Voyager's World September 2013

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Vol X

Issue XI

Pages 52

September 2013

Rs 60

Hotels roll MICE dice

Brandathon:

Unplugging hotel brands

Editorial

Marketing & Circulation

Editor

General Manager

Firoz Fazil firoz@voyagersworld.in

Kaustuv Das Mobile +90-9916129116 Kaustuv@voyagersworld.in

Managing Editor

Operations Executive

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagers world.in

Associate Editor Priyamvadha Balaram priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Assistant Editor Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

Creative Designer Shyam Vishnot shyam@voyagersworld.in

Selvarajramaswamy operations@voyagersworld.in

Circulation Executive Shyam Vishaak Circulation@voyagersworld.in

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

Graphic Designer Nanda Kumar M Nandu@voyagersworld.in

Web Developer Rohith Pinto info@voyagersworld.in

06Industry Buzz 10Hotel Branding

A brief analysis on how branding has helped the Indian heritage hotels and the recent multi-national counterparts.

s ’ r o t i Ed ote N Tiding over the rupee crisis

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t is indeed agonizing to talk about the rupee fall again after we had mentioned about it in our previous issue. A sad commentary on the current Indian economy indeed. And things are going from bad to worse and all the platitudes churned out by our finance minister and others don’t seem to assuage the feelings of the industry stakeholders. The current mess is the result of a whole lot of factors – a swampy miasma of shortfall of external funds, stunted internal growth, etc are some of the reasons.

With regard to the travel industry in India, as we have discussed in the previous issue, the inbound sector has seen substantial growth. The outbound sector, with the exception of a few markets, remains affected thanks to the spiraling dollar value with each passing day.

Tour operators are pinning hope on markets like South Africa and Australia due to the stable currencies in these countries.

Operators have been reducing package prices in order to entice the Indian travellers who have been caught on the spell of the rupee fall. Both traditional as well as online players have come up with special discounted packages to these destinations, benefitting the Indian long-haul travellers. They say that Indian travellers prefer places where prices are controllable.

On the cover we have MICE and hotels. Today, no hotel is discounting the potential of MICE as a segment for driving growth.

No hotel can afford to ignore this segment as they go on marketing their MICE credentials to their target segment out there.

The cover story takes a look at the Indian hotels’ eagerness to cash in on the MICE segment.

Other interesting feature we have is on hotel branding. How far the branding of a hotel figure as a determining factor in customer retention and loyalty? Does branding hold sway over customers’ decision-making process? The feature intends to seek answers to these questions.

Happy reading…

Warm Regards

20Cover Story

How are hotels cashing in on the MICE market in India?

36Festivals of the World

editor@voyagersworld.in

Colouful festivals across the globe, from comic fervour in Brussels to the grand 10-day Dussehra in India...

40Hospitality

Exotic resorts, vacation ownerships, destination weddings and new trends in the hotel industry.

48Happenings

Voyager’s World > September 2013

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All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2012.

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

Industry Buzz

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Cabin crew discover bizarre items left on planes

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live parrot, a glass eye and a bag of sand are just a few of the bizarre items left behind on planes each year, according to a survey of 700 international cabin crew by global travel search site Skyscanner.

Cabin crew have reported an extensive list of items found on flights after passengers have disembarked. It includes a surprising number of forgotten pets, with crew members reporting to have found a falcon, frog, tortoise, as well as a parrot abandoned at the end of a flight.

Dentures, underwear, a glass eye and a prosthetic leg were also in the long list of weird and wonderful items revealed by cabin crew, and which pose the question; ‘how did the passenger manage to forget them?’ Other random

items found were: a single egg (without packaging), a bag of sand and a written marriage proposal.

Whether the latter was intended for a cabin crew member or a passenger is unclear. And let’s hope the lost wedding dress found its owner before the big day.

Trafalgar launches Australia-New Zealand brochure

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rafalgar launched their 2014 Australia and New Zealand brochure, featuring stopovers in tropical Fiji. With 8 fully guided holidays, 16 independent mini-stays and 24 day-trips, Trafalgar’s 2014 South Pacific brochure offers a number of travel options that include the brand’s exclusive Insider Highlights (restricted to guided holidays), like Authentic Accommodations, Local Specialties and Be My Guest dining experiences. Several itineraries feature Included Choice, a selection of sightseeing activities that guests can choose within a specific destination, such as playing a round of golf or taking a Thunder Jet ride in Queenstown.

Brand USA plans second travel trade

Nature Bazaar launched

mission in India

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rand USA plans its second sales mission to India from September 22-26.

41 delegates from 30 organizations from USA are scheduled to hold buyer-seller meetings in Mumbai (Sept. 23) and New Delhi (Sept. 25).

The main focus is to encourage Indian visitation to the U.S. and educate the Indian travel industry on the limitless potential of the USA as a travel destination.

elhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the Nature Bazaar at Kisan Haat, Andheria Modh recently. The Nature Bazaar is an initiative of the Delhi Government and Delhi Tourism in collaboration with Dastkar.

The permanent Nature Bazaar is a year-round cultural and retail hub, with a lively and diverse programme of crafts and natural and organic produce, creating a link between nature and crafts and promoting age old skills in innovative products.

The highlights of the inauguration included a Snow Lion folk dance from Sikkim by Singi Cham.

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Kerala Tourism launches new gesture-controlled website

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erala Tourism launched a new website (http://whenit-rains.com) with gesture-controlled features to help its users. The website, the first by a state tourism board in India, introduces the attractions of Kerala through a gesturebased interface.

Now people from around the globe browsing the internet for a peep into Kerala’s pristine destinations may not need a mouse, track pad or keyboard henceforth to navigate through the pages – mere gestures would be enough.

Delve deeper with tripadvisor Insights

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ripAdvisor launched TripAdvisor Insights, a new online marketing resource for travel industry professionals.

TripAdvisor Insights will act as a daily source for news, tips, latest trends, industry research and statistics and the like for business owners and other members of the travel sector.

IHG reports 3.7% growth in RevPAR

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HG has announced 3.7% growth in RevPAR (revenue per available room) in the first half of the year (six months to 30th June 2013), supporting a 7% increase in revenue for the period and a 20% increase in operating profit to $338 million.

IHG also announced a 10% rise in the interim dividend, and plans to return an extra $350 million to shareholders via a special dividend.

Industry Buzz

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Jordan Tourism introduces travel app

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ordan Tourism Board has come up with a travel app, Visit Jordan.

The App provides you with a short description of the many historic, religious, cultural, natural, adventure, and leisure sites in Jordan, accompanied by pictures, helpful tips and useful maps!

Singapore to drive cruise tourism from India

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n partnership with Asia Cruise Association (ACA), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will promote and provide certification courses for the travel trade fraternity

The iPhone App features general info about Jordan, experiences, itinerary suggestions, checklist of things to do in Jordan, weather status, photo gallery, videos, contact information, and language tips. Currently in English and French, more languages are in the pipeline to be released soon.

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

Contiki launches YouTube campaign

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ontiki Holidays launched a new campaign that follows four Canadian YouTubers as they explore the incredible sights, tastes and epic terrains of Latin America.

Starting August 19, a group of friends from Vancouver, named SundayFundayz, took off across Brazil, Argentina and Peru for the full Contiki experience.

The group produced five high-energy videos for the Latin Adventure highlighting their individual adventure experiences. The online community can vote for their favourite adventure and suggest a Latin-themed challenge for their chosen SundayFundayz member to perform in Vancouver. The winning challenge entry will snag two spots on a Contiki trip to Latin America on the 11-day Inca Panorama, with airfare courtesy of LATAM.

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

Courtyard by Marriott Pune launched in Chakan

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hakan has its first International business hotel with the launch of Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan, making it the 10th Courtyard by Marriott property in India, and the 4th Marriott property in Pune city. This business hotel has been designed to suit the needs of today’s business traveller and is poised to serve guests a unique and contemporary hospitality experience.

The 175 rooms include 12 residence suites.

The hotel covers a total area of 11725 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space. It offers large meeting rooms, catering to groups of various sizes and banqueting services. Features as HighSpeed Internet Access, is further leveraged by technology, with additions like In-Building Solutions (IBS) for enhanced mobile connectivity.

The Gateway Hotels & Resorts launched in Chennai

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

Located near Sholinganallur junction on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, erstwhile Old Mahabalipuram Road, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai offers guests the dual advantage of being right where the IT action is, as well as being within easy reach of the temple town of Mahabalipuram and the French-influenced Union Territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry).

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Hotel Branding

MIND YOUR BRAND PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

In a brand-dominated market, the best labelled product is the first to fall off the shelf. How do hotels use branding for customer traction and loyalty?

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W

hat is the first thing that attracts you when you step into somebody’s house? The colour on the walls? Interiors? Furniture? Spaciousness? Or do you look out for a big broad smile on the host’s face?

Do you go a step ahead and expect a ‘please come in’ phrase twice from the host? Or do you expect a big hug and a loud exclamation from the host upon setting sight at you at the gate?

Now liken the same to what you would want when you step into a hotel. Do your eyes quickly scan the lobby, the staff, the decors? Do you do a rapid 360o scrutiny, as far as your eyes can see, beyond the windows and the guests lounging around?

Whatever you see, feel and expect is a result of as well as a cause for hotels to constantly be on their toes and reinvent themselves and their brand positioning. What a brand identity, recall and repositioning is, you will come to understand as you read this further and it is hoped the crazy terms of advertising, branding, marketing and promotion will become more clear to you than their original, interchangeable perception.

Jessie Paul, CEO, Paul Writer, says: “Some guests prefer checking into a room at Ginger; the room is clean and there is nothing beyond that and the brand is very clear that that is the level of service they have. Likewise, the guest knows what he would get from large corporate chains like the Taj and the Oberoi. On the other hand, when it is a hotel like the Royal Orchid or the Regenta Delhi, one might not be sure of what to expect.

On the other hand, the Lemon Tree Hotel is a niche product and is very

clear about that. When you say Sarovar, it is the price that comes to one’s mind first, but price alone is not sufficient for a brand recall and to ensure repeat guests.” A Regenta and a Sarovar might offer similar prices, but one might prefer Ginger to these.

When one checks into a Hyatt hotel anywhere in the world, the guest knows what he will get. The consistency of experience is hard to pull off by all hotels.

Also, when a frequent traveller has his own consistent experience with a hotel, in addition to review sites like TripAdvisor, the guest prefers going by his experience, as he knows the staff would care for him or her.

Brand Reinforcement Everyone talks about reinvention and constant makeovers. But these terms do not merely imply physical renovations. It takes a keen eye and a foresight to know what it takes to make your guests come back to you.

Changing the equipment, adapting automation, corporate social responsibility, sensitivity towards guests, are some of the many factors that go into delivering the best pie. A trend witnessed of late is having separate wings for single lady travellers. Some hotels like the Lemon Tree have incorporated women-friendly amenities in their rooms.

During and after the 26/11 terror attacks in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, the imperial Taj undertook a brand reinforcement strategy and went all out in getting the guests out first. It ensures that lady travellers are put up in rooms near elevators.

Some years ago, the brand undertook the ‘She is the Taj’ to similize her with a living person with qualities of generosity and warmth.

Likewise, the Oberoi exudes a warm and comfortable feeling, the Leela Palace is luxurious, but may not necessarily invoke anything beyond that.

Talking about these experiences can prompt one to associate a hotel with a metaphor or rather personify it.

Aneesa Dhody Mehta, Creative Co “Without innovation, hospitality service providers face the threat of becoming obsolete which will ultimately drive them out of business or forcing them to hand the business over to more efficient and innovative brands.”

Voyager’s World > September 2013

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www.voyagersworld.in

Hotel Branding

PR, Customisation and other bywords of Services....

Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. “Public Relations (PR) is reasonably editorial and so a trusted form of advertising. And when it is a case of a niche market, there is greater degree of credibility in the writing. Also, a work done by an independent writer commands more faith than a self-written one. People post their personal experiences on travel sites like the Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor that can make or break a brand. We are coming to an era of peer to peer marketing, rather than top down.

An in-house PR would only tout the positive aspects of the brand. Until they become self-critical, they will be pushed to a corner of complacency.

Personalising services in the hospitality industry is very significant. From the time the guest lands at the hotel and checks in, soft skills are indispensable. The people greeting you, remembering you by your first name, etc. show whether they are clinical or really involved in their service.”

Vinod Valson, General Manager, Vivanta by Taj, M.G Road “Public Relations is the same as service. We have to constantly engage with our guests and ensure their comfort without any compromise.

Diversification of our brands into the Vivanta by Taj, the Gateway, Savoy, Ginger, the West End, are illustrative of the importance of innovation, in terms of the experiences and services, based on business travel, upscale, upper upscale and luxury. Guest feedback is of paramount importance to us. We have different ways to take their feedback and it is reviewed everyday. And having repeat guests is illustrative of the importance we attach to services and tailor-made services to our guests.”

Voyager’s World > September 2013

12>> Raghu B Viswanath, Vertebrand “The concept of PR change. People must look at visible branding and first decide what to do and then how to do. Hotels need to first understand what they are standing for and what is their value propositioning. PR is ok but it won’t determine what your brand stands for, so it has to be communicated.”

I am sure you would agree with me if I told you the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel reminded me of a sturdy, old grandfather, or the Oberoi of a no-nonsense businessman. For that matter, I associate the Park in Chennai with a cool and composed neighbour and the Le Meridien with a quiet frontbench student going about his work without much ado. The next time you step into your favourite hotel or into a new hotel, try personifying the brand and see the difference it makes to your perception of its services and your experience.

Impact of western brands on heritage hotels The heritage hotels are facing the heat of competition from international chains. They are not getting corporate business and are not tied with western hotels. So, if one wants to start a standalone firm, one has to consider many factors starting from the real estate owner to the end cor-

porate buyer.

“This is why it makes more sense for one to start something like the StarAlliance group, so that the guests get the same discounts and the chain agrees on a certain service level.

They could reward the corporate buyers with more points,” said Jessie.

She added that the leisure traveller relied more on review sites like TripAdvisor. “I would not want to stay in a Hilton in Cunoor or a Neemrana. International brands have new equipment, the AC, for instance, and therefore pose good competition to the local brands. Our own brands are not prepared for it. Coimbatore has got five new hotel brands, which, I don’t think, are necessary, as the old brands were doing just fine. However, hotels would do well to invest in a place like Trichy, that has been a burgeoning business district. The heritage hotels in Madurai like the old

Harish Bijoor, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. “As for brand image in the Indian hospitality industry, our national hotels are continuously rebranded, the Taj, Oberoi and the Trident, etc. Earlier, there was just one medium. Today, the consumer is faced with options through multimedia, both traditional and new. The online media is ubiquitous and quick. Hotels need a 360 degree approach to promoting themselves.”

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www.voyagersworld.in

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Hotel Branding

Double Tree by Hilton, Arpora, Goa

Taj Gateway, Hubli

The Leela, Goa

Marriott, Bangalore

Hyatt Place, Hampi

The Oberoi, Bangalore

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Vinod Valson, Vivanta by Taj, M.G. Road “In order to meet competition, hotels need to be visible, to be on top of the minds of consumers. There needs to be a dedicated city PR manager, not a hotel PR. The media won’t come to you. You need to have art shows, book launches, tie-ups with NGOs and brainstorm internally to keep pace with your peers.”

Madura Coats Bungalow (now the Taj Garden Retreat) give a more standard experience making it a safe bet.”

India works on corporate bookings.

The price has a downward spiral flow.

If the price points are the same, then there will be healthy competition.

GRT has built some brand awareness and recall.

Individual brands There is a very thin line between marketing the mother brand versus its offshoots or sub-brands. For example, if Starwood has promised a company a bulk of 1000 rooms for a year, a major chunk of that is likely to be Aloft rooms. This apart, just like flights, the higher-ups get upgrades to better rooms, like the suites. You can have conferences for free, complimentary car transfer. The difference in experiencing the sub-brands often corresponds to the organisational hierarchy. “In such cases, the CEO of that company might check into a Sheraton while a more subordinate employee of the same company might be put up at Aloft,” said Jessie.

When there is bulk buying, standalone brands will suffer. That way, serviced apartment chains are doing well. They offer a homely ambience.

IT majors like Wipro follow the service apartments culture. The cost may vary but they emphasize on the quality. If one were to house an employee from its international branch, the company would not mind spending more, just to ensure that the guest experiences the same quality of living akin to that of his own country.

Raghu B Viswanath, Managing Director, Vertebrand says: “Till the time hospitality industry was not fully evolved, individually branding made

more sense. One good hotel in Nasik becomes a brand by default in that locate. As more people started entering brands, service brand became more important than the demand for property. As a service, there are inherent values in a brand. The Hyatt has a certain class. So, when the Ista in Bangalore got renamed as Hyatt, it was more of a case of experience marketing and not about the features or the amenities. The experience is intangible. Seeing is believing, but in this case, feeling is believing.”

Aneesa Dhody Mehta, Managing Director and Founder, Creative Co, says: “Marketing an entire group will always have its advantage when you consider the fact that they have proven market/sector expertise or a brand name to back them into a new or existing market. Hence, brands under one single umbrella leverage their equity to enhance visibility and drive perception for the other sub brands. Individual brands, on the other hand have the liberty to dictate and maneuver their processes which in turn helps them adapt effectively in comparison to the stringent rules or protocol put together by a group company.”

Brands in Tier 2 cities “Tier 2 cities will eventually get it right. The staff is eager, but they are not well trained. You will know when you get out of a five star hotel.

Every time you go to the Taj, you will be welcomed with a smile. They are relying on someone who has been a repeat guest for 20 years. Whereas a Tier 2 hotel will rely more on manual intervention. The buffet is free; they would come three to four times to see your room numbers. But wellrun hotels remember you when you

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Hotel Branding come just once. They would recall if you preferred a non-smoking room.

The question is if the infrastructure in these hotels geared and if the IT system so much in place to remember these little things to make a difference in their services. The AC in Keys hotel is not good, I can smell someone smoking at the other end,” explained Jessie.

Competition For standalone hotels to compete with the new burst of international chains, they would have to buck up their online sales or become a group.

The bulk of business goes to the top eight cities in India. A hotel in a Tier 2 city needs a dedicated web guy, but not all can afford one. They could do advertisements together, but there is no means of advertising now.

In such a clamant scenario, you can see the hotels organising food fests, special festive brunches and replicating international food events. But these largely appeal only to the local crowd. If one were to check in to a ho-

tel in Ahmedabad, one would much rather prefer the local food there than experience a Bengali food festival that the hotel is hosting.

I am sure all hoteliers would agree here that the present situation is that of an oversupply.

Aneesa said: “The real challenge here lies in the fact that standalone brands lack physical representation internationally and thus making it difficult to create global brand awareness.

Also some standalone brands do not have the willingness, expertise and at times the resources for larger branding campaigns. Today’s owners prefer to partner with companies/brands that have a significant interest in India, both in terms of brand strategy and investment.”

Jessie revealed that the hotel industry works on a three-year plan phase.

“Three years back, they predicted a 9% growth due to India’s booming economy but today we have just 5% growth. There has been no new hotel in the USA in the last 10 years. So

Asia is the new pasture for investors and that is why we have the Shangrila, the Ramada, Orient Express and Royal Orchid and India, China and Thailand are promising places for these properties.” Of course, many of these brands run on a franchise model, so the quality might differ in the case of the original hotel. The Hilton is the same everywhere. The GRT Chennai has Tamil-speaking staff which can make the native guest happy and have him choose that over the Fisherman’s Cove.

Raghu says: “In India, the demand for quality is greater than supply always.

From 1998 to 2010, the income levels shot up considerably and international travel increased. People’s exposure to international standards grew.

The compensation structure, spending power and world standards were expected to be present in India. But there was not enough quality accommodation and never enough rooms.

It was the same Taj that people checked into. Then the Leela Palace came up but it charged as much as

INR24000 per night, which was akin to booking a flight ticket half an hour before takeoff.”

The gap of supply and demand was not right. “Hence, from 2005-05, along with the real estate boom, there was an influx of malls, hotels, commercial complexes and a lot of private equity money into this space. “The business hotel category boomed. The hospitality industry revolutionized even before the multinational brands entered the scene. But there were many management problems. Many fell as a result.

The multinational brands preferred acquisition route than the greenfield approach like the Hyatt,” he added.

Thinking out of the box is a clichéd statement. The only way any brand stays afloat is based on the age-old approach of ‘Value for Money’ and ‘Service with a Smile’.

The rest of them all, the social media, online presence, technology, automation, amenities, new menus, interiors and the exteriors are all the ‘constant’ variables in branding.

Association

india needs at least a hundred convention visitors bureau PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

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he third edition of the India Association Congress (IAC) was held on the 22 and 23 August, 2013 at the ITC Grand Chola in Chennai. The event saw the participation of delegates from several industries, imparting their views and ideas on making the nation a more conferencefriendly destination, whilst emphasizing the importance of government support and collective efforts from all the related stakeholders.

Significance of Convention Visitor Bureaus (CVBs), government support, promoting the city and bidding were some of the key issues discussed at the event.

Noted speakers included M Rafeeque Ahmed, President, FICCI, Tamil Nadu Chamber, Prof. Dr. J. A. Jayalal, Hon.

state secretary IMA TNSB & Member TN Medical Council, Vikas Gadre, Director General Bombay Chamber of commerce and Industry, Dr. Kaushik Desai, Director, DIA India, K R Gangadharanan, President, International Federation of Ageing & Director of Heritage Hospital and Chairman of Heritage Foundation in Hyderabad, Jayesh Ranjan (IAS), Vice Chairman & Managing Director Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, PVG Menon, President, India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA).

The topics for the panel discussion comprised the role of personality in effective leadership, new ways to get sponsorship, quality membership, balancing local flexibility with global efficiency, continuing

Voyager’s World > September 2013

education and staffing an association.

The round table discussion commenced with the delegates concurring on the need for the government to come to the organisers and that would materialize only when they see value in conferences and conventions.

Anitha Niranjan Executive Director, CIM Global, said: “When it comes to strategy, the HCVB is a good example as Hyderabad is a large city and with huge events, inviting big business. Thanks to the CVB, when a conference is announced in Hyderabad, the whole city is geared up with the requisite infrastructure.

The Andhra Pradesh government has set a good model but we can’t expect the same from others as well.”

While they agreed that the period between October and December was eventful for the cities, they added that the months of July and August were an ideal time for association-based conferences to take place and for a format of this kind, India requires at least 100 CVBs to plough in business. Another area that was stressed upon was academics and research, a field that is immune to recession.

The Thailand Convention Bureau is a model to reckon with, when it comes to the importance of a CVB. Delegates from TCB said that the key lay in getting the government and the people to understand the conferences industry, while revealing that even the TCB was not getting enough funding from their government.

All the cities in the country must be equally promoted as viable convention centres.

For Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs), this would help get more business for their sustenance.

While bidding, the element of unity among all the stakeholders is equally imperative, while coming together to bid for an event; for, when there are two bids from the same country for an event, the country is subject to outright disqualification. The delegates also deliberated upon the need to have a single window for all the permits, in order to spare the organisers a lot of paperwork time and resources. In the Indian context, the visa procedures have to be simplified and the security tightened for international delegates.

Yatch Tourism

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Yacht tourism sets sail in India Sudesh Kishore, President, SeaDream Yacht Club, India / Corporate Chef, SeaDream Yacht Club, talks about the readiness of the elite Indian traveller to experience yachting voyages.

VW BUREAU

Sudesh Kishore

President, SeaDream Yacht Club, India / Corporate Chef, SeaDream Yacht Club

Our focus markets will be Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad in the first year, given the feedback we have received from the trade and clients. For us, people from everywhere in India are potential SeaDreamers as long as they believe in experiencing the best in the world. SeaDream is about sentiment and personalised experience and not just vacation.

Launching yachts in India The Indian travel community has evolved in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Outbound travel has seen an exponential rise with more and more Indians seeking experiential holidays and unique itineraries.

SeaDream Yachts is exactly the experience the affluent Indian traveller is looking for. Chic and stylish, the 56stateroom twin yachts are favoured for their elegant informality, state-of- the-art facilities, personal service provided by a crew of 95, inclusive of open bar, gratuities, ocean view rooms, spa and world class cuisine.

Whether you are a golf enthusiast, a race car lover, a nature’s person or a food and wine connoisseur, SeaDream has voyages that suit everyone’s desire. As far potential is concerned, our decision to come to Asia was prompted by demand from its Indian travel fraternity and loyal Club members.

Customer segments SeaDream Yacht Club is introducing its luxury yachting voyages to the Indian elite.

SeaDream Yachts are customised for people who have achieved excellence in life and thrive only for the best.

Feeder markets Our focus markets will be

Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad in the first year, given the feedback we have received from the trade and clients. For us, people from everywhere in India are potential SeaDreamers as long as they believe in experiencing the best. We are about sentiment and personalised experience and not just vacation.

Status of Indian industry Indians have turned global and want to experience the best in life. They are aware of luxury travel options.

SeaDream combines exotic locations, unparalled comfort and world’s best cuisine and service for the ultimate yachting experience. ­The affluent Indian traveller is in search of sophisticated and unique holiday experiences and is not afraid to dig deeper into his pocket, provided he sees a value for what he

Voyager’s World > September 2013

is paying for.

Marketing activities We will focus on educating the Indian travel trade through trade shows. We will work closely with the trade to support our growth.

For the first time, we participated at the SATTE Trade event in New Delhi and Mumbai early this year.

Through this, we reached out to the luxury travel trade members, who saw the potential in selling SeaDream to the elite Indian clientele.

In the first year, our marketing efforts will be focused on media support through targeted media experiential FAMs, key announcements through strategic media relations and co-branding opportunities with right partners. For instance, SeaDream has globally got into

a co-branding alliance with American Express to enhance business growth from targeted elite clientele.

In Rhythm, a destinations marketing firm, will help build our brand and educate the Indian travel trade and target segments about our offerings through a strategic marketing approach.

Liaison with the trade We will focus on educating the Indian travel trade through participation in trade shows, induction seminars / presentations. We will work closely with the trade to support SeaDream’s business growth, in the Indian market.

Expansion plans in India We are currently focusing on the top metros in India as we believe that is where the majority of the outbound travel business in generated.

Impact of the rupee slide The fluctuation in the rupee will affect business but marginally. The target audience we attract is not price-sensitive and will continue with their plans to travel. Others might look at postponing their trips, if not cancel.

Challenges Our biggest challenge right is to create awareness and educate the target audience and how different we are from other sea travel/ holiday options that are available to the Indian consumer.

The expression ‘Yacht Club’ is not just sentiment about size; it is a statement about lifestyle aboard the small, ultra-deluxe mega-yachts. The same has to be conveyed to the consumer in order to assist them to make an informed decision in choosing SeaDream as their ultimate luxury travel experience.

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Cruise

SAIL AROUND THE WORLD ABOARD INSIGNIA O

ceania Cruises announced its first ever Around the World in 180 Days cruise, a star-studded, port-intensive 180-day voyage aboard the 684-guest Insignia, setting sail roundtrip from Miami on January 10, 2015.

This extraordinary once-ina-lifetime voyage visits five continents, 44 countries and 89 ports of call and will feature 11 overnight calls plus 4 two-night calls in Cape Town, South Africa; Yangon, Myanmar (Burma); Singapore, Singapore; and Shanghai, China.

Insignia’s 180-day journey begins by visiting boutique ports in the Caribbean then steers south to South America and east to Africa before heading to India, Asia,

Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Hawaii before returning via the Panama Canal to Miami on July 8, 2015.

“As the leading specialist in destination cruising, we wanted to create a unique port- intensive voyage that reflects the dreams of the true explorer, rather than speed across the seas racing to the next convenient port as is the norm in a typical 100- to 110-day world cruise,” said Kunal S. Kamlani, the line’s president. “By eliminating the 100-day time constraint, we freed ourselves to conceive a remarkable dream voyage designed to visit the world’s most fascinating destinations.”

In addition to crossing the equator four times and

sailing through all 24 time zones, the Around the World in 180 Days cruise will traverse three oceans and 10 seas, call on 45 islands and offer the chance to visit 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Of the 89 ports visited on this extraordinary cruise, 13 are new to Oceania

Cruises, including Corinto, Nicaragua; El Guamache (Isla Margarita), Venezuela; Langkawi, Malaysia; Santa Marta, Colombia; and Xiamen, China.

Guests will also enjoy a one-night pre-cruise luxury hotel stay in Miami and free exclusive shore side events in Walvis Bay, Namibia; Myanmar; Bangkok; Beijing and

Honolulu.

“We expect that many of our Around the World guests will be seasoned and experienced cruisers who have the desire to circumnavigate the globe and visit all these beloved ports of call aboard the luxury of Oceania Cruises,” said Ian Banerjee, Director(Representative Oceania Cruises, India).

AN AFFORDABLE LUXURY Discover the allure of the Old World and splendor of the new. With more time in port, immerse yourself in the vibrant history, culture and cuisine of more than 330 global destinations with 223 exciting itineraries to explore. Your Oceania Cruises home away from home awaits you with a refined yet relaxed ambiance that ensures your absolute comfort. Our staff warmly welcomes you as you savour the culinary creations of Master Chef Jacques Pepin or simply relax with a massage in our Canyon Ranch SpaClub®

Visit us at the IITM Gurgaon from the 13th - 15th Sept AFRICA

ALASKA

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SOUTH PACIFIC

Contact Oceania Cruises India: at +91-22-65656050 / 51 | or mail us at sales@oceaniacruisesindia.com

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the meeting & business travel publication

you are mice welcome

Kempinski Ambience, Delhi IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Raj Rana

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Radisson Blu Dwarka, Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar and Radisson Blu Ghaziabad offer the best meeting spaces in NCR. Food and beverage also offers an important role in MICE business for memorable experiences.

T

he MICE industry offers great potential for Indian hotels, with the country becoming one of the world’s emerging MICE destinations.

Most of the hoteliers are focusing on this segment as an opportunity to acquire more business, with many of them showcasing their MICE facilities such as conference halls and convention cen-

tres. Notwithstanding the fall in the Indian rupee, MICE tourism on the domestic, as well as the international front, is growing tremendously.

Growth in MICE Renu Basu, Global Vice President – sales, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palace said: “MICE has been one of the fastest

Voyager’s World > September 2013

growing segments of business for the Taj Group. The steady expansion of hotels by the Taj has helped us to capitalize on this growing segment of business. The MICE sector is growing over the last 5 to 6 years as a significant part of the overall business and we expect this to continue in the coming years as well.”

Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi

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Gopal Rao

South West Asia, InterContinental Hotels Group

A successful MICE event is all about right planning and execution. Crowne Plaza is a preferred brand through its largest inventory of rooms, flexible meeting spaces and outdoor venues.

Kadambari Sabharwal Talwar, Market Director of Sales and Marketing, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, is of the opinion that MICE will continue to be an important segment for their hotel through 2013. “We have seen a robust growth in revenues from this segment till now. The queries for the remaining year are currently being plugged in and Q4 seems to be in much demand. This segment is driven by demand from the domestic market and we

J W Marriott Hotel, Pune

have not seen many international conventions taking place this year.”

Raj Rana, CEO, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, stated that MICE had become a significant contributor to their hotels. The hotels in NCR such as Radisson Blu Dwarka, Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar and Radisson Blu Ghaziabad have benefitted from an increase in MICE business with the best meeting spaces in NCR. In many cities, particularly Tier II and

III, Radisson hotels are the preferred choice for corporate and conference organisers for MICE, business or social events.

Jatin Khanna, General Manager of the JW Marriott Hotel, Pune, says that the MICE pace for the year is 12.5% ahead of last year. “JW Marriott Pune is the largest conference and convention hotel of 414 rooms and 40,000 sq ft of conference space. This hotel has put Pune on the convention map

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of India with over 100,000 conference room nights in just about three years. This property has opened a new convention destination in India as Pune has never been a traditional conference or MICE destination in the past.

The city has hosted well-renowned MICE events in the past two to three years. This has also boosted tourism and economy in this city.”

Stating that India is a key hub for most regional and international corporations, Shaijo Rajan, Director of Events, Sofitel Mumbai BKC, said” “Sofitel Mumbai BKC launched its operations in February 2012 and since then, we have seen tremendous growth in the MICE segment. We are equipped with a grand ballroom to host events, exhibitions and conferences. In addition to the ballroom, the hotel has a range of other facilities for MICE clients, including nine boardrooms, mobile communications systems and flexible accommodation for small-to-medium scale functions. The hotel has a fully equipped business centre and wireless Internet is available throughout the property. The ballroom and the boardrooms are fitted with cutting- edge audio-visual equipment.”

“MICE is growing for us both in volume and revenue share,” says Aditya Shamsher Malla - Director of Sales and Marketing, Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi Pooja Rajmohan, Director of Events, Park Hyatt Hyderabad observes: “2013 has been an interesting year, despite the challenges and the economic problems globally , we have been successful in getting a fair share of small to mid-sized niche MICE opportunities.”

Vella Ramasawmy, General Manager, Kempinski Ambience Delhi finds that the response for MICE has been very encouraging. “We have seen good success in the past and we currently have a promising business line up.”

Gopal Rao, Regional Director

Sales & Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group, South West Asia says that Crowne Plaza has been very strong in the MICE segment in 2012-2013 with a substantial growth in revenue from the segment. “We have also been awarded WTA award for India’s Leading Conference Hotel and India’s Leading Business Hotel for 2012.”

“MICE business primarily falls under the categories of FMCG, event organizers, Healthcare, Energy and IT services. In the future, we will be strong for MICE with group movements and high profile events such as World Economic Forum, SPG conference and other corporate meetings and social functions taking place across the country,” he added.

Budget plans For travellers, India offers a rich cornucopia of choice.

Sofitel Mumbai BKC is keen to capitalise on the opportunities opening up in the burgeoning MICE sector. The intent is to grow the segment and it has dedicated plans and budgets to ensure that it innovates in the segment, differentiating itself from competition and constantly meeting the demands and expectations of its guests.

It plans to shortly construct a new banquet space in the hotel premises at BKC. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will continue to work at increasing its share of the MICE segment and invest in strategic brand and PR campaigns and activities to raise awareness ofits brands, hotels and meeting facilities.

Additionally hotels also engage in tactical promotions to drive more MICE business to their hotels.

Radisson Blu Hotel, New Delhi

Vella Ramaswamy

Kempinski Ambience Delhi

The domestic MICE market contributes to 80% of our overall MICE business. The Indian MICE market is growing by over 15% every year.

Kempinski is a perfect platform for a large format conference owing to our ever accommodating meetings spaces and room inventory.

Pooja explains that MICE play an important role in our current and next year’s forecast. In the current scenario, India is an interesting and affordable destination for the International Conferences.

Aditya said: “The hotel is investing in developing MICE business, organizing road shows and destination spe-

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Crowne Plaza, Bangalore

23>> cific initiatives are part of this plan.”

Observing India’s enormous potential for MICE with a projected GDP growth of over 8% in the next five years, Jatin says: “We will continue to strive to increase our revenues from this segment. Due to the availability of large banqueting space inclusive of 13,000 sq ft of pillar less ballroom, eight break away rooms, 10,000 sq ft of pool deck area coupled with 414 rooms, this hotel has been designed as a MICE hotel.

Hence, MICE plays an extremely important role for our hotel in generating revenues.”

the meeting & business travel publication

big wins in MICE segment.

“We have been having MICE movement from key markets like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. The major segments contributing growth in MICE are Pharmacy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, IT, Telecom, FMCG, Fashion, Weddings, Event companies, PCO’s and

lastly travel agents or directly by the users,” he added.

Luring more MICE The Taj hotels brand is synonymous with meetings and events in the hospitality industry for the last century. “We are also known for creating new destinations, some recent examples be-

ing Bekal with Vivanta by Taj • Bekal, Kerala, Hyderabad with Taj Falaknuma palace; Coorg with Vivanta by Taj • Madikeri; Srinagar with Vivanta by Taj – Dal view,” Renu said.

The Sofitel Mumbai BKC hosts a variety of business functions, get-togethers, cor-

porate events and seminars.

It provides a business-like environment in an intimate and stylized setting that is changing the dynamics of the MICE industry in the city. The three pillars of the brand-design, gastronomy and culture, is something the hotel has used to market to its target groups.

As for the Kempinski Ambience Delhi, the domestic MICE market contributes to 80% of its overall MICE business. With the Indian MICE market growing by over 15% annually and expected to grow further, the hotel will target Tier 2 cities as well, along with the existing MICE source cities to increase business.

Have a query?

“The intent is to grow the segment and many of our new hotels in the Vivanta by Taj and Gateway hotels brands are in new destinations that will help create additional demand,” Renu added.

Crowne Plaza is looking to strengthen their relationship in domestic MICE segments by organizing roadshows in Category A cities in India.

Also tying up and partnering with prominent MICE trade shows help Crowne Plaza in getting a platform to achieve

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Gopal observes that MICE have become a key segment of overall hotel revenues today. We have seen a strong growth in the domestic MICE market and looking at the trends we see an increase in this segment, contributing to around 20-24% of the total revenues for the hotel.

Hotels such as Crowne Plaza Kochi will target as much as 40-45% revenue share to come from MICE as the city is an established MICE destination both for domestic and international companies.

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Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

Jatin Khanna

J W Marriott Hotel, Pune

JW Marriott Pune offers a unique advantage of being able to offer one the maximum group rooms to banquet ratio with almost 200300 rooms under one roof.

WIth the largest convention centers in Western India and establishes Pune as the new MICE destination.

Shangri-La’s-Eros, New Delhi Voyager’s World > September 2013

The Carlson Rezidor Hotelgroup deems it most critical to be able to deliver a great experience for the MICE clientele. A lot of time has been spent on the design of the hotel to ensure good and flexible meetings spaces that would suit all kinds of occasions and purposes. The meeting spaces have experiential touches such as natural lighting, well insulated meeting space partitions and top-end audio-visual equipment. The group also leverages on the food and beverage section as its strength to attract MICE business, by way of its catering menus, restaurant and bars. In addition, it has a strong team of meetings expert in its hotels, to facilitate smooth planning and organization of events.

The meeting packages are attractively priced and can be customised to needs of the customers.

Aditya explains that the main lever for MICE is the unique destination / experience. Infrastructure is also a critical requirement in luring MICE business. We intend to ensure that we continue to focus on our MICE partners, our PCO’s and use marketing strategies to create more awareness of our brand, product and the destination.

The JW Marriott Pune offers

a unique advantage of being able to offer one the maximum group rooms to banquet ratio with almost 200300 rooms under one roof.

It also the plus of two other sister properties conveniently located close to the hotel.

This offers MICE organisers the availability of 500 rooms under the same brand, convenient access to Mumbai and a very strong domestic connectivity.

Pooja said: “As a product we have a lot to offer to our customers be it our location, rooms quality, personalized service, event space, or the Food and Bevrage. For us it is all about changing the experience for our customer, ability to understand the complexity of our customer which lies in simple things. We have had companies organizing multiple events with us in the 18 months that we have been operational for and that speaks volumes.”

This year, the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has improvised its offerings with competitive prices.

With most of the queries coming either through large corporate houses or associations, it relies heavily on the Marriott network and sales force to drive the bookings, apart from effective advertising and PR.

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Kadambari Sabharwal Talwar Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

MICE is an important segment for Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and witnessed a robust growth in MICE through effective advertising and PR as an important tool to drive this segment.

Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi

The Kempinski Ambience Delhi, too, works on the value for money concept, along with its advantageous flexible meeting space and corresponding room inventory.

New offerings Renu states that the Taj has been opening 3 to 4 new properties every year for the last decade. The most recent offerings which have generated huge interest in the mice space are the Vivanta properties in Yeshwantpur Bangalore, Begumpet-Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and our resorts in Bekal-Kerala & Coorg. The newly renovated and upgraded facilities at the Taj palace hotel, New Delhi, Taj coromandel, Chennai and Vivant

by Taj fishermans cove, Chennai have also set new benchmarks in meetings infrastructure in these destinations.

We also have some exciting plans for our properties in Hyderabad, Kovalam, Delhi, and new openings in Kolkata, Chennai & New Delhi.

The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group operates five brands in India with hotels, serving midscale to upper upscale

brands namely Country Inns and Suites by Carlson, Park Inn by Radisson & Park Plaza which serves the midscale range. Radisson is an upscale brand while Radisson Blu is upper upscale. It is the number one international operator in India in terms of the number of properties and has a strong pipeline of 44 hotels to safeguard its leadership position.

Over the last few years, the group has strategically opened new built hotels in high demand locations such as Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. All the hotels are well equipped to handle both large and medium size groups, with very good offerings to suit MICE planners and organizers. Radisson Blu MBD Noida and the Radisson Blu Greater Noida, for instance, are great choices, as they are close to India Expo Centre and Mart which, in 2013 alone, witnessed 25 international/domestic exhibitions and also benefit from the annual Grand Prix.

The JW Marriott Hotel, Pune has one of the largest pillar-

Taj Coromandel, Chennai www.voyagersworld.in

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the meeting & business travel publication

Aditya Shamsher Malla

Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel,New Delhi.

The main lever for MICE is the unique destination and experience.

Infrastructure is also a requirement for MICE business.

InterContinental Hotel, Mumbai

less ballroom with maximum meeting space of 13,304 sq ft and maximum capacity of 2,000 with maximum of eight breakout meeting rooms and 12 meeting rooms along with exhibition space on-site, with the largest convention centres in Western India.

Besides the property in the Bandra Kurla Complex area in Mumbai, Sofitel has two more under construction.

It is also looking at possible opportunities in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Goa in the coming years.

These developments are underway, given the increasing MICE market amongst its target user group.

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces Voyager’s World > September 2013

The experience of a Park

Hyatt is very novel for the market. The manor concept, which is a residential-style meeting space, gives you the feel of conducting the meeting in the comfort of your own home. The Manor kitchen and the solar area are already popular with our local corporate accounts. We also are very proud of our 42 fully serviced luxury apartments in a configuration of 1 , 2 or 3 bedrooms. The concept of chef’s market list which provides an opportunity for our in house guests to order quality food products,” added Pooja.

Kadambari says: “Customised offerings, whether in the seating or food and beverage, seem to be gaining importance within the Indian market. Hence to capitalize on this, we have introduced

the R.E.N meetings and that provides a unique and different experience to our customers.”

Vella says: “Since the domestic MICE market is asking for large and new spaces every time we are equipped to handle 6000 pax in our ballroom and 17 meetings break-away. Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi is a fully stocked conference venue with the latest technology in AV. Our Grand Sapphire ballroom is latest in technology with multiple drop-down projection screens with high lumens projectors, remote controlled lighting and top of all the ceiling lighting of the ballroom is based on VIBGYOR concept and can change into multiple colours

Crowne Plaza, Bangalore

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the meeting & business travel publication

depending on the customers requirement. Innovation in service, technology and the right price is what we offer to the Indian market.”

Trends According to the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), a total of 400,000 conferences and exhibitions are held worldwide every year at a total outlay of US$ 280 billion. India’s share is pegged at only US$ 4.8 bn and currently,

India ranks 27thin the global MICE market. “We believe this gives India great room for growth and this is commensurate to what we have seen since 2012 at Sofitel Mumbai BKC.The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) states that the annual MICE industry output value has already reached US$ 1.16 trillion (including US$ 400 billion for conferences and US$ 760 billion for exhibitions). For India, the domestic MICE market

is quite strong and inbound MICE market is gradually picking up with the active support from the Ministry of Tourism.”

“The Meetings & Incentives market is the most important segment of the travel industry. Nevertheless India’s MICE industry is still in its growth phase and one can witness the emergence of new destinations within the country. With positive growth trends in the Indian

economy and the increasing competition in the manufacturing and services sectors, India presents a potentially lucrative market. Exhibitors and event organisers look for more than just space, look for value and experience,” says Shaijo.

preference to larger meetings capable of paying more.

“Meetings and events are getting more tech-savvy than ever before, Apps downloaded on smart phones and iPads and venues are offering creative options for teambuilding activities.”

Raj explained that with the improvement in infrastructure and connectivity, hotels and convention centres in India continue to attract MICEbusiness which is a significant revenue generator.

“The largest contributors are domestic MICE travellers, both in the corporate and social markets and it is no surprise that the focus has shifted from metros to Tier II & III cities.

“The shorter booking windows, smaller sized groups on an increase, more of reward and recognition events being held, increased spend in the domestic association business are some of the trends of 2013,” Kadambari added.

These cities are witnessing a constant increase in the GDP driven by new business mushrooming in industrial zones and SEZs. Automobile, pharmaceutical, real estate, banking and insurance etc have all posed as major drivers for domestic MICE market. A recent noticeable trend is that hotels are experiencing shorter booking lead times for medium residential conferences,” added Raj.

Crowne Plaza, Ahamedabad

Jatin thinks that the growing demand for meetings has resulted in hotels giving

Vella said: “More and more spaces are the latest trend in MICE. Most companies with growing businesses are looking forward to invest in meetings on a larger scale 800 pax plus,since the infrastructure to conduct meetings of this scale has also mushroomed up across India.”

Renu says: “Some trends we have observed are the growing recognition by corporations on the positive role of conferences, off sites and incentives and the fact that these are all business enablers. Be it employee incentive programs and motivational events in the form

Kempinski Ambience, New Delhi www.voyagersworld.in

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the meeting & business travel publication

of annual sales conferences and departmental off sites, reward & recognition programs for associates and channel partners, customer engagement programs to showcase new products and recognize valued partners.

Even strategy sessions and planning meets are being organized in innovative formats & destinations to get the best out of all stake holders.”

J W Marriott, Pune

Shaijo Rajan

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

India is an important hub for MICE to the hotels in terms of food, beverage and meetings.Sofitel Mumbai BKC provides a business environment to host events exhibitions and conferences.

Crowne Plaza, New Delhi Voyager’s World > September 2013

“Therefore while there will be rationalization of spends per event, the absolute volume of such events is growing year on year. Another trend is how companies have welcomed the product, price and service differentiation offered by multi brand chains like the Taj with clear demarcation on what events and meetings will be held in Taj hotels, Vivanta hotels and gateway hotels. The Taj group is therefore well placed to address these clearly segmented clusters of clients with its bouquet of brands,” she added.

According to ICCA, India has been ranked 27th in the global meetings market with a growth of 15-26% annually. Domestic MICE has stabilized and the numbers have become very strong

within the country. There has been a correction in the pricing, as the expectation of the clients are for better rates for which many of the hotels have started offering packaged prices for easy budgeting.

“With the dollar getting stronger, India is gaining a stronghold in its positioning as a preferred MICE destination both for Indian and International companies.

We have also observed that that the booking window has been reduced for residential conferences as compared to the past,” says Gopal.

Gopal explains that as a trend now, many innovations are nowadays being introduced through customized packages such as theme based hi-teas, gala dinners, energy packed power breaks, relaxing foot or shoulder massage during breaks etc.

Another feature which adds on to the ambience is reclining chairs used in banquet halls for guests to have relaxing sessions along with free wi-fi connectivity. In addition special rate offerings for inhouse spa treatments are offered to the delegates and also offer contracted rates for MICE operators so as to

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Radisson Blu Hotel, Amritsar

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel become preferred partners.

Taj Hotel, Yeshwantpur

Feeder markets Raj said that the main feeder markets were Mumbai, NCR, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, where business is sourced from various industries such as pharmaceutical, automobile, FMCG, banking, insurance and telecom industry.

“We source our MICE business directly from agencies and corporate through our 10 regional sales offices geographically panned across major feeder markets as well as tertiary cities. We also leverage relationships with our distribution partners such as PCO’s, travel agents and wedding planners to grow our market share.”

As for JW Marriott Pune, Delhi and Mumbai continue to be the feeder markets. Medical associations have been a key segment for them.

Crowne Plaza, Ahmedabad

Mumbai being the financial capital of the country, Shaijo says, the city witnesses a huge influx of foreign visitors travelling for business, business travellers from other parts of the country and within the city as well.“We have seen an increase in the internal MICE market within

India and feeder markets like the Middle East, South East Asia and some European markets. Some of the countries and organisationsare looking out for exotic locations for their incentives, as well as seek to research, experience and gather information about an emerging.”

Sharing a similar opinion as Shaijo, Kadambari said that the main feeder market for Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotelcontinues to be Mumbai. Its next biggest sale comes from the Marriott distribution channels which draw in the association and international segments.

Pooja says In addition to the USA and UK being the international feeder markets, travel to India from the Asian markets is something that we cannot overlook, However the domestic travel in India is rapidly growing whether for business or for leisure.”

“International markets contribute to a significant share of our room business. Our effort and endeavor is to develop the domestic market further. Our revenue strategies and our OTA partner-

ships are targeted towards this objective,” added Aditya Renu explains that the Taj group has a fair mix of business and social events, being driven by our well established sales team and also direct touch points at each of our properties. And the sources of business are well spread out in the main metros and tier 2 and 3 cities as well. Plus the growing footprint internationally is helping to drive in business from the major commercial centres in us, Europe and Australasia.

Fall in rupee How does the rupee fall affect the MICE industry?

Many say it has not affected the sector.

Raj states that over the years the partially convertible Indian rupee has steadily declined against major international currencies although the recent depreciation has been sharper. “We have not seen any perceptible affect on MICE business, as yet, due to the exchange rate fluctuation primarily because international MICE have a longer booking window. The falling of the rupee has helped make India a

www.voyagersworld.in

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Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Renu Basu

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

The Taj group offers an inventory of 13000 rooms and over 900,000 sq.ft of meeting and banquet space and is an integral part of the MICE market in South Asia

more cost-efficient destination for many planners.”

Jatin feels the depreciating rupee should bring back focus to domestic travel with India re-emerging as a viable option.

“The Sofitel Mumbai BKC has not experienced discernible changes in the MICE segment during the rupee depreciation.The domestic market is robust and with India re-emerging as a viable tourist destination, it is slowly catching up with top

MICE destinations in Asia like Dubai, Malaysia and Hong Kong. In fact the depreciating rupee makes India attractive to international organisations looking at India for its MICE needs,” added Shaijo.

Kadambari said that the depreciation of rupee had not had any effect on their business; on the contrary, their business is only getting stronger, being the largest convention centre in city.

Pooja observes that the cur-

Voyager’s World > September 2013

rent valuation of Indian Rupees makes India a more competitive destination for global markets to organize conference/conventions.

Vella said that with majority of their business being domestic, the falling rupee had not affected them much. He feels optimistic about the dip boosting international MICE business into the country.

Growth rate Gopal said: “Crowne Plaza is aggressive on MICE for 2014

and has sighted a growth rate of 15-18%. Some of our properties such as Crowne Plaza Kochi are the latest entrant in to the market to get the basics right by understanding guest requirements and becoming Trusted Advisers.”

Kadambari said that MICE room nights had been growing at an average of 2 to 3% year on year and expects the growth in 2014 to continue at the same pace.

The Carlson Rezidor Group had achieved significant growth in the past two years.

“We added over 20 hotels giving PCO’s and corporationsmore hotels and choice locations to choose from. In the short term we are seeing a downward pressure on rates more than occupancy in cities where excess supply has been recently added,” said Raj, while remaining bullish about the group’s growth in India in the long run.”

“As we have been open and operational for 18 months,we are expecting a healthy growth in the MICE sector for the next year,” says Pooja.

“We have grown 10-12% year on year, nearly early 35%-45% of hotel business is MICE and we will strive to maintain the numbers next year,” added Jatin.

“Growth has been subdued and the increase in inventory will put pressure on our demand and there by the prices.

Hence, we see a flat revenue projection in the immediate future,” says Aditya.

Shaijo considers the segment to be in a growth phase in the Indian context. “This market is directly dependent on the availability of tourism infrastructure. With India making fast developments in infrastructure, hotels and airports we are favourably poised to be one of the leading MICE destinations in the region. We are extremely bullish about this segment and the prospects of Sofitel Mumbai BKC in this market. With a rising elite business class, growing disposable income, affinity for luxury brands, India is emblematic of the growth most international luxury brands are seeing here,” he concluded.

Destination

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Recounting Stuttgart

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

A

four-day sojourn in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg state in Germany, was just about fine to provide me glimpses of what the city has to offer- a place suffused with abundant greenery, old baroque palaces, museums and shopping streets among other things.

It was the onset of spring when I visited the place in early May. After nine odd hours of flying time from Bangalore to Frankfurt, I took a train to Stuttgart from the Frankfurt railway station, located in the premises of the airport.

The train journey from Frankfurt to Stuttgart takes about an hour, halting at Mannheim in between. It was my first window to some of Europe’s famed landscapes; lush and abounding in flowers and punctuated by charming houses with sloping facades.

Upon alighting at the Stuttgart railway station to a drizzly welcome, the sight outside the terminus, built using ‘ashlar’ masonry, as well as modern buildings, revealed contrasting moods of the city altering between vintage and urban. Known as the birthplace of automobile majors as Daimler, Benz and Porsche, it was no wonder to see rows of these cars whizzing on the city’s roads, many of which also have trams plying on them.

Stuttgart prides itself on a multifaceted tourism personality with attractions ranging from palaces, automobiles, festivals, wine, vineyards, shopping and museums. In the evening, I began walking around the city with the Schiller square. Originally built for Duke Friedrich of Württemberg, today the square hosts a flower market thrice a week.

The Old Castle here, an erstwhile residence of counts of Württemberg,

is now the site of the Württemberg State Museum, housing exhibits that once belonged to the dukes and kings of Württemberg. The courtyard of the palace is arcaded, distinguished by a knights’ staircase, allowing riders to reach the upper levels on horseback.

The annual Stuttgart Wine Village and Christmas Market formally open in this enclosure.

neither understood English nor were they Indians and seemed alarmed at our sudden overture.

Gradually, the dip in the temperature was palpable as we buried our hands deeper into our pockets. Precariously balancing the camera, map and

phone in the biting cold, we decided to call it a day and made our way back to the hotel. The next few days saw me scouring the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums, Ludwigsburg Palace and the thriving vineyards of Stuttgart, which, dear reader, will follow in the next series of our ‘Destination’.

Not far from here is the Schlossplatz or the Palace Square, behind which stands the 18th century New Palace, now a location for state ministries and reception rooms. The Palace Square is a must-visit place, as it is within close walking distance of some of the best places in the city. Or you could simply sit beside the fountain or on the benches and enjoy the surroundings first-hand with the locals.

Königstrasse or the King’s Street is Stuttgart’s shopping district near the Square. It is Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping borough, nearly 1.2 km long, filled with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and fashion brands. From here, we could view Landtag, the State Parliament building, located in the Upper Palace Gardens, so also the surrounding terraced landscapes that lit up as dusk approached leisurely.

As the shops in the neighbourhood began closing at around eight, the city began coming alive with both youngsters and the older lot, sitting in clusters all over the vicinity, on staircases, outside the shops and the roadside cafes. Curiously enough, a fellow journalist and I went about, maps in hand, trying our luck to experience the nightlife. We stopped two young girls, who we thought looked like Indians, to ask them about the clubs nearby. Embarrassingly funny, it turned out they

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India Outbound

32>>

Zagreb witnesses 31% increase in Indian arrivals Amelia Tomasevic, Director of Zagreb Tourist Board, talks about promoting the budding Croatian capital in India.

VW BUREAU

Amelia Tomasevic

Director, Zagreb Tourist Board

India’s rank in your global source markets India has a very significant growth potential. In the first half of 2013, Zagreb had 1,202 visitors from India with 2,126 overnights, which represents a 31% increase in arrivals.

Impact of the depreciating rupee Arrivals were not affected obviously, but there is a decrease in overnight stays in Zagreb from Indian visitors, mostly due to the rupee fall.

In 2011 Zagreb marked 1,054 arrivals; in 2012 there were 1,758 arrivals. It is very unpredictable nowadays to do forecasts of any kind, but still we shall remain optimistic and we won’t foresee a reversal of any kind; but stagnation in the worst case.

Relationship with the trade The Zagreb Tourist Board is mainly focused on promoting it as a tourist destination through publishing activity, participating in trade fairs, advertising in the home and foreign press and organising various cultural events such as the International Folklore Festival, Zagreb Summer Evenings, Floraart – Garden Exhibition, Animated Film Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, Promenade Concerts, Advent in the Heart of Zagreb, etc.

Efforts to boost inflow For the last three years, we have been promoting Zagreb to India through travel trade shows and workshops, and focus on the film industry.

New destinations The Croatian National Tourist Board is responsible to promote new destinations. Zagreb, thanks to its appeal and good traffic connection, is the ideal holiday destination, with interesting cultural, recreational and other attractions with gastronomy and shopping at any time of the year.

Engaging social media Zagreb Tourist Board is very active on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr,

Pinterest, Google+, etc.), and we were the first in Croatia to create a city tour with QR codes. We are extremely active in the promotion of the Google search engine and content network. Along with Time Out, we have developed an application travel guide for Apple smart devices, and we started our own geo-location service for Apple and Android smart devices.

Challenges in India Croatia is relatively unknown to potential Indian tourists.

Also, there are serious competitors, so it is a bit harder for us to reach potential tour operators promoting outbound from India.

Indian overnight stays in Zurich likely to touch 123,838 by 2014 Esther Grob, Area Manager Russia, India, Asia, Zurich Tourism, talks about the share of the Indian market in the feeder traffic to the Swiss destination.

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Esther Grob

Area Manager Russia, India, Asia, Zurich Tourism

India vs. other markets India has an overnight share within all our markets in the Zürich region of 3.09% (2012). The overnight figures in the sub-region Zurich from India have grown since 2010

when it was 76,834; followed by 2011 showing a growth of 47.2% with 113,134 arrivals; 2.2% rise in 2012 with 115,629 arrivals. In 2013, we had 43,668 overnights from India in the Zurich region for the period January to May; this is a slight 0.4% growth compared to 2012.

The forecast for this year was 117,941 at +2%.

For 2014, it is expected that the overnights would touch

Voyager’s World > September 2013

123,838, with 5% growth.

Luring more Indian visitors We will participate in IBTM Mumbai in September 2013, besides MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress 2013, in July 2013. We organized a corporate and leisure trade roadshow in July 2013 with Qatar Airways in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta. We will organise a travel trade

sales calls tour to Mumbai and Delhi in October.

Boosting inflow from India We have a range of accommodation in the Zurich region: Three-star hotels – 2323 hotels in Zurich city and 4140 in the total Zurich Lake region Four-star hotels – 4538 hotels in the city and 5804 in the total region Deluxe hotels – 2092 hotels in the city as well as the total region Others – 1268 hotels in the city and 2967 hotels in the whole region.

New destinations promoted in Indian market We are mainly promoting the Zürich region for MICE and Leisure segments. We are including new regions like Appenzell for an attached leisure/side excursion, accessible from Zürich as pre and post convention tours.

There are many excursions as Rapperswil, Uetilberg Mountains, Lake Cruise, Appenzell region. New venues are Umwelt arena Spreitenbach with a capacity of 1500 pax and Aura for up to 600 pax. Worth mentioning is the Swiss Casino Zurich.

India Outbound

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Dubai enjoys busiest first half-year ever, attract 5.5 million visitors VW BUREAU

O

ver 5.5 million tourists visited Dubai in the first half of 2013, recording an 11.1% year-on-year increase, paving way for Dubai Tourism’s Vision for 2020.The H1 visitor number results, released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), show increases across all key indicators, including hotel establishment guests, hotel and hotel apartment revenues, room occupancy and average length of stay.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of DTCM, commented: “Our strategy is to position Dubai as a foremost destination

for both leisure and business travellers by continuously evolving our broad and diverse tourism offering, and attracting visitors from a range of source markets, including targeting a new generation of first-time travellers from emerging markets. The increase in visitors from each of our key source markets is particularly encouraging, with a number of these markets showing particularly strong growth, including the GCC countries, China, India, Australia and many countries in Europe.”

Visitors- source markets Guest numbers across all hotel establishments (hotels

and hotel apartments) in the first half this year reached 5,583,379, an 11.1% rise on the 5,027,223 in the first half of 2012. Dubai’s top 10 tourism source markets remained the same as those for the first half of 2012, with some slight changes in positioning. Saudi Arabia, India, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Kuwait, Oman, China and Iran made up the top 10 for January to June 2013.

Saudi Arabia had the most growth, growing by 31.6% to 710,472. Australia (ranked 13th) recorded a growth rate of 24.3% reflecting the increased flight volume resulting from the partnership

between Emirates Airline and Qantas. The Netherlands entered the top 20 source markets for the first time, at number 20, with a 17% increase in visitors.

China (ranked 9th) and India (ranked 2nd), continued to show strong increases, with visitors from both markets up by 15.8%.

DTCM India Director Carl Vaz said: “India continues to be a top source market for inbound visitors into Dubai with the total number of Indian guests reaching 463,175 for the first six months of 2013, a growth of 15.8% increase over the corresponding period Janu-

ary – June 2012. Going forward for the year, one of our key focus areas is to tap the Indian wedding, family and luxury segments. Currently underway is the ‘Summer is Dubai’ campaign. Several joint marketing initiatives with leading travel and tour operators across the country have been activated in order promote the campaign which comprises offers and discounts for families. As part of our B2B contact engagement, we have in place an online travel agents training program which enhances the trade’s product knowledge which in turn helps give travellers a more qualitative experience.”

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India Outbound

34>>

San Francisco sees good growth in Indian arrivals Helen Tsui - Director, International Tourism, Asia/ Pacific, San Francisco Travel Association, talks about the Indian market and the newest attractions on offer VW BUREAU

Helen Tsui

Director, International Tourism, Asia/ Pacific, San Francisco Travel Association

San Francisco Travel was the first US destination marketing organization to set up a representative office in India in 2009. As a result, we have an ongoing engagement programme with the travel trade and media. Indian travellers today are knowledgeable; more seek niche holidays. More love to travel at leisure with their families, considering the fact that there is ample of family activity to spend quality time together.

Tourist arrivals from India India is a very important market for San Francisco, and the importance has grown over the years since we set up our representative office in India in 2009. San Francisco welcomed 16.51 million visitors in 2012, so each day we had 131,128 visitors and their spending was $ 8.93billion, an increase of 5.5 percent.

Arrivals from India continue to grow. In 2011 California welcomed 194,000 India visitors. India is among one of the fastest growing emerging markets for San Francisco Outlook/budget plans for the Indian market San Francisco Travel was the first US destination marketing organization to set up a representative office in India in 2009. As a result, we have an ongoing engagement programme with the travel trade and media.

We have participated in the India Missions including the Brand USA India mission last year. India is an important emerging market for us. We will continue to work closely

with the travel agents / tour operators to develop San Francisco itineraries and provide consumer and trade media with information on the destination. We also support FAM trips for media and trade.

Luring Indian tourists San Francisco Travel will be participating in the Brand USA India mission in September 2013. Besides, as an ongoing process, we engage with India’s travel companies and share new and exciting product opportunities. San Francisco with its all year round appeal offers ample opportunities for leisure and adventure seekers. Our city is blessed with a beautiful Bay that lends itself to a variety of activities and visitors find ample scope in whale watching, sailing on the bay or taking a helicopter ride over the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge at sunset to enjoy a thrilling bird’s eye view over our beautiful city.

The icons, the views, the food, the arts and the neighbourhoods make visitors want to return to San Francisco again and again. Moreover, our city offers cultural

Voyager’s World > September 2013

attractions and year-round events. San Francisco’s official website has very useful listings of activities http:// www.sanfrancisco.travel/ todo/

60,000 devices at one time

Drawing special segments San Francisco is geographically so well placed. It offers a city life combined with natural beauty. International hotel chains, Michelin restaurants, nightclubs, major retail brands, iconic attractions, and diverse cultures make San Francisco a mustvisit MICE destination. We also have unusual venues for meetings- museums, Yachts, Alcatraz and San Francisco International Airport, one of the busiest airports and the gateway to North America has a museum with lovely meeting space.

New attractions promoted among Indians One of the must-sees for 2013 is the new Illumination, the Bay Lights, on the Bay Bridge, a very special and rare LED lights art, installed in March this year.

The Exploratorium, the hands-on internationally acclaimed museum for sciences, art and human perception opened on Piers 15 & 17 on the historic, waterfront at Embarcadero in April. It features 150 new experiences and a new glass and steel Bay Observatory.

Our fascinating museums like de Young, Asian Art Museum and Walt Disney Family Museum celebrate arts and offer amazing opportunities.

San Francisco has recently completed a $56 million renovation of Moscone Centre, the hub for conventions and conference that hosts over 1 million visitors each year.

And what isn’t visible may be the biggest hit of all with future convention attendees: a $4.5 million wireless system that can provide high speed service to as many as

San Francisco is the home for culture and in January this year, the $ 60 million SF Jazz Centre opened. This is the first centre anywhere in the country designed for jazz built from ground up. Our arts and crafts, museums and parks, beaches and hills all provide a delightful as well as an unforgettable joyous experience.

Shift in the holiday patterns of Indians San Francisco welcomes visitors all-year round, while most travellers visit in summer, we find a growing number during winter as we are blessed with moderate climate. Indian travellers today are knowledgeable; more seek niche holidays.

More love to travel at leisure with their families, considering there is ample of family activity to spend quality time together. San Francisco is also a very walk-able city and easy to move at one’s pace.

Couples come here for their honeymoon or to celebrate their anniversary as they have choices that include walking on the beach, romantic dinners and concerts. Many travellers like to indulge in wine and food activity – and San Francisco offers plentiful choices. Adventure sports are equally popular on the Bay, be it whale watching or cruises during sunset. Christmas is gaining popularity as we find many more travellers celebrating holiday here to experience what is truly ‘San Francisco.’

Festival Watch

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Festivals o The Hallyu Dream Festival Korea

05-06 October, 2013

T

he Hallyu Dream Festival is a celebration of everything Hallyu, or the Korean cultural wave.

This year the festival will be held at the Gyeongju Gymnasium, Gyeongju Stadiumin Gyeongju. The programmes include the K-pop Dance Cover Contest, K-pop Cosplay Contest, EXO Dance Showdown, Anniversary Special and special performances. The cover dance festival invites participants from all over the globe to be a part of this event.

Great British Cheese Festival Cardiff, Wales

21-22 September, 2013

T

he Great British Cheese Festival takes place at the Cardiff Castle in Wales. The festival offers the finest collection of Great British cheeses, wherein visitors can try, taste and buy from over 450 different cheeses of various shapes, sizes and flavours. There are also opportunities for sampling and tasting, master classes and demonstrations, in order to help the visitor get a real insight into the subtle art of cheese making.

Neath Food Festival Wales

4 -5 October 2013

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his festival, taking place at the Neath Port Talbot in Wales, will be a celebration of the local produce and Neath’s historic market town atmosphere. There will be cookery demonstrations, children’s activities, produce shows, live music and community projects.

Themes of cooking, nutrition, health and community involvement will be evident everywhere. Local Neath restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars will host food and drink themed events during the festival.

Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival Korea

G

06-15 September, 2013

eumsan in Chungcheongnam-do Province is the birthplace of the Korean ginseng, long revered as a medicinal food. Held every autumn to provide unity among the locals, this year the festival will take place at the Geumsan Ginseng Museum and the Ginseng & Herb Street.

The area is surrounded by numerous ginseng and medicinal herb markets. Other events include folk performances, ginseng-related performances, a tteokme (mallet for pounding rice cakes) performance, ginseng cooking contest, quiz, ginseng tea painting and herb-slicing.

Voyager’s World > June September 2013 2013

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Festival Watch

f the world Durga Puja West Bengal

09-13 October, 2013

B

eautifully decorated images of the goddess Durga are worshipped in specially erected Pandals. Community prayers (pujas) are organised in every locality, around which shops and eateries spring up. Cultural events and shows are held every evening of the nine-day celebrations. Families visit each other to share feasts. On the final day, the idols are taken in elaborate processions to be immersed in the river or the sea.

Comic Fest Brussels

5-8 September 2013

T

his year, the 4th edition of the Comic Fest will take place at Place des Palais and include a 3D projection mapping on the Place Royale, Balloon’s Day Parade, Tintin magazine, guided visits and exhibitions. The Balloon’s Day parade will have giant balloons of Belgian comic strip characters. This year, there will also be a rally of 40 cars and motorcycles shown in the comic strips of Tintin magazine, passing through mythical comic strip places in Brussels.

Dussehra India

04-13th October, 2013

T

his Hindu festival is celebrated all over India to mark the triumph of good over evil. The Ramlila, an enactment of the life of Lord Ram, is held in the nine days preceding Dussehra.

On the 10th day, large effigies of Ravan, his son and brother Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, are set alight. In Himachal Pradesh, a week-long fair in the hill town of Kullu, is a part of the Dussehra celebrations. In Mysore, South India, the Mysore palace is illuminated for a whole month during Dusshera and caparisoned elephants lead a colourful procession through the gaily-decorated streets of the city.

Halloween Harvest New York

19 October, 2013

O

utdoor arts space Socrates Sculpture Park hosts its seasonal artistic celebration. Preparations for Halloween begin by crafting a costume alongside the park’s artists, alongside music and shops for seasonal foods from the likes of the Queens Kickshaw and Breadbox Café. This year, face painting for kids and a canine costume contest for four-legged guests are also on the agenda. One can also enjoy a special art-making workshop with Free Style Arts Association or try harvest foods from local restaurants.

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Top View

38>>

The food, the chef and the holy guests Phil Broad

VP of Food & Beverage, Asia, Middle East and Africa for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

We also need to look at the competition in that market to make sure that the experience will differentiate us and give our guests, both local and international, another reason to visit on a more regular basis.

T

he planning of a signature restaurant starts before any foundations are laid and certainly far before any ingredient is added. Like cooking itself, the secret to a great restaurant is all in the preparation, and ensuring that everything fits together, like pieces of a puzzle.

One example where all the pieces of the puzzle came together particularly spectacularly is La Maison 1888 at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam.

The key elements? Location: it is set between the lush forest of Monkey Mountain on the Son Tra Peninsula and a secluded stretch of beach, which previously was only accessible by boat. Design is certainly another: the resort and its signature restaurant were designed by famed architect Bill Bensley. These factors add flavour to the restaurant itself, which marries its stunning design and backdrop with impeccable service and delicious French cuisine. We are very proud to have had three-Michelinstarred Chef Michel Roux onboard from the outset as he was a key creative driving force behind his first restaurant in Asia.

Starting out, Michel had very clear ideas for the restaurant.

“I wanted this restaurant to be a historical journey, and I sought to take guests on a trip through history whilst also looking to the future. In essence, I wanted it to be a live museum,” he said.

So how did we get to opening

a stunning, world-class restaurant plating up delicious dishes, from a secluded beach and just a few ideas?

give our guests, both local and international, another reason to visit on a more regular basis.

It begins, and ends, with the Guest.

Throughout a process like this, the guest is always our top priority. As a team, we need to make sure we cater to their needs. It can be easy to get carried away creating a fantastic signature restaurant, but that doesn’t mean it will fit the hotel brand or the needs of our guests. While La Maison 1888 is definitely adventurous, our aim was not to take guests out of their comfort zones, but we certainly wanted to push the boundaries. For that, we need to understand who our guests are.

Piecing the Puzzle Together Once we have decided on the concept and know that it is aligned with the guest, we start to fit all the pieces together, by using our internal concept development team and external resources.

There are a few different elements we need to take into consideration for this; firstly, the hotel brand that the restaurant will open in and the location of that hotel. We operate across 40 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa and – while we take into account the local community that we work within – knowing where our guests are coming from is also imperative. The resort attracts mainly international guests so while opening a restaurant serving gastronomic French cuisine in coastal Vietnam might seem unusual, it’s actually a fantastic fit for both the brand and the guests the hotel attracts.

We also need to look at the competition in that market to make sure that the experience will differentiate us and

Voyager’s World > September 2013

In reality, the actual constructing of a restaurant to an agreed specification is the easier part of the process.

What takes the most work is designing the menu, creating recipes, sourcing ingredients and testing menu items.

Throughout the process, we never lose sight of the fact that our aim is to create a signature menu that satisfies our guests’ palate, and is appropriately priced within the market.

When it’s a concept developed in partnership with a celebrity chef, as it was with La Maison 1888, we do everything from agreeing the design, including the kitchen and production areas, to cutlery specification and uniforms. Everything you see and touch in the restaurant was studied in detail to ensure that it all fits together.

The process itself can take anywhere from three months to three years. La Maison 1888, for example, opened in late 2012, after four years of planning, building, experimenting and training.

We worked hard to ensure that there was a good bal-

ance among all the different creative visions: Michel Roux’s, the hotel owner’s and Bill Bensley’s (the resort’s architect), while adhering to our standards..

Drawing on Celebrity Chef Expertise InterContinental has a strong F&B reputation in the market, which is why many chefs want to associate with us, particularly with our global scale. Michel admits that one of the reasons he came onboard was the power of our brand. He says: “InterContinental is one of the best brands in the world. I have great respect for its clientele and what it has been able to accomplish, especially in the F&B realm.”

But he is not the only internationally-acclaimed chef that we work with at IHG. We are always on the lookout for up-and-coming talent, as well as working with more established names. For instance, Theo Randall’s fame has grown rapidly since he first joined InterContinental London Park Lane seven years ago. The partnership has been a great success and he continues to be a real brand champion for us.

Ultimately, when choosing who we partner with it is about creating a relationship between us and the potential chef.

We’re only as good as our last meal.

However, no matter how famed the chef is; how stunning the setting; or how much work we put in at the prepa-

ration stage; to our guests it all comes down to the food on their plates and how it is served.

The best way we can ensure this? Our colleagues, our colleagues, our colleagues. It’s the people that work in our restaurants and the ongoing training that really make a difference to the experience.

Choosing teams to man your kitchens and to greet and host guests is the final, and one of the trickiest pieces of the puzzle to place. For example, the type of leader picked for a young restaurant with a new team will be very different to one who has to manage a more established group of hands.

Michel continues to be hands-on when it comes to the performance of La Maison 1888’s colleagues: “Initially, when I’m training my staff, it’s like an army camp.

They must be fully immersed in my kitchen, know their drills and understand their roles. When we start operations, it becomes a ballet. It’s all about practice and my people knowing their role has become art. We must dance around each other. Our performance is on our plates.”

In every InterContinental restaurant, every team member has a part to play, ensuring the guest feels the experience is tailored to them and that they feel special: whether breakfast, lunch or dinner.

If we have achieved that, the success of a signature restaurant will be assured and the puzzle is complete.

Travel Technology

39>>

Air Asia’s entry will trigger the Indian LCC segment VW BUREAU corporates, etc). The only difference will be that they will likely remain outside of the GDS from a booking perspective.

Christopher Juneau Concur

Evaluate the LCC in the Indian market I think as the LCCs mature

they will more resemble GDS based carriers (product offerings, services, approach to

Non-GDS hotels in India Today in Concur Travel we

are able to provide non-GDS hotel content for more than 3,000 non-GDS hotels.

We have this capacity for India as well as the other countries by leveraging our open platform and also our hotel API.

C

hristopher Juneau, Senior Director Marketing - Australia, Asia-Pacific, Concur, talks about the changing dynamics of LCC segment in India and the offerings of Concur in the Indian market.

Expansion plans in India We are continuing to invest in sales resources in the key major metros of Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Chennai and Hydrabaad. This is already upon our base in Mumbai.

We sell our complete suite of Travel & Expense Management cloud-based services in India including travel request (pre-authoirsation), online travel booking, and expense claim processing. Specific to India we now are the only corporate online travel booking tool (Concur Travel) to include Indian low cost carrier (LCC) content including Indigo, Spicejet and Go Air. LCC segment in India Corporate travellers are continuing to flock to flying LCCs due to their schedule, routes and prices. In turn corporate travel programs are now negotiating preferred rates with these carriers also. I cannot comment on specific growth rates but we see this trend continuing with the entrance of Air Asia into India in the near future.

Trends in GDS Specific to the GDS, they will continue to remain an integral part of the travel ecosystem. They will continue to make their services attractive to all within the ecosystem.

MUMBAI-KOLKATA-CHENNAI HYDERABAD-DELHI JANUARY 2014

MUMBAI-AHMEDABAD-DELHI FEBRUARY 2014

# 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560 071, India Ph: +91 - 80 - 4083 4100, Fax: + 91 - 80 - 4083 4101, info@otrindia.com, www.otrindia.com Ahmedabad - Delhi - Hyderabad - Mumbai - Pune

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Hospitality

40>>

Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund

VW BUREAU

P

ositioned on the banks of Huangpu River in Shanghai’s iconic Bund district, Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund is poised to become the bustling city’s premier urban resort. With striking vistas of the historic promenades of the Bund and the towering skyscrapers of the Lujiazui financial district, this urban resort features luxurious accommodation, thoughtful services, stunning features and warm Asian hospitality synonymous with the Banyan Tree brand.

Its boutique layout and location ensures exclusivity and privacy. Located minutes away from Shanghai Railway Station, Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong International Airport, its central locale, contemporary charm and polished services makes it the preferred choice for discerning travellers and city enthusiasts alike.

Accommodation Banyan Tree Shanghai On

The Bund is the first hotel in the city to provide river views from each of the resort’s 130 rooms starting from 60 sq m. Expansive accommodation boasts generous interiors and oversized windows with views that open out onto the broad Bund thoroughfare and Huangpu River beyond. A variety of room types are available, including the signature Oasis Room with Romantic Pool which features a private dipping pool. In addition, the Banyan Suite will include a generously-sized swimming pool, a unique offering among Shanghai hotels.

An Expediency Box is placed outside each guestroom for pick-up and delivery of polished shoes, laundry and dry-cleaning. Six different pillow choices ensure maximum comfort and a rooms are refreshed with a different therapeutic scent each day.

Wrap yourself in sensory delights and retreat in the stylish refuge of our 130 exquisitely

Voyager’s World > September 2013

designed rooms and wellappointed suites with scenic views of the Bund, the Riverfront and Pudong skyline.

Set in a river front location, adjacent to a park and spread across twelve storeys, Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund feature elements reflecting its natural surroundings, complementing lavish interiors of wood, neutral fabrics and stylish furnishings and creating a classic cosmopolitan ambience that makes a statement.

The bedroom is set against a backdrop of walls adorned with subtle textures. The modern aesthetic continues in the bathroom, and revitalisation beckons in the form of our signature bath amenities, a state-of-the-art bathroom with a round deep-soaking bath tub, marble top double sink and a glass front that looks through the bedroom.

In addition, there is a tropical rain-mist shower, reminis-

cent of the Banyan Tree Spa. A low broad chaise lounge that frames picture perfect views of the Bund, features centrally in the bedroom.

Dining Highlights The hotel’s five food and beverage outlets - Oceans, Ming Yuan, Banyan Lounge and TOPS - offer a wide range of dining experiences.

From Western seafood restaurant Oceans to Chinese restaurant Ming Yuan, featuring Cantonese-style cuisine and picturesque garden views, along with a high-end Japanese sashimi and sushi counter, Tai Hei, guests have a plethora of dining venues to choose from.

Banyan Tree’s signature Destination Dining experience is offered here at Riviera, a dockside dining option only metres away from Huangpu River perfect for a romantic dinner for two. The open rooftop bar TOPS offers an unprecedented 180 degree view of Shanghai’s

skyline along with signature cocktails and an exclusive lounge atmosphere.

Meeting Facilities The resort is ideally located and prepared for your business needs. Whether it’s an exclusive boardroom or a conference/meeting room, our meeting rooms can be specially configured to your needs.

A Sensory Experience at Banyan Tree Spa Spanning three floors of the resort, the spa features 11 exquisitely appointed treatment rooms with a beauty salon, nail bar and Banyan Tree Gallery. Rejuvenating Asian-inspired therapies are delivered by professional therapists trained by the renowned Banyan Tree Spa Academy.

For more information visit www.banyantree.com and contact: Sales-India@ banyantree.com or Tel: +9111-46000560 --An advertorial

41>>

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Hospitality

42>>

New-age tools will govern hotel bookings STAAH India Marketing Manager Tarun Joukani shares his inputs on his company’s software solutions for better revenue management and mobile bookings for the Indian hospitality industry, among other trends that drive today’s booking processes.

VW BUREAU

Tarun Joukani

STAAH India Marketing Manager

In India, hotels have begun to realize the importance of E-commerce and the the Internet. Unlike other markets, hoteliers have begun experiencing over 85% of business being generated through STAAH services.

Operations in India STAAH is a New Zealandbased company, committed to increasing online presence and performance for our clients. As the Internet sales channel continues to increase in popularity, more effort, knowledge, skill and time are required to manage rates and inventory over multiple websites. We continue to work with our customers to grow. Today we are proud to have close to 200 properties in India; some of them are Fariyas Hotels, Fortune Group, Bawa Group, HHI Group, Concept Hospitality (Fern Group Of Hotels) , Sarovar Hotels, to name a few.

Offerings for Indian hospitality industry STAAH offers a wide range of software as a service that includes Local and Global Channel Management, Commission-Free Booking Engine (including mobile booking engine) that integrate to most Indian banks, Revenue Management, Rate Competition Analysis and an easy-to-implement APIs to leading Property Management Systems.

STAAH also is focused on providing other services such as hosting and emails, website developments and search engine optimisation.

USP and position in India We are one of the only channel managers that offer an instant update so when you push an update in STAAH, it instantly updates the OTAs including GDSs. STAAH offers 2-way API connections to the OTAs from one central cloud based system, 2-way integration to PMS & CRS, it integrates with most Payment Gateway companies and Major Banks in India; allows maintaining rate parity through all sites; offers a pooled based Inventory system that pushes all your availability to all Channels instead of splitting up the inventory.

ing clients. STAAH is on the Preferred Channel Manager list of several OTAs. We are confident to grow very rapidly. We have a new Revenue Management Tool being released in the next couple of months. The product works dynamically and is very easy to operate and use.

STAAH automatically reduces inventory across all other OTAs when a booking is made by an OTA. It does not charge commissions.

We charge a small fixed fee making it cost effective.

Hotel technology trends In India, hotels have begun to realize the importance of E-commerce and the the Internet. Unlike other markets, hoteliers have begun experiencing over 85% of business being generated through STAAH services. Online accommodation sales are still very low which means there is an opportunity to grow online revenue. Our hotels here, especially in the main cities, have experienced a massive growth in revenue compared to B & C Towns.

But this is an early mover advantage.

Growth rate and forecast We have been in India for about 2+ years and are not far from 200 Hotels. We aim to expand to 1000+ hotels here in the next 2-3 years.

New products and plans Recently several PMS companies in India have written interfaces to STAAH and wish to offer this as a value proposition to exist-

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Marketing and liaising with the Indian industry In the last few months most of our new hotel joiners came to us by word of mouth. Our approach is very straight forward, No Lock in Contracts, keep it sweet and simple; affordable to the smallest and the biggest hotel.

We have a B Town Property)

that has close to 30 OTAs managed through STAAH. Although it gets 80% of the bookings from 20% of the OTA partners, he believes that the more websites he is on, he has a greater presence on the web and hence, he gets more hits through his website. He gets more reviews on the Internet and today he does not need to go out for business as he manages it all through STAAH. Many hotels in India tend to procrastinate by waiting to see what their competitors are doing and have not realised the importance of a Channel Manager.

Social media and mobile platforms Every form of participation helps;social media, in particular, is the cheapest form of brand building. It may not drastically increase sales in the short term but it is such a good media to reach out to people.

Mobile devices are taking the online accommodation market by storm with a spectacular increase in the number of customers using mobile devices to book accommodations.

Booking.com has seen the total transaction value of mobile hotel bookings rise from $1 billion in 2011 to over $3 billion in 2012.

Future of new-age tools With the sale of smartphones and tablets well ahead of PCs, more people are using their mobile devices to research and book holidays. 4G aims to offer users faster, more reliable mobile broadband internet for devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. Faster speed means websites load quicker and that you will be able to stream videos and podcasts without waiting for them to buffer. India has a very ‘young’ population desperately seeking the latest technology for almost every part of their lives. Hoteliers have to realise that the way people book are changing and they need to be updated lest they should lose.

Challenges in India Most hotels in India, particularly those in Tier 2 & 3 cities, are still getting up to speed with E-commerce.

They either have a basic website or none at all. Educating them can be a challenge. Independent hoteliers should have an open mind and embrace technology, rather than shying away from it. For this, we have the philosophy of no lock-in contracts and very affordable prices; so hoteliers do not feel the pressure of working with us or trying our service.

Hospitality

43>>

Technology plays important role in concierge services Gungun Girish, Chief Concierge, Fairmont Jaipur, speaks about the uniqueness about Fairmount’s concierge services and other interesting trends in the field.

VW BUREAU

Gungun Girish

Chief Concierge, Fairmont Jaipur

There has been a huge demand for concierge services and so the industry has seen various trends. Technology is one trend that plays a vital role in the services offered by a concierge.

What is your USP? Every concierge has his/ her own approach towards attending to a request.

Maintaining an international standard and blending the Indian hospitality and warmth is what differentiates Fairmont Jaipur from others. Our concierge servic-

es maintain an international standard where certain guest requirements are customized to fit their needs.

Our concierge team is well trained to deal with a range of requests for guests from different walks of life.

Passion is the main USP of

a concierge. The concept of one’s spirit is implicit in all service jobs but especially for the concierge. The spirit in which the job is performed makes the difference.

Fairmont Concierges always endeavour to go the extra mile and even surprise and delight the guest, thus en-

riching the brand experience for the guest, and contributing to guest satisfaction and repeat business. Being a member of Les Clefs d’Or India also helps in servicing the guests. It gives me access to over 200 concierges across India, who not only help me prepare as a

concierge but also deliver a better service. This strong domestic and international network strengthens our knowledge about people, culture and preferences.

Evolution of the segment Various initiatives have been adopted by hotels as interactive TV, touch screen kiosks and iPad-enabled menu cards. These help guests explore about their destination and return to us with further queries. The web also is a great help.

Measures have been taken to increase the use of technology in our services to assist speedy requirements and information without having to be physically present.

www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

44>>

welcomheritage kasmanda palace: ncr access boosts weekend traffic The WelcomHeritage Kasmanda Palace, Mussoorie, seeks to deliver a ‘home-away-from-home’ experience, betting big on its location among other offerings, says Dinkar Singh, Owner of the property.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM an hour and a half drive to Mussoorie, making it popular among Mumbai crowd as well.

Kasmanda Palace What is your USP? Our USP is our location, open green spaces, breathtaking views and being one of the only lived-in museum hotel. Kasmanda Palace is located in the hub yet away from noise. It is clsoe to the famous Mall Road. It is

spread over two acres of terrace gardens and sit out areas overlooking Doon Valley,.

Targets and feeder markets Mussoorie is well connected to the NCR region and Punjab; Mumbai has direct flights to Dehradun, which is

Seasonal occupancy We have 24 bedrooms. Due to connectivity to NCR region, there is no longer a peak season and low season as such; any long weekend gives people the opportunity to head to Mussoorie.

Yes at times certain months like September, January and February can be a bit down, but we offer special packages during that time. We have had some TV soaps and Bollywood movies shot at our property which take care of

our leaner months. Being a small property, we are able to provide personalised service to each of our guests, regardless of the occupancy.

For us, a happy guest is more important than numbers.

Growth in last two years.

In the last two years, business has gone down contrary to our expectations, but this is so for all hill stations in Uttarakhand and Himachal, as Kashmir has opened up and guests want to visit Kashmir, one never knows if it would close down.

Facing competition We are proud of our loca-

tion and huge gardens in the centre of the town. We treat guests as the Royal Family of Kasmanda and one leaves with a feeling of having stayed at home, with all facilities of a hotel. The owners themselves stay on the property and personally look into the running of the hotel.

Expansion plans Ours is a small boutique hotel and would like it to remain so, to provide a personalised touch that a hotel with a big room inventory cannot.

We do have some larger palaces in Uttar Pradesh and plan to convert them into heritage properties too.

shervani hilltop nainital: connectivity is of prime concern Shervani Hilltop in Nainital has been serving its guests for the last 30 years and rated in the top five in India by TripAdvisor. Saeed M Shervani, MD-Shervani Hospitalities Ltd. talks about the journey so far and future plans.

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Saeed M Shervani

Managing Director- Shervani Hospitalities

Shervani Hilltop Nainital What is your USP? We were the first three-star hotel of Kumaon region in 1982. Before that, none of the hotels in that region were

classified. We started small with just 18 rooms. In a year we had gone to 20 and also got the first bar license of the Kumaon region. Over the

Voyager’s World > September 2013

years, various resorts kept coming up. Very early we decided we would not lose our garden areas/open areas although construction was

permitted then. We are built in a way that only 35% of the area is utilised. There were some areas that remained private residence areas that were later added onto the resort for a complete family experience- kids room, kite flying, horse riding, jeeps.

Main target and feeder markets The Delhi-NCR region, Uttar Pradesh and the surrounding areas of Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra, Kolkata, East Bengal, in addition to a few from South.

Peak/off seasons Occupancy Avg rates are from 800012000 with breakfast and dinner in peak season. Off season ranges from 40006000. Occupancy is about 55% year round.

Challenges Connectivity to Nainital has not been where it must have been. Even now highways built are not up to the mark.

Trains were inadequate from Delhi to Kathgodam and no flights to Nainital. Nearest airport is 90km away.

Hospitality

45>>

vacation ownership finds growing acceptance in indian market The growing Indian middle class, with its rising disposable income, has paved way for manifold tourism initiatives both within and outside the country, points out Rajiv Sawhney, MD & CEO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Rajiv Sawhney

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India

The demand for vacation ownerships in India is set to grow by 16% pa from 2006-2015 as the segment gains acceptance in India.

India emerges as the fastest growing outbound market for us.

Present market situation in India In India the timeshare market is currently valued at Rs 700 crore with a 350,000 member timeshare market, according to the All India Resort Development Association. A report by real estate consultants Cushman & Wakefield and Group RCI predicts the demand for vacation ownerships in India to grow by 16% per annum between 2006-2015 as vacation ownership and fractional ownership gain acceptance in India.

Mahindra Holidays is well poised to take advantage of low cost carriers, considering that vacations abroad are now within the reach of many Indian travellers. India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing outbound market and in absolute numbers it is second only to China. The number of Indians travelling overseas is set to rise from around 15 million today to 50 million by 2020. In a 2011 forecast the World Travel and Tourism Council predicted the annual growth of tourism in India to be 8.8% between 2011 and 2021. This ranked India fifth among countries with the fastest growing tourism industry.

The expanding middle class in India and rising disposable incomes are expected to have a positive effect on domestic tourism, thus leading to more number of people being able to afford holidays and vacations in the next few years. The Ministry of Tourism, along with the State Tour-

ism Boards, is promoting domestic tourism within the country, offering discounts and other incentives. Mahindra Holidays has been successfully leveraging the Indian’s traveller’s ambition and ability to travel within and outside India. It is the first vacation ownership company to create an international footprint.

We have recently opened a resort in Bangkok and one in Dubai, in addition to the resort we own and manage in Austria and the one we offer in Malaysia. Our members also have access to the RCI exchange network of over 6000 destinations worldwide.

In India we have opened seven new resorts over the last year at Kandaghat (near Shimla), Jaisalmer and Udaipur in Rajasthan, Kumarakom, Cherai Beach and Poovar in Kerala and Virajpet (near Coorg).

Expansion plans for 2013-2014 Our new projects in Kanha in Madhya Pradesh and Naldehra near Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) are on track.

The most exciting challenge is to drive faster penetration of vacation ownership in India. Our expansion plans to locations which have been brought close by low cost carriers will continue. This is part of the strategy to build where Indian families love to holiday; these would include Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Marketing and promotion for 2013 We are moving from traditional legacy driven solutions to innovative pro-active solutions in marketing

and sales processes that will make the brand more responsive and intui-

tive to customer needs. Systems and processes will dominate our sales and marketing strategies that will be driven by customer intelligence and responsive behaviour. Our primary target continues to be the SEC A married male aged 35 years and above with children.

Fall in Indian rupee Fall in the Indian Rupee has had minimum impact. With a strong domestic network and a prepaid membership, members can use the domestic network to enjoy their holidays over the tenure of the membership.

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www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

46>>

Online reputation is significant for the HOTEL industry Savvy hoteliers should encourage guests to interact with them online by talking about positive experiences on review sites, says ReviewPro CEO RJ Friedlander.

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RJ Friedlander ReviewPro CEO

Hotel quality control and competitive benchmarking are increasingly based on online guest feedback, since the unparalleled insight of having access to thousands of reviews and social media mentions in hundreds of sources provides a full understanding of recurring issues and offers an unprecedented opportunity to improve guest satisfaction. tHow tools like social media will change the dynamics of the hotel industry in the times to come? What are the upcoming trends in online reputation and social media management for hotels?

Social media is having a profound impact on the hotel industry. Hotel quality control and competitive benchmarking are increasingly based on online guest feedback, since the unparalleled insight of having access to thousands of reviews and social media mentions in hundreds of sources provides a full understanding of recurring issues and offers an unprecedented opportunity to improve guest satisfaction. However, the most important new trend is a surge in the incorporation of social analytics into revenue management decisions.

What is the real impact of online reputation for hoteliers?

The impact of online reputation for the hospitality industry is significant and runs across the entire organization: marketing, sales, distribution, quality and human resources are all impacted and can benefit from social analytics.

Recent studies reveal that between 85 and 93% of travel-

ers consider that online reviews influence their booking decisions. In fact, on average, customers visit 22 websites before deciding where to stay and how much are they willing to expend in lodging.

But the impact of online reputation goes beyond those findings, as the opportunity to drive financial performance through improving online guest satisfaction has been recently confirmed in a landmark study by Cornell University. According to that research, based on data provided by ReviewPro and STR, a 1-point increase in a hotel’s 100-point Global Review Index™ leads up to a 0.89% increase in price, a 0.54% increase in occupancy, and a 1.42% increase in RevPar. What are the benefits of proactively managing online reputation?

Considering the research I have mentioned so far, it is now clear that a hotel that listens and reacts to what their clients are saying online is much more likely to achieve not only higher valuations, but also to improve its Global Review Index™ – the online reputation score developed by ReviewPro, rapidly becoming an indus-

Voyager’s World > September 2013

try-standard benchmark–, attract more guests and increase revenue.

Where do you put Indian hotels in adopting best global practices in managing online reputation? What is your advice to the Indian hotels in this regard?

We work with more than 100 hotels in India, including the portfolios in the country of groups such as Karma Royal, Lalit, Fern or Kempinski, among many others. I believe Indian hotels are aware of the importance and opportunity offered through online reputation management as a means to deliver better experiences to their clients and raise profitability.

My advice for those hoteliers already benefiting from the use of social analytics to track down operational and service weaknesses is to exploit those tools across their entire organization to effectively improve guest satisfaction and drive revenues.

Can you provide any tips on how hoteliers should manage their social media profiles or interact with their guests through review sites?

Social media is all about conversations and, to have a

successful online dialogue, content creation is key. Savvy hoteliers should encourage guests to interact with them online by talking about positive experiences on review sites. Even if those guests’ expectations were not met and they write negative reviews, hoteliers can reverse the impact of such mentions by dealing with guest complaints efficiently. Social analytics are also a great tool for hoteliers to have a better understanding of their competitors and to effectively benchmark their performance against their core markets.

What are the main advantages of your solution compared to those of your competitors?

One of the keys to our growing roster of clients – that includes leading groups such as Louvre, Kempinski, Meliá, The Red Carnation, The Fern or citizen – is that we offer more guest feedback sources than our competitors, including more than 100 online travel agencies, review sites and social media platforms.

Besides the quantity and quality of our data, we offer our clients a set of worldclass tools such as our sentiment analysis of guest feedback, which offers great

insight into operational and service strengths and weaknesses. Another key differentiator is our engagement and support department, which provides our clients with comprehensive guidance worldwide.

Can you tell us about the Revenue Optimizer, the new tool that ReviewPro has developed in collaboration with Meliá Hotels International?

The results of the Cornell study on the impact of online reputation in hotel revenues and the success that clients such as Meliá have had by leveraging online reputation analytics to increase profitability led us to develop the Revenue Optimizer. This new tool allows hotels to measure the degree they are maximizing revenue compared to their direct competitors.

By comparing their daily rates, occupancy, RevPar and Global Review Index™ scores with those of their competitors, hoteliers can understand which properties are maximizing revenue and the key drivers that are impacting revenue performance to help them know where to focus their efforts to improve on an operational, service and product level.

Hospitality

47>>

Hotels vie for the Indian wedding cake Hotels abroad ensure that they get the maximum out of the wedding business from India VW BUREAU

D

estination weddings continue to be a major money-spinner in the travel and tourism circuit, benefiting the various stakeholders from NTOs, airlines, transport, hotels and the other wedding-related vendors.

Geographical breakup

Wichai Charoenpanvorakul, Director of Sales and Marketing, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, said that the local weddings account for 90% of the share while the overseas weddings take away the remaining 10%.

Mirjam Bruder, Head of Sales at Engadin St. Moritz said: “Most weddings held in St. Moritz are from Swiss families, locals as well as from the bigger Swiss cities / Swiss urban areas. Some couples also come from neighbouring European countries, especially from Germany and Italy, who choose to get married in St. Moritz.”

Engaging with the Indian trade St. Moritz works with selected travel trade partners who have worked on destination weddings in the past and are eager to explore new and unique destinations. St. Moritz has been a destination for various celebrity weddings.

Saida El Massmoudi - Director, Weddings – Events, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, says that their properties receive wedding clientele from all over the world. “At the moment the majority of these guests come from the UAE, followed closely by Indian guests and then guests from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Lebanon respectively.”

Likewise, Altlantis The Palm, too, works closely together with the travel trade partners in its key markets. “Whenever we host a wedding we take care to meet any religious requirements of the guests and build a trusting relationship with them so we can really bring their wedding vision to life, exceed their expectations and deliver the perfect experience. Indian weddings are well known for their elaborate ceremonies and opulent cel-

ebrations, and we offer traditional ceremonies including the Sagai ceremony, the Sangeet ceremony and the Firas ceremony among others. We also offer traditional Iranian and Arabic weddings.

Our travel partners know that Atlantis offers an array of stunning indoor and outdoor options for traditional Indian weddings. From providing extraordinary locations for traditional henna parties, fun studded bachelor parties and doubling up as an ideal honeymoon spot,” said Saida.

Wichai said: “We have been engaging through our Regional Sales Offices/ Public Relations Agencies and Marketing Representatives worldwide.”

Incentives for the trade Mirjam said that most of the hotels and venues offer customised packages for weddings. Some hotels are also open to bringing an Indian Chef to meet the specific requirements of communities that are particular about the cuisine being served.

Saida said, “In general we educate the travel trade and invite them to experience the resort; there are also competitions and incentives for agents who sell a certain number of weddings per year. For the end customers we offer bespoke packages which we tailor exactly to their needs and within these packages we offer certain services for free e.g. a Dolphin experience for the bride and the groom, fee valet parking for all guests, complementary changing rooms for the bride and the groom, complementary guest rooms if a certain number of rooms are book etc.”

Wichai, on the other hand, says that the success of the game relied on delivering what had been promised, along with rendering excellent legendary service. “It is believed that our business for destination wedding also comes from word-of-mouth.

These are the magnets that attract business to us from this segment,” he said.

Feeder markets from India St. Moritz mainly focuses on high end travellers in Mumbai and Delhi. However, the brand has ensured not to miss out on Tier 1 and 2 cities that also have a lot of potential for travel during the summer months and starting to consider a winter holiday in St. Moritz.

The main feeder markets for Atlantis, The Palm are countries in the Middle East and India. The distribution channels include direct interaction with customers sometimes in their own countries, wedding planners, destination management companies, and exhibitions and fairs.

“Our main feeders markets are from Europe and Asia.

Main distribution channels come on both direct and via luxury travel agents through GDS,” said Wichai.

On a concluding note, destination weddings would remain a wellspring for a long time to come, benefiting the all those who have a vested interest in the wedding market.

www.voyagersworld.in

Happenings

48>>

Indian trade visit Zimbabwe

I

ndian tour operators from Mumbai and Delhi travelled to Zimbabwe, hosted

by Love for Africa, along with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

The aim was to showcase Zimbabwe’s various tourism products including the famous Victoria Falls and animal safaris. The group also visited Zimbabwe’s prominent attractions like Harare city, Lake Kariba and Hwange National Park.

Lubaina Sheerazi - Head of Business Development, Blue Square Consultants says: “After witnessing Zimbabwe first hand, I can say that it is one of southern Africa’s most beautiful countries. Zimbabwe is an ideal MICE as well as leisure destination as it boasts of some amazing natural sites and of course the fabulous Victoria Falls. A simplified visa procedure and reduction of visa fees from $100 to $50 will go a long way in augmenting Indian arrivals to Zimbabwe.”

AVIAREPS India conducts Disney Parks roadshow

W

ith the onset of holiday season, AVIAREPS India, an India specialist aviation & tourism representation company which also represents Visit Florida, Rhaetian Railways, Davos Klosters, Engadin St. Moritz, Dallas Fortworth Airport and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, did a roadshow for All Disney Parks in Lucknow on August 22. The focus of the seminar was to educate and equip Lucknow travel agents with sales tools and information on All Disney Parks.

Street food fest at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

B

engaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield presented a street food festival, bringing plethora of delectable mouth-watering street food options from all across the country.

On offer were the all-time favourite Bombay Wada Pav and PavBhaji to the delicious Kolkata Kathi Roll, the Malabar Paratha with a choice of Kurma, the scrumptious CholeKulche&RajmaChawalto the famous Kerala Appam and Stew and even a Momo station

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Top Appointments

49>> Korea Tourism Organisation New Delhi Myong Kil Yun, Deputy Director Myong Kil Yun has joined Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), New Delhi branch as Deputy Director. He has over 13 years of marketing experience and worked in the outbound tourism centre of KTO in South Korea and with LG. In his new role, Myong will focus on strengthening Korea’s position among Indian travellers.

Hyatt Regency, Pune Mohammad Labban General Manager Mohammad Labban has joined Hyatt Regency Pune as the General Manager. He has 15 years of experience with Hyatt alone and worked with Park Hyatt Dubai and most recently at Hyatt Regency Dubai.

In his new role, Mohammad will be responsible for the overall running of the hotel.

AirAsia India Vijay Gopalan Chief Financial Officer Vijay Gopalan has joined as the Chief Financial Officer for AirAsia India. He is a Chartered Accountant with 10 years of experience and worked with Compass Group India, Ernst & Young and in oil, gas and hospitality industries.

In his new role, he would be in charge of the financial operations.

Sun International Hotels Reema Gurung Sales Manager North & East India Reema Gurung has been appointed as the Sales Manager North and East India for Sun International Hotels and Resorts in Southern Africa. She has a varied career from airlines to destinations to a hotel in Macau.

In her new role, Reema will be in New Delhi and oversee sales in North and East regions.

Double Tree Suites by Hilton Bangalore Raghu Sapra, General Manager Raghu Sapra has been appointed General Manager at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore, as a pre-opening member and brings 17 years of experience in brands like Marriott, Hyatt and Imperial New Delhi among others. In his new role, he will lend expertise in sales , customer service and employee development.

Best Western Ashoka M. Elvis Ronald Manager-Business Promotions M. Elvis Ronald has joined as Manager of Business Promotions at Best Western Ashoka, Hyderabad. With 15 years experience, he worked with ITC Grand Kakatiya Welcomgroup hotel, Ocean park & Snow World and Best Western Amrutha Castle. In his new role, Elvis will oversee the overall operations of the hotel.

Hyatt Regency, Pune Vivek Braganza, Director-Sales and Marketing Vivek Braganza is the new Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyatt Regency Pune. With 10 years of experience, he worked with the Taj Group, Marriott hotels and most recently for Pune Cluster for Marriott International.

In his new role, Vivek will be responsible for driving quality sales for the property.

Sun International Hotels Rajan Kalra, Associate Director Sales, India Rajan Kalra has joined as the Associate Director of Sales, India, Sun International Hotels and Resorts, Southern Africa. He was previously with at Sarovar Hotels since 2008.

In his new role, Rajan will be responsible for driving the overall sales of the company in India and will be based in Mumbai.

Double Tree Suites by Hilton Bangalore Latha Nair, Director of Sales DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore appoints Latha Nair as Director of Sales as a pre-opening member. She has 20 years of expertise with The Park, Accor, Hyatt and Leela Palaces and Resorts.

Latha will be responsible for the overall management and lead the sales department.

Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport Kunal Shanker, Executive Assistant Manager Kunal Shanker has joined as Executive Assistant Manager, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport. He has been with InterContinental Hotels Group for 14 years and worked at Holiday Inn Cochin and Crowne Plaza Hotel Kathmandu. In his new role, he will be in charge of hotel operations and sales/marketing.

www.voyagersworld.in

Events Calendar

50>>

networking is the key September 2013

October2013

06, 07, 08

03

India International Travel Mart Mumbai, India

13, 14, 15

India International Travel Mart Gurguon (Delhi (NCR), India

24, 25, 26, 27 International French Travel Market, Paris

November2013 04, 05, 06, 07

Luxury Travel Mart Moscow, Russia

04, 05, 06 Holiday Expo Nagpur, India

05, 06, 07, 08 World Routes Las Vegas, USA

15, 16, 17

IMEX AMERICA 2013, Las Vegas, USA

December2013

World Travel Market, London, UK

06, 07

Business Travel Market 2013 London, UK

08, 09, 10

Holiday Expo Visakhapatnam

22, 23, 24

India International Travel Mart Pune

29, 30 Nov & 01 Dec India International Travel Mart Hyderabad

02, 03, 04, 05

International Luxury Travel Market Cannes, France

05, 06, 07

Cii Tourism Fest Chandigarh,India

05, 06, 07, 08

Travel Turkey Izmer Tourism Fair & Conference, Izmer, Turkey

06, 07, 08

Chengdu International Travel Fair Chengdu, China

11, 12

January 2014 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 ASEAN Tourism Forum Malaysia

22, 23, 24, 25, 26 Fitur Spain

17, 18, 19

Brussels Travel Expo Brussels,Belgium

February2014 28 Feb 1, 2 March Holiday Expo Coimbatore

7,8,9

India International Travel Mart Kochi

The Boston Globe Travel Show Seaport World Trade Center

24, 25, 26

19,20,21,22

India International Travel Mart Kolkata

Voyager’s World > September 2013

Cro Tour Croatia