association launched VW BUREAU

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he Global Healthcare Tourism Association is an International Not for profit association for the Medical Tourism and International Patient Industry.

The GHTA works with healthcare providers, governments, insurance companies, employers and other buyers of healthcare – in their medical tourism, international patient, and healthcare initiatives – with a focus on providing the highest quality of transparent healthcare. The Association was launched during the just concluded 'International Medical (Healthcare) Tourism Congress - 2018' at Bangalore in March 2018.

Objectives To promote healthy relationship among individuals who are actively engaged in medical tourism related business

through useful interaction & organizing regular meetings.

To promote and improve the standard and quality of medical tourism in India.

To collaborate with medical tourism related industries like hospitals, medical tourism agents, and insurance agencies for mutual benefit.

To provide a forum to facilitate the interchange of scientific knowledge in medical tourism, facilitate and encourage communications among the research community, tourism professionals, and other research, regulatory, and communications media and the general public by educating public and private agencies on the usefulness of research in medical tourism and tourism stakeholders' outcomes

assessment, act as a resource in forming public policy relevant to the tourism economics & related issues of public concern promotes the science of medical tourism by providing services as may be appropriate to advance tourism development and outcomes research and educational activities

provides recognition of individual achievement in the field of medical tourism and outcomes research, fosters career growth and the development of individuals involved in tourism and outcomes research and application of this research.

More details can be had from their website www.ghta.net

CALENDAR 2018 May 2018

August 2018

16 - 18 ITB China Shanghai

Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange 6 - 9 Quintana Roo - Mexico

ACTE 'Around the World Program' 19 - 25 New York City, USA

IncentiveWorks 14 - 15 Toronto - Canada

June 2018

September 2018

Korea MICE Expo (KME) 14 - 15 Songdo Convensia, Incheaon, Korea

IBTM Americas 5 - 6 Mexico City - Mexico

The Meeting Show 27 - 28 Olympia - London

CIBTM – China 12 - 13 Beijing – China

July 2018

October 2018

Asia Business Meet 23 - 26 Singapore

Meeting & Incentive Forums 7 - 11 Europe Abu Dhabi

Intl Conference on Marketing Tourism & Hospitality 13 - 15 Zurich - Switzerland

Meeting & Incentive Forums 29 - 2 Cannes - France

www.voyagersworld.in

Incredible India

28>>

Offbeat Tracks expects to rise in growth from Indian market IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

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andana Vijay, CEO and Founder, Offbeat Tracks says we have seen people wanting to get away from urban life and wanting to connect with nature by staying at a village or a local coffee or tea estate.

This concept is likely to grow in India with an increased awareness about responsible travel and experiential travel is a growing trend the world over.

Growth We have seen a growing interest of Indian travellers wanting to have

experiential travel who are mostly of multiple age groups. We also notice that people as early in their 20s wanting to come take experiential vacations with us to retired couples in their 60's also wanting something more out of their vacation.

have carefully crafter culinary tours in Bhutan and Nagaland where our guests walk through organic farms pick out fresh produce, visit a local farmer's market and then learn how to cook signature dishes from the region.

Experiential Travel Experiential travel is growing and every destination is unique in terms of its people, its culture and food and a lot more. We want people to experience this uniqueness that each place has to offer.

Add on more destinations We are constantly on the look out to add new destinations, homestay's and experiences onto our platform.

Recently we have added Turtuk, which is a little beyond Nubra valley in Ladakh to our list of Offbeat Places to visit. We are looking at exploring inroads into Lahaul Spiti, Arunachal Pradesh and a few villages in Uttrakhand within India and expanding our presence in Sri Lanka and Myanmanr internationally by the end of 2018.

Activities We have activities ranging from spending a few days at an organic village in Ladakh, to cycling expeditions across Bhutan, meditation sessions under the tutelage of a Buddhist monk, handicraft weaving session in Nagaland to treks and caving in Meghalaya. For the foodies, we

Trends We have witnessed nowadays a lot of women would like to

take group trips in India the age groups vary from women in their 20s to as late as 50's so we have started projects where in we stay with local villagers at their homestay's at villages in remote Ladakh and Solar electrify homes which serves a dual purpose of experiential travel, cross cultural interactions, supplementing the rural service provider with an additional source of income and building infrastructure in the remote hard to access regions of the Himalayas.

Main Segments We focus mostly on leisure, adventure, culinary tours, spiritual healing, local interactions, using travel as a medium to build infrastructure, promoting local festivals and arts and handicraft based experiences, rural getaways, coffee and tea trails.

Kipepeo focuses on boosting responsible tourism in North East India IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

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iran Elavia, Founder, Kipepeo says we are promoting the concept of responsible tourism by sending our travellers to rural destinations through their stays at homestays and making them participate in the village based activities so that the traveller can get to experience the culture of the local community.

Concept of Kipepeo The idea behind Kipepeo is to promote North East India that will

Voyager’s World > May 2018

be benefiting the local communities socially and economically. Another important aspect is to involve the local communities in the tourism process as they are the major stakeholders of the business. It is imperative that they should reap economic and social benefits from tourism, so that they are motivated to preserve the environment and their culture. We are focusing on the close interactions between our guests and the local communities.

We offer different types of trips like nature, wildlife, treks, caving , cultural, festival tours.

Some of the trends we noticed are people who travel with us mainly are those who are interested in knowing about the culture of North East India.

We also get quite a few people who want to visit offbeat places since North East is still relatively off the tourist map. Of late we have also started getting tourists who have a

thirst for adventure as North East is a playgroup for adventure lovers.

We have seen a very positive change in the behaviour of the Indian travelers with more and more people open to experimenting and trying out new things during their travels.

The Indian traveller has also become more accommodative and is willing to forgo some level of comfort so as to experience how the locals lead their lives and are willing to experiment and try out local cuisine.

Growth We noticed 85% of our clients are Indians, so the growth year on year has been very good. We have been seeing a rise of 35% to 40% rise in the number of Indian groups as we are servicing since the past 3 years.

In 2017-18 we are catering to 95 Indian groups and the target for the coming year is to service around 130 client groups.

Marketing Plans Our marketing plans are mainly done through Facebook and Instagram to promote our trips on Social Media. We offer interesting group tours that are marketed mainly via social media; using promotional campaigns of FB and through interesting Instagram posts.

For our customized trips we promote the unique aspects like culture part, homestay part and nature trail.

Responsible tourism is growing over the years in the Indian market do you think it is likely to grow in good numbers in the future.

Explain?

In India responsible tourism is a new concept and in its nascent stages as of now it is still a very supply driven market with operators and accommodation owners driving this change, unlike the West where it is more driven by the requirements of the client.

Flight Talk

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SILKAIR SPREADS ITS WINGS ACROSS 49 DESTINATIONS JEELANI MN

Jagdish Ram Bhojwani, General Manager, Silk Air (Singapore) Pvt Ltd, says that “Silk Air are pioneers to venture into diverse, secondary destinations in Asia, some of which are still relatively untouched by mass tourism’.

About SilkAir SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), operates the Singapore Airlines Group's narrow body fleet. We currently operate about 400 flights a week to 49 destinations in 16 countries. The combined Singapore Airlines and SilkAir network covers 101 destinations in 35 countries.

New route plans for India Currently, we have 37 weekly flights

from 8 cities in India and are steadily growing. Together with our parent company Singapore Airlines, we have a combined network of 11 cities in India from which we operate to the rest of the world. The active involvement of the Indian government will help boost both international and domestic travel.

Now, with the ability to fly further with the MAX 8 SilkAir is able to extend its reach to destinations further afield in countries like India and China.

Promotional Plans for Indian Market In terms of our consumer driven initiatives, SilkAir has always focused on the current market landscape, keeping in mind the needs of the travellers. We recently launched special fares in view of upcoming summer vacations to South East Asian and North Asian destinations with all-inclusive return fare to Singapore

starting from INR 18,500 for travel before 31st October 2018.

Growth in the previous year We will continue to work closely with our Parent airline to capture the growing market in intra-Asia and international travel through our extensive network.

We have seen good demand growth and are carrying more passenger’s year-on-year. Besides exploring new destinations such as Hiroshima, our first Japanese destination, we are also improving our existing routes by offering more frequencies. Passengers can also look forward to an improved inflight sales experience as we widen our offerings.

Kris Flyer SilkAir is a partner of KrisFlyer, Singapore Airlines’ Frequent Flyer Program. KrisFlyer members can

earn and redeem miles when they fly on Singapore Airlines, SilkAir or other partner airlines. Corporate members of Singapore Airlines’ HighFlyer program can now earn HighFlyer points when flying on Singapore Airlines (SIA) or SilkAir itineraries with connections onto Scoot.

Enhancements in inflight offerings We have introduced five new meals on board the MAX8 featuring favourite local delights. Apart from being able to pre-book All-Time-Favourite (ATF) meals that boast an array of 20 main courses comprising of Asian and Western cuisines, Business Class customers can also indulge in fresh gourmet coffee. SilkAir’s complimentary wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, SilkAir Studio, has been enhanced with an extended library of content.

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Advertorial

Jharkhand Travel Mart adds value to stakeholder's presence

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harkhand Tourism hosted the first of its kind Jharkhand travel mart.

A travel mart that helped it amplify the tourism aspects of the state. JTM was a commencement for a new leaf in tourism sector for Jharkhand.

The mart was a breakthrough for the tourism sector of the state as it opened new avenues in networking and channelling interactions between buyers and sellers. The first Jharkhand Travel Mart concluded with over 3000 Business Appointments generated from a travel trade delegation of 125 buyers from across India. Tourism is one sector that can be said is a bankable feature to every state, Jharkhand’s flora and fauna and tribal culture have always been one reason to make it an eco-tourism destination.

Jharkhand travel mart pioneered in bringing all aspects of the state. The networking, culture and familiarity trips was one part, but the main prospects lied in its putting together a forum that addressed the beauty and background of the state which could draw in. Jharkhand has been one of India’s emerging tourist attractions with its wide arena of attractions.

Our key segments such as Festivals of Jharkhand, Heritage Trails and Heritage Sites, Tribal Tourism, Wildlife Resorts and National Parks, Rock Art, Medical Tourism, Religious Tourism, Handicrafts, Cultural Vistas,

etc, are unique and spell-binding for any discerning visitor.

The event was inaugurated by Honourable Minister Shri Amar Kumar Bauri for Revenue & Land Reforms, Art, Culture, Tourism, Sports & Youth Affairs Govt. of Jharkhand on the 23rd March 2018. Jharkhand tourism minister Amar Kumar Bauri said, “Jharkhand is still unexplored by tourists and is a hidden jewel. Just 50 km from Ranchi there are several waterfalls. We wish to promote tourism without causing any dent to the way of life of tribals.”

The event was supported by all major National travel – trade and hospitality association in India such as ‘Association of Domestic Tour Operators Association of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), Enterprising Agents Association of India (ETAA), Hotel Association of Jharkhand, Travel Agents Association of Jharkhand, Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Some of the feedback received from buyers and sellers at the event are as follows: "The three-day trade mart witnessed good interactions between

diverse tourism segments" said Mr. Siddarth Bharadwaj, Managing Director, Darshanam, a Deoghar based travels and tours company said, “We interacted with more than 100 buyers and are hopeful and as well as excited to attract more tourists to Jharkhand.” he further added.

Mr. Raj Brahmavar, Business Head, Goxingo, a travel technology provider says, “We are happy and have garnered enough leads.” Sindhu Shanmugham, CEO, Signature Breaks, said, “Jharkhand was not on my radar but after attending the travel mart. I would now be promoting Jharkhand as there is a lot of potential for eco-tourism apart from spiritual tours to Jain and Hindu temples.”

The Business Session were a huge success with some of the brightest Industry leaders speaking on occasion. The sessions included Jharkhand Tourism - The Roadmap Ahead with speakers such as Mr. Debjit Dutta, Chairman, West Bengal, IATO, Mr. Rajat Sawhney, Vice President, ADTOI, Dr. Nishikant Kumar, Professor, Dept. of Hotel Management, BIT Mesra and Mr. Rakesh Lamba, Former President, ADTOI. The second session evaluated the industry and market for Tribal and Cultural Tourism in Jharkhand in which the speakers included Mr. Justin Imam, Virasat Trust, Mr. Amitava Ghosh, Founder, Kalamandir,

Dr. Abhinav Kumar Shandilya, HOD, Dept. of Hotel Management, BIT Birsa and Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Besra, IAS, Director - Tourism, Govt. of Jharkhand.

Sustainable tourism is our goal: Mr. Sudhir Tripathy, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Jharkhand The Govt of Jharkhand to set up exclusive stalls of tribal handicrafts and textiles at all tourist spots and hotels Tourism to uplift tribal communities through sustainable tourism The story of Jharkhand is that of unrealized potential but we now need to realize this in its 18th year of becoming a new state. In the past we had limitations of extremism but now we have overcome it and it is one of the biggest success stories being talked about said Sudhir Tripathy, Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand.

As part of promoting Jharkhand tourism, the government set up stalls for the promotion of crafts of tribal in all tourist spots and hotels informed the chief secretary on the second day of the Jharkhand Travel Mart here in Ranchi. Tourism Minister Mr Amar Kumar Bauri also added that “Jharkhand Silks and Dokra Arts would get a huge fillip through tourism".

Online Travel

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Discover Uttarakhand with 'Explore Outing App' IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Vipul Jain, CEO, Explore Outing App- Gabbit Trans Systems says the App provides you the flexibility to experience Uttarakhand as per your choice with the help of local travel fraternity. in the app which saves lot of time for tourists standing in queues.

Growth Explore Outing is a location based travel ecosystem with mobile app as interface and also provides a state specific tourism app for the government. We have regularly been adding more services and features based on the feedback and requirements from our customers.

For example, recently we have added "Online Char-Dham Yatra Registration"

The Explore Outing App was launched in 2017 in association with Ministry of Tourism Uttarakhand to promote tourism in the state to help tourists by providing live road conditions which are prone to mud & landslides due to demography of the state. The system was also used as Public Address System for alerts & warning. We have noticed various features in the app has got a good traction in lakhs widely used by tourists and entire travel industry. We are expanding using two-phase approach on one hand, we are collaborating with tourism service providers for adventure, trekking, city walks, helicopter ride, packaged tours and more. On the other hand, we are in discussion with state Governments & tourism boards for a similar tie-up.

In 2018, we would like to expand and cover states of Himachal and Rajasthan along with Uttarakhand that includes 90% of tourism sector in North India.

Accessibility of the App The app is accessible across India and you will get tourism information about the state as per your location.

You can simply choose any other state to browse information. The app is currently very useful in the state of Uttarakhand, for Char Dham Yatra, as it is collaborated with Travel Industry in the state, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), Uttarakhand Police etc.

Main Features Some of the features of the system is Information, Online bookings for

offline activities, connect with peer Travelers, safety and security during travel.

India is growing on an upward graph in terms of tourism so you think the Indian market is going to grow exponentially over the years explain?

The Indian tourism is growing and as it is one of the high growing Industries in India due to multiple reasons for it like Increase in disposable income for Indian household,better road infrastructure which is getting even better day-by-day making destinations more accessible.Better tourism infrastructure like Hotels, restaurants, activities, local art & craft shops etc Increased knowledge & awareness about tourism places due to social media, TV, broadband internet connectivity.

Mihuru offers travellers with credit platform IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Shruti Mehrotra, Founder, Mihuru says a travel planning and booking platform that lets travelers book a flight for 20-25% of the flight cost and spent the rest over time. them to better manage their cash flows by spending payments for their travels over months. The booking now pay later facility is currently available for any flights within India or international flights departing from anywhere in India.

Indian Market Mihuru PayLater a credit platform for booking flights on EMI launched in March 2017, and we have already booked a significant number of flights on EMI for consumers traveling to destinations like Paris, Singapore, Jordan and for domestic trips as well. It is widely accepted well by travelers as this enables

The Co-Founder Jonathan Nunez Gonzalez and Founder Shruti Mehrotra launched Mihuru with the vision to give people the freedom from financial worries that are often associated with or come in the way of fulfilling a person’s travel goals, thereby letting them to travel to their preferred destinations as often as they want while managing their cash flows.

You can get to register for instant access to credit, search for a flight

ticket and pay the deposit to book your ticket. The travellers can pay their balance in instalments before they fly. Travelers are assessed based on their digital footprint and a simple psycholinguistic assessment prior to being provided credit. We have a service fee between 6 to 10%.

During 2018 we plan to provide credit across other travel verticals such as accommodations and packages that will help us to cater to the larger part of the travellers and becoming a onestop destination for all their travel finance. We have already established a number of strategic alliances with travel booking partners to extend our credit facilities to their customers and will be having more partnerships during the year.

Travellers using the service Travelers using Mihuru PayLater are generally young Indians who are traveling for leisure primarily to international destinations. These are salaried individuals or manage their own small businesses and don’t want to block limits on their credit cards for EMIs or wanted to maintain enough cash in their bank account for visa purposes and thus wanted to buy flights on EMI. Trends Some of the trends we have noticed in the behaviour of travellers are the Indian millennials today account for 65% of total travel in India and are more inclined to spend on experiences such as travel as disposable incomes grow.

www.voyagersworld.in

FESTIVALS OF June 20-24 Bonfires of San Juan, Alicante, Spain

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he Bonfires of San Juan is happening from 20th to 24th June in Alicante with the bonfires of San Juan, the festival also includes music, colour and fireworks, thousands of people across the streets to enjoy the fiesta. People of Alicante generally traditionally flock to the countryside for a festive dinner feasting on typical products, and dancing around the bonfire.For several days, the bonfires and the enormous cardboard and wooden figures go up in flames on the night of San Juan.

June 7-10 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee

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onnaroo Music and Arts Festival is happening from 7-10 June in Manchester offers one more than an outdoor concert.

Bonnaroo is known for its kind of folk-rock acts with more than 130 performances, ranging from the legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers to hip-hop king Travis Scott. Followed by Comedy Theatre with superstars like Hannibal Buress, Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer, Zach Galifianakis, Marc Maron, Louis C.K., Adam Devine, Reggie Watts.

The event also includes other activities "Centroo" flea market and Comedy Central's Hannibal Buress.

May 26-27 Carnaval San Francisco, San Francisco

May 25-27 Brussels Jazz Weekend, Grote Markt, 1000 Brussels

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russels Jazz Weekend is starting from 25-27 May that highlights on concerts in many unique locations that will entertain the huge number of jazz fans in Brussels. You can get to experience music in open air, for instance at Grand Place or Saint Catherine’s Square. Apart from that, there are dozens of bars and clubs that offer fantastic jazz in all shapes and sizes be its swing or bebop, influenced by blues, rock or world music.

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he 40th Annual Carnaval San Francisco is starting from 26-27 May showcasing music, dance and artistry from all of the Latin America and the Caribbean culture. The festival is expected to have 400,000+ attendees besides that the Carnaval San Francisco outdoor cultural festival and Grand Parade will be the largest multicultural celebration on the West Coast. The San Francisco’s Mission District also includes exotic food from the many countries that celebrate Carnaval traditions in Latin America and the Caribbean.

THE WORLD May 1- June 30 Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival, Philadelphia

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he Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival will be held from May 1st to June 30th in Franklin Square that will include 28 lantern sculptures, featuring new lighting technology and displays, impressive feats of Chinese acrobatics, handicrafts by Chinese folk artists and a Beer Garden.

The festival is celebrated with entertainment, food and 29 magnificent steel-framed and silk-wrapped giant animals, springtime flowers and trees, and symbols of Chinese culture. The event will also feature artisans from China and the Philadelphia region.

June 16-18 Bun Luang and Phi Ta Khon Festival

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un Luang and Phi Ta Khon Festival will take place from 1618 June in Loei province in Thailand’s Northeastern Region.

The event includes colourful processions and masked villagers that attracts large number of visitors to visit this little village to celebrate the three day event. The Phi Ta Khon, or Ghost festival mostly enjoyed with a colourful parade of locals dancing by wearing huge masks. The event has its origins in a fertility festival and one of the most popular festivals of Isan alongside other events, such as, the Bun Bang Fai rocket festival.

June 29- July 1 Boston Harborfest, Boston, Massachusetts

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he Boston Harborfest is starting from June 29th to July 1st that pays tribute to the city’s colonial roots with walking tours and educational programs. As no Independence Day celebration would be complete without night-time festivities. The Watch Boston’s symphony orchestra perform a free concert on the banks of the Charles River, followed by a half-hour firework show. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the USA that celebrates this festival and played a very important role during the Revolutionary War

May 25-June 16 Vivid Sydney Festival, Australia

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he Vivid Sydney Festival will be celebrating the 10th edition from 25 May to 16 June which is considered to be the largest festival of light, music and ideas. The festival transforms the Harbour City with its large scale light installations and projections with music performances and collaborations . Besides that Vivid Music also includes Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House along with creative ideas, discussions all celebrating Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific.

www.voyagersworld.in

Happenings

Heavens Portfolio on behalf of Belmond Worldwide conducted a FAM trip

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he Heavens Portfolio on behalf of Belmond Worldwide organized a familiarization trip in partnership with Etihad Airways for top 6 travel

agents from India to promote the luxurious properties of Belmond in Italy.

The eight day trip included visit to Venice, Florence and Tuscany. The group stayed at Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Belmond Villa San Michele in Florence and most recently acquired by Belmond - Castello di Casole in Tuscany.The travel trade partners who participated in the FAM trip are KFT Holidays, Varun Worldwide, Bespoke Tailormade Experiences, Thomas Cook, Make My Trip and FCM/ Travel Tours.

Tourism New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand launch a new visa process for Indian visitors

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he Tourism New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand recently launched an extension of the Tourism Industry Partnership (TIP) Programme for faster processing of visitor visa applications for Indian leisure travellers. The event was attended by Pratik Shah - Kulin Kumar Holidays, Kundan Prabhu Thomas Cook, Karan Anand - Cox & Kings Ltd., Marcelle Foley - INZ, Steven Dixon – TNZ and Amod Thatte – SOTC. Steven Dixon, Regional Manager, South and South-East Asia, Tourism New Zealand says, “India is an important market for us. This agreement will ensure that New Zealand welcomes even more high calibre visitors.”

Voyager’s World > May 2018

34>>

Visit Indonesia Tourism Office India in association with Scoot Airlines organized a FAM trip to Bali

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isit Indonesia Tourism Office (India) in association with Scoot Airlines hosted ten top travel agents from Punjab for a FAM Trip to Bali .The trip highlighted on exploring Bali and its different aspects: Heritage, Gastronomy, Arts and Crafts, Natural Beauty and Culture, and Adventure.

The agents who participated were: Smart Life Services, World Travels Regd, Yorkers International, Shree Vikas Travel Services, Ghai Travels, Super International Travels, Bhatia Travels, Sharma Travels, Axis Travel Advisors Pvt Ltd, Akbar Travels Of India Pvt Ltd, VITO – India & Scoot Airlines.The group got to enjoy in-flight service of Scoot and the stay at The Anvaya Beach Resort Bali and Sol House Bali Kuta by Melia Hotels International.

Qatar Tourism authority opens office in Mumbai

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atar Tourism Authority opened it's representative office in Mumbai on 3rd May. It will be represented by global Representative Company Aviareps.

According to United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates, India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020.

And, the market for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 7.23% during the period 2016-2021 to be represented by Aviareps.

Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer at QTA states, “The rapid growth of India’s outbound tourism market in recent years, coupled with QTA’s intensified efforts to diversify and grow visitor source markets makes it the right time to establish our on-the-ground presence in India.” He added, “The steps taken to make accessing Qatar easier are particularly targeted at visitors who are seeking to experience our country’s luxury hospitality and unique cultural offerings, all while benefiting from the convenience of relatively short flights.”

Happenings

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Oman Tourism along with Cox & Kings co-host a MICE networking event in Mumbai and Delhi

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man Tourism along with Cox & Kings Ltd organized a MICE networking event in Delhi and Mumbai. The event witnessed the presence of 40-45 attendees representing the top management.

Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism, Oman said “The Ministry of Oman Tourism is enhancing the MICE sector to help the Sultanate achieve its potential to be a first class destination.”

Khalid Al Zadjali, Director Oman Convention Bureau said “In 2016, The Oman Convention Bureau (OCB) was established under The Ministry of Tourism to take care of the MICE business in Oman. This was successfully taken forward in 2017 with the development of Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC), to support international and local organizations in hosting large events.The potential of India as an outbound market has always attracted us to aggressively focus our promotional efforts in this market.”

UIA launches flights from Kiev to Delhi

U

kraine International launched the first non-stop scheduled flights from Kiev to Delhi.Currently, UIA operates three weekly flights between Kiev and Delhi with the fourth frequency to be added on June 7, 2018.

The flights from/to Delhi are scheduled so as to provide convenient connections with the UIA flights to/from the cities of Ukraine and Europe at Kiev Boryspil International Airport.

Evgeniya Satska, UIA Communications Director says, “To attract transit passenger traffic, we need to balance eastern and western route vectors".

IndiGo launches direct flights from Tiruchirappalli to Bengaluru and from Tiruchirappalli to Kochi

The Indian Hotels Company Limited announced a major expansion of Taj Bangalore

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ndiGo adds two more sectors connecting Tiruchirappalli with direct flights between Tiruchirappalli and Bengaluru and Tiruchirappalli and Kochi. IndiGo with its seventh ATR will operate four direct flights from Chennai to Tiruchirappalli effective from June 01. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer discussed the airline’s expansion plan during a Travel Agent Meet held in Tiruchirappalli the meet was attended by travel agents and corporates.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “ We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes for 6E travellers and to provide more flexibility of choice to our customers.”

he Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) recently announced a major expansion of Taj Bangalore, adding 220 guest rooms along with additional facilities. The hotel was launched in December 2015 with 154 rooms. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) said, “This expansion is in line with Aspiration 2022. I am delighted that Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) will invest in enhancing capacity. With a total of 374 keys and state-of-the-art conferencing and banqueting facilities, we are certain that the hotel will have a strong presence in the competitive Bangalore market.”

www.voyagersworld.in

Travel Marketing

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AMPLIFY YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING TO CREATE MORE PROFIT WINDOWS THIS 2018 JEELANI MN

It’s all about networking, marketing and increasing profits, Digitization is here to stay and banking on this medium is a great way to increase you profits and visibility.

I

t might not be a standby option anymore, when it comes to just digital marketing your brands, travel and tourism is a trillion dollar industry that has curious consumers waiting to indulge it as an investment. Gone are the days when travel was taken as leisure, today it is an investment to foray into serious exposure for many.

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The Insta-friendly generation is up in arms when it comes to being aware with all the necessities the industry has to offer. Keeping the millennial (18-35) in mind it is a very aggressive platform that creates a constant trigger to build awareness with digital campaigns. Websites these days give great connectivity and upgrade

the travellers approach to a different outlook, on what, why, and how of travel.

Indulgent Economy Experience economy was the trend in 2017, this year it’s all about indulge spending on a good experience without a care, focussing on value for money options, and budget luxury.

Digital platform tend to highlight and create the possibilities to be hooked on to something new, different and pocket friendly with options and reviews that satisfy the curiosity and investment of the traveller.

Personalisation Online bookings have paved the way

for better personalisation as over the years the platform has streamlined different aspects to travelling that is easily accessible and travellers are always imitating their requirement through good reviews over bookings, packages that have value added facilities and the constant updates that have an eclectic mix of choices make the traveller have a clear outlook on what they want.

Immersive Videos The 360* video trend is creating buzz in the travel forum, as most travel companies are shooting these 2 mins -5mins videos that cover specifics of the destination. It’s an online marketing trend that has caught on

big time and is here to stay, posts are a passé, videos create the desire to hop on a plane and get to the destination.

On Loop Social media is a tool that will always bring in more business. The #hashtag culture is here to stay and uts getting bigger and better, videos, tags, posts, the three key ingredients can catapult any brand and destination to its purpose of profiting by just getting enough likes. Blogging is passe its vlogging update by a simple concept video. The blogs that are actually being attended to our mainly short listicles, which give enough information to keep the reader engrossed for a couple of minutes.

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Voyager’s World > May 2018

Cheque/DD to be drawn in favour of Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. Payment must accompany order with Enclosed herewith is my Cheque/DD Cheque/Draft No. Drawn on No 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560071 Phone: 080- 4083 4100 editor@voyagersworld.in www.voyagersworld.in

Top Appointments

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Vivek Chandramohan

Ganeshan Maniyan

Chief Executive Officer Grover Zampa Vineyards

Director Food & Beverage Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal

G

aneshan Maniyan is appointed as the Director of Food & Beverage at Courtyard

by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal who will be responsible for managing all F&B venues. He has worked with various hotels like Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, JW Marriott Bengaluru, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield

by Marriott Bengaluru as Food and Beverage Manager.

V

ivek Chandramohan is promoted as the Chief Executive Officer of Grover Zampa Vineyards.

He brings with him an experience of 26 years in the Alco-Bev arena. He has worked with brands such as Bacardi, Bacardi Breezer, Glenfiddich, Grants and Grey Goose. Prior to this he worked in a leading as the Chief Operating Officer of Grover Zampa Vineyards.

Bandish Mehta

Suraj Kumar Jha

General Manager Novotel Hyd Convention Centre & Hyd International Convention Centre

General Manager Hotel Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram

H

otel Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram part of the InterContinental Hotels Group appoints Suraj Kumar Jha as the General Manager. Prior to this, he worked as the General Manager with Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport. He has also worked with Hotel Radisson Blu Greater Noida, Zuri Hotels & Resorts, Unitech Hospitality arm for the development of Marriott hotels, and Radisson, among others.

andish Mehta joins Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Hyderabad International Convention Centre as the General Manager. Prior to this, he has worked as Area General Manager at Mercure Lavasa, Lavasa International Convention Centre & Novotel Pune. He has worked in different roles with the AccorHotels Group across Asia Pacific. He has also worked with Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Novotel Hotels & Resorts

Ankita Dawar

Chef Neeraj Rawoot

Director of Communications Shangri-La's - Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Executive Chef Sofitel Mumbai BKC

S

hangri-La's - Eros Hotel, New Delhi appoints Ankita Dawar as the Director of Communications.

She has worked with hotel chains like Hilton and Radisson Hotel Group, as well as with the PR agency Weber Shandwick. She has an experience of handling regional and unit level marketing and communications in the hospitality industry. She has done MBA with specialization in Marketing from Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad.

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B

C

hef Neeraj Rawoot is appointed as the Executive Chef of Sofitel Mumbai BKC. He brings with him an experience of more than 2 decades in culinary experience. He has worked with some of the hotels like The Leela Ambience Hotel & Residences – Gurgaon, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton – Bangalore, Hilton Chennai, Grand Hyatt – Mumbai, President Park Bangkok.

Saurabh Dube

Sarabjeet Singh Bhalla

Director of Sales & Marketing The St. Regis, Mumbai

Director of Food and Beverage The Westin Mumbai Garden City

he St. Regis Mumbai appoints Saurabh Dube as the Director of Sales & Marketing.

He brings with him an experience of more than a decade in Business Development and Sales and Marketing within the luxury segment and hospitality industry. He has worked with some of the brands like The Oberoi Hotels, The Marriott International, Hyatt International and The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts.

S

arabjeet Singh Bhalla is appointed as the Director of Food and Beverage of The Westin Mumbai Garden City. He brings with him an experience of twelve years in Food and Beverage operations. Prior to this, he worked at JW Marriott Aerocity New Delhi. He has also worked with the JW Marriott Juhu, The Imperial hotel and Aman Resorts in the past.

www.voyagersworld.in

NETWORKING ISTHE THE NETWORKING IS KE KEY y May 2018

June 2018

July 2018

August 2018

September 2018

May 2018 24, 25, 26, 27 Shanghai World Travel Fair 2018 Shanghai, China 8, 9, 10 Indaba Expo South Africa 15, 16, 17 imex Germany

June 2018

July 2018

14, 15, 16, 17 KOFTA (Korea World Travel Fair) Seoul – Korea

12,13,14 Global Travel Marketplace Florida-USA

14, 15, 16, 17 ITE Hong Kong Hong Kong, China

13,14,15 International Conference on Marketing, Tourism & Hospitality Zurich - Switzerland

26, 27, 28, 29, 30 Bali & Beyond Travel Fair Indonesia

August 2018

27,28,29 India International Travel Mart Bangalore

September 2018

3, 4, 5 India International Travel Mart Chennai

21, 22, 23 India International Travel Mart Delhi

17,18,19 Holiday Expo Vadodara

28, 29, 30 India International Travel Mart Mumbai

31 July, 1 August MICE India Travel Congress Delhi

31 Aug-2 September Philippines Travel Mart Pasay Philippines

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