RNI No.: DELENG/2014/59308
www.whereabouts.in
Volume II Issue V February 2016
Annual Subscription ` 660
Exclusive
Expectations:
Union Budget 2016 In Conversation
Sahdev Mehta General Manager DoubleTree By Hilton Pune
Need to Know
Wildlife Sanctuaries in
MAHARASHTRA Picasso’s Harlequin Musician, 1924
Whereabouts
Truly Avant-garde Truly Catalonia… ASSOCIATION
TRAVEL BUSINESS
AVIATION
NTO
HOSPITALITY
CONTENTS TRADE
Travelport's Student of the brings talented EXCLUSIVE Year 12-13 candidates to the industry
REGULAR
TRAVEL BUSINESS 9
Expectations Union Budget 2016
ENCOURAGES INDIA AVIATION 18 TOURISM TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS IMPORTANT NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE 27 COMPONENT OF TOURISM
NEED KNOW 20-22 TheTO Leading
ASSOCIATION 8
COVER STORY
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA MOT/STATE INITIATIVES 14
HOSPITALITY 30
OMAN
MICE Destination
Wildlife Jordan toin promote diversity Sanctuaries of the country through Maharashtra various platforms NTO
ASSOCIATION
TECHNOLOGY 34 OTOAI elects EC members for the term 2015-17 CRUISE 35
FACTS & FIGURES 36 Nothing Official About It‌ APPOINTMENT & EVENTS 38
NTO
GNTO embarks upon tier II cities
HOSPITALITY
EXCLUSIVE
Rajasthan gears up to attract 50 million domestic & 2.5 million IN CONVERSATION 17by 2018 foreign tourists SAHDEV MEHTA AVIATION General Manager Qatar Airways DoubleTree by Hilton Pune announces first A350 XWB route to USA
WHEREABOUTS
We are not after the top-line; rather we are keener in building the business the sustainable way: Prakash Bang
ON THE COVER
AVIATION
Airbus unites businesses in India under single company
WHEREABOUTS 24-26
Truly Avant-garde My each assignment has given me a new insight in to Truly Catalonia IN-CONVERSATION
various aspects of hospitality business & industry nuances: Sudhir Sinha
NEED TO KNOW
NALANDA team@whereabouts
Ancient Seat of Learning
Editor & Publisher
Principal Advisor
Rajesh Tiwari
Anil Prakash
rajesh@whereabouts.in
Design
Editorial
Mithlesh Kr Gupta
Jai Kishan Kaparwan Alvin
Accounts
Sales & Marketing Solomon Sexena Country Head solomon@whereabouts.in
Marketing Executives Dheeraj Anand Regional Head-North &West
Prem Prakash Mishra
Legal Advisor Brijesh Tiwari
On the cover-Picasso’s Harlequin Musician, 1924 INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY
EDITOR’S NOTE
WHO SAID WHAT As of now, it (MRO services) is heavily dependent on imports. Everything is imported, including servicing of aircraft. If you look at airlines, except Air India, all other airlines for their routine checkups are going out of the country. They are going to Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka. So, we need to pull in that 700 million dollar business into India Ashok Gajapathi Raju Minister of Civil Aviation Govt of India
Dear Readers, The month of February catches the attention of all industry stakeholders to the government’s financial policies especially taxation as the Government announces the Union Budget for the upcoming fiscal year in the same month. If we look at the Tourism industry, with all its branches the segment has been a key contributor to the Indian economy with highest Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and biggest job creator (direct or indirect) for many years. During the month of January 2016 the FEE’s were Rs. 13,669 crore. The growth rate in FEEs during January 2016 over January 2015 was 13.0 percent as compared to a growth of 3.7 percent in January 2015 over January 2014. Despite a host of initiatives taken previous year such as e-Tourist Visa, Draft Aviation Policy, launch of Smart Cities Project and Make in India campaign that shows a progressive approach of the government, a lot has to be done to get more from tourism. There has been a huge gap in travel facilities such as good infrastructure, tourist safety and lack of hotels etc. And, one of the biggest reasons for under development of this segment comes from the taxation policy of the country. As per the industry experts if India has to get more from tourism sector it has to address pain points in taxation that hindering the growth of this segment.
INFOTAINMENT Narendra Modi @narendramodi Feb 13 #MakeInIndia week is an opportunity to take stock of how we have performed & the road ahead to get the world to invest in India.
Centre for Aviation @CAPA_Aviation Feb 11 Guess who's turning 14? The A340-500! Shame there's only 12 left flying #ICYMI: http://ow.ly/Yej77 #avgeek
For the last fiscal year the Finance Minister has announced a progressive budget. The implementation of GST is still pending, and that is the talk of the town among the industry experts. The big question will GST be remained a dream? Happy readings...
Keep Visiting, Keep updating J ust one click & ent er into the world of information. All the lat est from Tr avel Business be it T ourism, A viation, Hotels, T echnology, Cruise, OT A, Visa & much mor e... Follow us in:
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ASSOCIATION
ETAA organises ‘Mega Meet’, Jordan becomes ‘Destination Partner’ In association with Jordan Tourism Board as its Destinations Partner and Air Arabia and Sterling Holidays as co-partner the Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) held its second Mega Meet on 28th January, 2016 at The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi. WH Desk
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is Excellency, Hassan Mohammad Al Jawarneh, the Ambassador of Jordan to India accompanied by his wife and Ashit Taneja, Country Manager, Jordan Tourism graced the occasion with his presence as the Chief Guest. Jagat Mehta, the National President for ETAA welcomed the guests along with Abhijit Khadilkar, the National General Secretary, Dipti Thakur, the National Joint Secretary, Dharmesh Advani, Treasurer, ETAA, Shripad Deshpande, Director and Pankaj Nagpal, Director – National Board and Chairman – Northern India Region. Sangeeta Manocha, Joint Secretary – North India and Manmeet Singh, Head – Events Committee North India Felicitated the Honourable Guests by giving away a Special Momento for the occasion. In his address, H.E. Hassan Mohammad Al Jawarneh announced the close ties shared between India and Jordan, the recent visit by Honourable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and elaborated on the initiatives taken by both governments to enhance cooperation and tourism between the two countries. Pankaj Nagpal, Director, National Board & Chairman North India Region said, “The ETAA Mega event will now be an annual feature as we have seen its success in last two years by providing a very strong networking platform for our members.” “The meet coincided with the completion of
(L-R) Jagat Mehta, National President ETAA, H.E. Hassan Mohammad Al Jawarneh and Ashit Taneja, Country Manager-India, Jordan Tourism lighting the lamp
Ambassador of Jordan to India H.E. Hassan Mohammad Al Jawarneh (right) with Ashit Taneja, Country Manager, Jordan Tourism
H.E. Hassan Mohammad Al Jawarneh with his wife (middle) along with the core members of ETAA and Jordan Tourism Board
three years of Northern Chaptre of ETAA. The Chaptre has grown from 15 members in January 2013 to close to 200 Members as of now,” informed Nagpal. Ashit Taneja, Country Manager-India, Jordan Tourism conducted a detailed presentation to the agents and educated them on the offerings of Jordan. The evening assisted Jordan Tourism Board to connect with over 125 ETAA members who travelled from many cities. “Tourism between India and Jordan is flourishing and the intrepid Indian traveller is visiting Jordan in increasing numbers.
While Jordan is known for the Rose Red ancient rock city of Petra, it offers much more to the modern Indian traveller, from the Jordan Valley, fertile and ever changing; to stunning desert canyons of Wadi Rum, to the gorgeous blue waters of the Red Sea in Aqaba to the Biblical sites and the natural wonders and therapeutic powers of the Dead Sea,” said Ashit while addressing the gathering. Jagat Mehta, the National President ETAA congratulated the North India Team for hosting a very successful and well organised event and also thanked all the Sponsors for their support and the members present.
ADTOI organises General House Meeting WH Desk
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he Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India organised the General House Meeting for its members recently. During the meeting; a business session branded as ‘Complimenting and not competing in the trade/future of Conventional Tour Operator had been organised. The session brought hoteliers and tour operators on same platform to address the challenges affecting the business and relationship between these
6 February 2016
two. The eminent speakers including SM Shervani and Rakesh Lamba interacted with the members of the association. Elaborating on the General House Meeting, ADTOI President, Jyoti Kapoor said, “Our meetings are completely focused on the benefit of the members. For the next meeting we have decided to discuss upon MDA scheme and tour operators recognition. We will invite the officials from Ministry of Tourism to address the challenges; hindering the growth of our members.
According to the president, the association is keen to enhance its visibility and branding. Therefore the association has planned a series of events from now onwards, it includes general meetings, annual convention and revamp of association’s website. “We are working towards making association’s website more interactive and dynamic. We will hook up our website with the ministry of tourism and state tourism boards, informed Kapoor.
ASSOCIATION
OTOAI announces 2nd Mega Convention at Bali The Outbound Tour Operators Association of India is all set to organise its second mega convention at Bali in Indonesia from March 17-21, 2016. The venue of the convention will be Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort. The opted theme of the convention is ‘India Outbound – the Game Changer’. WH Desk
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he first three days would be spent in Bali at the Convention venue, busy with business sessions, networking, shopping and local sight-seeing. The fourth day would see a day trip to the stunning hill resort of Ubud and the delegates would return home on 21st March 2016. Elaborating on the salient features of the convention Guldeep Singh Sahni, President OTOAI said, “In an attempt to make the convention more engaging we will be organising a table top meeting. The participants will be top buyers and sellers from India, Indonesia and other parts of the world.” On being asked why he chose to organise the convention in Bali which is already a well known destination in India Sahni said “Bali is beautiful but
the destination is not getting its deserving share from this market. Bali needs to be exposed more to get more traffic from India. And our intention has always been to showcase the result to our convention destination.” He reminds that there has been a remarkable growth in terms of Indian visitors to the Philippines since the association held its first convention in Manila. Speaking on the same lines Riaz Munshi, Convention Chairman said, “The convention will open up opportunities for the destination, Bali despite its immense strength as a tourism destination, hasn’t been able to lure Indian tourists in a big way so far.” While making the announcement of the convention he disclosed that OTOAI would be working on this Convention with their local partners PACTO. The conference attendees would fly in on a combination of Airlines ranging from the official partners Malindo and Malaysia Airlines from Delhi and Mumbai and, Singapore Airlines from pan India cities. Around 300 delegates, invitees, speakers and media persons are expected to attend the Convention.
“Bali is beautiful but the destination is not getting its deserving share from this market. Bali needs to be exposed more to get more traffic from India. And our intention has always been to showcase the result to our convention destination.”
“The convention will open up opportunities for the destination, Bali despite its immense strength as a tourism destination, hasn’t been able to lure Indian tourists in a big way so far.” Riaz Munshi Convention Chairman
Guldeep Singh Sahni President
“The business sessions of the convention would be based on the topics what matters in today’s scenario; what are the challenges in front of outbound tour operators” said Vineet Gopal, Adviser to the Convention. Elaborating on the Convention destination he said that the biggest challenge for
Bali is non availability of direct connectivity. “However, it will be resolved shortly; Garuda is all set to fly in next couple of months, Air India also got the flying rights and the airline may start flying by June/July; so we believe this is the right time to showcase the Bali,” concludes Gopal.
NEWS IN BRIEF
PATA & Routes Asia to explore impact of aviation boom on Asia Pacific tourism WH Desk
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he Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Routes Asia are bringing together industry leaders from Boeing, Amadeus IT Pacific and Digital Jungle to discuss how Asia Pacific tourism will benefit from a thriving aviation industry over the next 20 years. The annual Routes Asia meeting forum is for airlines, airports, tourism authorities and other travel-related organisations planning new air services. Over
60 airlines including Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, China Airlines, Hainan Airlines and British Airways have already registered for the 2016 event takes place in Manila on March 6 - 8. The aviation industry is crucial to the economic development of Asia Pacific. Currently worth around US$500 billion, it is set to expand rapidly over the next twenty years. International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures show that Asia Pacific will have overtaken North
America and Europe in terms of passenger numbers by 2030 and that nearly half of all air travel (2.9 billion journeys) will touch the Asia Pacific region by 2034. Routes Asia will explore how the tourist industry can benefit from Asia Pacific’s aviation growth through the ‘Global Insights Impacting Tourism and Aviation’ panel discussion. News presenter Rico Hizon from BBC World News will chair the debate which will feature high profile speakers from a mix of relevant backgrounds.
Katie Bland, Director of Routes, said, This event is part of our strategic aim to increase their involvement in our forums while sharing the benefits of being involved in the route development process.” Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, said, “We have already seen how low cost carriers have greatly impacted travel and tourism within the Asia Pacific region and the continuing growth of aviation will only add to the rapid growth in the region.
February 2016 7
ASSOCIATION
IATO Outbound Tourism Council announces maiden Convention in Sri Lanka The Indian Association of Tour Operators’ (IATO) Outbound Tourism Council announced its maiden Annual Convention in Sri Lanka this year. The dates and venue will be finalized soon. WH Desk
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eeping in mind that the Outbound travel is a rapidly growing market the association (IATO) formed its Outbound Tourism Council last year. The membership to IATO Outbound Tourism Council is complimentary to the existing members. The Outbound Council is keen to grow its membership like inbound. “The association wanted to hold the Maiden Annual Convention
of Outbound Tourism Council in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region, and Sri Lanka was a unanimous decision. Travel to SAARC countries is shorthaul and majority of IATO members wanted to include the neighbouring countries in their itineraries, said, Subhash Goyal, President, IATO. “We aim to be more innovative as we go along slowly and steadily along with our members. Following the interest shown by European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), IATO will soon invite the association for an official tie up with its outbound council,” said Chairman, IATO Outbound Tourism Council, Karan Anand while elaborating on the Convention.
SITE Makes an Impact in Slovenia WH Desk
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jubljana, Slovenia proved to be the perfect setting for this year’s Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Incentive Summit held 18-22 January. Hosted by the Slovenian Convention Bureau, the Summit was co-located with Conventa, and took place at the Grand Hotel Union located in the heart of Ljubljana. Over 160 attendees representing hotels, DMCs, airlines, governments and students from 10 countries across Central Europe participated in the SITE Education Day. SITE also hosted a CEO Forum with local industry leaders and participated in the Future Leaders Forum where Foundation President, Denise Dornfeld and Board Member, Daryl Keywood shared their personal experiences. “The desire for knowledge in this little country was beyond
anything we could have imagined. I can confidently say that we were able to give each and every person who attended Education Day at least one little insight, one practical idea that will change the way they do business. This is not just my impression, but is what we heard from everyone we met,” said Rajeev Kohli, SITE President. The purpose of the Summit is to work in partnership with an emerging incentive destination and provide a platform for learning, exploration, and relationship building,” said Kevin Hinton, SITE Chief Excellence Officer. This annual event takes the SITE Board of Directors and Foundation Trustees to a part of the world that can leverage the experience and knowledge of this group of global industry leaders to grow its incentive travel business.
TRAVEL TRADE EVENT
SATTE 2016: Visitor footfall increased by 28% WH Desk
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BM India successfully concluded SATTE 2016 in New Delhi with over 750 participants from over 35 countries and 28 Indian States. SATTE 2016 witnessed 28 per cent unprecedented visitor growth as compared to its previous editions. The show was validated as an industry platform with the presence of Chief Guest Dr Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Govt. of India along with eminent leaders from across the global tourism market. The inauguration of the event was also graced
8 February 2016
with the presence of Vinod Zutshi, Secretary Tourism, Govt. of India; Dayal Das Baghel, Tourism Minister of Chhattisgarh; Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister for Tourism & Sport, Kingdom of Thailand, Alla Peressolova, Manager, Silk Road Programme/ Fairs Programme, UNWTO and SubhashGoyal, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators amongst others. SATTE 2016 conference deliberated on industry potential, existing concerns and the future by exploring new frontiers amongst various industry stakeholders. Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Malaysia, Turkish Ministry of
Culture and Tourism, Indonesia Tourism, Brand USA, Cox &Kings, TUI India, Star Cruises, India Golf Tourism Association, Hotel Sahara Star, Amby Valley City, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India amongst others participated in the panel discussions. SATTE 2016 saw participation from State Tourism Boards including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Gujarat, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Goa, J&K, Karnataka, Odisha and Rajasthan amongst others. The eight North Eastern states too participated under the Incredible India Pavilion of
Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Foreign Tourism Boards such as Brand USA, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Changi Airport (Singapore), Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia, Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Israel, Thailand, Indonesia, Jordan, Turkey, Macau, Fiji, Bhutan, Cambodia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Romania and Russia amongst others were present at SATTE 2016. Representatives of Moscow Convention and Exhibition Centre and DMCs from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were also present at the show.
TRAVEL BUSINESS
QuadLabs launches Konnect.travel Product of QuadLabs Technologies Konnect.travel- a free technology platform for travel agents in India was launched during SATTE in New Delhi recently. Rajesh Tiwari
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he software will be a unique platform for travel agents to manage and run their business along with a marketplace of travel content from global suppliers. This will bring all agents and suppliers on a single platform to transact with each other. Elaborating more on this Gaurav Chiripal, CEO of
QuadLabs Technologies, said “It is the first travel Industry based platform specialised in catering to both travel agents and suppliers needs. This software will help travel agents to manage their bookings and enquiries. It also provides a single source of bookable travel content from multiple suppliers around the world. This will not only make the content available to the agents but also enable them to do a full transaction through the platform.” “This launch is just a beginning of a much larger offering in future where the agents will also
be able to showcase their own deals to multiple agents across the globe,” he added. Konnect.travel is a free platform for Travel Agents and it provides Point of Sale system for Flights, Hotels, Car Rental, Sightseeing, Transfers, Packages and Travel Insurance. Major suppliers around the world have participated in this revolutionary platform to distribute their content and live inventories. Every week a new supplier is added to the platform making it a unique multi content single source solution. The agents deal directly with the supplier and
NTO
Gaurav Chiripal CEO QuadLabs Technologies
earn full commission provided by the supplier cutting the need of any intermediaries and consolidators. GOVERNMENT
Oman to showcase US$35b Ministry of DoNER organises 25-year tourism vision at ATM Destination North East WH Desk
WH Desk
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ultanate of Oman continues to feature on global destination hotlists; 1.4 million international tourists targeted by 2019 with increased airport capacity and diverse offering key to growth. The annual Arabian Travel Market roadshow series returned to Oman as the Sultanate continues to work on leveraging its international profile, which saw inbound tourism numbers rise by an average of 7.4 percent per annum in the decade 200514 and 1.4 million international tourism arrivals targeted by 2019, up from 1.1 million in 2015. The Reed Travel Exhibitions team were in Muscat, to meet with key industry players from across the country and discuss exhibitor opportunities for this year’s annual travel industry showcase as well as look at where the country stands
with regards to its US$3.3 billion worth of tourism related projects. Exhibitors from the Sultanate attending ATM 2016, which takes place at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 25-28 April, include the Oman Ministry of Tourism, which has forecasted hotel room capacity to expand at an annual growth rate of 5.3% over the next three to four years, and contribute 10% of GDP by 2020. Recent figures from the Oman Airports Management Company for both Muscat and Salalah airports recorded an 18% rise in passenger numbers through the capital’s gateway in 2015, surpassing the 10 million passenger mark for the first time in its operational history, while Salalah Airport also saw a rise in traffic by 22% to reach more than one million passengers.
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he Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the festival ‘Destination North-East-2016’ recently in New Delhi. The festival was organised by the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) and Ministry of Culture. Destination Northeast showcased the inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the North East Region (NER) at the national level. While inaugurating the festival, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the North-East will be developed into a key destination for young entrepreneurs and Startups. He also said that North East festivals will be organised in Mumbai and Bangalore in the coming months. He said
Dr. Jitendra Singh with Kiren Rijiju lighting the lamp
that direct flight from Delhi to Dimapur is a major step in making North East more accessible. The rest of India needs to be connected with North East in a meaningful way, he added. He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking keen interest in the development of North East. He also emphasised upon the need to upgrade academic institutions in the North East to provide quality education and develop the human resource. The Secretary, Ministry of Tourism Vinod Zuthsi said that Government of India has been giving special focus on North East tourism promotion and facilitation.
February 2016 9
TRAVEL BUSINESS
Visa Openness levels continue to progress The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been long advocating for the need to advance travel faciliation as a means to promote tourism development and multiply its socio-economic benefits. WH Desk
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ccording to UNWTO’s latest Visa Openess Report, the share of tourists requiring to obtain a visa prior to travelling continues to decline and is at its lowest level ever. In 2015, 39% of the world population could travel for tourism without obtaining a traditional visa prior to departure as compared to only 23% in 2008. On average, 18% of the world’s population was able to travel to a destination without a visa in
2015, while another 15% could receive a visa on arrival and 6% was able to obtain eVisas. Overall, emerging economies continue to be more open than advanced economies. At the regional level, South-East Asia, East Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania remain the most open areas while Central Africa, North Africa and North America were in 2015 the most restrictive subregions. “Prioritizing travel facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. We are pleased to see that a growing number of governments around the world think likewise” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “The current security challenges should not deter us from advancing visa facilitation. On the contrary, enhancing security and facilitating tourism travel should always go hand
in hand. In fact, at a moment when safety and security are top of the agenda for all of us, we need to work closer together to promote a safe, secure and seamless travel environment by using the possibilities offered by technology and international cooperation in data sharing” he added. Although much has been done, several areas of opportunity remain for destinations worldwide to promote a safer and more seamless travel experience. UNWTO recommends destinations to focus in particular in a stronger segmentation of travellers, in improving visa application processes and entry procedures, in making use of regional integration opportunities, and last but not least, on providing precise and accessible information for tourist. Countries are further encouraged not to depend on
Taleb Rifai Secretary-General UNWTO
reciprocal improvements, but rather revise their unilateral measures, a tendency which is proving to be stronger than ever. The positive evolution registered in recent years is the clear result of determined actions taken by governments who have seen the positive impact of visa facilitation in terms of economic growth and job creation through tourism.
ATM 2016 roadshow highlights trending mid-market tourism WH Desk
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eed Travel Exhibition’s annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016 roadshow series has arrived in Dubai, continuing the drive for key industry players to leverage marketing opportunities and explore leading industry trends ahead of the region’s largest travel, tourism and hospitality showcase taking place in April. Over 140 industry partners and exhibitors representing major industry verticals are attending the half-day event at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). They will take part in interactive open forum sessions, with this year’s spotlight theme Mid-Market Travel – a key topic for discussion. The roadshow
10 February 2016
has already visited Ajman and Fujairah, and is moving on to Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) UAE Real Estate Market Overview for 2015.
“Traditionally the upscale hotel segment has been driving regional hospitality sector growth for the last decade. However, as economies continue with long-term diversification plans led by massive infrastructure development and a future calendar of world-leading events, tourism markets are now recognising the potential demand for midmarket options,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, ATM.
Dubai Tourism estimates that in the run-up to the emirate’s hosting of Expo 2020, between 140,000 and 160,000 extra rooms will be required, up from the current tally of 90,000 rooms, with an additional 10,000 rooms requiring refurbishment. This could add much-needed midscale room stock to the emirate’s hotel landscape, where three-star or below room supply only accounted for 29 percent of total availability in the first quarter of 2015, as per JLL data.
Dubai’s hotel market saw the addition of 2,700 hotel keys in 2015, increasing the total supply to 67,100 keys, according to the
“Dubai continues to shed light on the importance and need for having quality, value driven midscale lodging projects. A
Nadege Noblet-Segers Exhibition Manager ATM
number of highly attractive initiatives are set to encourage midmarket sector investment, including the release of government land plots for development, the increasing speed of construction permit approvals and the waiver of the 10 percent municipality room tax for four years,” said Amine E. Moukarzel, President of Louvre Hotels Group MENA.
February 2016 11
EXCLUSIVE
Expectations: Union Budget 2016 Rajesh Tiwari
The Tourism industry has been a key contributor to the Indian economy with highest Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and the biggest job creator (direct or indirect) for many years. If we look at the latest statistics, during the month of January 2016 the FEE’s from tourism were Rs. 13,669 crore. The growth rate in FEEs during January 2016 over January 2015 was 13 percent as compared to a growth of 3.7 percent in January 2015 over January 2014. In recent past, a host of initiatives have been taken including e-Tourist Visa, Draft Aviation Policy, launch of Smart Cities Project and Make in India campaign etc. No doubt these initiatives demonstrate
the progressive approach of the government, however in order to drive the growth of tourism like never before, we still have a long way to go. There has been a huge gap in between a traveller and the facilities required; such as good infrastructure, excellent transportation and lack of hotels etc. And, one of the biggest reasons for under development of this segment comes from the taxation policy of the country. As per the industry, if India has to get more from tourism sector it has to address the pain points in taxation policies that hindering the growth of this industry. Since the Union Budget 2016 will be announced by end of the month; the stakeholders of this industry expect big announcements from the government. Whereabouts brings a special coverage on this. Here are the excerpts…
The draft aviation policy as well as airport development in tier-I and Tier-II cities is a welcome move in identifying certain relevant aspects affecting the aviation sector. Yet there are several challenges related to complex policies, aggressive price cuts, multi-tiered tax system and infrastructure deterring the true potential of the Indian aviation industry. I look forward these challenges to be addressed in the upcoming union budget. Tourism has been a key contributor to the Indian economy with immense possibilities of growth. While the government’s initiatives to strengthen domestic connectivity as well as international accessibility have borne positive results, there is a huge gap in terms of travel facilities, infrastructure, hotels, recreational outlets, high taxes and tourist safety that still needs to be addressed. Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group
12 February 2016
EXCLUSIVE
The GST rollout is key to indirect tax regime to reduce compliance cost and make India a seamless market, free of state border holdups. The business sentiment will improve tremendously. We hope the new GST implementation dates will be announced by the Honorable Finance Minister in his Union Budget speech. Travel and tourism industry holds a significant position in its contribution to the Indian economy through the socio economic benefits it offers. Foreign exchange and mass employment has been two major contributors to the GDP of the country. Moreover, tourism related services like accommodation, transportation etc has always enhanced the growth in terms of infrastructure in the economy. There is no doubt that this sector has huge potential for growth if only it is revived and portrayed in the best possible way. Anil Parashar, President, ITQ
Eliminating all other complicated tax bifurcations and implementing the GST framework would be the one of the most important tax reforms and is sure to make the tax procedures more fair, transparent and efficient. As far as the Travel & Tourism industry is concerned, GST will give a significant boost to the businesses, but the only concern here is what if the industry is classified in the luxury bracket and rather taxed heavily. The key question to ask is,” what should be the rate of taxation instead”? The industry expects reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks and ease of doing business should be a bi- product of reducing taxes. Justified tax reforms, single window system for setting up businesses, one-stop portal for guidelines on procedures, taxes, resources etc. is utmost necessary for businesses to grow and prosper in our country and leading these areas forward can help play a transformative role for the tourism industry. Relaxed visa norms, safety of travelers, improved connectivity, strong infrastructure, elimination of travel inconveniences, incentivising skill development is what the industry needs. Dev Karvat, MD, TrawellTag Cover-More India
Last year’s budget provided the tourism industry with a strong impetus in the form of opening up e-Visas and Visa on arrival for a number of countries, thus easing the path for inbound travel to India. We are hopeful that this year’s budget shall move a step further to showcase India as a great tourist destination for global travellers and putting in place, steps to ease the travel to and within India. The government also has to take a closer look at addressing issues like safety and infrastructure to develop the image of India as a visitor friendly destination. We are hopeful that the budget gives a strong direction on improving road infrastructure to many untapped tourist destinations within the country, and also points to addressing any residual issues around traveller safety, particularly that of women travellers. The ‘Make in India’ initiative should also have a positive impact on the travel and tourism industry, which in turn, can catalyse further employment and economic opportunities within the eco-system. Sharat Dhall, President, Yatra.com
February 2016 13
MOT STATE
Ministry of Tourism launches 24x7 tourist infoline The languages handled by the contact centers include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. WH Desk
Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation launched the ‘24x7 Tourist Infoline in 12 international languages
Minister of State for Tourism & Cuture (IC) Dr Mahesh Sharma launching the 24x7 tourist infoline service
including Hindi and English’. The facility is available the existing Toll Free Number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363. Also, he announced that Incredible India Mobile App will be launched soon.
Tourists travelling in or planning to travel to India can seek help and information for a hassle free experience. The calls made by tourists (both international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge. The international tourists in India and also international callers who speak the aforesaid languages will be directed to the call agents proficient in the respective language. Addressing on the occasion, Dr Sharma said that the launch of this Multilingual Infoline has marked the fulfillment of the promise made to the people by the present Government for according priority for safety and security of tourists. This Infoline service will provide information relating to Travel & Tourism in India to the domestic and International tourists/visitors and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in India.” Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism in his address said that the focus will be on IEC (Information, Education and Communication) for the Tourists followed by a helpdesk and then safety and security of the tourists. The website of Incredible India is also being revived to make it more Tourist friendly.”
GTDC to launch all new interactive website & APP soon WH Desk
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he Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) is launching an all new interactive website and App. This will facilitate access to information and tourism services at the click of a button. The new website and App will revolutionize the face of Goa Tourism and attract young and tech-savvy travellers from across the globe. The website will be promoting tourist packages for International travellers. Apart from this the department has planned a host of initiatives for the growth of the tourism across the state. For the first time Goa has taken adventure tourism to new heights. Hot Air Balloons, Amphibious Vessels (Duck Boats) , Seaplanes have been launched giving an all new perspective to adventure tourism. While full-fledged operations of the Hot Air Balloons have begun, full-fledged operations of the
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Seaplanes and Amphibious Vessels (Duck Boats) will begin shortly. Helicopter rides, Motorized Paragliding and paragliding, Segway Tours, Bungee jumping, Scuba Diving and Horse Riding trails are also set to begin with a few weeks. A very exciting project of the Ropeways is also in the final stages for tendering and will be a mega tourism attraction here in Goa. Goa Tourism is ensuring that the celebrations deserve a place no less. The tiny State has become a big hot spot for weddings and wedding celebrations. With excellent air, road and rail connectivity, wide range of hotels, cuisine, entertainers and a lot more, Wedding tourism in Goa has caught on in a big way. Beach weddings are also getting very popular and the single window system introduced facilitates conduct of such memorable occasions.
Uttar Pradesh Travel Mart FICCI in partnership with Government of Uttar Pradesh is organising the second edition of Uttar Pradesh Travel Mart from February 21-23, 2016 at Agra. The event has become an important source to promote tourism in a substantial way for the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav will inaugurate the mart in presence of the Tourism Minister of the State Om Prakash and officials of Department of Tourism. INAUGURAL ÂÂFebruary 21, 2016 ÂÂTaj Nature Walk, Agra, Uttar Pradesh EXHIBITION AND B2B MEETING ÂÂFebruary 22-23, 2016, ÂÂClarks Shiraz Lawns AGRA HIGHLIGHTS Around 10 hosted leading Domestic Tour Operators from India will attend prescheduled structured B2B meetings for two full days with the sellers of tourism products of the state of Uttar Pradesh Around 50 fully hosted top of the line foreign tour operators from across the world to forge pre scheduled structured B2B meetings for two full days with the sellers of tourism products of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Bengal Travel Mart 2016 In a bid to enhance its visibility of North Eastern Region of India, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) and Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators’ Association (EHTTOA) is organising a three day Buyer-Seller Meet in the strategic location of Siliguri, the gateway to North East. A delegation of Buyer & Seller from various parts of India and neighbouring countries including tour operators and hoteliers will be offered an interactive platform with the local travel trade cultivating a mutually beneficial business partnership with them. The fair will be a platform for showcasing the tourism products of the complete North Eastern India, Nepal & Bhutan with special focus on Bengal. WHEN: 26-28th February 2016, WHERE: Mainak Complex, Siliguri CONTACT: EHTTOA, Cell: +91 9564663351 Email: contact@bengaltravelmart.com Website: www.bengaltravelmart.com
MOT
MoT participates at CMT Stuttgart India was the Partner Country in one of the World’s largest public trade fairs for Tourism, Leisure Caravan, Motoring viz. the ‘Caravan, Motor, Touristik (CMT), Stuttgart 2016’ from January 16 - 24, 2016. WH Desk
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he Ministry of Tourism participated in the fair through the India Tourism Office in Frankfurt. The India Pavilion was inaugurated by Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Sevala Naik, Consul General of India in Munich and Richard Bleinroth, CEO Messe Stuttgart. India’s presence at CMT Stuttgart as a Partner Country was announced at a colourful opening ceremony on January 16, 2016 which was attended by around 1000 invited guests, comprising journalists, travel writers, important personalities from around Stuttgart, exhibitors etc. The event was organised in conjunction with a TV Station (SWR) and hosted by them. During the 20 minute slot given to India, a 5 minute visual presentation of the film “Find
what you seek” was followed by a speech made by Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and a spectacular performance by the Cultural Troupe from Rajasthan (sponsored by ICCR), which was appreciated by one and all. While addressing a Press Conference for the accredited journalists of the fair, Joint Secretary Suman Billa stressed on the importance of Germany as an important tourism source market for India and how the Government of India under the Hon’ble Prime Minister attaches special importance to the relationship with Germany.
Indian Pavilion Suman Billa addressing the audience
Rajasthani troupe perfrormance
STATE
Kerala tourism launches aggressive campaigns Kerala Tourism will launch a new theme campaign to showcase Kerala and its unique attractions, to strengthen state’s position as ‘God’s Own Country’ and to create a destination pull. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will come up with special discounted packages during the period. WH Desk
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overnment of Kerala has rolled out a lot of initiatives till date, ‘Seaplane Project’ and ‘Project Muziris’; being the latest projects which were rolled out last year in order to enhance the travel experience and add to its array of attractions. Where the former project is aimed towards improving last mile connectivity by air to its destinations across the state, the latter is directed to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris, which makes a part of Central Kerala. “For the Seaplane Project, the immediate plan is to provide service initially in the priority circuit, consisting of the three airports of Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut and the prime destinations viz. Astamudi,
Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal in the state,” said Nanda Kumar, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism. Elaborating on the marketing initiatives he said “For the year 2015-16 we are aimed at Value of Money off season packages targeting some important cities of the country namely; Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Surat, Vishakhapatnam, Patna, Guwahati, Pune, Goa, Udaipur, Mysore, Coimbatore etc.” The state aims at being part of all International and Domestic Trade Fairs and Road Shows like MITT Moscow, TUR Gottenburg, ITB Berlin, Dusseldorf Germany, Berlin Germany, Milan Italy, London UK.
The Hop on Hop off Boats service was started as a part of Kerala Tourism’s many other initiatives in the year 2014. As part of its innovative water-based tourism facilities, the Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd., under the state’s Department of Tourism, launched the Hop-on Hop-off boat service and Water Taxis, for the first time in India, in the backwaters of Kochi and in the Spice Route project of Muziris.
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16 February 2016
INCONVERSATION
In Conversation with
Sahdev Mehta
Sahdev Mehta, General Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Pune is a highly motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills and a flair for innovative ideas. Mehta has more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry and worked across different verticals. On his appointment at DoubleTree by Hilton in Pune, Mehta guided the transition from a raw project stage to a fully operational and vibrant hotel overseeing each aspect of the transformation. It is to his credit that the property opened three months before deadline and saved project cost by seven percent. As General Manager Double Tree by Hilton Mehta is responsible for budgeting and financial management, planning, organising and directing all hotel services, including front-of-house (reception, concierge, reservations), food and beverage operations, and housekeeping. Prior to joining Double Tree by Hilton he was leading the F&B team at the Marriott Pune as the Executive Chef. Rajesh Tiwari
What are the latest achievements and initiatives that you would like to share with us? Our top endeavour was the successful opening of our unique banquet space ‘Food Studio’. It’s a brand new concept, for we wanted to turn banqueting on the head. In a phrase what we did was take a restaurant and put it in the banquets for the food and beverage element. It’s unique, fresh, engaging for all senses and a huge differentiation. This is but one amongst quite a few encompassing F&B, Sustainability, HR, where DoubleTree Pune sets trends.
Kindly throw some light on your clientele segments (i. e. business, MICE or leisure)? Which is the most potential segment at present? We have a mix of all the segments which has eventually resulted in great performance. To go with figures we have 55 percent of corporate travel followed by 15 percent MICE (a mix of both corporate and social)
and 30 percent among rest of other segments (sub segmentation of corporate).
So when we talk about the guest for DoubleTree by Hilton Pune from India and abroad, which are the source markets? The key markets for DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Chinchwad are PCMC, Chakan, Talegaon, Talwade which drive demand not just for our market but the whole of Pune. Inbound for rooms are mix of the US, the UK, Japan, Germany and South Korea principally with a bit from other European countries in the mix.
How has been the room occupancy in 2015? The year 2015 was a benchmark year for us being the second year of full financial year of the hotel post opening and critical to observe the results of carefully thought out strategies in price and positioning for market acceptance. Brilliantly, the hotel has delivered on occupancy by two basis points against fair share and outperformed the competition by 21 basis point, maintaining the best ARR in a price sensitive market; with a revenue penetration of super 1.24 winning business from competition entrenched for far longer than the Double Tree Pune. We could do this because of the product, the brand and above all the hotel team which deliver a superlative experience day by day, guest by guest and give a 100 percent every time.
And what are your targets for 2016? 2016, is the 3rd full year post ramp up and it looks like a blockbuster year on all fronts. Be it guest and team engagement, CSR engagement with the community and commercial goals. We have set the goals higher than initially forecasted and the great thing is that the “Team” is supremely confident of achieving these.
Have you noticed any latest trend; which is the fastest growing segment in Pune? The hotel has established itself on the top of hotels in its competitive market and 2016 is looking like another fabulous year. The demand in the city is on the rise (albeit marginally; but still it’s positive sign) and a
Sahdev Mehta General Manager DoubleTree By Hilton Pune
“We are also seeing nascent signs of Pune becoming a weekend destination for consumers from Bombay mainly. I think this opportunity will grow further but we should wait for the union budget till we can safely call it a trend.” key MNCs are investing in expansion and plant setups in Pune and its vicinity. I am waiting with bated breath for the 2016 union budget and hopefully resolution on GST which will be instrumental for a buoyant market. The last quarter of 2016 was the best for Hospitality Pan Pune, enthusiasm is guarded though and understandably, early signs of tapering downturn. We are also seeing nascent signs of Pune becoming a weekend destination for consumers from Bombay mainly. I think this opportunity will grow further but we should wait for the union budget till we can safely call it a trend.
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AVIATION First China Airlines A350 to join the fleet by third quarter of 2016 WH Desk
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he first China Airlines A350 is expected to join the fleet in 2016. The final assembling will begin at the Airbus plant in Toulouse shortly. Delivery of the aircraft is scheduled for the third quarter of this year. The A350 is the most advanced Airbus passenger jet. This is also the first time that the latest generation of medium to longrange passenger jets has been introduced in Taiwan.
In the future, China Airlines will upgrade its European long-haul routes such as Amsterdam, Vienna and Rome with the new generation of A350s to provide a healthy and comfortable travel experience. The larger space, higher ceiling, smart humidity and temperature control, increased seat pitch and wider seating will provide passengers with an additional hour of rest and better sleep on long trips.
Star Alliance Gold Status Frequent Flyers takes centre stage in mktg campaign WH Desk
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tar Alliance and its member carriers will feature an exciting lineup of bona-fide Gold Status frequent travellers in their joint marketing activities in 2016. In total, five member carriers are planning to run ‘bespoke campaigns’ during the course of this year. The campaigns are designed to convey the travel benefits provided Star Alliance to international travellers on a global scale, from the perspective of a genuine Star Alliance Gold Status customer. The movies produced for the campaigns can be viewed on the Star Alliance YouTube channel. The first member airline to roll out its bespoke campaign in 2016 will be Turkish Airlines, featuring free-diving world record holder Şahika Ercümen. She regularly travels to beautiful and exotic locations to participate in free-diving competitions and training camps, as well as to cities where she lectures on her sport, health and nutrition.
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Another campaign which has been running since December 2015 is the Croatia Airlines bespoke, featuring worldrenowned pianist Maksim Mrvica, who plays classical crossover music. He has released several critically acclaimed albums and holds the world record for playing Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ faster than anyone else. Further campaigns for 2016 are being planned with Egypt Air and South African Airways along with further member airlines. Originally launched in 2012, the Star Alliance ‘bespoke campaigns’ are a global communications platform for the co-creation and distribution of unique branded content via the Alliance, member airlines and paid for channels. Each campaign is developed in close collaboration with the participating Star Alliance member carrier and showcases one of their well-known, elite customers who regularly travels internationally on the Alliance network.
India’s first Aviation Park to come up in Gujarat WH Desk
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he state government has planned to set up the country’s first-ever Aviation Park here having a slew of facilities including an airstrip, training school, helipad and space for setting up small manufacturing units among others. It was revealed by PTI. Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd (GUJSAIL), which is given the task by the government to carry out the project, has recently identified a piece of land near Bagodara village, about 30 km from here. According to GUJSAIL CEO Captain Ajay Chauhan, aim of this Aviation Park is to raise awareness about the aviation sector among investors, students and people at large. “It will also provide a platform for manufacturing activities and human resources related to the sector,” he said. “This will be a first ever Aviation Park in India. There are hardly 3 or 4 such parks in the world. We have identified 60 hectares of land near Bagodara. Now, we will conduct a feasibility study of that location and hoping
to finalise that location after government approval by the end of this financial year,” said Chauhan. The motive behind establishing this park is creating a complete eco-system where everything related to aviation sector gets available under one roof. In the initial phase, this park will provide platform for educating people about the aviation activities. The Aviation Park will serve as a one-stop destination in the avenues of aerospace training, research, recreation and manufacturing. For professionals, the park will have a training complex having flight simulator, an aviation and aerospace management school, an aircrew training school, a helipad and a landing strip for smaller aircrafts.
USTDA to provide funds for improving India’s aviation safety WH Desk
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he Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the USTDA (US Technical Development Agency) inked a grant agreement here for India Aviation Safety Technical Assistance Phase II. The USTDA will extend funds to help India improve its overall aviation safety mechanism, including in the areas of operation, airworthiness and licensing. The funds would be for India Aviation Safety Technical Assistance Phase II and the
government would pitch in with USD 446,866. The USTDA would partially fund the “assistance to the tune of USD 808,327 and contractor The Wicks Group (TWG) would share the cost of assistance at USD 75,000. “Phase II of the current project is aimed at sustaining efforts undertaken during 2014 for restoration of IASA Category 1 status and bringing in more systemic improvements in the area of operation, airworthiness and licensing. It will include components on general aviation and business aviation.
AVIATION Make in India: Challenges & Opportunities in Civil Aviation Sector
Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to boost Indigenous MRO services The civil aviation sector in India, which till now was dependent on foreign countries for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, is planning to have indigenous facilities. MRO works of aircraft are mostly done overseas by local carriers as costs are higher in the country. However, many Indian companies, including Pawan Hans Ltd., are now planning to develop MRO services in the country.
The Make in India initiative also support this. The MRO services will also be creating a lot of job opportunities for pilot and aircraft engineers. Besides, passenger services and manufacturing, the civil aviation ministry is also encouraging training and skill development under the `Make in India’ initiative,” said Dr. B.P. Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, Pawan Hans Ltd.
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The civil aviation sector has a major role to play in the Government of India’s Make in India initiative. Civil aviation doesn’t mean transportation of passengers and cargo, but it’s connectivity between two cities and two countries. “We have to add a lot through `Make in India’ initiative. It’s not only about manufacturing but the manpower, training, skill development, which various sections of civil aviation are engaged in,” said Anuj Aggarwal, Member HR & Commercial, Airports Authority of India.
s of now, it (MRO services) is heavily dependent on imports. Everything is imported, including servicing of aircraft. If you look at airlines, except Air India, all other airlines for their routine checkups are going out of the country. They are going to Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka. So, we need to pull in that 700 million dollar business into India, said Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister of Civil Aviation Govt of India on the sidelines of a day -long seminar titled ‘Make in India: Challenges and Opportunities in Civil Aviation Sector’ organised by the Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism (FAST) recently. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma was present at the occasion. Pawan Hans is coming forward in two areas mainly; one is development of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul services. This service will be started at Delhi and Mumbai at Juhu Airport in first phase. Pawan Hans has a plan to extend it to other part of the country in Northeast at Guwahati and one in southern region. “Presently there is no MRO facility for helicopters and it’s a big business. We are coming forward with this.
“We have also strengthened training institutes at the Airports Authority of India which will not only develop skills of the Airport Authority of India officials, but others also,” he added. The unprecedented growth of the Indian aviation industry has drawn a lot of interest amongst foreign airlines, aircraft manufacturers and tourism industry. The Make in India initiative has now brought the focus to a great extent on the manufacturing sector and address the key challenges’ confronting the aviation industry. “Make in India initiative has to happen in India, which has been delayed a lot,” said,
P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju Minister of Civil Aviation Govt of India
If you look at airlines, except Air India, all other airlines for their routine checkups are going out of the country. They are going to Singapore, Dubai and Sri Lanka. So, we need to pull in that 700 million dollar business into India. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju
V P Agrawal, Vice President, Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism. He further added that, “I feel India is going to become third largest market by 2020. And by that time we are going to need lot of resources maybe in the form of machinery, maybe in the form of skilled manpower. And this has to happen and we can’t depend all the time on imports. So gradually we have to move towards even towards manufacturing which is a touch call, but the day has come, time has come, opportunity has come
Dr. B.P. Sharma Chairman & MD Pawan Hans Ltd
Presently there is no MRO facility for helicopters and it’s a big business. We are coming forward with this. The Make in India initiative also support this. Dr. B.P. Sharma
when we should start thinking on that, working on that.” The ministry is also considering ways to enhance regional connectivity by utilising unexploited infrastructure. It is also encouraging new players to venture into domestic air connectivity. However there are 350 airfields across the country which are unused. “Today, we have 85 airports which are fully developed, but they are not used. First, we must connect these 85, and then go for regional connectivity, which the minister feels each region should have connectivity. Today, we connect not more than 80 districts out of 680. We got to connect all,” highlighted Lt. Gen. K M Seth, President, Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism.
February 2016 19
WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN
MAHARASHTRA
NAGZIRA WildLife Sanctuary The charm of Nagzira lies in the forest department’s simple accommodation located on the banks of the central lake. In the absence of electric supply, basic lighting is provided by solar energy. But this has meant that there is no loud music and only the interested and motivated tourists come here. So if you are thinking of a great wildlife holiday, you should really consider Nagzira. WH Desk
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agzira is on the Eastern part of Maharashtra, which borders Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This ITDC area of the country comprises some of the last remaining pristine forests of India – other than of course the Western Ghats, North East and widely distributed and unconnected patches. Recently, Nagzira’s protection status received a strong impetus when it became the part of Navegaon – Nagzira Tiger Reserve complimenting the excellent habitat that has supported a strong wildlife population including the charismatic tiger. Birding in Nagzira holds a special magic with a number of
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birds flocking to the lake side by the afternoon. A number of eagles descend on the waters for a drink, while Orioles, Drongos and Ground Thrushes can be seen bathing. The calls of the hungry chicks of the resident grey headed fish eagle need to be experienced once in your life time. Amongst the mammals, the strong herbivore population of Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer and Gaur has supported a healthy predator presence. Tigers and Leopards can be frequently spotted – but the main appeal of this forest lies in understanding their presence. Pugmarks (foot step) on the mud roads, droppings by the roadsides, territory marking on trees and bushes – similar to that the dogs do on the tires and poles, indicate the presence of big cats. Often the alarmed calling Deer, Langurs and Peacocks tell us that a predator is on the prowl. They keep the jungle denizens posted of the lurking danger. This calling can also lead you to a lucky sighting of an elusive big-cat. Two other very charismatic animals of Nagzira are the Wild-Dogs and Sloth Bears. Both these animals are also frequently seen in these beautiful jungles. While Wild-
Dogs can be seen in large groups – planning meticulously to make their next kill, Sloth Bears are generally seen roaming the forests solitarily or females can be seen in company of their cubs. Many tourists are also greeted by the wonderful sight of sloth bears cubs hitch-hiking on their mother’s back. The forests of Nagzira boast of diverse vegetation. While it is the northern limit of teak, a number of these trees that were planted in the past can still be seen. However, other trees like the Mahua, Ain, Jamun and Bombax give colour to the green glory. Needless to mention, Bamboo is most predominantly seen here. The best time to see the beautiful forest would be immediately after the park reopens after monsoon, where the greens are luxuriantly
growing and are supporting the diverse life forms of Nagzira. While the summers make a large portion of this forest bare – it is this that helps in better sighting of animals. VISITING TIMINGS ÂÂOct 1 -Jan 31: 7 am to 6 pm ÂÂFeb 1- June 15: 7 am to 7 pm BEST TIME: April and May CLOSING: June 16 September 30 WEATHER: Moderate & Pleasant GETTING HERE AIR: The nearest airport is Nagpur ROAD: The nearest bus stand is Sakoli, 22 km RAIL: Nearby railway stations are Nagpur (122 km), Gondia (45 km) and Bhandara (75 km)
NEED TO KNOW
PENCH The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park & Tiger Reserve (Nagpur) There is no greater thrill than spotting a tiger in its natural surroundings. And this can become a real life experience when you go to the Pench Tiger Reserve which shares its borders with both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. And the tiger apart, you can also have a wonderful time exploring the other flora and fauna while going on long treks through the woods.
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ench also known as The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Park and Tiger Reserve (Nagpur) is among the best sanctuaries in the state of Maharashtra. The Pench Tiger Reserve comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and a buffer zone. It nestles in the southern slopes of the Satpura ranges of central India. The river Pench, which splits the park into two, forms its lifeline. Interestingly, author Rudyard Kipling’s globally popular work of fiction, ‘The Jungle Book’ and the creation of such lovable characters as Sher Khan, Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera derived inspiration from Pench, more specifically from R. A. Strendale’s semi-autobiographical account of his adventures in this region as described in his book ‘Seonee - Camp Life in Satpura Hills’.
Pench provides a great opportunity of coming close to carnivores like the Tiger, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Wild Dog, Hyena, Jackal and the Civet. During the safaris, visitors often come across pugmarks, strong smells of territory markings, and even direct sightings of these majestic beasts. The park is also the home ground of a large number of herbivores, including the Sambar, Spotted Deer, Indian Gaur, Neelgai, four-horned Antelope, barking Deer, Wild Boar and the absolutely elusive Ratel, not to forget the lumbering Sloth Bear. You will also find here birds of prey including the Serpent Eagle, Hawk Eagle, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle, White-Eyed Buzzard and Honey Buzzard. Barred Jungle Owlet, Collared Scops Owl and the rather weird looking Mottled Wood Owl keep
watching during the nights. Malabar Pied Hornbill, Scarlet Minivet, Painted Francolin, Oriole, Barbets, Kingfisher and other colourful feathered bipeds bring up the bird list to over 225 species. The forest is also rich in its variety of flora and the eco-system is a mix of dry and moist tropical deciduous forest with teak and bamboo being the dominant species. GETTING HERE AIR: The nearest airport is at Nagpur around 80 kms away. RAIL: The nearest railway junction is at Nagpur and it is well connected to all the cities in India. DISTANCE FROM MUMBAI: 1000 Kms
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NEED TO KNOW
PAINGANGA It derives its name from the river Painganga or Penganaga which borders the sanctuary on its three sides. It encompasses a sprawling area of about 325 sq km and hosts a vast variety of flora and fauna. The sanctuary has been divided in the central region by a wide valley which forms the border of Nanded and Yavatmal districts
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ainganga Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Umarkhed Tehsil of Yeotmal district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The flora of Painganga features an exquisite combination of southern mixed deciduous forests and dry teak forests. The numerous species of fauna sheltered here include Fox, Leopard, Jackal, Hare, Four Horned Antelope, Porcupine, ITDC Sambar, Nilgai, Black Buck, Chinkara and many others. It is also a paradise for bird watchers to cherish a pleasing
view of gorgeous avifauna like Vulture, Bulbul, Dove, Kingfisher, Cuckoo, Kite and others. Jungle safari is an enjoyable experience in Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary. BEST TIME TO VISIT: January to June The sanctuary is sprawled over an area of approximately 325 sq km and has a huge variety of flora and fauna. Amongst flora, it has a fabulous mix of dry teak forests and southern mixed deciduous forests, while under the fauna bracket, the sanctuary is home to a host of animal species like the Chinkara, the Black Buck, the Nilgai Sambar, the Four Horned Antelope, Hare, Jackal, Leopard, Fox and many more. Bird lovers would love the different types of birds found here like the Kite, the Cuckoo, the Kingfisher, the Dove, the Bulbul, the Vulture, etc. The duration from the month of January to the month of June is the best period to enjoy this sanctuary. BEST TIME TO VISIT: With the winter season being the best time to visit the town. GETTING HERE: AIR: The nearest airport is Nagpur, 250km RAIL: Nearest Railhead is Badnera, 200km ROAD: Mumbai -900km, Buldhana-360km, Yeotmal100km
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ABOUT MAHARSHTRA Maharashtra, a state spanning west-central India, is best known for its fast-paced capital, Mumbai. This sprawling metropolis is the seat of the Bollywood film industry. It’s also famed for sites like the British Raj-era Gateway of India monument and the cave temples at nearby Elephanta Island. To the south is the rustic, beachlined Konkan coast, and its temple town of Ganpatipule. CAPITAL: Mumbai COUNTRY: India CURRENCY: INR LAANGUAGES: Marathi, English and Hindi MAJOR ATTRACTIONS AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES: One of the most outstanding specimens of ancient Indian heritage are the Ajanta & Ellora group of caves. Maharashtra state treasures these mesmerizing caves which were discovered in the 19th century by the British. ELEPHANTA CAVES: The Elephanta Island is known for its great cave shrine, excavated in the 6th century. The island lies 10 km northeast to Apollo Bunder or Gateway of India. MURUD JANJIRA: Sea Forts like the Siddi fort of Murud Janjira and Jaigad near Ganpatipule, the famous pilgrimage place belong to the Maratha period.
LONAVALA & KHANDALA: On the way to Pune from Mumbai come the two pleasant hill stations of Maharashtra, Lonavala and Khandala. Set at a height of 625m they are located on the western slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range. BASSEIN FORT: Located just 55kms away from Bombay, Bassein is one of the most important sea forts of Maharashtra. RAIGAD: Raigad also known as Durgadeshwar is the lord of all the 360 odd forts in the state of Maharashtra. MATHERAN: This place was discovered in 1850 and due to its greenery and shade it was immediately taken as the nearest hill station from Mumbai. Matheran is slightly above the plains so it is cool and provides respite from the heat of Mumbai. PANCHAGANI: Situated at an altitude of 1334m it lies just 38m below Mahabaleshwar. It gets name from the 5 hills around it. SINHAGAD FORT: Sinhagad is one of the important Maratha forts having a colourful history linked with it. CONTACT Maharashtra Tourism Dev. Corp. C.D.O. Hutments, Opp. L.I.C. Building, Madame Cama Road, Mumbai-400 020
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WHEREABOUTS A land of Gaudi and Picasso; Catalonia is a country where old is preserved and the new is encouraged. The Catalonia region, in northeastern Spain, is known for the lively beach resorts of Costa Brava, the Pyrenees mountains and as home to surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. The Catalan culture, boasts of a huge history as well as its own unique traditions and cuisine. Antoni Gaudí’s distinctive architecture can be seen at the Sagrada Família basilica and in the colorful mosaics of Park Güell. WH Desk
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est known apart from the capital, Barcelona, is of course the Mediterranean coast, Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, with ample beaches and mild climate, doubtlessly a first rate touristic attraction. One shouldn’t forget anyhow that Catalonia offers as well high mountain ranges, the Pyrenees in the north, the curious formations of Montserrat, the inactive volcans of Garrotxa, and a wide plain area in the region’s center. Catalonia has a very marked culture of its own, most evidently of Mediterranean tradition, and is distinguished of most other Spanish regions in several aspects, not at least by its language, Catalonian (although everybody speaks and understands Castilian Spanish perfectly). Certainly it is one of the most cosmopolitan places in Spain, thanks to its long tradition of international commerce. The coast offers ideal facilities for all sorts of water sports, but everywhere you will realise about that special talent to combine the beauty of nature or monuments with modern attractions, a main reason why Catalonia developed into one of the preferred tourist destinations. Catalonia’s excellent gastronomy is characterised by seafood, rice dishes, wines of great international reputation and traditional desserts like the famous ‘Catalonian Cream’. ARCHITECTURE AND ART From pre history to the current day, Catalonia has been a land of artistic exuberance; from Grand Romanesque to the simple and surreal Cistercian architecture. Then from the elaborate gothic, Modernism to the contemporary modern architecture of now! Catalonia has the masterpieces from each era and each style! Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. Romanesque
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Truly Avant-garde Truly Catalonia… architecture was the first distinctive style to spread across Europe. In Catalonia, there were two major phases of Romanesque architecture. First in the 11th century, from Italy; this time, was noted for its complexity and perfection. Explore Sant Vicenç de Cardona (St Vincent) or the Canonical/collegiate church of Sant Vicenç, consecrated between 1029 and 1040, is one of the great Romanesque jewels in Catalonia. The second period of Romanesque architecture in Catalonia appears with the development of building techniques (the art of cutting stone, etc). This style was fully developed in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is seen clearly in the Cathedral of La Seu d’Urgell or the Church of Besalú. An example of Romanesque art in Catalonia is the set of churches in the Boí Valley. Cistercian architecture is a style of architecture associated with the churches, monasteries and abbeys of the Roman Catholic Cistercian Order. It was believed that churches should avoid superfluous ornamentation so as not to distract from the religious life. Cistercian architecture was simple and utilitarian, and though images of religious subjects were allowed in very limited instances (such as the crucifix), many of the more elaborate figures that commonly adorned medieval churches were not.
Early Cistercian architecture shows a transition between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The monastery of Santes Creus, in the town of Aiguamúrcia, next to the river Gaia, has a church and a dome, two cloisters, a royal palace, the premises of the monks and the cemetery. This Monastery is an amazing example of Cistercian architecture in Tarragona, Catalonia. Gothic Gothic architecture is the architecture of the late medieval period, characterised by use of the pointed arch. Other features common to gothic architecture are the rib vault, buttresses, including flying buttresses; large windows which are often grouped, or have
tracery; rose windows, towers, spires and pinnacles; and ornate façades. Barcelona’s Gothic works are naturally concentrated in Cituat Vella, the old part of the city, where medieval Barcelona prospered among vestiges of Roman temples and walls. The Cathedral (La Seu) certainly is one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings in Barcelona. It stands at the Pla de la Seu, almost in the centre of the Barri Gòtic, which directly borders to the famous Rambla. Art nouveau /Modernisme Architecture A visit to Barcelona would be incomplete if you missed the main Catalan Art Nouveau, or ‘modernisme’ sights. Modernisme is Barcelona’s great contribution to ¬architecture. It shared with Arts and Crafts a focus on traditional styles and craftsmanship, and, with Art Nouveau, a preoccupation with sinuous lines, organic form and ornament, and a rebellion against rigid designs and colourless stone and plaster. ANTONI GAUDI & OTHER MODERNISTAS Antoni Gaudí is the most famous modernista architect, while there are equally impressive architects like Lluís Domènechi Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí was an avid Catalan nationalist and an extremely devout Catholic, especially at the end of his life. This church ‘The Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family’ was his final obsession, the culmination of his architectural theories and religiosity. Casa Battló like everything Gaudí designed, it is only identifiable as Modernisme or Art
Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, has unusual tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work. There are few straight lines, and much of the façade is decorated with a colorful mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís). The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. MODERN In many ways the celebration of the Olympic Games in 1992 meant the beginning of a new era - also in the field of architecture. In the years up to The Olympic Games Barcelona entered a process of construction that really hasn’t stopped again. Old industrial areas were rehabilitated, new parks were designed and a total of more than 300 new buildings were planned by approximately 150 architects.
Since then, new interesting, modern architecture has continued to come up in Barcelona. Today Barcelona offers an overwhelming amount of fascinating, modern buildings that have changed the urban landscape of Barcelona radically. Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel: It is inspired by the architectural legacy left behind by Gaudi and by the hills of Montserrat. The Agbar tower rises from the ground, with the power and lightness of a geyser, touching the blue Barcelona skies. It’s a treat to watch this spectacular building in the night, colorfully lit up. Torre de Gas Natural by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue: This building made out of steel and glass surprises many visitors in Barcelona with its controversial structure. A long ‘arm’ of glass comes out from the main tower and looks like it is suspended in the air. It was built in 2007 by two of the most popular architects in Barcelona over the last decades. The buildings are used as headquarters of Gas Natural. PICASSO The man who gave birth to the Cubism movement, and became the most famous and influential artist of the 20th Century, learned to sketch before he learned how to speak. It was in Barcelona that Spain’s greatest artist spent his formative years, and it was Barcelona, perhaps more than anywhere else, that Picasso considered his home. Barcelona had a profound effect on the teenage artist. The bustling industrialist Catalan capital was in a period of huge growth, embracing progressive ideas about art and society as it raced towards the 20th century. The always prolific artist created thousands of sketches and paintings with
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WHEREABOUTS
the city as his muse, many of which can be seen at Barcelona’s Picasso Museum today. Picasso Museum Barcelona: The Picasso Museum is standing tribute to the artist’s close relationship with the city of his adolescence and naturally the essential starting point for any fans wanting to explore the artist’s life and works. It opened in 1963 and was set up during his lifetime, according to his wishes, by his friend and personal secretary, Jaume Sabartés. The museum’s collection at that time was comprised of Sabartés’s personal collection along with Picasso’s works which he’d donated to the Barcelona Museums of Art. MAJOR ATTRACTIONS BARCELONA: Catalonia’s capital, located at the Mediterranean Sea, offers the structures of a true metropolis. Among its most outstanding sights are the Gothic Quarter and the works of architect Antoni Gaudi.
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COSTA BRAVA: Certainly one of the most famous Spanish coasts, stretching from the north of Barcelona over the province of Girona. It is of great natural beauty, with steep cliffs and romantic small coves.
and the Tomb of the Scipios, located at the seaside. Close to Tarragona there are the monasteries Santes Creus and Santa Maria de Poblet, both of high historic-artistic interest.
GIRONA: A beautiful historic city with the old Jewish Quarter among its major sights.
LLEIDA (LERIDA): Located inland in a mountainous area. Most interesting is its cathedral, ‘Seo’, built between 12th and 15th century.
FIGUERES: The birthplace of great painter Salvador Dali. Its main attraction is of course the museum Foto dedicated to the artist, showing a collection of some of his finest works Foto. COSTA DORADA: The Golden Coast, stretching from south of Costa del Garraf to Costa del Azahar, offers apart from its great beaches and beautiful landscapes towns of outstanding beauty. TARRAGONA: An important city of the Roman empire, still preserving outstanding monuments: the aqueducts, an amphitheater
ABOUT CATALONIA COUNTRY: Spain CAPITAL: Barcelona PROVINCES: Barcelona, Girona (Gerona), Lleida (Lerida) and Tarragona. DIALING CODE: +34 CONTINENT: Europe CURRENCY: Euro OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish
NTO
Indonesia announces visa free entry for Indian travellers Apart from visa free entry, there has been ten folds increase in the budget for promotional and marketing activities. The tourism department is planning to invest a significant amount of this budget on trade missions and direct promotions along with branding ten more destinations beyond Bali. Rajesh Tiwari
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ooking at the vast potential of outbound tourism from India the government of Indonesia has announced visa free entry for Indian passport holders from January 2016. “The visa free regime is expected to boost the number of outbound travellers from this part of the world like never before,” said Vinsensius Jemadu, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia. “Now the major attention is being given to create
awareness about the visa free service among Indian travel and tourism stakeholders,” he added. Apart from this Indonesia has big plans to strengthen its presence in India; it includes sales mission and participation in travel trade events. Since the Ministry has increased its budget from USD 1million to 10 million for the year 2016 a host of activities are lined up for the promotion of tourism in a big way. “We have finalised at least 15 promotional activities; five sales missions-comprised of Indonesian travel companies to interact with their counterpart in India, three direct consumer promotions at shopping malls in Delhi and Mumbai, and roadshows in Chennai,
Hyderabad and Kolkata,” said Jemadu. Wonderful Indonesia will promote its festivals in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, along with a culinary event at Kolkata and New Delhi in March 2016. According to him, Indonesia anticipates at least 20 percent growth in the year ahead. The country aims to achieve 3,50,000 travellers from India by end of this year. More than 262000 travellers visited the country previous year. Tourism is one of the top priority sectors for development in Indonesia. Currently being at number 3 tourism industry is poised to become the number 1 contributor to the country’s GDP by 2019. Statistics reveals that the tourism has surpassed the growth of oil and gas
TAT appoints Golf Ambassador The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced the appointment of Vani Kapoor as Thailand golf ambassador in India. WH Desk
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hailand is renowned as Asia’s most popular golfing destination with a remarkable value the golfers can obtain. Golfers can enjoy the luxury of golf at world class courses at magnificent locations, receive five star services from friendly caddies, and stay in comfortable accommodation at affordable prices. “It is great to have Vani Kapoor, a number one Indian female golfer as Thailand Golf Ambassador. She will be an iconic for both male and female golfers in India to Thailand,” said Yuthasak Supasorn , Governor , Tourism Authority of Thailand. TAT is partnering to showcase the best Thailand has to offer to India, and to project the image of Thailand as a
Vinsensius Jemadu Director Tourism Republic of Indonesia
industry in last couple of years. “So far Bali has been the destination of choice for Indian travellers. So the government has decided to promote ten destinations beyond Bali. Toba and Comodo Island are among them,” he concludes.
TAT appoints new Director
luxury and high-end destination for Indian travellers. At present there are around 200,000 Golfers in India and this segment is gaining popularity among the youths of this country. “We chose Vani Kapoor as our brand ambassador to encourage young players to play golf in Thailand,” he said. Sharing the number of travellers specific to this segment he said, “So far we have received around 10000 trips by Indian golfers to Thailand. And we expect at least 10 percent growth by end of the year.”
Japan whereas Vietnam and Malaysia are being looked as the emerging markets for this segment.
According to Supasorn around 20 percent of the total tourist to Thailand comes to play golf. Thailand offers Visa on arrival facility which is restricted to 14 days however the golfers may require to stay more than this period. Elaborating more on this the governor said “If there would be a demand we would extend the 14 days restriction.”Apart from India TAT is promoting Thai Golf in other source markets like China, Korea and
Having recently played golf in Thailand, Vani said, “Thailand is a great destination for golfers as it offers a wide range of courses to choose from at a value added price. It provides diversity in the golf courses from the hills in the north to beautiful courses by the beach in the south. With many courses being developed by leading professionals such as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman, Thailand is the ideal place for golf.”
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ourism Authority of Thailand has appointed Isra Stapanaseth as the Director of Tourism in New Delhi. His area of responsibility will be North & East India, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal. Prior to this he was the TAT Director of Chiang Rai. Thailand crossed the one million mark for Indian tourist arrivals in 2015 and registered a total of 1,069,149 arrivals marking a year-on year growth of 14.64 percent over the same period in 2014, according to data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Govt. of Thailand.
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NTO
Shaanxi Province interacts with Indian travel partners The Year 2016 is being celebrated as Visit China Year in India. Considering it as a golden opportunity for tourism promotion various provinces of China are organising roadshows across the country. Being a part of this campaign, Shaanxi province interacted with travel agents and tour operators in New Delhi recently. Rajesh Tiwari
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n an exclusive interaction with Whereabouts, the Director, Shaanxi Province Tourism Administration China, Yang Zhongwu, said, “Due to our Prime Minister’s visit, the tourism fraternity of both of the countries are very optimistic. I believe the events and activities will bring closer these two countries and the tourism exchange will register an unprecedented growth in the year ahead. “Since we are celebrating Visit China Year in
India the tourism figure from this part of the world is expected to set a mile stone,” he added. Talking about the tourism products of the Province he revealed that religious (Buddhism) and leisure are the potential segments of tourism in Shaanxi Province that can attract a large number of travellers from here.” Elaborating on the number of inbound tourist from India he said, “More than 24000 Indian travellers have visited to Sian (Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi) in the year 2015. Since we are promoting our destination in a big way we expect a large chunk of travellers this year. The tourism administration is planning to conduct FAM tours and promotional initiatives in India.” Addressing the gathering Rajeev Kohli, President, Society for Incentive Travel
Excellence (SITE) urged the trade to promote the less explored but potential destination such as Xi’an and design itineraries for 2-3 night to the place. Subhash Goal President, Sarab Jit Singh, Sr. Vice President of Indian Association of Tour Operators were present on the occasion. Also the province is expecting a large number of business travellers to attend the upcoming China Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo (CXSRITE) 2016. Scheduled to be organised from April 22nd to 24th 2016 at Xi’an Qujiang International Convention and Exhibition Centre CXSRITE 2016 will continue to feature a wide range of Chinese and international tourism products, services and destinations along the ancient Silk Road and New Maritime silk Routes.
South African suppliers interacts with 1200 Indian tour operators WH Desk
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he annual roadshow organised by South African Tourism have continued to witnessed an overwhelming response and grow in attendance from Indian travel agents year on year. Over 45 exhibitors from South Africa interacted with their Indian counterpart in Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai recently. This interactive program was planned to increase destination awareness among travel planners in India. Other notable initiatives from South African Tourism board include ‘Learn SA Roadshow with TAAI which reached over 1700 agents last year. Margie Whitehouse, Chief Marketing Officer, South African
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Tourism says, “We have always witnessed an overwhelming response from the Indian trade and are excited to see how this roadshow is going to contribute to the tourism of South Africa. We aim to work in unison to mutually benefit each other with increased promotions and offer multiple trade options in the country.” India is such an incredible country and we look forward to their continued support to present tourism with a larger platform in both countries.” “Our synergy or partnership with the Indian trade has reached new heights both in terms of execution and depth of engagement,” said Monika Iuel, General Manager, International Marketing, South African Tourism. “Our partners have always been an integral
part of our marketing efforts in the country and that has been the contributor to the effectiveness and success of our campaigns,” she added. “We have seen huge developments in terms of product offering, as well as in the changes in the way we operate in the Indian market,” said Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism. “We have seen a lot of refinement in the ‘made for India in South Africa’ campaign by South African products and service providers - in fact, they are so entrenched in the Indian market, that we are now getting ‘made for Bangalore in South Africa’ and ‘made for Kolkata in South Africa’ offerings from the various South African players in the market,” concludes Hanneli.
Nevada expects huge growth from India in 2016 WH Desk
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fter their successful participation in 2014, Nevada Division of Tourism (TravelNevada) is again participated at SATTE 2016. During this three-day event, TravelNevada reinforced established partnerships, forged new alliances and promoted the state to buyers from the Indian travel trade. The Travel Nevada delegation at SATTE 2016 was lead by Mark Hutchison, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and Chairman of the Nevada Division of Tourism. “About 53 million people visit our state every year and Las Vegas is already very popular with Indian visitors. We are excited to use this opportunity to promote Nevada’s other unique cities and attractions. We hope to encourage as many Indian visitors as possible to come experience the Silver State for all that it has to offer,” said Hutchison. Larry Friedman, Deputy Director of Sales and Industry Partners at the Nevada Division of Tourism added, “India is an exciting market for us in view of the steady growth of visitor arrivals from India to US in the last few years. As a large number of these visit Nevada as a part of their itinerary, our objective is to showcase the best travel experiences in our state to Indian travellers.” The promotional effort by Travel Nevada is focused on creating greater awareness of Nevada as a year-long and diverse destination within potential Indian travellers. To achieve these objectives Sartha Global Marketing has put in place intensive travel trade and public relations programmes in India.
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts accelerates expansion of footprint in South Asia With Nine new hotel openings and 16 signings in 2015, Starwood continues on a robust growth trajectory, expanding its regional presence while debuting new brands. WH Desk
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tarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has announced it is aggressively expanding its footprint in South Asia, anchored by the Indian market. Since January 2015, the company has opened nine hotels and signed deals for 16 new hotels. The company recently surpassed its 50th hotel in the region, with 54 hotels operating and another 34 hotels under development. “Our growth continues to be fueled by strong domestic demand for quality and branded accommodations in Tier 1 & Tier 2 markets. India is already Starwood’s fourth largest market in terms of number of hotels and will soon be its third after the U.S. and China. The momentum of 2015 will continue in 2016 with another 8 to 10 hotel openings in the region,” said Dilip Puri, Managing Director India & Regional Vice President South Asia for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Rapid Expansion in 2015 Since January 2015, nine hotels were added to Starwood’s South Asia portfolio. New openings in India included Four Points by Sheraton Agra, Le Méridien Gurgaon Delhi NCR, Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa, Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel, Le Méridien Nagpur, Four Points by Sheraton Vadodara, and The St. Regis Mumbai. The latter, which debuted this past September, marked the very first St. Regis hotel in South Asia. In Bangladesh, Starwood unveiled the Le Méridien brand in the capital with Le Méridien Dhaka. In Bhutan, the company
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opened its second Le Méridien property in Paro – Le Meridien Paro, Riverfront. Starwood’s strong growth momentum in the region continues with the signing of 16 new hotels including, The St. Regis Vommuli Resort, Maldives, Sheraton Dhaka Banani Hotel and Le Méridien Resort & Spa, Bhaluka, both in Bangladesh. In India, Starwood signed five Sheraton hotels in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Ambala, Srinagar and Bodh Gaya (Bihar). Other signings include Le Méridien Nagpur, The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa as well as Four Points by Sheraton hotels in Vijayawada, Thavanakadavu (on Vembanad Lake, Kerala), Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Srinagar and Sonmarg. Growing Luxury Portfolio in South Asia India’s luxury market continues to soar driven by rising disposable incomes and an appetite for luxury goods, including hospitality. Starwood Hotels & Resorts is well positioned to leverage this trend as one of the largest luxury hotel players in India with 11 hotels under The Luxury Collection flag through its partnership with ITC hotels and the recent introduction of the St. Regis in Mumbai. Starwood’s luxury growth continues with the upcoming openings of The St. Regis Vommuli Resort, Maldives and the W Goa Retreat & Spa this year. Upscale Brands Propel Growth in New Markets Starwood is seeing great momentum in the expansion of its upscale Four Points by Sheraton brand in Tier 2 markets with signings in cities such as Thavanakkadavu in Kerala, Tiruchirapalli, Vijayawada, Aurangabad, and Bhopal. There are currently 10hotels operating under the
Four Points brand in India and the portfolio is expected to grow by 50 percent over the next three years. “Globally, Four Points is experiencing incredible growth, having recently crossed its 200th operating hotel milestone,” said Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “India and South Asia will continue to play a key role in driving this growth for the brand in new markets.” Another upscale brand, Aloft, is also experiencing impressive growth in both major and secondary urban centres. Currently there are six properties in Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad with two more at Delhi Aerocity
Dilip Puri MD India & Regional VP-SA
Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Goa expected to open in the next 12 to 18 months. Resort Portfolio Takes Off The opening of the stunning new Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa in June 2015 accelerated the growth of Starwood’s resort portfolio in the region. The company is developing resorts in Bekal, Khandala, Pushkar, Rishikesh and Ambala, across its different brands and, at the highest end, it will add W Goa Retreat & Spa and The St Regis Vommuli Resort, Maldives to its resort portfolio this year.
Bird Group unveils B-Prive WH Desk
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ird Group is all set to redefine luxury with the unveiling of B-Privè, a one-of-a-kind exclusive loyalty program that allows members a synergy of unique experiences across hospitality, retail and entertainment. The initiative is based on strong customer demand for a world-class loyalty program that goes far and beyond in providing a broad selection of unique luxury experiences. Effective January 21, 2016, B-Privè members will have
access to over 50 uniquely crafted privileges that range from dining, spa and business centre at Dusit Devarana New Delhi, DusitD2 and The Royal Park Hotel, London. The program will also include privilege certificates that can be redeemed for specially curated deals on stay, dining, Spa as well as birthday and anniversary celebrations at each of these properties. The loyalty program membership is priced at 14,999 plus taxes and shall be valid for a year from the date of issue.
HOSPITALITY
Treebo expands operations to Pune & Kolkata WH Desk
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reebo, a Bangalore based tech-enabled chain of reliable hotels announced the launch of its operations in Pune and Kolkata. The start up will initially launch one property each in these cities, thereby extending their presence to 52 hotels in 11 cities. With Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad already
L to R : Rahul Chaudhary, Kadam Jeet Jain and Sidharth Gupta
covered, the company has now established presence in all major metros in India.
Sidharth Gupta, co-founder of Treebo said, “Expanding into Pune and Kolkata is a significant milestone for us as these are important travel destinations for both business and leisure traveller. They will also act as hubs for us to extend our presence to the tier 2 and tier 3 cities in the western and eastern regions of the country.” Treebo works with standalone hotels to help them improve their quality standards and capture a higher market share. The company markets these properties under its brand name and has exclusive rights to market the full inventory of the hotel. It uses technology to maintain a constant oversight and control on the quality of service offered by the hotel. “We have been pioneering a host of new industry initiatives including a mobile app for our operations team to conduct daily quality audits, a crowd sourcing platform to receive independent feedback, a robust ecosystem of service providers for WIFI, breakfast and laundry. These mechanisms help us maintain high quality standards even as we expand rapidly,” said Gupta. The company said it will continue its expansion in new and existing territories reaching a network of 10,000 rooms in 20 cities by the end of 2016.
Tattva Spa inks partnership deed with DoubleTree by Hilton, Agra
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attva Spa signed a partnership deed with DoubleTree by Hilton in Agra. Tattva will offer exquisite assortment of salon and wellness treatments that will leave them feeling rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Tattva will manage the spa and salon under the brand Calista- The Spa by Tattva. The health and wellness facility spread across 5000 sq. ft. at the first floor level
of the hotel, makes the hotel an ideal, holistic wellness destination. With a dedicated couple spa room, thai-yoga room, western spa therapy rooms, quaint salon, meditation zone, well equipped gymnasium, and a swimming pool, the health and wellness facilities are world class. The Spa showcases handpicked products and beauty supplies, coupled with serene and soothing atmosphere. “Spa is fast becoming an integral element of hospitality service across the globe. While Hilton stands for it’s world-class services, association with Tattva adds to our commitment of excellence and service delivery,” said, T.P. Srijith, General Manager, Double Tree by Hilton, Agra.
Goibibo hotel bookings crossed 1.6 Mn room nights
Ashish Kashyap Founder ibibo
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oibibo hotel bookings crossed 1.6 million room nights for the period October to December 2015 (Q3), growing by 400% YOY. Mobile contributed to 71% of the bookings in the month of December 2015 up from 42% a year ago. As per a recent research report by Morgan Stanley (Report released in December 2015), Goibibo.com is the No. 1 in hotel booking volumes in India. Goibibo is also the most preferred OTA by hoteliers across parameters in India. Goibibo has been rated No.1 by hoteliers across parameters comprising, Higher booking volumes; Confirmed Bookings; Last Minute Bookings; Backend and IT support; Insights and market intelligence. As per the same research report besides being No. 1, Goibibo is also the fastest growing hotels OTA in India. Goibibo’s hotels facing technologies is also the most used amongst hoteliers. “We are excited that we have achieved the No 1 position in India in the hotels category. We have been able to achieve the same by strengthening network effects, providing superior user experience on mobile and delivering powerful tools and technologies to thousands of hotels, Ashish Kashyap, Founder of ibibo. Hotel bookings on Goibibo are diversified and come from across categories of hotels and geographies. 45% comes from 0-2 star rated hotels, followed by 38% from 3 star category and 17% is garnered from 4-5 star rated hotels. Business destinations contribute close to 45% of hotel bookings whereas leisure destinations constitutes to about 55% of hotel booking volumes.
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The Pride Group of Hotels launches its first upscale hotel in Delhi Positioned as an upscale brand for business and leisure travellers two more properties of Pride Plaza brand will be launched in Ahmadabad and Kolkata by end of the year.
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ithin its majestic façade, the hotel boasts of an elegant spread of 385 exquisite rooms and suites, 5 state-of-the-art Banquet Halls, eclectic dining venues, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and ORA spa that resonate true Indian hospitality and traditional services. The Pride Plaza Hotel has something to offer for all palettes; the restaurants at the hotel offer a perfect blend of authenticity and sumptuous flavorsthat are bound to leave guests with a memorable dining experience. “With our in-depth experience and knowledge in the hospitality
(From R to L) Satyen Jain - CEO, S P Jain-MD, Arun Nayyar Executive Director, The Pride Group of Hotels with Pankaj Mathur-GM, The Pride Plaza Hotel
sector, we at the Pride Group of Hotels are pleased to venture into a new hospitality segment. This segment is positioned as an upscale brand for business and leisure travellers,” said S.P. Jain, Managing Director, The Pride Group of Hotels. Further elaborating on the brand Pride Plaza he said, “We have launched our upscale
hotel, The Pride Plaza Hotel at Aerocity and by the end of 2016 we are looking at expanding the Pride Plaza brand to Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Located in Aerocity and in close proximity to Delhi and Gurgaon, the hotel is one of the most accessible destinations one can choose for lavish amenities & facilities for memorable stays, vacations and meetings.”
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo offers special packages WH Desk
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andarin Oriental, Tokyo is offering guests luxurious accommodation packages to celebrate its 10 year anniversary. The only Japanese, Five Star hotel listed in Forbes Travel Guide, Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo has
an exceptional reputation for service excellence. “Our passion to be the best in delighting guests through our services and innovation will continue and evolve in order to surpass our guests’ expectations,” said General Manager, Anthony Costa.
The Decade Package To mark Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s first ten years, the hotel is offering the Decade package that includes a range of treats for guests to choose from. Guests will also receive collector’s items that reflect the hotel’s history and Japanese culture, such as an original bespoke suitcase produced in collaboration with Globe-Trotter and Japanese textile designer, Reiko Sudo. Package prices start from JPY 475,000. The NUNO Package Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo commemorates its decade-long partnership with Reiko Sudo. A renowned textile designer, Reiko Sudo has designed the hotel’s
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Carlson Rezidor AP honors the best from the region
St. Francis Xavier Church
arlson Rezidor Hotel Group paid tribute to the top-performing hotel teams and individuals from across the region at the Asia Pacific Business Conference 2016 Awards Dinner. Held in conjunction with the Carlson Rezidor Asia Pacific Business Conference 2016 at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok, the event was attended by over 200 delegates, including senior Carlson Rezidor executives from Asia Pacific and the global offices. “Carlson Rezidor Asia Pacific enjoyed a remarkable year in 2015 and this success was made possible by our dedicated and talented hospitality professionals who live up to the Carlson credo and deliver exemplary guest experiences every day. I congratulate the award winners and hope that they will aspire to achieve even more, while inspiring others to excel as they have. Carlson Rezidor will continue to nurture, recognize and reward top talents as we all work together towards our 2020 target of adding 100 operating hotels to our Asia Pacific portfolio,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
fabrics since the opening.The NUNO package offers guests the opportunity to see firsthand the artistry of Sudo’s work in the hotel and to truly experience the authentic sense of place that such work gives to the hotel in keeping with the deep history and traditions of Nihonbashi. Package prices start from JPY 74, 000.
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TECHNOLOGY
ITQ launches ‘Total Reward’ programme WH Desk
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mployees form the core of InterGlobe Technology Quotient family, and in order to keep them engaged and motivated the company has launched the ‘Total Rewards’ programme recently. The ITQ offer rewards and recognitions to them throughout the year as an acknowledgement of their priceless contribution to the company’s growth. Following
this metric, ITQ had recently organised an eventful 3-days and 2 nights trip at Ramada Caravela Beach Resort, Goa for the best performing team in India- ITQ- North. Impressing on the importance of such an event Juhi Mishra, ITQ, VP Human Resources, said, “Employees’ contribution are integral to the growth of our organisation as a whole. And hence to keep their morale high we have created annual
Juhi Mishra VP Human Resources ITQ reward program on the basis of the following parametersincreasing top-line, reducing cost burden, efficient asset management and service delivery to our customers. I congratulate the North team, who have received this accolade this time and hope they keep up the good work.”
Anoop Tewari Regional Head North ITQ Anoop Tewari, Regional Head North, ITQ, said, “This award has been a great experience for my team. I thank all my team members who have chipped in to make this region the best performing one. This recognition by the management will lead to greater motivation and team bonding.” AVIATION
Amadeus completes ExecuJet set to enter acquisition of Navitaire Indian market
N
avitaire will become a distinct business line within Amadeus’ Airline IT unit with David P. Evans, the current CEO of Navitaire will retain that position. Amadeus will maintain the acquired company’s brand, which will be known as ‘Navitaire, an Amadeus company’. As part of the acquisition, approximately 550 Navitaire employees, including the company’s senior management team, will transfer to Amadeus with immediate effect. Amadeus’ acquisition of Navitaire has now received all necessary regulatory approvals, including competition clearance in the US, the European Union and Brazil. The acquisition marks an important step for Amadeus
34 February 2016
in the low-cost and hybrid segments of the airline industry, in which Navitaire has a global customer base of more than 50 operators to which it provides revenue-generation and cost-streamlining solutions in the areas of reservations, ancillary sales, loyalty, revenue management, revenue accounting and business intelligence. “The addition of Navitaire is an important step for Amadeus, broadening our product portfolio and know-how in the aviation industry,” said Luis Maroto, President & CEO of Amadeus. “The industry is increasingly complex, with different airlines serving distinctive passenger segments and an increasing cross-over between low-cost and full-service.”
WH Desk
T
he Zurich Headquartered Global General Aviation leader ExecuJet Aviation Group is set to expand into the Indian market for the first time, following a successful tender bid. Together with its Indian partner, The Bird Group, ExecuJet will develop, construct and operate India’s first fixed-based operation (FBO) and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India. Mike Berry, VP ExecuJet says “This is a significant win for ExecuJet as we have had India on our radar for many years. It will provide us with the platform to expand our geographic footprint and service proposition, in line with our
growth strategy. Headquartered in New Delhi, with over 40 years of experience in India and expertise in aviation services, The Bird Group is our perfect partner for this expansion programme.” According to Chairperson The Bird Group, in line with the Make in India programme the company will be creating state of the art world class infrastructure for Private Aircraft Operators.
CRUISE CRUISE
Cruise on the largest ship sailing from Singapore this summer WH Desk
E
xperience one of the most incredible ships of the award-winning cruise line, Voyager of the Seas in the coming summer season. The largest ship sailing from Singapore this summer gives you the option of two exciting itineraries. The 3-Nights Far East Cruise takes you to Kuala Lumpur while you can sail to both Kuala Lumpur and Phuket with the 4-Nights Far East Cruise. With 15 decks, 13 bars and lounges and over 10 pools, Voyager of the Seas stands out in many splendid ways. The first rock climbing wall and an ice skating rink on-board a cruise ship, breakfast and parades with your favourite DreamWorks characters, or a Tony award winning Broadway show after gourmet meals, the vessel offers the most magnificent ways to spend a holiday at an all-inclusive cost. So get on board now and immerse yourself in a world-class cruising experience with your family and friends.
PACKAGE DETAILS 3 Nights Far East Cruise from Singapore Sailing Date: May 7, 2016 Ship: Voyager of the Seas Departing From: Singapore Sailing to: Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) Malaysia Price: USD 426.53* per person (all inclusive)
4 Nights Far East Cruise from Singapore Sailing Date: May 3, 2016 Ship: Voyager of the Seas Departing From: Singapore Sailing to: Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) Malaysia, Phuket – Thailand Price: USD 521.68* (all inclusive)
EATING OUT
EVENTS
Japanese cuisine World’s highest electronic & @ Kitchen District dance music festival WH Desk
T
reat your taste buds with the Bento Box by Chef Fumio, Japanese Chef at Kitchen District, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon. Enjoy an exquisite selection from Japanese Chef Fumio Kikuta’s innovative menu including sushi platter, Japanese Bento box and more. Chef Fumio creates a truly unique innovative dining experience with his innovative fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with Asian flavours. AVAILABLE: Kitchen District, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon PRICE: Vegetarian- @INR 999 plus taxes Non-Vegetarian- @INR 15OO plus taxes For Reservations- +91 124 6181188 Email kitchendistrict.hrgurgaon@hyatt.com
A
t the St. Moritz Music Summit a selection of the world´s best DJs will be playing sets at 2,500 meters above sea level during the Five-day international top-end Electronic Dance Music Festival March 16-20 2016. Locations: Hossa Bar, El Paradiso, Alpina, Quattro Bar, Stern Bar, Salastrains, Vivai, King´s Club, Sunny Bar, Piano Bar Schweizerhof, Carlton Hotel. HIGHLIGHTS ÂÂ5 days of superior electronic and dance music entertainment ÂÂOver 30 top DJs as live acts ÂÂLocations in the skiing area, on the village square and in clubs ÂÂget together of the European fan community ÂÂOfficial event partner to the AUDI FIS World Cup Finals for the best ski parties in the alps
Be a part of the world’s highest EDM festival among the ballroom of the Alps set against a magnificent backdrop of the Alps this March and witness a magical experience like never before. For more information visit: http://www. musicsummit.ch/
February 2016 35
FACT & FIGURES
Egencia/Expedia Mobile Behaviour Report 2016 Indians rank #1 globally in considering mobile device the most important travel companion WH Desk
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he Egencia/Expedia Mobile Behavior Mobile Index, a global study of mobile-device-related behavior and preferences among travellers conducted across multiple countries and continents was launched recently. The survey highlights that India (80 percent) leads in checking in with work followed by Thailand (74 percent) and Mexico (65 percent). The 20 percent Indian spouse or travel partners said that they were most annoyed with partners who check in with work during a vacation. Business travellers use mobile devices to remain tightly connected to their home office. Mobile devices are the top resource for navigation, for photo-taking and for staying connected to loved ones. The three countries that place the highest premium on mobile devices as a travel companion are China (where 94 percent of respondents ranked it #1), Taiwan (also 94 percent) and Thailand (91 percent). “In India, constant connectivity is a priority when mobile devices are carried in hand from work to home and now on vacation too. When we are more efficient and productive using mobile devices and apps that provide a seamless experience, the quality of our vacation is improved and the work/life balance can be prioritized,” said Amit Arora, Country Director of Egencia India.” DETAILED SURVEY FINDINGS What’s most essential? ÂÂSmartphones: 82 percent, Toothbrush: 48 percent ÂÂIndia leads globally with 9 percent of people who consider condoms to be the most essential item while travelling for leisure ÂÂIndians consider the following as an essential item which can cause anxiety if lost while travelling: Mobile (35 percent) Wallet (50 percent) Luggage (15 percent)
36 February 2016
Keeping the mobile alive: key priority!
ÂÂ36 percent Indians already have a rechargeable pack/case/portable charger/ spare battery that they take along to use as a backup while travelling ÂÂ26 percent Indians keep a power cord with themselves at all times and would search for the nearest available outlet to recharge ASAP How about wi-fi? ÂÂ74 percent of Indians seek free Wi-Fi in café or restaurant like Starbucks, McDonalds etc. Purchase of inflight Wi-Fi Business Trip: 46 percent, Leisure Trip: 35 percent Mobiles are the best companions! ÂÂIndia leads globally in considering/ thinking: Mobile device an important travel companion (36 percent) Mobile devices and apps improve their quality of vacation (29 percent) Use their mobile device more at vacations than at home (20 percent) Can’t live without apps!! ÂÂMost used apps during Leisure Travel Maps and navigation apps (53 percent) Social media apps (52 percent) Email or messaging apps (43 percent) India leads globally with 5 percent of people using fitness or weight loss apps ÂÂMost used apps during Business Travel Email and messaging apps (66 percent) Social media apps (34 percent) India leads globally with 23 percent of people using readings apps Oh this is offensive!!! ÂÂHighest ranked inappropriate behavior by fellow travellers: Making/taking calls on speakerphone (56 percent) Take photos/videos of unknown people (54 percent)
ÂÂIndians find the following behavior of fellow travelers most offensive/ inappropriate globally: Photographing food during a meal (37 percent) Attaching a fitness tracker visibly to an undergarment (33 percent) Usage of location based dating apps (26 percent) Taking photos using a tablet device (23 percent) Log in on vacation? Yes please ÂÂ29 percent of the Indians check mails, texts or voicemails by clients/colleagues for 30 minutes daily ÂÂIndia leads globally with 80 percent people checking in on work at least once daily ÂÂIndia leads globally with 13 percent people checking on work for more than 1 hour daily ÂÂIndia ranks at the bottom, with only 1 percent saying that their job is not the type of work where they are expected to check-in while on vacation ÂÂ54 percent of Indians do not react on their spouse or travel partner even if they check in on work during vacations Methodology The study was conducted on behalf of Expedia by Northstar, a globally integrated strategic insights consulting firm. The survey was conducted online from November 3 to 20 November, 2015 across North America, Europe, South America and Asia Pacific using the Kantar-owned GMI (Global Market Insite) and Lightspeed Research amalgamated group of panels. The study was conducted among 9642 adults aged 18 years of age and older who own at least one mobile device across 19 countries.
February 2016 37
APPOINTMENT & EVENTS DOMESTIC Uttar Pradesh Travel Mart February 21-23, 2016 Agra, Uttar Pradesh Bengal Travel Mart February 26-28, 2016 Mainak Complex, Siliguri
INTERNATIONAL
Shibil Malik General Manager Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel
Shibil Malik has been appointed as the General Manager, Sheraton Hyderabad. With over 17 years of experience in the hospitality and banking industry, he has been part of many significant assignments. He started his career with BNP Paribas. In 2002, he joined the ‘The Oberoi Group’ and handled various assignments and projects in Mumbai and Delhi as Regional Sales Manager - North. Prior to this he was the Cluster Executive Assistant Manager of Sales & Marketing for The WestinHyderabad Mindspace and Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel.
Vikrant Mudaliar Chief Marketing Officer Yatra.com
Vikrant Mudaliar has been appointed as the Chief Marketing Officer of the company. He will be responsible for leading marketing activities across all Yatra.com business-lines and group entities. While focusing on strengthening Yatra’s brand equity in the travel category, he will be responsible for driving the marketing and communications strategy to support the company’s overall strategic objectives. The role will also have him responsible for all traffic and consumer marketing initiatives across web and mobile platforms and driving customerengagement and loyalty.
IBTM Arabia Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition February 09 -11, 2016 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Camilla Chiam VP – PR & Comm, AP Carlson Rezidor
ITB Berlin March 09 - 13, 2016 Berlin, Germany
Camilla Chiam has been appointed as Vice President of PR and Communications for Asia Pacific, Cralson Rezidor. Camilla will lead the PR and Communications team in developing and implementing strategies to increase the visibility and further enhance the perception of Carlson Rezidor and its hotel brands, in support of the Group’s expansion in Asia Pacific. She will be in charge of the region’s internal and external communications activities, increasing Carlson Rezidor’s share of voice in the media and public sphere.
Ace of M.I.C.E. Exhibition March 16 - 18, 2016 Istanbul, Turkey British Tourism & Travel Show March 16 - 17, 2016 Birmingham, United Kingdom
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