1>>
Vol X
Issue XII
Pages 60
October 2013
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Editorial
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06Industry Buzz 10Cover Story
India outbound travel trends
30Incredible India
s 4>> ’ r o t i Ed ote N Churning and more churning
T
he Indian sky is going to witness lot of churnings in the times to come, what with the proposed launching of two airlines. A low-cost airline, to be set up by Air Asia, in tie-up with Telestra Tradeplace and Tata Sons, is sure to be a game-changer in the Indian skies; given the successful low-cost model the Malaysian carrier has shown the world. The company believes in the true potential of India’s untapped domestic routes; the aim is to replicate the successful low-cost model it has been able to implement across South East Asia. But analysts believe this is not going to be an easy affair, considering the airport costs and spiraling fuel prices and taxes in India. But one shouldn’t discount Air Asia’s capabilities in overcoming all these hurdles; the airline’s chief executive Tony Fernandes has already announced his plans to operate the new airline from Chennai to smaller cities where airport costs are comparatively lower. The recent announcement by Tata Sons, one of subcontinent’s leading industrial conglomerates, to launch a full-service carrier in collaboration with Singapore Airlines is another development which can stirred up the Indian travel industry. Will it amount to a conflict of interest for Tata to have a low-cost as well as fullservice simultaneously? This question would have been relevant in the case of the so-called LCCs in India which have been accused of blurring the thin line between full-scale and low-cost carriers by charging, on certain routes, almost the same fare as their full scale counterparts. But in the case of Air Asia, things will be different as its aim is not to be seen as a LCC for namesake. This is a very premium issue as this goes to the WTM London being held in November as we are the media partner of the event. On the cover we have the growing trend of Indian tourists to seek out newer destinations out there and the NTOs’ eagerness to tap the segment. Also on the menu is a story on the importance of promoting Incredible India.
Warm Regards
Are we promoting Incredible India enough and tapping its potential?
41Travel Events
editor@voyagersworld.in
Travelista- a travel film and photography festival Kerala Travel Mart
46Festivals of the World
Colouful festivals across the globe, from Kimchi in Korea and food fiesta in Spain to Mysore Dasara in India...
48India Outbound
Voyager’s World > October 2013
# 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560 071, India Ph: +91 - 80 - 4083 4103, Fax: + 91 - 80 - 4083 4101 info@spheretravelmedia.com, www.spheretravelmedia.com
All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2012. No part of this magazine may be reproducted without the prior written permission from Voyagers’s World
Industry Buzz
6>>
Vivanta by Taj Surajkund launched
V
ivanta by Taj – Hotels & Resorts has launched Vivanta by Taj – Surajkund. (Earlier being operated and managed as The Claridges, Surajkund).
Re-christened as Vivanta by Taj - Surajkund, the hotel is all set to embark on a new era of cool luxury nestled in the lap of a forested and tranquil neighborhood. Raymond N Bickson, M.D. & C.E.O., Indian Hotels Company Limited said: “We welcome the newest addition to our portfolio. This hotel will be the third Vivantain the region after the recent launch of Vivanta by Taj – Gurgaon, NCR and our contemporary classic address Vivanta Ambassador. This is in line with a strategic plan to expand our presence in the National Capital Region and underlines the company’s objective of achieving growth through domestic dominance.”
Thomas Cook launches Forex on Mobile
T
homas Cook (India) Ltd launched its ‘Forex on Mobile’ service, offering a range of foreign exchange products and services at fingertips, making it the first non-banking company in India to offer the convenience and security of transacting foreign exchange via a smart phone.
Hurtigruten appoints Cruise Club as a new partner in India
H
urtigruten has appointed Cruise Club for the purpose of marketing and sales of its cruise experiences in India.
Hurtigruten is one of the leading cruise companies in the world, and operates along the coast of Norway, apart from offering Arctic and Antarctica expedition cruises. Hurtigruten also offers spring and fall voyages through Western Europe, the Baltic, British Isles and even North Africa, offering cultural immersion at every stop.
Extensive consumer analysis and behavioral patterns have highlighted that Indians are increasingly using mobiles to multitask on the move, transforming the phone into a critical work-cum-leisure device. It is for today’s on-the-move customer, that Thomas Cook India’s ‘Forex on Mobile’ service was launched – empowering him with the convenience of transacting anytime, anywhere, via his phone. The in-built security features ensures that the all critical safety element is taken care of.
Now view Delhi Tourism website in Hindi
JW Marriott opens in Bangalore
J
elhi Tourism launched a Hindi version of the official web portal of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), to attract more domestic tourists from across the country. The website is developed in Unicode encoding so it can be seamlessly viewed in all the computers.
W Marriott Hotels & Resorts launched its first hotel in Bangalore, with 297 rooms and suites, including an ultraluxurious Presidential Suite. “JW Marriott Bengaluru reflects the sophistication and elegance travellers have come to expect from the JW Marriott brand. Our offerings suit the refined tastes of our international and domestic guests,” said Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President – South Asia for Marriott International.
Detailed information on tourist places, seasonal tours, city sightseeing, transport, e–booking, bed & breakfast accommodation, eateries, etc are available in the Hindi version of the website.
The hotel’s General Manager Parul Thakur said: “The JW Marriott Bengaluru offers one of the city’s largest MICE facilities along with world-class dining, entertainment options and luxurious guestrooms.”
D
Voyager’s World > October 2013
Industry Buzz
8>>
Dubai boosts tourism through films
SpiceJet flies from Bangalore to Bangkok
D
ubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC), in collaboration with Atlantis, The Palm, is extending its full support for the production of the upcoming Bollywood film Happy New Year, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan and directed by Farah Khan.
S
piceJet has launched direct flights between Bangalore and Bangkok. Bookings for this route are now open. Commercial flights on Bangalore-Bangkok route will start from 27th October 2013. SpiceJet flight SG 91 will depart Bangalore Airport at 03.35am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and the return flight, SG 92, will arrive Bangalore at 10.35pm. The airline is offering an introductory fare of just Rs. 7999/- one way (inclusive of all taxes) on the Bangalore - Bangkok route.
DFTC partnered with Dubai Government entities to simplify the filmmaking process for the production team, while Atlantis, The Palm is hosting a majority of the shoot in and around the resort’s grounds. Emirates Airline flew the stars and crew to Dubai for the production while the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has provided extensive logistical support to facilitate the overall shoot.
Belgian VAC opens in Pune
T
he Kingdom of Belgium and VFS Global extended their visa application services for Belgium to Pune, with the opening of a Belgian Visa Application Centre.
This new initiative is in continuation to the decision of extending such services to six new locations across India. This strategic move is aimed at offering new services, facilities to visa applicants and boost tourism, trade investments and bilateral ties with India.
Lonely Planet launches shopping cart
The airline will be deploying its New Generation Boeing 737-800 (189 seater aircraft) on this route. Bangkok will be SpiceJet’s 10th international destination.
73% Indians favour 'childfree zones' on planes
A
L
onely Planet now offers a facility through its website (www.lonelyplanet.in) for purchasing its travel guides on a single platform, through its digital agency, Iffort. In the first phase, only those titles produced by Lonely Planet India will be available for online purchase; other titles produced internationally and ebook versions will be added shortly. The prices starts at Rs.140.
Skyscanner survey reveals that 73% of Indians agreed that airlines ought to ban children under 12 from certain sections of planes. The survey, which comes soon after Air Asia X and Scoot airlines implementing child-free zones on their aircrafts, studied the views of 1000 Indian travellers to find out if they thought it was fair to make certain rows child-free. In fact, more men were in favour of the move with close to 400 male travellers welcoming such zones on-board flights as compared with 330 women. The child-free cabin zones come with ‘special ambient lighting’ to provide a ‘more relaxing atmosphere’ and are priced more than regular seats. When asked if they would pay extra to sit in a child-free zone aboard an aircraft, 43% of travellers disagreed with the concept of an ‘adult only’ section and thus would not pay more.
Jet offers deals for Sri Lanka
J
et Airways introduced a host of attractive and economical holidays under its JetEscapes brand for travellers from Sri Lanka to destinations in India. They include return air travel in economy, airport transfers, three-star hotel accommodation with breakfast and sightseeing. They can also be customised to include air travel on board Jet Airways’ Premiere (Business class) including accommodation at four or five star hotels. The choice of budget hotels makes travel with JetEscapes a true value proposition. The holidays are priced, with a 2N/3D stay in Chennai and Bangalore starting at LKR.32,125 and LKR.29,220 respectively. Guests may also choose from a 2N/3D package to Velankanni and Delhi starting at LKR.41,450 and LKR.50,060 respectively; a 3N/4D extended holidays to Goa and Mumbai at LKR.53,050 and LKR.33,490 respectively; 5N/6D to Exotic Kerala, Southern Delight, Fascinating Ladakh and Mountain Magic at LKR.80,295, LKR.82,435, LKR.126,420 and LKR.103,120 respectively or a 4N/5D to the Golden Triangle at LKR.82,400 and a 6N/7D package to Himachal Pradesh starting at LKR. 113,670.
Voyager’s World > October 2013
Industry Buzz
9>>
Accor's budget hotel Formule1 opens in Bangalore
MarcAsia to represent two DMCs
A
ccor launched Hotel Formule1 at Whitefield in Bangalore, the hotel’s first in the South of India following the openings in the North and West. The hotel is aimed at the budget and quality conscious traveller, at an affordable price.
M
arcAsia has been appointed as exclusive representation company from two DMCs, namely Gulf Ventures Oman and Crown Tours from Maldives as well as from Knightly Hotel Apartments in London.
The property has modern, soundproof rooms with ensuite bathrooms, flat screen TVs with international channels, 24/7-security access, keycard-operated lifts and door locks, CCTV cameras and 24-hour vending machines. Located adjacent to the hotel is a restaurant operated by a third party ’Khaja Chowk’. Guests can also enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi.
“Marc Asia has always strived to give to travel professionals in Mum-
bai and to a larger extent in India a portfolio of best DMCs and hotels in key destinations for the Indian outbound market. We now have a selection of carefully handpicked partners from South East Asia, Middle East and South America which have the capabilities and know how to collaborate with travel trade experts from the sub-continent,” said Priya Rupani- VP Marc Asia.
One hotel. Four names. To a travel agent that's 4 times confusing.
Cyprus Tourism forays into India
Get `250 for EVERY duplicate hotel that you find in our system.
C
Vassilis Theocharides, Director, Dubai Office, said: “We are constantly on the lookout for new business activities in newer growth markets with high potential for growth. As a new destination with well developed infrastructure for MICE activities, we can assist corporates with business solutions for their conference and event needs.”
Even the best of hotel distribution systems of today can't do away with the menace of dealing with duplicate hotels. In fact, some systems take pride in counting their 'large' inventory. At roomsXML it's a different story though. Out here, we value quality over quantity. When we say we have 74,521* hotels, we mean 74,521 hotels. No less, no more. We spent over 6,500 man-hours in building a system void of duplicate hotels. Well, we don't claim to be 100% right in all destinations but we do credit a travel agent's account with `250 for every duplicate hotel that they spot. 13 016/quiksel.com
yprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) will foray into the tourism market in India with incentives- and MICE-centric tourism products. As part of CTO’s strategic plan to attract more tourists from the Indian subcontinent, it will hold a two-city roadshow in Delhi and Mumbai on October 23 and 25 respectively. Cyprus plans to roll out a series of promotional activities post its roadshows. During the initial phase, CTO will focus on the conference and incentive markets in India besides encouraging affluent Indian consumers to experience Cyprus with affordable holiday packages.
roomsXML - travel agents count on it. *3-star & above; as on 20 Sep 2013
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Cover Story
10>>
Le Voyage
Balloon over Canterbury, New Zealand
The Indian traveller is on the move, in search of the exotic and esoteric. And all the tourism boards out there want to cash in on this trend in an effective manner. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN
A
lot is being written about the rising Indian middle class, the discerning traveller, the road less travelled, discovering new roads and so on. On one hand, while the fall in the rupee has impacted travel plans, increased spending power, passion for travel, social status and changing lifestyles will continue to steer the businesses of airlines, hotels and tourism across the globe, the budgets and itineraries being the variables.
Figures of tourist arrivals for 2013 “Turkey received 24.600 Indian travellers in the first four months of 2013. The number was 6.6 million from all around the world in the same period,” said Ozgur Ayturk, Culture and Tourism Counselor, Turkish Embassy India. Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager, India, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority said: “During the first half
of this year, some 1,333,339 guests checked into Abu Dhabi accommodation delivering 4,226,604 guest nights , a rise of 25% over the same period in 2012.” “On an average, the guest stayed 3.17 nights which is up to 12% over last year, with an occupancy rate of 71% which is up to 8% over 2012. India has the top slot as the emirate’s largest overseas source market, thus
Soma Bhattacharya
Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
Mauritius is a popular destination and the number of tourists travelling to Mauritius has increased over a period of time. With the growing number of people travelling abroad, it is evident that tourism is no longer only meant for the elite or a whim of selective groups.
Voyager’s World > October 2013
toppling the UK into second place. About 80,179 Indian nationals stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels from January until the end of June 2013 with a 22% rise last year. That accounted for 334,238 guest nights up to 43% over 2012 and staying on an average of 4.17 nights with an increase of 17%,” he added. Huzan Fraser, India Representative, Trinidad & Tobago, said she hoped to see a rise in Indian tourists to T&T in 2013. Trinidad and Tobago received 3,500 tourists last year from India. Mischa Mannix-Opie, Regional Manager - South & South East Asia at Tourism New Zealand explains that the total arrivals from India for the year ending March 2013 were 30,000 (+3.8%). “The holiday arrival figures for the year ending March 2013 were 14,848 (+10.1%). We are recording a steady growth in arrivals from India and are expecting the trend to continue.” Celia Ho, Regional Manager South and South East Asia, Tourism Victoria, said: “India is one of the fastest growing markets for Melbourne
Cover Story
12>> Mischa Mannix-Opie Tourism New Zealand
India is an emerging market for Tourism New Zealand and visitors are seeking experiences rather than just ‘sightseeing’. tourism. There were 73,000 visitors from India to Victoria with an associated spend of $218.4 million, with an increase in visitor numbers of 17.3% over the previous year till March 2013. For this year March 2013, visitors from India spent 4.0 million nights in Victoria, with an increase of 1.2% from the previous year. Visitation from India is anticipated to grow at 7.2%, the highest rate of growth for any source market for Victoria.” Esther Grob, Area Manager Russia, India, Asia, Zurich Tourism says: “From January - May 2013, 43,668 overnights at Zürich region from India, this is compared to 2012 a slight plus of 0.4%.” Sanjay Sondhi, Country Director-Visit Indonesia Tourism Office went on to add that India was proving to be a fast-emerging new market for Indonesia. “118,029 Indian visitors till July 2013 constituted a (approx. 15%) improvement over last year July 2012.” Likewise, India happens to be Oman’s largest inbound market and in 2012, tourist arrivals to Oman were 221,623. “There has been a 35.6 % change in tourist arrivals in
Mulu National Park, Malaysia Voyager’s World > October 2013
Musandam, Oman
2012 as compared to 2011 which was 16,345,” says Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism, the Sultanate of Oman. Indian travellers: VFR, FITs, business and leisure Ozgur says Turkey hosts a growing number of Indian travelers and the Indian market is a vigorously booming. Turkey received 91,000 travelers from India last year with a 24% growth rate over 2011 and the expected is approximately 30% growth rate for this year. Since 80 percent of the total travelers are from leisure whereas the rest is for business. “Malaysia has always been a favourite destination for Indians. VFR 8.2%, FITs - 73.9%, Business - 18%,” said Manoharan Periasamy, Director, Tourism Malaysia. Soma Bhattacharya, Destination Manager, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority explains: “Mauritius has always been a popular destination amongst Indians and continues to be. The major percentage of tourists travelling from India is for leisure followed by MICE. Mauritius in the
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Begin the U-experience: call 91-124-4896007 or visit us at www.constancehotels.com
Cover Story
14>> Pourashasp Mehta Jamaica Tourist Board
Jamaica is a high end niche destination offering aspirational and unconventional holiday experience, exclusive and customized for the high net worth individual. Indians are willing to spend more and more on unique and experiential accommodation, moving beyond star category rooms and hotels. Zurich Tourism recent years, have witnessed a steady growth in terms of number of tourists travelling from India to Mauritius.” In the year 2000-2009, Indian arrivals increased year on year by 14% and in 2009-2011, the growth was 19%. Despite the recession and slow economic growth in the Indian market, the number of travellers going to Mauritius has increased. In 2012, Mauritius received 55197 arrivals. An increase in 15.6% tourist arrival was achieved till April 2013. The board aims to target 100,000 tourists from India in the near future,” she added.
Sarawak, Malaysia Voyager’s World > October 2013
Pourushasp Mehta - Destination Manager, TRAC RepresentationsJamaica Tourism Board says: “Jamaica is perceived as a high-end niche destination offering unconventional holiday experience, exclusive and customised for the high net worth individual. In India, Mumbai and New Delhi are the key markets for Jamaica. Considering the niche appeal of the destination, JTB is gaining a strong foothold in these key markets and eventually expand to other potential cities in India.” “The growth percent in stopover arrivals by permanent residents from India in January – April 2013 as compared to January – April 2012 has
been 29.00%. The growth percent in stopover arrivals by permanent residents from India in Jan – Dec 2012 as compared to Jan – Dec 2011 has been 3.4%. The growth percent in stopover arrivals by permanent residents from India in January – December 2012 as compared to January – December 2010 has been 22.00%. The growth percent in stop over arrivals by permanent residents from India in January – December 2012, as compared to the same period in 2009, has been 11.6%,” he said. “Jamaica was named the world’s most romantic destination at the
Grand Finale of the World Travel Awards 2012 which was held in India. In addition to winning the award for world’s most romantic destination, Jamaica was recognised for the seventh consecutive year as the world’s leading cruise destination. Jamaica also won Caribbean’s leading sports tourism destination, leading destination and leading tourist board,” he added. Earlier, Oman was looked at by Indians only for its business and commercial prospects, but that perception has slowly undergone a change. Since it is a short haul destination from India, Oman is becoming popu-
Cover Story
16>>
Legoland, Malaysia
Lubaina Sheerazi
Ministry of Tourism, Oman
Oman has a lot to offer in terms of culture, heritage and adventure activities. Indians have become more adventurous and are willing to go beyond the regular itinerary.
dation, meals, excursions, shopping, as compared to other countries like Australia(CHF250), China(CHF350), Korea(CHF250), Japan(CHF400). Indians mostly travel in small family/ friends groups. Honeymoon trips to Switzerland are still very common. “The Indians love train trips in Switzerland, the mountains, excursions and shopping. The main travel season is May – August, Zürich has a market share of 24.3% (2012) and is the second most-visited region in Switzerland after Lucerne,” she added. Ozgur says apart from traditional business and leisure travel, Indians also travel for segments like meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), wellness, adventure, luxury and spiritual tourism. With breathtaking natural beauty, unique historical and archaeological places, some of the best hotel and touristic infrastructure and a tradition of hospitality at competitive prices, Turkey has a lot offer discerning Indian travellers.
Ledge Bungy, New Zealand lar with the outbound tourists from India. Indians are looking for a new, niche destination and Oman has a lot to offer in terms of culture, heritage and adventure activities, said Lubaina. Around 55,000 Indians travelled to Jordan in 2012, which was a mix of FIT, leisure and the MICE traveller,”
Voyager’s World > October 2013
added Munnmunn Marwah, General Manager, Think Strawberries, representative, Jordan Tourism Baord, India Office. Mischa explains that approximately half of the arrivals from India are visiting New Zealand specifically for the purpose of a holiday, while 8% are business visitors and the remaining
visitors have various other purposes for their visit. Sanjay says Indian travellers to Indonesia comprise VFR -15%, Business – 25% and FIT/Leisure – 60%. Trends of Indian travellers In the opinion of Esther, the Indians are spending in Switzerland per day in average CHF300 including accommo-
“Results reveal that respondents rated Turkey quite high due to its most important attributes- affordability, attractions and accountability. Females tended to have higher perception about the scenic beauty and shopping opportunities. In terms of age, respondents aged 60 years old and above significantly perceived positively on accountability, attractions and accessibility. It could be that they considered more about the ability of
Cover Story
18>> Turkey to provide them with overall quality that could relax them, in addition to the ease of reaching the host city and other places within the country,” he says. “Affordability factor was perceived highly by the group aged 31 to 40 years. The group aged 30 years and below, rated amenities higher than other age groups. This is because leisure services attract more young people. Overall, visitors are very happy with the hospitality and tourism services received and most importantly, they have come back talking about the beauty and hospitality of Turkey. Of course, the kind of packages offered and how well aware and attracted they are to Turkey, influence their choice. Attraction is the major factor and Turkey is well equipped with international standard meeting and convention facilities, beautiful hotels complemented by breathtaking scenery to suit various purposes and budgets,” he added. Mischa said that the key trend that she observed was that visitors were seeking experiences rather than just sightseeing. “We receive a lot of queries regarding events, food and wine tours, Maori cultural experiences, walks, self-drive and of course, adventure sports. This is good for the industry as it helps us showcase our offerings beyond the stunning landscapes. The Hobbit repeated the magic of the Lord of The Rings and has lifted our country profile and is motivating international visitors to travel to New Zealand.” On average, an Indian visitor spends NZD 3,428 per visit, excluding airfare. The average stay is around 1215 days. Honeymooners, family vacationers, adventure sports enthusiasts and family vacationers are the main types of travellers from India to New Zealand. Manoharan said that India had grown
into a mature market from what it had been earlier. The trend is more towards tailor-made packages and tours and not following a strict regimen as before. A recent survey revealed that people the world over spend almost 40% of their spare income or savings on exploring new places for leisure. Today, there is a strong demand for travel from families, young people, women and seniors. “Some of the factors contributing to the increasing levels of travel across the globe are higher comfort levels with international travel, the liberalization of air transport and increased fluency in English. In fact, international travel is registering growth of as high as 30% and Kuala Lumpur is one of the top destinations for international holiday-makers, according to travel industry experts,” he says. A maturing Indian traveller aims to spend more on food, shopping and accommodation rather than on air tickets. These are repeat travellers and spend more days at one destination, experiencing and exploring the place in detail. There are different types of travellers like first time travellers, repeat travellers (leisure and corporate) and experiential or adventurous traveller. The most interesting one are the food lovers,” he added. Abu Dhabi is witnessing a good and steady increase in the number of Indian guests staying at Abu Dhabi hotels. In the first half of 2013, Indian guests accounted for 334,238 guest nights up to 43% on 2012 and stayed on an average of 4.17 nights with an increase of 17%. “All in all, the destination caters to a wide segment of travellers right from honeymooners to corporate to DINKS (Double Income No Kids) to VFRs and FITs. We believe arrivals to be a mix of business and leisure travellers, but will know more when the results of our latest international visitor survey are known in the next few months,” says Bejan.
Sanjay Sondhi
Visit Indonesia Tourism Office
Great Ocean Road, Victoria Voyager’s World > October 2013
The Indian outbound market has grown exponentially and Indians have become discerning travellers looking for new destinations.
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Cover Story
20>>
Zurich Huzan says: “The Indian outbound traveller is savvy and is now beginning to splurge on his holiday trips. Luxury holidays are also now emerging as a new trend and more people are looking for exotic locations. In the past year, travel has matured by the day. Honeymoon trips are also gaining importance along with senior and women travel segments. Exotic and undiscovered destinations are gaining popularity.” “With high disposable incomes and changing preferences, Indian travellers are now beginning to spend more while on their holiday trips. Indian travellers visiting the USA are now looking at indulging into villa stays at the Caribbean’s, shopping, dining and sightseeing tours,” she added. Soma explains that the average spending habit of the Indian traveller has grown in the last few years. The consumer spending is approximately USD 360 per person per day. Nowadays travellers like to indulge in different adventurous sports such as scuba diving, walk with the lions, sky diving, sub-scooter, food, shopping, etc. The average duration of stay in Mauritius of Indian travellers is 6 nights and 7 days. The number of tourists travelling to Mauritius has increased over a period of time. The visitors to Mauritius range from honeymooners, family, experiential to luxury travellers. While beautiful landscapes, white sand beaches, golf, spa, adventure sports and penchant
Voyager’s World > October 2013
for shopping continue to attract travellers, the effort is to focus on new experiences such as soft adventures. The latest attraction has been the interaction with cubs, in addition to walk with lions and interacting with cheetahs, which are popular among Indians travelling to Mauritius. It is a chance to experience and study the natural behaviour of the wild life in the lap of nature. “The beauty of the cubs can really be appreciated closely, as part of the one-on-one experience with the wildlife. To add to the adventure sports, MTPA added Sea Karting for the enthusiastic tourists who love to enjoy water sports. One can discover the beauty of the Mauritian lagoons whilst driving at a Kart. For the experiential Indian traveller, Mauritius has various activities that include sky diving, adventure sports, yachting, glass boat adventure, undersea walk, parasailing, scuba diving,” she added. Celia explains that India has immense potential as a market for Melbourne. “With an increasing amount of disposable income in the country, we are seeing more individuals, couples and families exploring international destinations and travelling to Melbourne. There is tremendous opportunity in this region and we believe that with more awareness on the State of Victoria, Indians will discover a new and amazing destination to travel to. Indians are willing
Celia Ho
Tourism Victoria
India is one of the fastest growing markets for Tourism Victoria. They are spending more for a memorable, intriguing holiday.
Sky Diving, Mauritius
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21>> to spend more for a memorable and intriguing travel and holiday experience. Indian leisure travellers have become more sophisticated and are looking beyond established Southeast Asian destinations for their next overseas holiday. For Melbourne, this is augmented by significant numbers travelling to visit their friends and relatives in the state, as well as for sporting and cultural events. The growing segments in the India market include free and independent travel, luxury, honeymoons and business related travel.”
Mauritius Tourism
Lubaina stated: “The Indian traveller has now evolved from the plain itinerary follower to the experiential traveller. They travel not just for business but also purely for leisure, which is mainly due to the increasing disposable income, the rising stress levels resulting in the need for a break and to unwind. Changing trends we have noticed over a period of time is that VFR segment is a strong and consistent market, FITs is the fastest growing market, GITs primarily make up for first time travellers and seniors and MICE travel are becoming a strong market but primarily benefits short haul destinations.” The average stay of any Indian in Oman is 4N/5D and they are willing to splurge for comfort and adventure activities. Indians today are also going the ecofriendly holiday way. Jordan is for the highly mature and evolved traveler. It appeals to people who are inclined towards exploring something exotic which goes beyond the beaten track. Usually the standard stay averages out to about 4 nights. Promotional Campaigns VITO India carried out various marketing initiatives to increase Indian footfall into Indonesia. “We have had previously and will continue to have promotional campaigns such as par-
ticipation in tourism fairs, road shows and joint activities with airlines, host FAM tours for influential media and travel partners as well as organising sales missions to educate the travel trade about Indonesia,” Sanjay said. Though VITO India started its promotions with a focus on metro cities, from last quarter of last year it started activities in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities. It organised destination presentation in Nagpur, Coimbatore, Trichy, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nashik and Aurangabad to name a few. This year, it aims to continue educating and promoting Indonesia among these markets. Esther says: “We have a strong cooperation with Switzerland Tourism India for different promotion campaigns off and online within the target groups travel trade, end consumers and media.” Turkey Tourism Board has regularly participated in trade shows and conventions and held seminars for travel agents to market. It has also launched a new marketing campaign called Million Reasons that showcases the enchanting and rich experiences that the country has to offer and aims to stimulate the curiosity of the Indian travellers. The campaign includes a 30-second TV advertisement supported by online, print and outdoor elements. Trinidad and Tobago is currently focusing on some really exciting products that it will continue to promote. In the past year, it organised two FAM trips to T&T with some leading travel agents as well as media journalists. This year, it plans to go a step further by investing in joint co-operative campaigns to help create awareness among the travel trade as a primary focus. Tourism New Zealand works with a range of commercial partners in the India market. It has significant partnerships with airlines including Sin-
Manoharan Periasamy Director, Tourism Malaysia
Bako National Park, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur is a leading destination. A maturing Indian traveller aims to spend more on food, shopping and accommodation. www.voyagersworld.in
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Melbourne City Skyline
Bejan Dinshaw
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
India holds the top position as the emirate’s largest overseas source market and witnesses a good and steady increase in the number of Indians staying at Abu Dhabi.
gapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, for joint advertising and marketing campaigns. Currently, Tourism New Zealand has live campaigns with Thomas Cook, Make My Trip, eezego1.com and works with other travel agent partners throughout the year. Their trade partners are being trained to grow their selling capability by overhauling the Kiwi Specialist retail training programme, under the newly named 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme and introducing more incentives for travel agents. MTPA’s new campaigns will focus on quality tailored offerings that appeal to the Indian audience. In future, it is planning a pan-India ad campaign to create more visibility and augment product know how. Also to catch the eyes of young generation Mauritius
Voyager’s World > October 2013
tourism will be soon launching promotions on social media sites. Jamaican Tourism Board’s vision for 2013 is to position Jamaica as a vibrant and distinctive premier tourist destination in the Caribbean targeting the matured Indian traveller. Effort has been to promote Jamaica as a standalone destination and as an add-on destination for people travelling to the USA. The board uses an integrated marketing strategy with maximum thrust on public relations, and promotional activities dovetailing into one message. These integrated tactics are used to reach the travel trade as well as consumers. Jamaican Tourism Board has participated in travel trade Fairs like SATTE and OTM over the last few years providing a platform to Interface between Jamaican Suppliers and India
Travel Agents. Another reason which contributes to the footfall of visitors year-round is the festivals and events happening every month, which brings out the vibrant colours and Jamaican culture. It aims at promoting world renowned festivals in Jamaica like 23rd International Jazz festival, Reggae Sumfest 2013 and the Jamaica Restaurant Week in November in the Indian market. Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority is deploying a well-thought out strategy to tap the huge potential of the evolving Indian market, which includes promotional campaigns planned for both travel trade and the media. It plans to steer focus on the destination’s geographic diversity, natural assets, superb service levels, excellent business events infrastructure and growing attractions portfolio. It has joint promotions with the travel
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Cover Story Ozgur Ayturk
Turkish Embassy in India
The Indian market is booming and there is a growing number of Indian travellers coming in for leisure holidays.
trade from time to time and is in the process of launching another one month campaign with a leading tour operator to increase its visibility and reach among the right set of target audience.
Mauritius
Tourism Malaysia organises many entertaining events throughout the year. It recently organised F1 corporate event in Bangalore and Mumbai and will be organising golf events for women as well as food festivals and FAMs. In 2012, Tourism Victoria launched the ‘Melbourne NOW!’ campaign for the Indian travel industry and its customers which will showcase the sophistication of Melbourne city, its major hallmark events, the nature and wildlife experiences, and food and wine experiences. The two-stage campaign commenced with trade and consumer engagement activity that increased awareness of Victoria’s key offerings and brand attributes.
Dunns River, Jamaica
Goldeneye Resort, Jamaica Voyager’s World > October 2013
Travel agents were invited to develop and submit a range of new, innovative and commercially viable travel itineraries, which included a minimum four night stay, with at least one night to be spent in regional Victoria; and include at least two paid attractions in Melbourne and two paid attractions in regional Victoria. Trade partners responded with over 120 itineraries submitted from 71 agencies across India. Of these, 39 were selected for inclusion in the online consumer engagement campaign. The online consumer engagement campaign was hosted on Facebook. Through a ‘photo album’ style of engagement, visitors to the page were encouraged to select their favourite experiences in Melbourne and Victoria by placing them into their album. Once they selected their preferred experiences, the itineraries most closely matching their selections were delivered to them.
Consumers were asked to write a short paragraph on why they should win a trip to Victoria and voted for their favourite itinerary, whilst encouraged friends to vote for them to go into the draw to win the major prize. By the end of the Facebook campaign period, the campaign had attracted over 200,000 Indian Facebook fans, and had been seen by over five million consumers based in India. There were both trade and consumer winners at the end of Phase One. The winning consumers were selected on the number of shares/likes of their photo albums, and their written submission outlining why they should win the trip to Victoria. The winning agencies were those who had submitted the most popular itineraries. In Phase 2 of the campaign, the travel agents who created the winning itineraries were awarded with cooperative marketing funds (matched by the agent), which were used in conjunction with Tourism Victoria on campaigns to promote their itineraries. Ministry of Tourism, Oman has joined hands with Thomas Cook (India) offering a stopover in Oman as part of Thomas Cook India’s premium European Group Tours. Thomas Cook India’s UK-Europe bound premium travellers will now have a chance to visit Oman through the optional twoday stopover in Muscat. This package promotion is expected to attract over 800 passengers from May to September, 2013. The Sultanate of Oman also made changes to its tourism visa arrangements last year. These allow stopover passengers to enjoy a stay up to 10 days at a cost of 5 Omani Rial. The Jordan Tourism Board has run promotional videos in PVR Cinemas in select cities, which was followed by online banner ads and video clips on Yahoo! earlier this year. Through the year, it also ran the Jordan Specialist Online Programme for travel agents to generate destination exclusive ex-
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Petra by night, Jordan perts and to increase the knowledge about Jordan among travel agents. This will enable the agents to draw up itineraries and give appropriate advice to travelers who are looking at Jordan as a destination,” said Munnmunn. Air connectivity to India Air connectivity to Indonesia from India is fairly good with major airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways, etc. connecting various cities in India to Indonesia. Mauritius has direct connectivity and currently there are seven flights per week from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai to Mauritius. It is a visa-on-arrival system for Indians travelling to Jamaica. The UK and the USA are the closest entry points to the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, whose international airports are Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. As for Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, the national carrier of UAE, operates a total of 63 flights to Abu Dhabi from Mumbai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trivandrum, Calicut, Bangalore and Kochi. Apart from Etihad, Air India and Jet Airways also provide direct connectivity. “Following Etihad Airways equity stake in Jet Airways, these numbers
are stipulated to go up strikingly, also increasing online points to 23 Indian cities,” added Bejan. Trinidad and Tobago, high-end destinations that they are, attract leisure, FIT and honeymoon segments. The entry to the islands for Indians is visa-free, which is a benefit while promoting the destination. Both are easily accessible from the UK and the USA and have a lot to offer in terms of beaches, culture, carnival, outdoor adventure, natural and adventure activities as well. Currently six airlines, namely British Airways, Air India, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Jet Airways and Emirates Airlines connect to T&T from India either through USA or UK.
Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi
In the past one year, connectivity to T&T has improved with Etihad Airways flights to South America, Virgin Atlantic flights from Delhi to New York’s JFK via London and Jet Airways’ direct flights to the USA. The Caribbean Airlines also has announced four weekly non-stop flights on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays to London and thrice weekly services via Bridgetown, Barbados and onward to London, thus facilitating a daily service out of Trinidad. The increased flights and direct access from the Caribbean Airlines to T&T from June this year from London provide a great opportunity to work closely with the carrier for better con-
Fins Beach, Oman
www.voyagersworld.in
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26>> nectivity to the destination. Esther says that Qatar Airways flies four times a week from 12 Indian cities via Doha to Zürich. The Swiss International Airlines operates daily direct flight from Mumbai and Delhi to Zürich. Turkish Airlines has direct daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul and they have applied for necessary permission from the Indian authorities to double up the same, as well as to add new destinations within India like Bangalore, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, etc. Besides Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Air Arabia also have daily connecting flights from various cities of India to enable passengers to reach most destinations in Turkey within the same day, thus saving precious time. With direct and easily accessible flights to Istanbul, Antalya, Ankara, Agri, Adiyaman and Adana, there has been a boost in the segment.
Sabah, Malaysia
For New Zealand, there are no direct flights from India to New Zealand presently. Connecting flights on Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Cathay Pacific with stopovers in their respective hubs are available. “We keep collaborating with our airline partners to come up with attractive offers for Indian travellers to visit New Zealand. Recently, we tied up with Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines in campaigns to attract Indian families to visit our country,” added Mischa. Manoharan explains: “We are fortunate to have received such strong support from the Indian travel trade industry. Air links have improved significantly over the years and at present there are more than 96 direct flights per week from India to Malaysia. Air Asia runs daily flights from Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Kolkata to Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia have helped to boost Indian footfalls in Malaysia.” India has a good connectivity to Melbourne with a range of international flights flying to the capital of Victoria that includes Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and a few more. Air India has commenced daily 787 Dreamliner service to and from Melbourne. Tourism Victoria believes that this initiative will generate substantial visitor growth to Melbourne from India.
Cappadocia, Turkey Voyager’s World > October 2013
Oman is well connected through air by Oman Air, Jet Airways, Air India and Indigo. Its national carrier Oman Air operates from 10 different locations in India. Approximately, two and a
half hours away by air from Mumbai and three and a half hours away from Delhi, Oman is the ideal short haul destination for an idyllic break. Royal Jordanian is the national carrier of Jordan that flies direct into Amman from Delhi and Mumbai. The flight duration is 6.5 hours from New Delhi and 6 hours from Mumbai. The other airlines which fly into Jordan are Gulf Air, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways. New Products Turkey Tourism Board will launch its new website in the near future. It has also planned an array of contests and activities to promote Turkey as the ideal tourist destination. It recently started the e-visa system for citizens of 94 countries including India. Indian citizens who hold a valid Schengen visa or a valid visa from any of the OECD member countries or a valid residence permit in these countries can get their e-visa by using www.evisa.gov.tr without going to the Embassy or the Consulate. Apart from these, it is planning a five-city road show, in association with Turkish Hoteliers Federation and Travel Agents Association of Turkey, like the one it had organised last year in November. Tourism New Zealand runs on a threeyear marketing plan cycle, that ends in June. In the last three years, New Zealand was promoted as an attractive destination for families, MICE travellers and honeymooners among others. Trinidad & Tobago being a new and unexplored leisure destination for Indians, some of the tourism products on offer there are beach, culture, carnival, outdoor, leisure, history, nature and adventure sport tourism. Apart from these events, one can also indulge in some astonishing activities ranging from watersports to bird watching, diving to exploring the rainforest at Tobago. “Visitors can now add Ziplining to the wide range of eco and soft adventure activities that can be pursued during their holiday. These islands join other destinations in the Caribbean in making this increasingly popular activity available to both thrill seekers and adventure lovers. Zip lines are the best way to get a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking beauty at Macqueripe Bay, Chaguaramas, whilst at the same time experiencing all of the exhilaration that comes with such a heartstopping experience,” said Huzan. “The cultural aspect of T&T is one of the most important elements, what with the destination also known as
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Langkawi, Malaysia
Huzan Fraser
Trinidad & Tobago
The Indian outbound traveller is savvy and beginning to splurge on holiday trips. Luxury holidays are also emerging as a new trend and more people are looking for exotic locations. the home of the Caribbean Carnival. As an island, there are a lot of waterbased activities like cruising, yachting and surfing that one can indulge in. The destination is also blessed with the flora and fauna of South America, which makes the islands an excellent ecotourism destination. “Honeymoon couples can head straight to Tobago for a complete Caribbean honeymoon and will be truly amazed with what the destination has to offer them. One of the finest properties is the Stone Haven Villa, which has been voted by CNN.com as one of the top 10 Most Romantic Caribbean Retreats,” she said.
Zurich
T&T also received a taste of Bollywood when the movie, ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ starring Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan and Ishita Sharma, was filmed in Trinidad and Tobago for over a month and in 2007, making it the first Bollywood film to be shot there.
Manoharan explains: “The new tourism products are Legoland Malaysia, which is Asia’s first Legoland theme park and the sixth worldwide, will offer 40 rides, shows and displays of the famous Lego bricks of Denmark. The Sanrio Hello Kitty Town opened in October 2012, located in Puteri Harbour Theme Park is the first theme park outside Japan. An helicopter tour is an exciting way to observe Malaysia’s varied terrain, and an aerial view of skyscrapers and other manmade landmarks. The tours are available at major tourist destinations, namely in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Sabah.” With regard to Indonesia, Bali, Jakarta, Bintan and Batam have been the most popular destinations amongst Indian travellers. VITO’s focus in 2013 will be to promote Indonesia beyond Bali. Bali remains an icon for Indonesia but the tourism board will continue to promote destinations beyond Bali such as North Sumatra – Lake Toba, Jakarta -thousand island, Old
city Jakarta, Yogjakarta-Borobudur Temple and Prambanan Temple East Java-Mt. Bromo, Tengger culture, Mt. Semeru, Bali - Menjangan Island and Pemuteran, West Bali West Nusa Tenggara- Rinjani Mountain, Lombok, East Nusa Tenggara - Komodo Island. For incentive groups seeking something different, Oman offers a host of wide-ranging options. It is now being known for its array of tourist activities on offer such as water sports, rock climbing, dune bashing, trekking, cave exploration, dolphin watching and shopping in the souks. The country also features historic forts and castles, which are among many cultural landmarks that give the country its unique character. “The latest offering from Oman is Jebel Sifah, a relaxing 45-minute drive from Muscat, travelling through winding mountain roads and valleys into a contemporary development. Jebel Sifah captures a space of 6.2 million square metres, making it the
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Zurich most prevalent ongoing development in the country. The space borders the Hajjar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman and has an 18-hole PGA Golf Course, a large inland Marina, Marina Town. The project introduces international brand hotels into the region with lavish names, as the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Missoni, the Sifawy Boutique Hotel, the first Marina front hotel in an Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITC) of Oman,” stated Lubaina. “Travellers can go mountain climbing in the spectacular Hajjar Mountains, where the growing popularity of team-building expeditions lends itself to some truly stunning views and experiences. After a day climbing up the 3,000m high peak of Jebel Shams, an overnight accommodation option is to stay at a camp retreat set amongst the dramatic landscape of this mountain,” she said. “Sustainable and eco-tourism also feature highly in the latest line-up of options offered as part of the Omani incentives market. The once-in-a-lifetime view of green turtles nesting on the beaches of Ras al-Jinz is a breathtaking opportunity, where visitors can be provided luxury accommodation in the turtle sanctuary itself. We are positioning Oman as an upcoming MICE destination with the setting up of a world-class conference facility by 2017. The two-million sq m Oman
Voyager’s World > October 2013
Wadi Rum Camels, Jordan Convention and Exhibition Centre has a 3,000-seat Convention Centre, four hotels and serviced apartments supported by a major regional retail facility,” she added. Munnmunn explains: “Petra is home to giant red mountains and vast mausoleums and is Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here over 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1 km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80m high cliffs. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. At the end of the Siq, you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury). A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved out of the sheer, dusky pink rock-face and dwarfing everything around it. It was carved in the early first century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people. Wadi Rum is a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity and its destructive forces.” Dead Sea the world’s most amazing place; the Jordan Rift Valley is a dra-
matic, beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level. The lowest point on the face of the earth, this stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including River Jordan. The Jordanian east coast of the Dead Sea has evolved into a major hub of both religious, health and wellness tourism in the region. Aqaba is a fun place. “It is a microcosm of all the good things Jordan has to offer, including a fascinating history, with some outstanding sites, excellent hotels and activities superb visitor facilities, shopping, and friendly people, who enjoy nothing more than making sure that their visitors have a good time,” she added. Indians are willing to spend more on unique, experiential accommodation, beyond star category rooms and hotels. They are booking luxury-tented accommodations, double pool villas and historically luxurious suites when they travel abroad. This has made them the highest spenders on an average when travelling overseas. They are discovering self-drive holidays for the luxury of exploring a destination at their own pace. They are indulging in vintage car drive and Ferrari self-drives. The evolved Indian traveller dreams to experience Hotels and resorts like Half Moon and Golden Eye, which are the epitome of luxury. Jamaica offers the world’s most renowned all-inclusive honeymoon resorts – Sandals Montego Bay and Couples Sans Souci, Ocho Rios. A
paradise for avid shoppers, from original Jamaican Blue mountain coffee to Appleton rum, straw-hats and ceramics to Reggae music and clothing, Jamaica offers a gamut of luxury and entertainment options for the avid traveller,” said Pourushasp. Abu Dhabi has great attractions like the world’s fastest rollercoaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, an exhibition at Saadiyat Island, the future home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi - the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, besides the dunes on a desert safari or golf on a championship course. “The newest entrant is the swanky Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal offering a touch of Venetian glamour on the banks of a Gulf waterway. Besides, we have the Emirates Palace, ranked among the world’s most opulent hotels; two five-star resorts on Saadiyat Island- the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi; Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which operates three five-star properties in Abu Dhabi- the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, the Desert Islands Resort & Spa on the getaway island of Sir Bani Yas and the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort & Spa which translates as the Mirage Palace and is hidden away among the towering dunes of the Liwa Desert, that marks the entry to the famed Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), the world’s largest uninterrupted sand mass,” added Bejan.
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MADHYA PRADESH: abounding with diverse wildlife Madhya Pradesh prides itself on several facets of attractions and wildlife is one of the most distinct of them all, what with its sprawling national parks and forests sheltering multitudes of flora and fauna. BANDHAVGARH The Bandhavgarh National park, best known for the highest tiger population in the country, teems with a variety of wildlife. Also the original home of white tigers, spread over 448 sq km, Bandhavgarh has over 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birdlife. They are common langurs, rhesus macaque, Asiatic jackal, Bengal fox, sloth bear, ratel, striped hyena, jungle cat, leopard, tiger, wild pig, spotted deer, chausingha, nilgai, chinkara, small Indian civet. Common birds found here are sarus crane, black kite, crested serpent eagle, black vulture, Egyptian Vulture, common peafowl, red jungle fowl, kingfisher and Indian roller.
Tourists can either opt for jeep safari or elephant back and a forest guide will accompany you.
PENCH Nestled in the southern slopes of the Satpura ranges, Pench Tiger Reserve (757.90 sq km) comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary.
grey- headed fishing eagle, whiteeyed buzzard and vultures are found here. Tourists can go on a jeep safari or elephant rides to tour the forest.
Known as the original setting of the Jungle Book, the area is known for its huge population of gaur (Indian Bison), cheetal, sambhar, nilgai, wild dog and wild pig. The key predators are tiger, leopard, wild dog and wolf, besides sloth bear, chousingha, chinkara, barking deer,palm civet, jungle cat, hyena and porcupine. Over 285 species of birds as Malabar pied hornbill, Indian pitta, osprey, KANHA Sprawling over 940 sq km, Kanha National Park forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Some of the animals spotted here are striped palm squirrel, common langur, jackal, chital, black buck, tiger, Indian hare, dhole, striped hyena, chausingha, ratel, Indian pangolin. The birds here consist of cattle egret, pond heron, black ibis, peafowl, crested serpent, red wattled lapwing, woodpecker, parakeet, babbler, mynah, Indian roller and grey hornbill, as well as water birds. A stay for at least three nights is recommended. There is no facility to encash traveller’s cheques.
How to reachBy Air- Jabalpur airport (190 km) By Rail- Jabalpur (190 km), Katni (102km) & Satna (120 km) By Road- From Katni, Satna, Rewa, Jabalpur, Khajuraho to Tala Best Season- Mid October to June. Park is closed from 1 July to 15 October due to rains. Your Host- White Tiger Forest Lodge (07627) 265406 (MPT)
Best Time- Best time to visit is summer; open from 16 Oct to 30 June. By Air- Nearest airport is Nagpur (92 km) and Jabalpur airport (200 km) By Rail- Nagpur junction By Road- Via Khawasa(12km), Chhindwara(120km), Seoni(60 km) Your Host- Kipling’s Court (07695) 232830 (MPT)
Best Season- Mid October to June. (The park is closed from 1July to 15th Oct. due to rains) By Air- Jabalpur (160 km), Raipur-240 km and Nagpur-335 km By Rail- Jabalpur & Bilaspur By Road- Daily buses to Kisli & Mukki from Jabalpur & back. Taxis on hire from Jabalpur, Bilaspur and Raipur. Your Host- Baghira Log Huts,Kisli (07649) 277227 (MPT); Tourist Hostel,Kisli (07649) 277310 (MPT) Kanha Safari Lodge,Mukki (07636) 290715(MPT).
www.voyagersworld.in
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All we are saying is...
GIVE INCREDIBLE A CHANCE
Are we promoting Incredible India in the way it deserves to be promoted? FIROZ FAZIL
I
s Indian tourism ministry doing enough to promote domestic tourism? Should the tourism ministry have a separate wing to promote domestic tourism just like in countries such as the UK? These are questions that need to be answered by the industry stakeholders. We throw them to a cross section of industry stakeholders in the hope of arriving at an informed decision. Let’s hope this helps in some ways towards the promotion of our India’s attractions. Are we doing enough? Should we have a separate wing within the tourism ministry to promote domestic tourism in countries like the UK? E.M. Najeeb, Chairman of ATE Group of Companies, doesn’t believe that India needs a separate wing for the promotion of domestic tourism.
Voyager’s World > October 2013
He says: “The Ministry of Tourism is giving equal importance to domestic tourism like the inbound tourism. A country like India with many states, cultures, languages and attractions have tremendous possibility for promoting domestic tourism. At present, the tourism ministry can well handle the promotion of domestic tourism also, for which a separate wing is not very essential. The India Tourism has launched two new campaigns, one for international and the other for domestic. The international campaign is known as ‘Find What You Seek’ and the domestic campaign is named as ‘Go Beyond’. The ‘Go Beyond’ campaign focuses on promoting lesserknown domestic destinations for domestic and international tourists.” He feels that India should focus more on domestic tourism as a major economic activity than the inbound tourism, as international tourism depends on various socio-political, eco-
nomic and environmental developments happening around the world. “India is a vast destination with all attractions what we seek for, and can have a large tourism movement within,” says Najeeb. Anita Mendiratta, Founder-Managing Director of Cachet Consulting, says: “The Indian Tourism Ministry is acutely aware of what exactly it is that is driving, or hindering, growth of the tourism sector, and therefore unlocking its invaluable economic and social impact – creating jobs, generating earnings, inspiring investment, protecting and preserving natural, cultural and historical environments, building identity, engaging citizenry and increasing national competitiveness. The domestic tourism segment has become one of the pillars of the national tourism strategy, and its underlying policies.”
“The Tourism Ministry has embraced domestic tourism as not just a way of boosting tourism economy returns, but also increasing the pride and appreciation of Indians in their being a part of one of the greatest destinations on earth. For domestic tourism to continue to achieve impact, it needs to remain a part of the greater national tourism strategy and set of priorities.” Subhash Goyal, Chairman of STIC Travel Group and IATO President, says “As domestic tourism continues to grow at double digit - in last count in 2011, it crossed 851 million. It is averaging a growth of 12% on YoY basis and its more progressive (when countries in Europe, USA, the flow is less and due to high exchange value of US$, it is more affordable to travel with in India). “No doubt, since the 8th Five Year
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EM Najeeb
ATE Group of companies
Destination promotion is not the main responsibility of the trade; instead they have to focus more on experiential product development for domestic tourists based on the interest of domestic markets in India and they market it well. Suitable hotels, entertainment, transport and activities must be developed.
Plan (1992-97) in the Central Plan, there is more thrust on development on domestic tourism and a separate division is looking into each segment of domestic tourism infrastructure, marketing, promotions, skill development, focused thematic products- festivals & fairs, pilgrimage, wellness, sports, education, rural tourism and related activities with all state tourism departments. It is
Voyager’s World > October 2013
taking the inputs of IATO and other domestic stakeholders like Domestic Tour Operators Association, hotels’ association, eco-tourism association, heritage association, adventure tourism association, ICPB, IRCTC, banks, tourism educational institutes and many more.” “So there is a sincere effort from the government’s side. It has under-
stood that international tourism can prosper on a solid domestic tourism base and it is a business round the year and not at all disturbed by any negative events as Indians by nature will travel on socio-religious, business, education, pilgrimage, holidays and on any reason on any season. Our domestic tourism segment in the Ministry is well-organized and run by specific pre-determined norms. It
is a system much stronger than any European as may be seen from the volume which is now approaching one billion by 2013. Which European countries can’t even think to handle?” asks Subhash. S N Suresh, Manager - Marketing Ascon Travel Pvt Ltd, is critical of the Indian tourism for not doing enough for the promotion of domestic tourism. He says: “India is an enchanted land endowed with lots of natural and man-made resources whose potential can be harnessed, yet it is not so. The so-called ‘tourism industry’ itself is not recognized as an ‘industry’. Nevertheless, it can provide largescale employment and earn lots of forex to our country. The Indian tourism industry which has got a miniscule place in the central budget does not constitute even 1% of the world tourism statistics which is very deplorable. For namesake we do have a “tourism ministry” which is headed by some government babus and some clerks who have no inkling about how and where the tourism needs to be promoted.” He further said: “Considering the size and population of our country it is imperative to have a separate domestic tourism section which needs to have enough resources and information to promote domestic tourism which can generate enough revenue. Post-9/11, fears of terrorism led to unprecedented cancellations, many travel companies faced
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lots of hardships, closures, laid off staff, etc. The domestic tourism in India was the breadwinner during this period and flourished very well which itself is a great testimony, even though it is not even recognized as an industry.” Is the Indian government taking action to grow domestic tourism? Anita feels that it is doing enough. She says: “Domestic tourism is prioritized within the Ministry of Tourism, strategically and operationally. With the efforts undertaken by the Tourism Ministry as regards, for example, creation of reduced admission prices for Indian nationals at attractions of cultural / historical significance as well as in hotels and resorts, promotion of festivals and specific points of national pride across the nation, year-round encouragement of travel especially in off-season periods, and incentivisation of accelerated investment into 2-star to 4-star hotels, demonstrates the tourism Ministry’s understanding of the value of Domestic Tourism, year-round. The results speak for themselves: 669 million domestic tourists in 2009, 748 million in 2010 and., 851m in 2011. (Source: MOT India).” Trade’s role Najeeb feels that it is the trade and the private sector tourism industry that drive the tourism business forward. “Destination promotion is not
Voyager’s World > October 2013
their main responsibility; instead they have to concentrate more on experiential product development for domestic tourists based on the interest of the domestic tourism markets in India and they should market it well. Suitable hotels, entertainments, transportations, and tourist activities have to be developed to attract the tourists.” “At the same time, destination pro-
motion should be taken up jointly by the state tourism as well as India Tourism. The trade should develop products, package them suitably, price them reasonably and publicize them well, and above all deliver the experiences promised without any gap between the promise and the delivery.” Suresh says that the trade in India should come together and formulate
bodies which would earmark tourism sectors in the domestic circuits, improve infrastructure like roads, sanitation, toilets, connectivity, boarding and lodging in and around the tourism places. “The hotels – keeping in mind the low budget of the Indian traveller – should be chosen in different categories (not more than three star) and should be with basic facilities with trained staff to handle the clients”
Ajanta Paintings, Aurangabad, Maharashtra For tourist information on India, please contact: Indiatourism - (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India) 123 M. Karve Road, Opp.Churchgate station, Mumbai 400 020 Tel: 022-22074333/34, Email: indiatourism-mum@nic.in Website: www.incredibleindia.org.
Incredible India
36>> “It is the trade that has opened up many new states which were hither to not known in global or local markets like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Assam by holding tourism workshops and even IATO conventions, etc. The trade is the link between state and holidayers, both domestic and international. Trade is doing what is the best possible:- Forming partnership with the state government in promotions, infrastructure development, creating new circuits, holding exhibitions/conventions in the state where states showcasing their products, signing MoUs with the state government for facilitation, air-connectivity, and all other areas which can make states to prosper in the field of tourism, earn revenue, create jobs and reach global markets through trade contacts overseas.”
Anita Mendiratta Cachet Consulting
The Tourism Ministry has embraced domestic tourism as not just a way of boosting tourism economy returns, but also increasing the appreciation of Indians in being a part of one of the greatest destinations. Domestic tourism needs to remain a part of the greater national tourism strategy and set of priorities.
He says that this is possible only if we have a firm tourism policy, proper tourism boards who in liaison with the Govt and private partnership can make this happen. Anita also feels that the travel trade plays a critical role in influencing traveller decision-making. It is the travel trade which has the ability to either directly or indirectly plant the seed in the mind of travellers’ destination options for their serious consideration.” “Destination India has so much to
Voyager’s World > October 2013
offer, so much to be discovered and enjoyed for travellers across the subcontinent. Recent weakening of the rupee has added an additional incentive to take a holiday within India rather than going overseas. For the travel trade it is a win-win-win for their customers, their business and their nation,” she said. According to Goyal, the trade is working as an extended hand of the Tourism Ministry by investing in infrastructure development under Public Private Partnerships, for mar-
keting new products as developed by states, working out new travel circuits in each state to facilitate overall development of each state, working out educational tours, state destination excellence training programme, awareness programme, tourism workshops/seminars involving state governments motivating them to improve infrastructure, provide facilitation of movements of vehicles, reduce tax structure, holding conference in states (which brings revenue to state/jobs to state) and bring out promotional materials.”
Destination rebranding Should Indian tourism undertake a separate destination marketing and branding exercise other than Incredible India campaign to promote domestic tourism? Domestic tourism is, and must remain, part of a greater whole, says Anita. “The segment is a channel through which the ‘Incredible India’ brand needs to be brought to life in a way that compels Indians to travel within their own country – speaking to Indians in a way that inspires them based on their interests, their travel opportunities, their budgets, what they define as ‘incredible’ when it comes to holiday experiences – and naturally complements the global brand message. Alignment to the over-arching brand message and principles of activation is critical to effective, efficient, synergistic destination promotion, across the country and throughout the year.” Najeeb feels that India Tourism should launch campaigns promoting locations within the country and motivating Indian travelers. “India Tourism has already launched a campaign slogan ‘Go Beyond’ for domestic tourism during the WTM 2012 by the Union Tourism Minister Dr. Chiranjeevi. I think we should intensify that campaign and its related efforts,” he added. Domestic tourism, according to Suresh, earlier was confined only to visiting relatives and friends or a pilgrimage; but with the rise in the disposable income it has changed the perception of an average Indian tourist who would like to spend more time for leisure rather than visiting
Incredible India
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Subhash Goyal IATO President
It is the trade that has opened up many new states which were hither to not known in global or local markets like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Assam by holding tourism workshops and even IATO conventions, etc. The trade is the link between state and holidayers, both domestic and international.
relatives, friends or pilgrimage.
among friends and relatives.”
He further said: “Incredible India is an excellent marketing and branding exercise which has caught up very well. The marketing and branding of the domestic tourism is slightly different than selling India as a whole to the outer world. The marketing segmentation for domestic tourism needs to be based on the age group, places of interest, price and affordability as Indian traveller is very pricesensitive. Domestic travel inside our country is as expensive as going to a neighbouring country which is why we see a surge in Indian travellers going abroad. The very feeling of visiting a foreign land is something very different, a much talked-about subject
There are many bottlenecks that remain as the stumbling blocks in the promotion of domestic tourism sector. What can be done to tide over these issues? Bottlenecks What are the bottlenecks that remain as the stumbling blocks in the promotion of domestic tourism sector? According to Najeeb, lack of infrastructure is one main impediment in the development of tourism in the country. “Domestic tourists in big numbers choose surface transport including rail and road. Unless good facilities are developed for the same,
it would be a distant dream. Taxation disparity in interstate transport movement is a major concern. The permit systems and tax structure among the states should be standardized. The centre should coordinate with the states and initiate a dialogue with them. Safety measures have to be utmost priority on the roads as well as at the locations. The railway should provide more bogies for tourists. Garbage management and cleanliness should be made a priority at tourist locations, roads, and railway stations. Strategic actions should be triggered off for the same.” According to Suresh, firstly bottlenecks are aplenty and will remain if we don’t recognize the industry and
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Incredible India
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tag it as an industry. “There needs to be change in the mindset that this billion dollar industry which does not even have a industry status can be a big money spinner. Secondly government’s tax structure and facilitating regional tourism players to improve their regions needs to be earmarked. Participation of state government tourism boards in coordination with regional players, experts in promoting a particular area needs to be emphasized. “Thirdly, the right pricing along with improvement in infrastructure, connectivity and promotion will ensure flow of tourist without much problems. Fourthly, we need to be proud of our heritage and culture which is by no means less than any other country on this globe. Despite being endowed with all the resources, our focus is not on tourism, but other industries which will and cannot flourish unless we are focussed,” said Suresh. Anita says that central to the challenges of domestic tourism for India, and an array of destinations across the globe, is inspiring travellers to invest their hard-eared holiday time and budgets into a holiday in their homeland rather than overseas. “Ultimately, Indians are the strongest and most credible champions when it comes to promoting the destination. For this reason, it is vital that the people of India feel excited, invited, and proud, to travel and explore their own country – and discover for them-
Voyager’s World > October 2013
selves why their country is seen by the world as truly ‘incredible.” New policy initiatives Should we have new policy initiatives for the promotion of domestic tourism sector in India? According to Suresh, firstly, the Indian Tourism Ministry should get the industry tag for the tourism industry; budgets need to be allocated for this purpose. New circuits need to be found and routes charted. Secondly, trained manpower, infrastructure, connectivity needs to be improved, last but not the least the govt should work in tandem with the private bodies to work on pricing to woo the domestic tourist which can be sizeable amount of contribution in the economy. Najeeb wants the India Tourism Ministry to come out with new supportive policies focused to trigger off the domestic tourism sector in India. “Excellent campaigns should be launched partnering with State governments. Hotels, hospitality centers, transport, etc should be supported and incentivized. A vision document namely ‘Domestic Tourism Vision 2023’ should be launched, which pronounces our policies for Domestic Tourism in India in the coming 10 years.” As Anita says, maintaining an approach to domestic tourism that connects to, and complements, national tourism brand and marketing efforts in other markets, is vital to holistic brand, destination, and tourism economy growth and development.
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Online Travel
railyatri.in keeps trains on ‘track’ Manish Rathi, Co-Founder, CEO and Chief Product Officer, RailYatri.in, talks about the need for and the scope of tracking trains in India’s vast rail network. VW BUREAU
Manish Rathi RailYatri.in
Train travel in India has largely been a social experience, undertaken with friends and family. We are now witnessing a growing trend where people are actively engaging online regarding their travel experience. The social nature of travel has now become a major online feature as well.
Inspiration The inspiration for RailYatri.in actually came while undertaking a train journey. I wondered why there was no way to track trains when an 8X10 inch courier could be tracked so easily. Then again, there was the fact that trains are a key artery of our transport network comprising almost 80% of the travel segment. It was surprising that the needs of train passengers have remained largely unaddressed so far. The sheer scale of railways presented a huge opportunity for us. On a more personal note, we all have been travelling by trains throughout our lives. We had started out with a simple mission to answer – ‘Where is my train?” Today, that question has led us to an entire gamut of exciting new opportunities. Initial hurdles Our challenges were no different from first time entrepreneurs. However the fact that we were treading on a completely unfamiliar territory added to the complexity. Indian Railways generates mammoth amounts of data every day. Crunching such huge
data to draw information relevant to passenger needs was a big task. We had to focus on our R&D as well as technology to ensure that we were developing the right products and solutions. We had to adopt a handson approach where we spent quality time understanding how railways operated. Funding At this stage we are evaluating and analysing different growth opportunities and we will continue evaluating further fund raising depending on the growth factors. Yes, we did raise funds in the past. USP Our most distinctive factor is that we are the pioneers in this domain. Train passengers today can access customised information in various ways. We have brought forth specific microsites dedicated to events of high interest such as Kumbh, Fog etc. We also introduced visual representation of train running information on Google maps through RailRadar.
Our marketing strategies and promotional activities centre on the ultimate customer i.e., the train passenger. We believe in building conversations with customers that would be mutually beneficial. The idea is not only to inform about our latest initiatives but also understand passenger needs in greater depth. Social media has been a great enabler in this direction. We have a very active community of over 110,000 people on Facebook and an active presence on Twitter as well. Our aim is to reach out to passengers across a variety of platforms. What is encouraging is that the feedback we have received from our online community has helped us design better and more targeted solutions. Plans We definitely look forward to exploring fresh opportunities beyond our current set of digital offerings. We are deliberating on some proposals and will be able to share details post due diligence.
Present market We feel that we entered the market at the right time when it was ready for products like ours. With the onset of the internet revolution, the entire product delivery and consumption model has undergone a change. Businesses have become customer driven and it is possible to design and develop customised solutions. People are now looking for products that meet their specific requirements in the fastest manner possible. The timing is absolutely apt for businesses that are willing to take calculated risks, experiment and adapt to customer needs. Trends Train travel in India has largely been a social experience, undertaken with friends and family. At RailYatri.in, we have always appreciated the social nature of train journeys and have focused our efforts in this direction. We are now witnessing a growing trend where people are actively engaging online regarding their travel experience. The social nature of travel has now become a major online feature as well. Challenges The challenges for us were similar to those faced by entrepreneurs in general. However, there was always a greater level of uncertainty as we were treading on a completely uncharted territory with no precedence to rely on. Conceptualising and executing a solution that targets around 80% of India’s travel base involves dealing with huge numbers. The key for us was to ensure that we make smart decisions in areas such as product management, R&D etc. Working in close collaboration with the Indian Railways to understand their operations, was a major learning experience for us. In order to ensure an in-depth understanding of the space, we continue to invest our time and energies in gaining greater knowledge of the various operations of railways. This kind of hands-on approach ensures that we are able to create the right kind of products to facilitate smarter train travel.
www.voyagersworld.in
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Self-Drive Cars
New-age travellers prefer self-drive cars Rajiv Vij, CEO & MD, Carzonrent (I) LTD, is betting big on the potential of self-drive car service in India what with the emergence of an assertive new-age traveller. VW BUREAU
Rajiv Vij
CEO & MD, Carzonrent (I) LTD
In this era of smart phones, youngsters (25-35) are looking for economical self-drive options to drive out. Theemerging travel consumer who is more into discovery and adventure. Beginning There was always a necessity for structured cab rental industry in India. When Carzonrent started, the motivation was to provide a comfortable and safe travel to the customers. With roads getting better and technology becoming navigation-friendly, we realized it was high time we launched self-drive facility in India, a popular trend in the Western countries. More so, the Indian traveler is evolving and is going to tour more and spend more. A professional service that gives them the freedom to travel their own way is the need of the hour. Potential The taste of travel has changed a lot in these 15 years and is still changing. Now, people love to explore places by themselves and India has a plethora of destinations that are yet to be discovered. In this era of iphone and smart phones the youngsters (25-35) have started looking for economical self-drive options to drive out. Besides leisure group, Small Medium Entrepreneurs also do a lot of business travel. They find it relevant to hire cab with self-drive option rather going for chauffeur. Currently we are growing at a steady 18% growth rate, present in 35 cities, nine major airports and 20 hotels and plan to expand to 100 cities in the next three years. We are well funded. Growth rate/plans We have launched outstation, international tie-up with 150 countries and self-drive facility across India. In the last two years, we have grown at
Voyager’s World > October 2013
18% and are expecting to grow 25% . Marketing strategies The trust of customers and the quality service assurance guarantee is our USP. We, till date, have 30 lakhs satisfied customers annually; 20,000 customers travel daily with our brand. 100% service assurance is a recent initiative we have taken for EasyCabs. Future offerings Experts see two categories of Indian travellers growing — at the top end and the middle/lower middle — as incomes rise. This isn’t true just for India but Asia Pacific at large. From around 700 million people in the middle class in 2011, the number is set to touch 2.1 billion by 2030, signalling the rise of what is called the consuming class (annual household income of $5,000 plus). The biggest chunk of this growth will come from China and India. Indian travel industry, car rental in specific, has a huge potential for expansion. Only 12% is with organized players. There is a huge gap between demand and supply of travel service for customers. Tier I and II cities have enormous potential. In this coming financial year we will focus on selfdrive and Outstation across India. Maturity of market The market is on the phase of consolidation and people are looking for quality service than the neighbourhood cab rental service provider, offering dilapidated cabs.
Latest trends India’s middle class will grow from the present 5% to 50% by 2030. Similarly, HNIs are expected to grow
six fold by 2030 — from around 0.2 million in 2011 to over 1.2 million by 2030. This segment will fuel growth at the luxury end of the market. The upcoming trends in this segment is the corporates and businessmen are frequently traveling with cab rental companies as the companies find it economical and a way for cost cutting in travel budgets. Challenges Based on a survey, only 62% of people are aware about the availability of self-drive service in India. However, 90% said, given a chance they would love to experience this service.
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Travel Events
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Travel is never independent of culture Akshuna Bakshi, Founder, Travelista, talks about the second edition of the travel festival, that took place in Dilli Haat INA recently. VW BUREAU as travelling is never independent of these elements intrinsic to a culture or place. Our festival aims to serve as a platform to promote such elements in an exciting and unique way. Being a travel filmmaker in the UK, I realised that travel filmmaking and travel photography are very popular especially amongst backpackers.
About the Travelista festival Travelista is the first travel film, photography and culture festival of India and aims to bring an eclectic mix of travel films, photography, cultural products, handicrafts, innovative art and upcoming designers and travel entrepreneurs under one roof. Travelista is a person who loves travel, culture, food, heritage, art and design
However, in India, very few people are aware of this genre and seldom document their tales and travel experiences on camera. So I always wanted to start something that encourages more people and filmmakers to pick up their camera and shoot every time they travel and break the preconceived notions one often has about a culture or destination! The response to the first edition of the festival was amazing. We re-
ceived over 200 films from all round the world and a huge number of travel photographs from India. Lonely Planet’s photographers Pete Seaward conducted an exclusive travel photography workshop for our festival audience at the festival. Besides, we had talented designers, artisans and brands who showcased their unique products at the festival! Highlights of the second edition The festival was an absolute delight for travel junkies, culture vultures, art and shopping lovers! For this edition, India’s leading backpacking company, indianbackpacker.com’s Akshay Chhugani joined hands with Travelista who also organised some fun backpacking and travel games. Nomadic film screenings under the moonlit sky, funky rickshaws, roadside carts selling cutting chai and popcorn,
a zillion shopping stalls and colourful art installations were some of the attractions of the Travelista festival. Products exhibited at the festival were a unique representation of Indian and international culture; ranging from Lucknowi saree with a Marilyn Monroe portrait, travel-themed vanity boxes, kitsch T-shirts, Bollywood cushion covers, Indian jewellery, Pakistani apparels, French and Ikkat scarfs, bags, clutches and more. The festival showcased winning entries of the Travel Photography Festival, submitted by many backpackers, professional and amateur photographers. The Travel Wall of Fame had photographs of people posing in various destinations and a fun ‘Travelista Tourist Studio’ where one could pose and get his/her picture clicked with their favourite world wonder.
Kerala Travel Mart to step up PPP model Abraham George, the newly elected President of Kerala Travel Mart, shares his plans in his new undertaking, among other initiatives for the forthcoming edition. VW BUREAU build on the rapport with the Kerala Government and Kerala Tourism to bring together the business fraternity and entrepreneurs behind the tourism products and services of Kerala. I also aim to assist the members in presenting the problems and issues concerning the tourism trade, to the appropriate government authorities or other agencies, and obtain the redressal of such grievances. I will reach out to the members and accept their suggestions to take KTM to the next level. Mandate as the new KTM President The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) is the single largest body representing the tourism sector in Kerala. The organisation functions on the democratic principle that the KTM is ‘by the members and for the members’. My first priority, therefore, is to protect the interests of members by strengthening the business network to Kerala. I will further
KTM’s role in augmenting Kerala’s tourism potential Kerala has grown to become a global brand in tourism today. To the discerning traveller, the state is a wide repertoire of possibilities for enhancing one’s experience. In that respect, the tourism potential of the state is huge. Therefore, we need to invite and organise study tours of foreign
travel agents, tourism promotion agencies and travel writers to disseminate information on the range of possibilities the state can offer. Kerala is the only state in the country where a long and sustained publicprivate partnership in the tourism sector has yielded rich dividends, and opened up a plethora of opportunities for further development. We are planning several steps to strengthen this partnership. There will be training programmes for the members of the industry in the coming months. We also want to plan the future by involving students of travel and tourism in the state’s tourism development project, through various training programmes. We will conduct travel marts, roadshows, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, study tours and visits to tell the world more about Kerala, besides brochures and ads.
Plans for Kerala Travel Mart 2014 Preparations for KTM 2014 have already begun and the event will be much bigger than the previous edition. The different committees for the organisational functioning have been formed well ahead of time towards achieving that goal. In 2014, we want to ensure participation from the maximum number of countries. KTM will take the initiative to reach out to new markets and to also source quality buyers to visit Kerala in the coming years, besides organising roadshows in various countries with the support of Kerala Tourism. Other highlights of KTM KTM’s strength is reflected in the increasing participation of Sellers and Buyers. An important initiative will be in social responsibility. We will reach out to the tourism locations and educate the industry about their role in empowering the local community.
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Travel Events
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IATO Convention: Seeking ways to redefine the industry VW BUREAU
T
he Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators held at Le Meridien, Kochi, sought ways to tide over the many crises and dilemmas faced by the Indian travel trade. Themed “Indian Tourism: Innovations and Partnerships,” the convention gave a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the challenges, potentials, technological advancements and the future of the industry. Kerala CM Oommen Chandy inaugurated the convention in the presence of Union Consumer Affairs Minister of State Prof. K.V. Thomas, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, K.C. VENUGOPAL, Kerala Tourism Minister P. Anil Kumar, Additional Director General (Tourism) Usha Sharma, KTDC Chairman Vijayan Thomas, Kerala Secretary Tourism Suman Billa, etc. In his welcomes address, IATO Chairman Arun Anand mentioned about value additions like IATO Run for Responsible Tourism, Auction wall to raise funds for charity, etc. In the presidential address, IATO President Subhash Goyal talked
Voyager’s World > October 2013
about the reasons for adopting “Indian Tourism “Innovations and Partnerships” as the convention theme and the bottlenecks that are impacting the tourism industry. According to him, Indian tourism needs special efforts to have visa relaxation, improved infrastructure, look for new markets like Brazil and Africa etc. Air connectivity and budget hotels are the need of the hour to make India competitive. He said that only tourism can solve India’s problems of Foreign Exchange Balance of Payment, Current Account Deficit (CAD), employment and poverty eradication. He appealed to the government to exempt the industry from service tax. “In inbound tourism 1000 dollars we earn, 99% remain in the country. It generates millions of jobs in rural, backward and remote areas, giving fillip to local handicraft, cuisine, art and culture. No other industry gives the government and the country a better return on investment. So in order to turn this tide we have to give better incentives to inbound tourism than we give to physical exports by
exempting us from Service Tax and seriously considering for a 5 year tax holiday on Income Tax like was given to the Software industry, and this will put inbound tourism on a real fast track. It will make India a competitive destination, thus increasing the flow
of tourist into the country,” he said. He further said that there should be no hurdles in the flow of inbound tourists to India. The trade has been facing visa problems for their groups and FITs for which IATO has been demanding a hassle-free visa on arrival
Travel Events
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ity, FAITH. “We do not want Airlines and Hoteliers to undercut us on their websites. We want airlines to protect our commission,” he concluded. A.P. Anil Kumar talked about state government’s positive marketing strategies which have been drawn up to boost international tourist arrivals in Kerala and strong partnerships developed with all stakeholders.
and E-visas. If this is done tourism arrivals to India will grow by at least 2040%.in the next two years, said Goyal. Another opportunity, he said, is to turn the tide and earn millions of dollars through cruise tourism, which is on the rise. There are many worldclass cruise liners that are touching our shores now. “They carry from 1000 to 3000 thousand passengers on board and when they dock we have so many tourists on our land. But unfortunately we are slow in turning these events into opportunity as most of these guests shy away from taking shore excursions on our land. The hassles are: very high port charges, delays at immigration,
etc. The cruise liners have 8 to 9 hours at the port and 3-4 hours are spent in immigration clearance only. Further the docking area is not appealing. There are no air-conditioned lounge facilities or international standards. Just like we are building world-class airports we should build world class cruise terminals on all our major seaports,” he added. He also stressed the need for keeping hygiene across all tourist destinations, especially those heritage sites and the need for improving infrastructure. He lamented that today travel agents and tour operators have
become endangered species. “Airlines have stopped giving us commissions. Hoteliers get benefit in the name of tourism but when we want to diversify into development of tourism infrastructure, the funds are available to us at 12 to 14% interest whereas exporters get funds at 4 to 5%. We want the funds to be available to us at par with the exporters so that we are able create more diversified infrastructure and be part of further growth of tourism to our country.” Goyal said that IATO has made sincere efforts in uniting the industry and joined a Federation of Associations of Indian Tourism and Hospital-
KTDC Chairman Vijayan Thomas also addressed the delegates and talked about the diversification of tourism products in Kerala and marketing strategies. Usha Sharma, Add. Director General Tourism, talked about the new thrust areas in Indian tourism focusing on safety, cleanliness, infrastructure development & global publicity and how the ministry has formed partnerships with stakeholders & how IATO is involved in decision making process at every level. E.M. Najeeb, Chapter Chairman, IATO and President Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, was also honoured for his efficient service to have constant coordination with state government and trade to make this event a big success. The award was given by Chief Minister. The inaugural event was followed by a cultural programme on Kerala’s rich heritage.
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WTM London 2013
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WTM London 2013: new ideas, o Simon Press, EXhibition Director, WTM, talks about the highlights of this year’s edition, expectations from the Travel
VW BUREAU
Simon Press
Exhibition Director, WTM
Indian exhibitors can expect to conduct a great deal of business at WTM 2013. WTM 2012 will generate over 22,676m INR (£253m) for exhibitors from Asia/ Pacific/ Indian Ocean and the India regions. WTM 2013 will host Andhra Pradesh State Tourism and Maharashtra Tourism Development. Expectations from the 2013 edition WTM 2013 will be the biggest and best yet with two great new initiatives taking place. Firstly, the Travel Tech Show at WTM is launched as a travel technology focused event alongside WTM and A Taste of ILTM at WTM will increase the amount of luxury business taking place on the exhibition floor. Benefit of event on the region WTM 2012 will generate a massive 166,738m INR (£1.8bn) in business deals for all exhibitors, in contracts signed at the event or generated from WTM 2012 before WTM 2013, with the industry’s senior buyers from WTM Buyers’ Club. WTM 2013 is poised to facilitate even more business.
Voyager’s World > October 2013
Main buyers and new entrants We are welcoming over 200 new exhibitors to WTM this year, with increases in areas as the Middle East, Asia and Travel Technology. We also look forward to seeing the likes of the Ghana Tourist Board, Grenada Board of Tourism, Planet Hollywood and Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority back at WTM as returning exhibitors. Travel Technology exhibitors and Luxury brands will continue to be a big focus for us to ensure that the new areas of WTM- The Travel Tech Show at WTM and A Taste of ILTM at WTMare a great success. India welcomed 12 new exhibitors
last year including: Brys Hotels, Inbound Tour Operator Council (ITOC) West Bengal, hotel company ITC Limited and Odisha Tourism. WTM 2013 will host many more new exhibitors including two regional tourist boards Andhra Pradesh State Tourism and Maharashtra Tourism Development. Highlights of this year’s edition We have seen a great interest in the luxury sector at WTM over the years, even with our sister event ILTM Cannes following a month later. A Taste of ILTM at WTM is solely for UK luxury travel buyers and key decision makers. I am delighted with the response WTM has had to the first A Taste of
ILTM at WTM. The two day series of pre-matched pre-arranged appointments with luxury UK buyers brings a dedicated luxury focus to WTM for the first time. Bringing new products to the event floor and new buyers, improving the overall offering of WTM for all participants. WTM 2013 will include a full events programme consisting of some great sessions from the popular World Responsible Tourism Day, Technology and Social Media programme, Aviation and Hotels. Significance of travel technology on the agenda The Travel Tech Show at WTM has been created following the rapid growth of the Travel Technology region at WTM, which has grown 40% and 30% respectively over the past two years. The event will sit alongside World Travel Market for the full four days (Monday 4 – Thursday 7 November). We have had a great response from the industry looking to exhibit at the first The Travel Tech Show at WTM. The high level of interest justifies WTM’s decision to create The Travel Tech Show at WTM as a ‘show within a show’ concept and commit dedicated resource to an area of the travel and tourism industry which is growing in importance. all the new exhibitors
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pportunities & more business Tech Show, a Taste of ILTM at WTM, new markets, Indian participants and responsible tourism.
to the event and I am delighted to welcome thank the many that have increased their space for this year’s event. I anticipate the event will be sold out in its first year. A number of previous exhibitors have doubled their stand space for the Travel Tech Show at WTM, including online travel agent Hotwire, website company Digital Trip and online distribution company SiteMinder. We also
have a great Travel Technology event programme in place Focus in responsible tourism World Travel Market’s Responsible Tourism programme, which includes World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday 6 November 2013, has three key themes for this year’s event. The three key themes for the pro-
BRICs’ grand shopping tour of Europe The Global Trends Report 2012 predicted that inbound tourism from BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) would experience incredible growth in Europe. Newly released data by Euromonitor International confirmed this prediction. Croatia experienced 93% growth in arrivals from China and 40% from Brazil in 2012. Cyprus recorded 42% growth in arrivals from Russia, while arrivals from India to the Netherlands increased by 18%. European governments are slowly realising the importance of attracting more tourists from the BRIC countries. For example, the UK Home Office recently announced plans to introduce a guidance leaflet in Mandarin and a debate has started about the possibility of easing the visa processing system. Hotels are also looking at the BRIC countries to boost their revenues. According to a recent survey by Hotels.com, about a quarter of hoteliers offered cultural awareness training to staff. As predicted by the Global Trends Report 2012, not only travel players but also retailers are benefiting from BRIC arrivals. For example, spending by tourists at retail outlets within Heathrow Airport from the BRIC countries increased by 18% in 2012.
gramme, which includes the world’s biggest responsible tourism event World Responsible Tourism Day, are Water Disability, and Responsible Volunteering
World Responsible Tourism Day has grown to be the world’s biggest responsible tourism event and this year we will focus on water, disability and responsible volunteering.
WTM long championed the global issue of water consumption through its official charity Just a Drop. Furthermore, 2013 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Water Cooperation.
The overall Responsible Tourism programme stretches across three days of the event from 05 – 07 November offering unrivalled insight, debate and opinion into the growing importance of sustainable tourism.
UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit: How to bridge the gap between tourism and aviation policies The 2013 edition of the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit will take place on 05 November, 2013. It will address issues on bridging the gap between air transport and tourism policies; Opportunities and challenges facing air transport development – infrastructure, taxes and levies, visa facilitation and regulation and Success factors and remaining obstacles. The speakers include Dr. Mariano Recalde, President, Aerolíneas Argentinas; Carlos Enrique Meyer, Minister of Tourism, Argentina; Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism, United States Virgin Islands, Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President – Europe International Air Transport Association(IATA).Charles Hodson, CNN International will be the moderator. In 2012, one billion international tourists travelled the world, generating over US$1.3 trillion dollars in export earnings. Over half these tourists arrived at their destination by air, with much higher proportions in long-haul destinations, particularly landlocked and island developing countries. The extraordinary growth of international tourism over the last decades – from 25 million tourists in 1950 to one billion in 2012 – is as much due to advances in air transport as to the rise of the middle class, the growing wealth in industrialized and emerging countries and the forces of globalization.
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Festival Watch
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Festivals o Dasara Mysore, Karnataka
14 October, 2013
Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the Mysore Palace celebrates Dasara, a 10-day festival with Vijayadashami being the last day. During this time, the festivities are an elaborate affair; the main attraction is the palace being illuminated all 10 days with nearly one lakh bulbs in the evening. Mysore’s most recent attraction is the Son-et-Lumiere, a one of a kind Sound and Light Show held in the vicinity of the palace, showcasing 50 minutes of Mysore history and culture in Kannada, English and Hindi. On Vijayadashami, there is a Dasara elephant procession called the Jumboo Savari takes place, accompanied by colourful tableaux, music, dance and ends with a torchlight parade.
Great American Beer Festival Colorado, USA
10-12 October, 2013
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olorado, USA calls all beer lovers this October to indulge in a massive beer carnival. The Great American beer Festival, a New World Oktoberfest will gather representatives from the nation’s best breweries to tap over 1,600 different kinds of beer with bold flavors and imaginative names. Live music, people in crazy costumes drinking beer, and beer-cooking demonstrations are the main highlights of this festival. The three day long premium festival is one of the best beer fests in the world.
20th Gwangju World Kimchi Culture Festival, Korea
05-09 October, 2013
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wangju Kimchi Festival celebrates what could be called Korea’s national food, Kimchi. When vegetables, which couldn’t be preserved, were pickled in salt or mixed with sauces or spices, the resultant new tastes and aromas and storage came to be called as Kimchi. Foreigners learn to make Kimchi and can take home souvenirs. Exhibitions, musical acts, cooking competitions, cabbage harvesting happen during this period. In addition, exhibitions and other competitions are held during the festival.
Pema Gatshel Tshechu Bhutan
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09-12 November, 2013
ema Gatshel Dzongkhag in Eastern Bhutan celebrates the annual Tsechu over a threeday period, since the construction of the dzong in the early 1980’s. Many mask dances or Cham, that are believed to confer blessings upon the spectators and teach them the ways of the Buddhist dharma, are performed during the festival. Cham are also believed to provide protection from misfortune and exorcise evil influences. It is an annual social gathering where people from all walks of life get together to celebrate and contemplate religion. People often travel great distances to be a part of the Tsehchu. The entire community rejoices together, dressed in their finest clothing whilst enjoying the company of friends and family.
Voyager’s World > June October 2013 2013
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Festival Watch
f the world Seafood Fiesta, Galicia Spain
04-13 October, 2013
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n October, O’Grove, on the coast of Galicia, celebrates its Fiesta in Honour of Seafood. During the celebrations, fish and shellfish go on sale at special prices, prepared and served by town locals. The excellent regional produce attracts thousands of people every year, making this event a point of reference, and earning O’Grove its nickname of ‘seafood paradise’. There is also music, traditional dance, competitions and sporting events, as well as seminars and exhibitions.
Dylan Thomas Festival 2013
27 October-09 November 2013
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he 16th annual Dylan Thomas Festival returns to Swansea, Wales with highlights including the launch of a new centenary commission from Gillian Clarke and a day packed with talks, events, special guests, workshops and Daleks to celebrate Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary. The Dylan Thomas Centre presents an evening based on the fantastically popular Danish drama, The Killing, featuring David Hewson and Emma Kennedy. The Festival and Bluestocking Lounge join forces to present ‘Wordy Shapes of Women’, a night where burlesque collides with Dylan Thomas’ poetry, preceded by a free creative writing workshop.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, USA
28 November 2013
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Thanksgiving institution for 85 years, this parade is one of the most famous holiday events in the world. This amazing and iconic spectacle of celebrities, Broadway performers, enormous balloon creatures and the first Santa appearance of the season can be witnessed in person along the route. The procession heads down Central Park West from 77th Street and travels east along Central Park South to Sixth Avenue, then proceeds south from West 59th Street to West 34th Street, ending in front of the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.
100 Miles of Lights, Virginia, USA
15 November, 2013 - 01 January 2014
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ome share the warmth of the holiday season and experience millions of lights and hundreds of events from Virginia’s capital city to the Atlantic Ocean. The region will glitter and glow, sparkle and shine with lights, lights and more lights. The state’s legendary 100 Miles of Lights connects world-class illuminations across six cities – Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The drive through light displays and special events, including illuminated parades, magical lighted drives and sparkling city skylines, makes Virginia’s 100 Miles of Lights an unforgettable experience for all ages.
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India Outbound
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Spain Tourism to tap South India Spain Tourism recently concluded a three-city workshop in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Voyager’s World met Arturo Ortiz Arduan, Tourism Counselor, Spain Tourism for a quick one-on-one on this year’s focus and beyond. PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM
Arturo Ortiz Arduan Spain Tourism
South India travels more to Europe. The Mumbai Consulate has the maximum visa applications from South and West India, Mumbai and Bangalore in particular. Objective of this year’s workshop We are trying to promote ourselves in the Indian market, despite budget constraints. There are several interactions between Spanish and Indian companies to boost partneship. This year, we had 12 companeis, three tourism boards here to penetrate further in South India. Our findings indicate that South India travels more to Europe. The Mumbai Consulate has the maximum visa ap-
plications from South and West India, Mumbai and Bangalore in particular. Though Bangalore is smaller in terms of population, we wanted to reach out to the travel agents and tour operators. New destinations Spain is relatively a new destination for the Indian market. Having said that, this year we are promoting Catalonia, Barcelona, Costa del Sol, as welll as World Heritage cities, historic downtowns and Ibiza.
For the Indian market Spain is a year-round destination and Emirates, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa serve flights to our country. We are also trying to tap Incentive groups in India. We allow master chefs from these groups in the kitchen to help cook Indian dishes for the members. The holiday season in India, April and May, is a low-season in Spain then. The peak season would be from midJune to October. 15% of our visitors
are Incentive category; 20% comprise business trips and those attending congresses, exhibitions and training programmes and 1% is made up of FIT and weddings. A big wedding from Delhi is expected to take place at Canary Island this month. It may be mentioned that both Delhi and Canary Island are located on the same latitude. Sample itinerary for a first-time traveller I would recommend at least seven days for someone who is visiting Spain for the first time. Incentive groups come for short trips, with just one city on their itinerary. We would suggest they visit at least two cities during their visit, like Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Andalucia or MadridIbiza. Else, I would rather they come for a complete standalone holiday in Spain, instead of a combined one in France, Italy and just hopping over in one city in Spain, which does not make sense.
Scotland embraces Homecoming theme for 2014 Vineet Lal – International Marketing Manager, Long Haul & Emerging Markets, Visit Scotland – talks to Voyager’s World about its recent workshop organized for the travel trade in Bangalore and its forthcoming itineraries for next year, among other things. PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM operators of Bangalore to work closely with them.
Vineet Lal
Visit Scotland
Our main arrivals are FIT visitors from India, who buy itineraries through travel agents and tour operators. As per International Passenger Survey, from 2010-2012, there were 20,000 visits from India and 503,000 bed nights and 19 million pounds of spend. Objective behind the workshop We wanted to have an engagement
Voyager’s World > October 2013
process with travel agents to educate them on the products that we have.
Hence, we embarked on a sales mission with the travel agents and tour
Themed years Every year, we have themes such as the Year of Food and Drink, Year of Natural Scotland this year and so on. 2014 will be the Year of Homecoming. We come up with different themes from time to time in order to tell the consumers about the different interests that Scotland offers, be it the landscapes, highlands, wildlife, nature, festivals or food. So far, we have received very good response from consumers as well as the industry for these themed travels. The travel agents, tour op-
India Outbound
49>> erators and the transport authorities design itineraries around the theme. Our statistics show that 40% of all the tourism spending goes for naturebased itineraries; 127 million pounds per annum was spent on wildlife itineraries. Walking tours are expected to contribute up to 22% of UK tourism’s revenue by 2015. Our latest offer would be the John Muir Trail, a long distance trail, in honour of the Scottish naturalist. The trail is very close to Edinburgh and would be a coast-to-coast one at that. His life and legacy will be celebrated from April 14-22, 2014.
India’s position among global markets India is an important emerging market for us. Our other key source markets would be the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The other emerging market would be China. Our main arrivals are FIT visitors from India, who buy itineraries through travel agents and tour operators. Findings by the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that from 2010-2012, there were 20,000 visits from India and 503,000 bed nights and 19 million pounds of spend. In 2012 alone, there were 18,000 visits and 559,000 bed nights and a spending of 18 million pounds. In-
dian visitors are found to spend more than a general visitor. Scotland also has a thriving Indian student population. So we are looking at expanding the VFR segment and also targeting the alumni so as to make them keep the Scot in their hearts always. Sample itinerary for a first time traveller I would suggest that someone visiting Scotland for the first time stop at Edinburgh and Glasgow. Edinburgh is a city known for castles and medieval architecture while Glasgow is buzzing with art, shopping, fashion, culture, etc.
One can travel to the west to the Highlands, a generic term that we use to refer to our breathtaking landscapes. For example, the regions of Ayrshire and Arran in the south west of Glasgow boast of verdant hills and beaches; Mull, an island in Argyll has stunning wildlife and is one of the best places to spot rare sea eagles; the Isle of Iona that has special significance for Christianity; the uninhabited island of Staffa that is home to the Fingal’s Cave that has rocks formed from basalt; the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park; Bannockburn; Aberdeen and the historic city of Stirling.
In June 2014, we have the Re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn and the re-opening of its visitor centre. In May, we will celebrate our famous Scot Whiskey. In September, we have the Forth Bridges Festival, marking the 50th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge. We will make sure that the 2014 products are all related the theme of Homecoming. We are working closely with Visit Britain to give out our messages. Visas, accommodation… Although we have some control over the visa regime, we do not have a direct impact on it. So we will try to ensure that the travel agents and tour operators are best informed about the visa process. The Year of Homecoming is an opportunity for us to promote the whole of Scotland, the year-round. There is a lot of advice on accommodation on our website www.visitscotland.com and also on the Glasgow 2014 website www.glasgow2014. com. Our message is that ‘we are open for business’. Relationship with the travel trade Our relationship with the Indian travel trade has been very good thus far, the airlines included. The level of interest was huge and Scotland shares a long connection with India and we get a lot of enquiries for our country. We have a very innovative system of training and work to impart excellent product knowledge. When the travel agents know the market well and are better equipped about our products, it will be a direct economic benefit for them. The first graduation ceremony took place in Delhi last year for our Scotland agents and over 50 were facilitated. The second graduation ceremony will take place in Mumbai next week.
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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India Outbound
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Udaan: Offering unmatched visa services Rajan Dua, Managing Director, Udaan India (P) Ltd, highlights the company’s use of technology in visa servicing, while giving suggestions for better handling of applications. VW BUREAU
Rajan Dua
Udaan India (P) Ltd
Given the volume of travel, embassies can increase number of authorised agents. As many Indians make last minute travel plans, the embassy/consulate should look into providing Rush Hour / Express Processing of Visas like the recent UK Business Express Programme, to help travellers to a great extent. Services offered to the Indian market Udaan, since its inception in 1992, has been providing visa facilitation services to travel agents, travel management companies, corporate and individual traveller in India. Apart from visa facilitation, we also provide the following services – Legalization of documents for travel purpose, Meet & Assist services, passport assistance, FRRO services, OCI and PIO Assistance, travel insurance etc. USP of Udaan in visa servicing Udaan is the only visa facilitation company with a pan-India presence. We have offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Gurgaon. We have separate teams for travel agents, travel management companies, corporate, MICE visas, individual traveller and so on. Each of our client is provided with a dedicated client manager. We use the best of technology in the visa industry with comprehensive visa information, contact details/holiday list of all embassys/consulates and outsourced visa centres, forms, formats, real time Online Tracking Wizard, status alerts at every stage of processing etc. All this is free of cost for all our registered users. Versatility in adopting technology Envisioning the impact of technology in our lives, Udaan India was the first
Voyager’s World > October 2013
company to launch its visa portal in 2000. This gave us a leading edge over all other visa facilitators and made Udaan India a distinguished leader in the travel industry. We have always been a trendsetter in the visa industry and with this innovation, we pioneered the online visa tracking system. In 2012, we launched the upgraded version of our website with a lot of new features. Growth in the last two years and forecast for 2014 Udaan has grown tremendously in the last two years with a lot of travel management companies, corporate and travel agents widening its horizon. We have offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai and have now set up two offices in Gurgaon and Kolkata. We plan to expand in other cities with more outlets. Marketing and connecting with the Indian trade We have done a lot of smart campaigns through travel associations like TAAI, IAAI, SKAL etc. We have been sponsoring in conventions, conducting regular visa seminars for travel agents, travel management companies and corporates. We send e-mailers on visa updates to people in the travel fraternity, that is not limited to our clients. We have tied up with magazines to publish the latest visa updates.
Upcoming plans for the Indian market We are looking forward to upgrade our visa portal www.udaanindia.com with new features like online tracking of Blue Dart courier, online invoices, SMS alerts, at every stage of application processing, separate section for MICE visa requirements etc. Trends in visa processing A lot of new changes were introduced by some diplomatic missions. While a few countries made visa processing easier by introducing e-visa and increasing their presence in cities other than metros( like Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Puducherry etc.), few countries made things complex such as mandatory personal appearance for submission, biometric, acceptance of limited applications, longer processing time to review the application and so on. Through technology, we have been able to provide comprehensive visa requirements along with all the necessary visa application forms, photo specification, covering letter and invitation letter formats to our clients, that help them prepare all documentation as per the Embassy/ Consulate checklist, thereby minimising processing time to review the application. Also, clients get auto status mails at every stage of application, thus saving time on follow ups. Now, as more and more countries are
opting for online appointments, online submission of visa applications and even scanned supporting documents, Udaan has a team of experienced and skilled manpower which provide best-in-class service and assistance. Efforts to tackle cumbersome visa procedures Different countries have different visa procedures which, at times, make things easier for the traveller and at times, they have to go through the process of submitting a lot of documents as per Embassy/ Consulate requirements. We regularly go to visa meetings with Embassies/Consulates and discuss the concerns of travellers. For example, sometimes, financial documents are required time and again even from a frequent traveller, wherein the Embassy/Consulate validates this as a condition, as they always want to know about the current financial position of the traveller, considering it might not be the same as when he travelled last time. Regular changes take place in the visa industry, making it complex and we, as a visa facilitator, ensure that such changes are immediately shared with the travel fraternity through emails, visa updates on our portal and in magazines. Problems and suggestions in visa processing At present, Singapore has around 20 authorised agents in Delhi, who can do online Singapore visas. Given that a large number of people travel to Singapore for tourist and business purpose, the embassy should consider increasing the number of authorised agents. Then there are a lot of embassies / consulates who do not provide with the collection date which, at times, becomes very difficult for the traveller as all hotel bookings/ticket reservation are done prior to applying for visas.
India Outbound
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China embarks on a high-voltage campaign in India China is all set to tap the Indian market in a big way what with a host of campaigns in the Indian market. Li Qianguo, Dy. Director China National Tourist Office, talks to Voyager’s World in this regard. VW BUREAU Where do you put India among all your source markets globally? How did you fare in the first half of 2013 in terms of tourist arrivals from India? India is an important emerging source market for China. For the first half of this year, the Indian arrivals to China increased more than 10%. It is very encouraging. Give us statistics of Indian arrivals for the last three years and your forecast for 2014. The past three years could see continuous growth of Indian arrivals to China (www.cnta.gov.cn). China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) is attaching great importance to the Indian tourism market which is full of potentials. The tourism exchange & cooperation between China and India have been increasingly boosted in recent years. From January to July, 2013, the total visits from India to China were 399400, increasing 13.77% over the same period of last year; the direct first-stop visits from mainland China to India were 85,000, increasing 11.3% over the same period of last year. For next year, we can also expect similar growth. Thus, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) is attaching great importance to the Indian tourism market which is full of potentials. What are the upcoming programmes and plans with regard to
luring tourists from India? Any roadshows coming up in India? CNTO, New Delhi will do more events including travel fairs, seminars, FAM tours to further tap the India market. My favorite choices in the near future will include IITM, TTF/OTM, ITM, Tourism Fest 2013 (CII), etc. A new road show of China Tourism will come next year. Relationship with the Indian travel trade The Indian travel trade is surely my first and frequently contacting partner. The travel agents and their associations are giving me generous support. For the recently concluded road show of China Tourism in Bangalore and New Delhi, IATO (national), TAAIKarnataka, SFTO-India extended great support to China Tourism. What are the efforts to boost tourist inflow from India? Explain your plans to attract special segments like MICE, honeymooners, etc from India? This is beneficial to both countries. We need to steadfastly strengthen the people-to-people exchanges and understanding & friendship between the two peoples. Travel and tourism are connecting us closely. New destinations The first city destinations are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; we hope Xi’an,
CNTA organizes road show in Bangalore, New Delhi
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he China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) organized a road show of China tourism from 24-30 September, 2013 in Bangalore and New Delhi. The road show highlighted the theme Beautiful China. The event was showcased along with Chinese delegates who were tourism officials, executives and travel agents from different regions of China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Guangxi, Shaanxi, The event focused on Discovering Beautiful China in Bangalore on 25 September, China-India Cultural Extravaganza in New Delhi on 28 September, and China Tourism Public Promotion in Select Citywalk, New Delhi from 2829 September, along with the Chinese cultural performers of Foot Juggling, Diabolo and Face-changing are from Chengdu Associated Theater of Performing Art. CNTA also organized a road show last year in Mumbai and New Delhi. This
initiative of taping Indian tourist market and strengthening bilateral tourism exchange & cooperation won great support from the Chinese Embassy in India and Consulate-general in Mumbai as well as the Indian tourism fraternity. All of these regions have rich tourism resources and are popular tourist destinations. The tourism exchange & cooperation between China and India have been increasingly boosted in recent years. From January to July, 2013, the total visits from India to China were 399400, increasing 13.77% over the same period of last year; the direct visits from mainland China to India were 85,000, increasing 11.3% over the same period of last year. This momentum is very encouraging especially when we face the current global travel trends (the international arrivals increased only about 5% from January to July, 2013). China and India are more closely connected with each other through travel & tourism.
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HOSPITALITY
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Great Mount Resort - coco lagoon says Pollachi Polaama! Pollachi being a beautiful destination, Great Mount Resort- Coco Lagoon looks forward to be a key to the hospitality industry with a great vision in a span of 10 years says T. Sethupati, Managing Director, Great Mount Resort-Coco Lagoon IRENE SUSAN EAPEN on September 9 2013. Since then, we have witnessed a positive note in our occupancy so far. We want to achieve 80% occupancy within a year by not leaving any stone unturned.
What is the expected growth? The Great Mount Resort- Coco Lagoon at Pollachi was officially opened
Pollachi has a lot of attractions to be showcased with activities such as cycling, bird watching, organic farm visits as well as trekking. Pollachi being a lesser known tourist destination, we look forward to promoting Pollachi as a tourist destination. Destination Pollachi has to be developed in spiritual, wildlife, ecotourism and rural aspects.
Focus segments Wedding tourism is a growing segment and we are working with Mark 1 Decors to promote Great Mount Coco Lagoon as a wedding destination. Culinary tourism is being promoted through our Kongu cuisine among tourists. Wellness and medical tourism, along with yoga, can be promoted the year round. Vaidya Sutras at the resort offers authentic Ayurvedic treatments by Asthavaidyan Thaikkattu Mooss Vaidyaratnam from Trisshur. We want the local and international people to experience them. We are also focusing on MICE with team build-
ing and leadership activities. Though many movies are shot in Pollachi, Bollywood is yet to develop here. We are approaching corporates for leisure tourism, which is picking up as well. Marketing plans We are participating in WTM London, ITB Berlin and roadshow in Barcelona. We are focusing on responsible tourism with the locals and plan to educate those in Pollachi through activities, create business for all segments, not only telling them about tourism but also make them feel of the same.
Great Mount Resort – Coco Lagoon: Tranquility of nature! IRENE SUSAN EAPEN
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he Great Mount Resort-Coco Lagoon located in Pollachi amid a manmade lake and a swimming pool on the side of the palms restaurant, officially launched on 9 September 2013. The resort features 32 hut-like cottages, comprising 20 Executive Deluxe Rooms with balconies; five Presidential Suites with a separate dining room a, a balcony and natural light bathing deck; the Royal Suite that consists of a living room, bedroom, with one bathroom having a Jacuzzi ; one Premier Garden Villa with a private garden, a bathroom with Jacuzzi in a sunlight bathing deck set up and one Emperor Pool Villa with a living and dining room, Jacuzzi in a sunlight bathing deck setup and a swimming pool. Other amenities in the rooms are smoke detector, digital safe, mini bar, free WiFi and doctor-on-call. The resort also has a banquet hall with a capacity of 150 for meetings
Voyager’s World > October 2013
and amphitheatre for other events . For dining, there is the Palm, a multicuisine restaurant and Blue Bay Coffee shop at the poolside. Some of the Kongu delicacies we tasted were Pollachi yeral masala, mutton kuzhambu, Karimeen kuzhambhu, Pallipalayam kozhi varuval, Nathakadaiyur nandu masala and Salavu kuzhambu. One should not miss Vaidya Sutrasthe Ayurvedic wellness spa with five treatment rooms with treatments like Mana Prasadanam for anxiety, insomnia; Abhyanga; Pizhichil; Shirodhara; Sthaulya Chikitsa; Deha Sodhanakara Panchakarmam that has treatments as Vamana or medicine-induced Emesis, Virechana or medicine induced Purgation; Anuvasanavasthi or medicated oil enema; Niroohavasti or medicated decoction enema and Nasya. One could feel the tranquility of nature especially with the greenery and coconut grove around this resort. The beautiful lawns have wooden porch
swings, teak wood chairs and tables. You can also visit nearby attractions like Topslip, Subramania Swamy Thirukoli, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and Maasaniamman Thirukoli at Pollachi.
Great Mount Resort-Coco Lagoon is a marvellous place for one to take off from one’s your busy schedules. It makes for a short and yet a worthwhile getaway.
HOSPITALITY
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Carlson REZIDOR SETS UP K.B. Kachru Scholarship K.B. Kachru, Chairman, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has added a new feather to his cap, with the company founding a scholarship in his name for the girl child in the hospitality industry, while recognizing his contributions to the company. VW BUREAU
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rudy Rautio, President & CEO, Carlson Companies instituted the ‘K.B. Kachru Scholarship by Carlson’ at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the group in Stockholm, in appreciation of K.B. Kachru’s contributions to the company. The objective of this merit based scholarship would be to provide vocational assistance to meritorious girl students by offering opportunities of education in Hospitality at IHM, Pusa New Delhi and at the Institute for International Management & Technology (IIMT), Gur-
gaon. The scholarship entitles the awardees complete course fee for the entire duration of the course. Before joining Calrson, Kachru was the Head of the Ashok Group of Hotels, he was on the Board of Directors for Tourism Corporation of various states in India, Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi. K.B. Kachru has been an Executive Member of several associations, including PATA India Chapter, American Society of Travel Agents of India, and Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India.
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HOSPITALITY
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banyan tree hotels & Resorts: exotic sojourns for mind, body and soul
Banyan Tree Al Wadi
Banyan Tree Macau
Banyan Tree Phuket
Banyan Tree Samui
Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali
Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
Banyan Tree Phuket: Phuket offers fine beaches, turquoise seas and warm sunny weather. Discover the romance and beauty of this island with Banyan Tree Phuket. This is a destination that showcases the island’s extraordinary beauty in a setting of award-winning architecture, built in harmony with nature.
Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali: With unrivalled panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali presents the ideal Bali experience for the worldly traveller. With pure white beaches, perfect blue waters and golden sunshine, Banyan Tree Ungasan and close to the famous Uluwatu Temple, the resort offers the highest level of comfort and privacy synonymous with the Banyan Tree brand.
Banyan Tree Samui: Banyan Tree Samui, overlooking the scenic Lamai Bay, is nestled in a series of cascading terraces on a private hill cove in the south-eastern coast of Koh Samui. Banyan Tree Samui combines the best elements of a tropical getaway with seclusion and privacy synonymous with Banyan Tree. Retreat from the bustle of the outside world into a secluded haven where your days pass in a gentle flow of relaxation. Be serenaded to sleep by the deep blue swells of the Gulf of Thailand and cool sea breezes.
Banyan Tree Macau: Take in breathtaking views of Macau’s skyline in an atmosphere of peace and serenity that Banyan Tree is famed for. The first high-rise urban resort in Macau features private indoor relaxation pools in all suites and resort villas complete with their own gardens and personal swimming pools, Banyan Tree will change the way you imagined high-rise living. In this instance, seeing is truly believing.
Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru: At the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in Maldives, experience a sense of enchantment and romance as you spend the day trailing between sun, sand, sea and sala. Surrounded by turquoise waters, Vabbinfaru has only 48 villas sprinkled across the lush green garden of coconut trees and indigenous blooms. Enjoy the best of the Maldives on land and in the water as Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru offers up a melding of both worlds.
Banyan Tree Al Wadi: Amid stretches of desert sand in tranquil Wadi Khadeja, an oasis of peace awaits at Banyan Tree Al Wadi, a sanctuary surrounded by the evergreen ghaf tree, a luxury desert resort in the UAE with all-pool villas. Experience magical Arabian nights and the romance of living like the nomads of yore, complete with Asian-inspired hydrotherapy spa facilities, nature reserve, and private beach at Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach. (Advertorial)
Voyager’s World > October 2013
HOSPITALITY
55>>
angsana hotels & resorts: relaxing getaways in the lap of nature
Angsana Balaclava Mauritius
Angsana Bintan
Angsana Ihuru
Angsana Laguna Phuket
Angsana Lang Co
Angsana Velavaru
Angsana Ihuru: Angsana Ihuru brings out the romantic in you. Our resort, located on the Ihuru island in North Malé Atoll, is 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé. Enjoy the surreal view of miles and miles of turquoise waters. Venture into the ocean and watch dazzling marine life. Take a break from civilisation and live on an uninhabited island for the day. Wake up to a sensory experience, every day at Angsana Ihuru. Angsana Velavaru: At Angsana Velavaru, you will wake up to the adventures of a tropical island. Angsana Velavaru brings out the intrepid traveller in you. Our resort is located in a picturesque lagoon in the pristine South Nilandhe Atoll. Mix romance with adventure between deserted islands and a house reef. Angsana Balaclava Mauritius: Angsana Balaclava Mauritius is an oasis of relaxation and privacy designed ideally for couples and honeymooners. Nestled in the secluded area of Turtle Bay, Angsana Balaclava Mauritius offers a hideaway ideal for travellers looking for privacy and relaxation. Angsana Bintan: Angsana Bintan, located on Bintan island (Negeri Segantang Lada) in the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia, will delight the nature lover in you.
Go on the Bintan Nature Walk and Tree Walk as sea breeze rustles your hair. After your excursion, you have decisions to make – a session at the Angsana Spa, leisurely reading at your private sundeck, or a romantic dinner at our restaurants. Angsana Laguna Phuket: Angsana Laguna Phuket is located in scenic Bang Tao Bay, Phuket’s most coveted resort address. Just 20 minutes from bustling Phuket Town and the Phuket International Airport, lies the contemporary beachfront resort with unrivalled access to the emerald waters of the Andaman Sea. Angsana Laguna Phuket features vibrant and stylish rooms and facilities designed for the dynamic cosmopolitan traveller. Angsana Lang Co: Set beachfront on warm sands with a backdrop of the towering Truong Son (Annamite) Mountain Range, Angsana Lang Co is the one of the region’s newest five-star resorts. A part of the 280-hectare integrated resort of Laguna Lang Co, this modern retreat features brilliant scenes of unspoiled natural beauty and is in close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Complex of Hue Monuments, Hoi an Ancient Town and the Cham Kingdom Sanctuaries at My Son. (Advertorial)
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Happenings
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Trade FAM to Canada
T
he Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) recently organised a “Luxury” FAM trip for travel agents from India.
This 12-day trip had the itinerary spread over Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The most amazing experience of the itinerary was the viewing of the Northern Lights in Yukon and the train trip through the Rockies. The trip was organised between August 22- 02 Sep , 2013 and 6 travel partners were accompanied by Tina Singh, Assistant Vice President, CTC, India.
Oman Tourism forays into Tier 2 cities
Incredible India descends on Marine Drive
O
man Tourism recently organised roadshows for the first time in Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
Lubaina Sheerazi, India representative, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, said: “Oman has seen a very positive influx of Indian arrivals in the last few years. In the year 2012, tourist arrivals to Oman amounted to 35.6% increase as compared to 2011. In the last three years, we conducted multi-city road show in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. We felt we needed to tap Tier 1 cities of India first before we enter into Tier 2. Having established and promoted our destination effectively over the years in the metro cities, we felt this year we can penetrate into Tier 2 cities of Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.”
O
n World Tourism Day on 27th September 2013, Indiatourism Mumbai office organised a successful Incredible India tourism Walk. An early morning event at the Marine Drive attracted approximately 1000 people including senior professionals from the tourism industry, hotels, tourism colleges & institutions, tourism students, members of guides association.
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This year, the World Tourism Day theme was ‘Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future’. “This year’s theme highlights tourism’s role in water access and shines a spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead,” said Arun Srivastava, Regional Director (Western & Central India) in Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
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Voyager’s World > October 2013
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Top Appointments
57>> Manish Kakkar Hotel Manager, ibis Jaipur
Manish Kakkar is the new Hotel Manager of ibis Jaipur. With over 14 years of experience, he was with ibis Gurgaon, in Novotel Hyderabad and HICC, Trident Hilton Gurgaon, Oberoi New Delhi, Hotel Hindustan International and Le Meridien in New Delhi, In his new role, Manish will oversee the hotel’s operations.
Ms. Kanchan Rizvi Director of Sales & Marketing The Claridges Hotels & Resorts
T
he Claridges Hotel and Resorts has appointed Kanchan Rizvi as the Director of Sales & Marketing. With 13 years experience, she worked with Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, Grand Hyatt Mumbai/Hyatt South West Asia Sales Office & the Oberoi. In her new role, Kanchan will be in charge of driving revenue and marketing for the group.
Jitin Neol Head of Sales, ibis Jaipur
Jitin Neol has been appointed Head of Sales, ibis Jaipur. His first association with Accor India began in 2008 supporting the launch of ibis in India. He has over eight years of experience and worked with Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Jaypee Hotels and Radisson Edwardian Hampshire.
Mike Kistner Chief Executive Officer, RezNext
Mike Kistner has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of RezNext. With nearly 30 years of experience, he was most recently Chairman and CEO Pegasus Solutions, Inc. In his new role, he will steer the company’s strong focus on the hotel distribution business.
Anil Verma Vice President - Sales
Sarovar Hotels appointed Anil Verma as Vice President–Sales. With over 11 years of experience, he previously worked with Jaypee Hotels, the Grand, Oberoi and most recently at JHM Interstate Hotels India. At Sarovar, Anil will conceptualize and implement sales strategies.
Marc Charron President TripAdvisor for Business TripAdvisor appointed Marc Charron as President of TripAdvisor for Business. He joined TripAdvisor in 2006 and earlier worked with SquareTrade, QXL.com, Getz International Travel and Danube Travel. Marc will be responsible for the continued growth and innovation of the division.
Ranjit Shankar General Manager, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai has appointed Ranjit Shankar as its General Manager. Having 25 years of experience to his credit, with the Taj Group, he has worked with the Vivanta by Taj and Gateway Hotels across the country. In his new role, Ranjit will oversee the overall operations of the hotel.
Vivek Sharma General Manager, Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Vivek Sharma has been appointed General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon. Having over 15 years of experience, he earlier worked with DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore and the Galaxy Hotel, Gurgaon. In his new profile, Vivek will be responsible for the complete running of the hotel.
Florian Kohli General Manager, Formule 1, Bengaluru Whitefield Florian Kohli has joined Formule 1 Bangalore as the General Manager. With over seven years of experience, he has worked with Novotel HICC, ibis Delhi International Airport, Formule 1 Greater Noida. In his new role, Florian will oversee the hotel’s operations.
Anjori Kumar Director of Communications, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi Anjori Kumar has joined Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi as the Director of Communications. With over six years of experience in PR and marketing, she has worked with many hotels and restaurants. In her new role, she will handle the communications of the hotel.
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Events Calendar
58>>
networking is the key November2013
December2013
04, 05, 06, 07
02, 03, 04, 05
06, 07
05, 06, 07, 08
08, 09, 10
06, 07, 08
22, 23, 24
11, 12
29, 30 Nov & 01 Dec
10, 11, 12, 13
January 2014
February2014
World Travel Market, London, UK
Business Travel Market 2013 London, UK
Holiday Expo Visakhapatnam
India International Travel Mart Pune
India International Travel Mart Hyderabad
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
International Luxury Travel Market Cannes, France
Travel Turkey Izmer Tourism Fair & Conference, Izmer, Turkey
Chengdu International Travel Fair Chengdu, China
Brussels Travel Expo Brussels,Belgium
INDABA Durban,South Africa
7,8,9
ASEAN Tourism Forum Malaysia
The Boston Globe Travel Show Seaport World Trade Center
22, 23, 24, 25, 26
19,20,21,22
Fitur Spain
17, 18, 19
India International Travel Mart Kochi
Cro Tour Croatia
28 Feb 1, 2 March Holiday Expo Coimbatore
24, 25, 26
India International Travel Mart Kolkata
March2014
April2014 3,4,5 Aitf Baku, Azerbaijan
05, 06, 07 ITB, Berlin Germany
19, 20, 21, 22 MITT Moscow
26, 27, 28 UITT Ukraine
Voyager’s World > October 2013
May2014 5,6,7,8 Arabian Travel Market Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre