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www.tnhindia.in
A P r I l 2 0 1 4 | ` 5 0I n d I A ’ s l e A d I n g T r AV e l T r A d e m o n T h ly
Visit EnglandTO ENJOY FASCINATING
SPRING 2014
Inbound business travelslows down08 Cover Story
Lubaina Sheerazi: ‘Consis-tently delivering qualityservices to our clients’Page no.
36Page no.
64Page no.
I s s u e 0 7 | V o l u m e V | r n I n o . : d e l e n g / 2 0 1 0 / 3 3 7 2 3
TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Editor’s Note Quotes of the Month
Chart of the Month
Printed, published, owned by srishti rai. Printed at somsons Printing Works, 1/7, doctor’s lane, gole market, new delhi -
110001, and published at P- 23/90, Connaught Circus, new delhi 110001; editor: srIshTI rAI
Yet to be part of political discourseThe country is in the process of electing newgovernment at the Centre, and we will a newgovernment after May 16, 2014 the day onwhich the results of the General Elections 2014would be out. The election campaign is prima-rily dominated by economic and developmentissue. But tourism is rarely mentioned by po-litical parties while outlining their economicpolicy and programmes.
The election manifesto of Indian NationalCongress for general elections 2014 does nothave word on tourism. The manifesto of theCongress for 2009 general election had also ig-nored tourism. Prime Ministerial Candidate ofPrincipal Opposition Party Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) Narendra Modi has often talkedabout importance of tourism in economic de-velopment of the country. As the Chief Ministerof Gujarat, he has aggressively promotedtourism in the state. On more than one occa-sion, he has said that while “terrorism divides,tourism unites’. However, it is yet to be seenwhether the main opposition party really un-derstand the importance of tourism for socialand economic , and serious about promotingtourism in the country if it comes into powerafter the elections. BJP is yet come out with itsmanifesto, so we don’t know its position ontourism. Unless political parties understand theimportance of tourism in economic develop-ment of the country and bring it at the centrestage, tourism will remain neglected. Source: DGCA traffic statistics, 2013
Market share of key domestic airlines (October-2013)
Amritsar is one of the most charming cities in India.It has a huge ability to attract people. Tourism will alwaysremain a mainstay economic activity in the city. I visualizean Amritsar that is connected on all sides by large high-ways - a city where the internal infrastructure needs to behugely improved and basic amenities need to be providedto every section.
“
Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposing in Rajya Sabha, and BJPcandidate for Amritsar Lok Sabha Constituency
Airlines are doing all they can to prevent and manageunruly passenger incidents, but this needs to be backed upwith effective law enforcement. Reports of unruly behaviorare on the rise. The Tokyo Convention was not originallydesigned to address unruly behavior. Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO
“
““
inside the issueAPrIl 2014 | Volume V | Issue 7
India to introduce electronic visa facilitythis year: Tourism Secretary Tunis and Cape Town offer best value roomservice for Indians abroad
Q&A: Arvind Jadhav, Additional Chief Secre-tary, Tourism, Karnataka
Visit England to enjoy fascinating Spring2014
Women only rooms/floors at hotels forwomen safety
Rejuvenate at Niraamaya Retreats inThekaddy, Kovalam
Rotana opens its 2nd 5-star hotel in Al Ain
Courtyard by Marriott opens in Bilaspur,Chattisgarh
Tourism Malaysia promotes Visit MalaysiaYear 2014 in South Asia
14
19
35
36
40
38
44
47
52
Cover Story
In Conversation
Spazzo offers blended personalized treat-ment54
38
44 14
36
64
32
54
In Conversation: ‘Consistently delivering qualityservices to our clients in sync with their plans’64
Kerala Tourism wins tourism ‘Oscar’ for'Great Backwaters' campaign32
lubaina sheerazi
Business head of Blue square
Consultants
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Trade News8
Business travel to
India has been one of
casualties of political
uncertainty in the country
and economic slowdown. On
account of political uncer-
tainly and policy inertia pre-
vailing in the country, India is
not a favourite destination for
international business travel-
ers at present. As the coun-
try is the process of electing
new government by the next
month, foreign investors and
MNCs are awaiting the for-
mation of next government
and its economic policy. This
has slowed down business
travel to the country. Will
business travel to India im-
prove after the general elec-
tions? As the travel and
tourism industry of the coun-
try is largely dependent on in-
bound business travel to the
country; can the industry
hope better days after the
elections once the new
regime takes charge at the
Centre? These are some of
the questions that TnH asked
people who matter in the in-
dustry and understand the
pulse of the industry.
“Inbound travel to India
has been lukewarm. We have
not seen the kind of growth
we all were expecting,” said
Pradeep Kalra, Sr. Vice
President, Sales and Market-
ing, Sarovar Hotels. Accord-
ing to Kalra, the factors
affecting the inbound busi-
ness travel to India at present
are mainly, political and eco-
nomic problems globally, in-
clement weather in the US
and Europe. Bad publicity
arising out a few freak cases
of molestation and rape is
also contributing to lower in-
bound travel. Kalra is very
optimistic that after the elec-
tions, things would change
positively for business trav-
ellers. He said, “We are very
hopeful that post elections we
will see a spurt in business
travel if the mandate is clear
and in favour of one party.”
Speaking to this maga-
zine, Pronab Sarkar, Manag-
ing Director, Swagatam
Tours, said that current sea-
son is doing better business
for his company as compared
to last two years. “The eco-
nomic revival in USA and Eu-
rope is the factor for the
improvement in business. We
hope to do better business in
2014-15 under the present
circumstances.” Responding
to our questions on business
travel, Jitendra Kumar, Gen-
eral Manager, Radisson Blu
Hotel Greater Noida, said
that the current season so far
has been quite decent due to
the falling rupee. Though the
economy has dwindled tem-
porarily but at the same time
it has helped the tourism in-
dustry as far as inflow of for-
eign traffic is concerned. And
this trend is going to continue
in the coming months too. He
added, “We are seeing for-
eigners extending their stay
in India as they get to buy a
lot more at a cheaper rate
now. Also, with India opening
up the floodgates of visa on
arrival to 40 countries, it will
definitely be a shot in the arm
for tourism even further.”
According to Kumar, the
factors that is affecting the
inbound tourism to India are:
dwindling economy/reces-
sion, general elections in the
country, the falling value of
rupee which has elevated
India into a very affordable
destination for inbound traf-
fic, which wasn’t the case
earlier, Visa policy, inbound
tourism demand is most re-
sponsive to changes in in-
come, security scenario in the
country and weather condi-
tions.
As regards the expecta-
tion that business travel to
India will improve after the
general elections, Kumar
said, “It actually should but it
all depends who comes to
power after the elections.
India is innovating, restruc-
turing itself, constantly rein-
venting, consolidating all the
time. You’re talking about a
not so hunky dory a situation
with regards to our economy,
and we’re only just emerging
and headed the right direc-
tion, though I feel that 2014
elections will arcade India’s
GDP growth.”
Giving his insights on in-
bound business travel to
India, Vishal Singh, General
Manager of Hyatt Pune, said,
“First quarter we have seen
that the inbound business
travel is buoyant. Second
quarter forecast is a bit slow.
Majority of this travel is from
US, Europe and Middle East
markets.” Regarding the fac-
tors affecting the inbound
business travel to India, he
said, “They are limited num-
ber of direct international
flights and connectivity to
class II metros and tier-II
cities from the main gateway
cities. The tie-ups of Tata-
SIA, Tata-Air Asia and Eti-
had- Jet Airways are ex-
pected to have a positive
impact on the landscape of
Indian travel and tourism in-
dustry.” He expressed hope
that business travel will im-
prove and incentive travel
will gain momentum. With in-
frastructure status being
given to convention centers, it
will give a boost to India as a
MICE destination. Also, ex-
tending Visa on arrival to 40
countries, will liberalize the
visa regime for people attend-
Inbound business travelslows downWith the country in the grip of election fever,business travel to India has slowed down owningto the political uncertainty.
Inbound Travel to Indiahas been lukewarm. Wehave not seen the kind ofgrowth we all were ex-pecting. The factors af-fecting the inbound
business travel to India atpresent are mainly, politi-cal and economic prob-lems globally, inclementweather in the US and Eu-
rope.
“
“Pradeep KalraSr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Sarovar Hotels
Current season is doingbetter business for ourcompany as comparedto last two years. The eco-nomic revival in the U.S.and Europe is the factorfor the improvement inbusiness. We hope to dobetter business in 2014-15under the present circum-
stances.
“
“
Pronab SarkarManaging Director, Swagatam Tours
�Prem Kumar
ing conferences. “We expect
increase in movements in the
third and fourth quarters if
political and economic stabil-
ity is sustained in the country
post-elections. Alternatively,
demand for domestic MICE is
expected to increase due to
rupee fluctuation, and com-
panies are looking forward to
exploring domestic destina-
tions to make the most of
their constrained budgets,”
added Vishal Singh.
Many people are hoping
for better days ahead for in-
bound tourism after general
elections, particularly if there
is a stable government. After
the elections the economic
and business activities are
expected to increase, which
is slow currently for many
reason including the political
ones. According to Sarkar, for
the past one year or more, the
economic policy of our gov-
ernment is unable to attract
foreign investments to the
country, resulting less busi-
ness traffic to our country.
“The investors abroad are
waiting for the next election
in our country and watching
for the results for the next
government and looking for-
ward for some open invest-
ment policies to come in
effect to lure fresh investment
to the country. We have to
wait and watch the next gov-
ernment's investment poli-
cies to attract new investors
to the country, which will def-
initely improve the business
travel once again.”
Sharing his insights on
business travel, Rakshit Tal-
war, Director of Sales and
Marketing, Novotel Goa
Shrem Resort, said, “Peak
season for tourism, especially
international tourism is be-
tween mid October and
March. This season has been
good especially since we are
a new hotel and we launched
in October 2013. We have
been well accepted in the
market and the response has
been overwhelming with good
score in customer satisfac-
tion.” Good flight connectivity
and the increase in the fre-
quency of International Char-
ters help boost the inbound
business travel to India, said
Talwar, also adding that the
new government policies of
group visa and visa on arrival
help in increasing the air traf-
fic. Online travel booking is
another factor that greatly af-
fects inbound business travel.
It is more convenient and
easy for people who are living
high pressure lifestyles to
make their bookings. “India
boasts a rich culture and her-
itage which attracts interna-
tional as well as domestic
tourists. The concepts of Yoga
and Ayurveda (means of re-
laxation and rejuvenation)
have gained popularity
across the world which is why
people want to learn more
about it and a lot of them do
come to India to explore it.
The food and wildlife also at-
tracts foreigners,” said Tal-
war. He added, “With the new
visa rules the travel will cer-
tainly increase. At the end of
the day, irrespective of which
government comes into
power, it has to be remem-
bered that the easier we
make it for the travellers to
visit our country, the more ef-
fective it would be for busi-
ness especially in the
Tourism Industry which con-
tributes to the country’s rev-
enue to a great extent.”
While many pepole from
the industry agree on slug-
gishness in business travel to
India, they are also optimist
about future. Gagan Deep
Singh, General Manager of
Courtyard by Marriott Pune
City Centre said, “We are see-
ing a healthy growth in in-
bound business travel as far
as the financial and pharma-
ceutical sector is concerned.
And as we get into the elec-
tion season, a slowdown is
expected. The auto sector
however is going through a
tough phase. The government
is doing a lot to improve our
infrastructure and that will
further increase business
tourism in India.” According
to Singh, India’s growth fore-
cast stands between 4.5% -
5% and it is Asia’s third
largest economy. Our country
is favorable for setting up
businesses. However, project
movements are expected to
be deferred till elections are
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
9Trade News
The current season sofar has been quite de-cent due to the fallingrupee though the econ-omy has dwindled tem-porarily but at the sametime has helped the
tourism industry as far asinflow of foreign traffic is
concerned.
“
“
Jitendra KumarGeneral Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Greater Noida
Irrespective of which gov-ernment comes intopower, it has to be re-membered that the eas-ier we make it for the
travellers to visit our coun-try, the more effective itwould be for businessesespecially in the Tourism
Industry.
“
“
Rakshit TalwarDirector, Sales & Marketing, Novotel Goa Shrem Resort
We are seeing a healthygrowth in inbound busi-ness travel as far as the fi-
nancial andpharmaceutical sector isconcerned. And as weget into the election sea-son, a slowdown is ex-
pected.
“
“Gagan Deep SinghGM, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre
Industry hopes better days for businesstravel after the elections
Trade News10
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
over.
Agreeing that business
travel to India will improve
after the general elections,
Singh said that the elections
in the first half of 2014 can be
a deterrent for inbound busi-
ness travel. “Recovery is ex-
pected after the polls once the
political system is more sta-
ble and there is more clarity
in policy decisions. The new
government will hopefully in-
crease infrastructure spends
to attract more inbound busi-
ness travellers,” said Singh.
According to Hemant
Tenneti, Hotel Manager,
Courtyard by Marriott Pune
Chakan, said that first quar-
ter of 2014 has been robust in
terms of business travel, es-
pecially for IT and ITES re-
lated travel. Manufacturing
sector, especially Auto, is wit-
nessing its softest phase. Oc-
cupancies in markets driven
by IT, Finance, Banking have
seen growth. International
MICE travel however has
seen a decline. The number of
international events booked
for first quarter 2014 was sig-
nificantly lower than previous
years. Since lead time for
such events is 12-24 months,
the economic slowdown over
the past 24 months could be a
possible reason for the same.
First quarter 2014, however
is appearing stronger and
comparable to a strong year.
The leisure market also per-
formed very well in the first
three months with destina-
tions like Jaipur, Goa and
Cochin witnessing growth for
Marriott properties.”
Tenneti said that contin-
ued growth of IT and ITES/
leisure tourism in India dur-
ing winter months has posi-
tive impact on business travel
while slowdown in infra sec-
tor and auto sector, and pre-
election atmosphere has
negatively affected the busi-
ness travel.
Tenneti also agreed that
after the elections business
travel is expected to surge be-
cause, “generally the first
100-150 days post general
elections always has seen a
surge.”
The Year 2013 was also
not so good as far as business
travelers to India are con-
cerned. Lovesh Sharma, Di-
rector of Sales and
Marketing, Jaipur Marriott
Hotel, said, “The year that
went by didn’t see very at-
tractive growth in the in-
bound business travel to
India due to factors such as
sluggish economic climate in
the source markets. However,
this season we hope to see
some improvement due to
factors such as depreciation
of rupee by over 10% and
plans of easing out the visa
regime by the government.”
As for factors affecting the in-
bound business travel to
India at present, Sharma
said, “Issues related to con-
nectivity, safety, security, visa
and economic conditions in
source markets and the up-
coming elections are impact-
ing the decision making for
inbound business travelers to
India.”
Business travel to India is
expected to improve after the
general elections once new
government came into power
and political uncertainly
comes to end. “Due to up-
coming elections in May India
is experiencing a bagful of po-
litical and economic uncer-
tainty just when the source
markets like US and Europe
are emerging from their eco-
nomic downturn. Therefore
there are a smaller number of
businessmen and executives
travelling to India, causing
big concern for the country's
hotels and tourism sectors.
Once the winning party
comes into action surely the
travel and hospitality indus-
try will see revival of busi-
ness,” said Sharma.
The national economy is
also showing signs of modest
recovery. As the fundamen-
tals of the economy are better
as compared to a few months
ago, a stable government at
the centre would definitely
give a fillip to the economy.
Rohit Katyal, Head of
Sales and Marketing North
India, Justa Hotels & Resorts
said that there has been slow
down in inbound business in
the past years. “Year over
year footfall to India is going
down drastically. We have
seen 30% drops in overall in-
bound business in terms of
occupancy and revenue,” said
Katyal. As per Katyal, some
of the key issues that are af-
fecting the inbound business
travel to India are political in-
stability, negative publicity by
media and inadequate steps
taken by governing authori-
ties to maintain safety secu-
rity of women and inability of
travel/ hospitality industry
and Department of tourism to
do roadshows at various plat-
forms. “Unfortunately all of
us as travel partners are
working in isolation and
under cutting each other,”
said Katyal, who does not see
much improvement in busi-
ness travel to India in near
future. He said that looking at
present scenario at least for
next year and half probability
Continued growth of ITand ITES/ Leisure tourismin India during wintermonths has positive im-pact on business travelwhile slowdown in infrasector and auto sector,and pre-election atmos-phere has negatively af-fected the business
travel.
“
“
Hemant TennetiHotel Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan
The Year 2013 didn’t seevery attractive growth inthe inbound businesstravel to India due tofactors such as sluggisheconomic climate in thesource markets. How-ever this season wehope to see some im-
provement.
“
“
Lovesh SharmaDirector of Sales and Marketing, Jaipur Marriott Hotel
There has been slowdown in in-bound busi-ness for the past yearyears. Year over yearfootfall to India is goingdown drastically. Wehave seen 30% drops inoverall inbound businessin terms of occupancy
and revenue.
““
Rohit KatyalHead, Sales & MarketingNorth IndiaJusta Hotels & Resorts
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
11Trade News
Inbound travel into Indiain general has recordedgrowth during first quar-ter this year. Overall, wecan expect more from2014 as it is promising tobe a buoyant year forinbound business travel
in India.
“
“
Prashant Sharma, GeneralManager, Mövenpick Hoteland Spa Bangalore
is bleak until and unless “we
are able to work together at
global level in terms of show-
casing infrastructural im-
provement, safety, security
and hygiene and specially
taxation on tourism.”
Prashant Sharma, Gen-
eral Manager, Mövenpick
Hotel and Spa Bangalore,
said that his hotel has
recorded a healthy business
performance and growth this
quarter. “Inbound travel into
India in general has recorded
growth during first quarter
this year. Overall, we can ex-
pect more from 2014 as it is
promising to be a buoyant
year for inbound business
travel in India,” said Sharma.
In Sharma’s opinion,
there are several factors that
affect inbound business
travel to India. The macro
ones being: The risk of reces-
sion still exists as recession
continues to prevail in high
debt ridden nations such as
in Europe, and economic per-
formance of feeder/source
markets. He also hopes that
business travel to India will
improve after the general
elections. “The Business
community is waiting for the
elections to come to a conclu-
sion and we expect demand
to be high despite it being
summer, as projects and
planning in general would get
activated immediately post the
elections,” said Sharma.
Pronab Sarkar feels that
the inbound business travel to
India could do better if India’s
visa regulations were eased
and there is smooth operation
of outsource visa companies
engaged by the various Indian
Embassy's abroad. “The
biggest complaint we receive
from our foreign agents that
group visa is the most difficult
task to obtain and it takes sev-
eral weeks to get Indian visa.
Even hard rules by the Indian
visa regulation for filling up a
long application form available
only in English is also a big
hurdle for language speaking
countries,” said Sarkar. Ac-
cording to Sarkar, the out-
source company appointed by
Indian Embassy in the U.S. is
“one of the most unprofes-
sional company as stated by
most of our foreign operators.
In several occasions we had to
request the India Tourism of-
fice New York to help our for-
eign operators with
intervention of the Indian Em-
bassy in USA, which helped us
getting the Indian Visa for our
groups.” Sarkar said that
many individual tourists were
denied or given visa only after
the travel date, which resulted
cancellation of the tour pack-
ages. He added that there is a
need to change the outsource
company in USA responsible
for Indian visa.
However, on a positive
note, Sarkar said that recent
announcement of the visa on
arrival by the government, for
180 countries starting Octo-
ber 2014, will definitely in-
crease the volume of foreign
tourist traffic to India. He
added, “We are hopeful to have
a big growth in coming tourist
business 2014/15 and beyond.
We hope that no one misuses
the advantage and the system
works for tourism growth in
our Country for a long time.
This growth will bring us not
only most valuable foreign ex-
change to our country but also
improve our infrastructure and
increase the job opportunities
many folds.”
There are some opera-
tional issues that hinder in-
bound traffic to India.
According to Sarkar, the
change in rule by all the air-
lines for purchase or deposit of
money at the time of booking
the air seats is putting hard-
ship to the serious operators.
Due to this factor group move-
ment is reducing day by day or
only last minute group book-
ings are happening.
Thomas Cook India has
announced an agree-
ment with Corporation
Bank to distribute its unique
multi currency Borderless Pre-
paid Card via the Bank’s for-
eign exchange branches across
its impressive 2009 strong
branch network, pan India. In a
first mover advantage, this pio-
neering initiative will see a card
issued by a non-banking entity
being distributed by a bank.
Launched in November
2012, Thomas Cook India’s Bor-
derless Prepaid Card in collab-
oration with MasterCard
Worldwide has witnessed im-
pressive uptake- with over
60,000 of cards sold; a loaded
value of US$ 205 Mn. and a
market share of more than
12%, merely a year from launch
– making it the largest non
bank player in the space.
UNWTO research has high-
lighted the powerful potential of
India’s outbound travel sector-
estimated to account for 50mn
outbound tourists by 2020.
This, coupled with the strong
consumer demand for its Bor-
derless Prepaid Card, propelled
Thomas Cook India to seek a
strong distribution partner to
fulfill its aggressive expansion
strategy, and in Corporation
Bank it found an ideal match.
Corporation Bank’s unerring
focus on both technology and
its consumer saw resonance
with Thomas Cook India’s pio-
neering innovation and con-
sumer empowering product
development.
The association, extends
the reach of Thomas Cook
India’s Borderless Prepaid
Card via Corporation Bank’s
impressive network, across
India’s metros, mini metros and
the emerging Tier II & III Re-
gional markets; also rural
India.
The Borderless Prepaid
Card empowers travellers with
the option of loading eight cur-
rencies on a single card (US
Dollars, British Pounds, Euro,
Australian Dollars, Canadian
Dollars, Swiss Francs, Singa-
pore Dollars & Japanese Yen)
enabling the cardholder to use
the appropriate currency, basis
the country being visited - effec-
tively saving money and time.
by TNH DESK
Thomas Cook India partnerswith Corporation BankThomas Cook India has partnered withCorporation Bank to expand its distributionnetwork for its multi-currency Borderless PrepaidCard.
First quarter we haveseen that the inboundbusiness travel is buoy-ant. Second quarter
forecast is a bit slow. Ma-jority of this travel is fromUS, Europe and Middle
East markets.
““
Vishal SinghGeneral Manager of Hyatt Pune
Trade News12
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
The FAM was con-
ducted on an invita-
tion by Hotel Ritz
Carlton and Air Arabia was
the Airline Partner. The idea
behind the FAM was to pro-
mote Almaty as a MICE and
leisure destination to the In-
dian travel trade. The FAM
started off on a very good note
on board the Air Arabia flight
with its new aircraft and the
most spacious economy cabin
that the visiting group has
ever witnessed on any airline
and a very warm in-flight
crew. They got a very warm
reception upon the arrival at
the hotel where most of the
senior management was per-
sonally present to receive
them. The brand new Ritz
Carlton Hotel that has just
opened in November, 2013
was very impressive with its
spacious rooms, a very helpful
and courteous team, the Fa-
mous LT Restaurant and of
course the Sky Lounge
Rooftop Bar. The 4 Nights
FAM showcased Almaty very
well and covered most of the
major attractions of the city
besides the vibrant night life.
The trip started with a formal
sit-in welcome dinner organ-
ized by the senior manage-
ment of Ritz Carlton on the
first evening. The next day
tour started with sightseeing
in the central part of Almaty
covering more about history
and development of the south-
ern capital of Kazakhstan and
its major attractions like the
Palace of President, Republic
Square and Monument of In-
dependence, and Astana
Square, Abai Square and
Palace of Republic, Central
Museum, Central Mosque,
Green Bazaar where they ex-
perienced an atmosphere of
the real Central Asian mar-
ket, its colors, smells and
crowds. Then the tour contin-
ued to one of the oldest Al-
maty park – Panfilov Park
with the unique wooden build-
ing in the world – Zenkov
Cathedral and also visit the
Memorial of Glory and Eternal
Flame, dedicated to the mem-
ory of the fighters who died
for freedom and independ-
ence of the country.
The next day the group
moved to see the beautiful
mountain surroundings of Al-
maty city. The first stop was in
the Medeo Gorge, where in the
wonderful mountains of
Trans-Ili Alatau the largest
high mountain skating rink in
the world is located as well as
the huge dam, protecting the
city from destructive mud-
flows formed on the tops of
the western Tien Shan. Next
was Chimbulak ski resort, lo-
cated at an altitude of 2230
meters above sea level and is
very popular for its mild cli-
mate, large quantity of sunny
days and snow through the
winter and remarkable
scenery of mountain ranges.
Next was the Kok- Tobe hill
where the tallest TV tower in
the world is located and the
picturesque winding moun-
tain road giving a magnifi-
cent panorama of the city
from the special observation
deck and "The Beatles" (the
only one in CIS countries).
The next day they visited
the biggest shopping malls of
the city, including the oldest
one - Zangar (Central De-
partment Store), which is the
best and the most convenient
place for handicrafts and an-
tique Kazakh jewelry. The top
floor of this department store
is a treasury of small stores
selling different souvenirs,
like felt slippers, toys, bags,
dolls, mini yurts and so on. If
you want to buy some sou-
venirs – this is the place to
go. You can also have a walk
along Zhibek Zholy Street -
the pedestrian street in the
heart of the city, so-called “Al-
maty Arbat”, with comfort-
able benches and fountains,
shops and cafes.
The nights were left to
the group to explore the vi-
brant night life of Almaty
with its famous night clubs.
Overall the trip was ex-
tremely educational, memo-
rable and ended with happy
memories. by TNH DESK
Air Arabia holds FAM for leading touroperators from India Air Arabia holds a high-end exclusive FAM for Almaty for a few selectedand leading tour operators from Delhi and Mumbai.
Destination: ALMATY
Kazaghstan
Dates: Jan 24 – 28, 2014
Organized by: Hotel Ritz
Carlton, Almaty
Airline Partner: Air Arabia
Participants from Delhi:
Pankaj Nagpal, Travstarz
Holiday & Destinations
Rohit Shorey, Destinations
Travel
Ankur Kalra, Wellcome
Tours
Sachin Sharma, Odysseus
India
Sandeep Khetarpal, Cen-
tral Asia Guided Tours
Gopal Kapoor, Dook Travels
Ashish Sehgal, Hora
Tourism
Participants from Mum-
bai:
Sapneal Rao, SSR Holidays
Ajay Chabria, In Time Trav-
els
Aneel Gupta, Anjali Travels
Deepak Rupani, Om Holi-
days, Ahmedabad
From Air Arabia:
Praveen Kumar, Manager
North India – Air Arabia,
New Delhi
Trade News14
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
“Avery historic de-
cision has been
taken in which
the Ministry of External Af-
fairs (MEA), the National Se-
curity Advisor (NSA) and all
the related agencies have
unanimously supported in-
troduction of Electronic
Travel Authorisation
(ETAs),” informed, Parvez
Dewan, Union Tourism Sec-
retary, while inaugurating a
seminar titled ‘Think
Tourism-Think India:
Thought Leadership Meet,’
organised by The Associated
Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (AS-
SOCHAM).
“Though the decision has
been taken, the orders have
not been issued as the imple-
mentation does take time
and while the software for
the system is in place, there
is a need to train the man-
power,” said Dewan. “India
will have one of the friendliest
visa regimes once the elec-
tronic visa facility is intro-
duced.”
He further informed that
the Tourism Ministry has tied
up with world’s top hotel
school École Hôtelière Avi-
gnon.
The Tourism Secretary
also informed that setting up
of the Indian Culinary Insti-
tute (ICI) aimed at imparting
training top-notch training in
food has been formally ap-
proved the Ministry. “Cur-
rently, the training in food in
hotel management institutes
is a minor part of the curricu-
lum while the ICI will be a
repository of every single
recipe in India including even
the smallest community and
that would include research
and training the people in all
cuisines popular across
India.”
The ICI building will prob-
ably come in two years, while
it will be having a campus
each in Kolkata, Pinjore,
Noida and the headquarters
will be in Tirupati, he added.
Talking about domestic
tourism scenario, Dewan in-
formed that out of the popula-
tion of about 120 crore, India
has about 105 crore domestic
tourists as per 2012 figures
which is expected to slightly
improve when figures for 2013
are ascertained.
“Though India ranks at
39th spot in terms of foreign
tourist arrival and 16th in
terms of foreign exchange re-
ceipts but India has the high-
est per-capita spend of a
tourist in any country in the
world,” further informed the
Tourism Secretary. “We need
to go on about visa liberalisa-
tion.”Speaking about the sec-
tor, the chamber’s President,
Rana Kapoor said, “The
Travel and Tourism sector
has emerged as one of the key
sunrise sectors and a poten-
tial game changer for India by
driving equitable growth
through large scale employ-
ment for specialized as well
as unskilled workforce, devel-
oping remote locations, en-
couraging entrepreneurial
ventures at the micro level
and promoting environment
management.”
“India has signed 48
agreements with other coun-
tries and international organ-
isations to widen links of
friendship and mutual promo-
tion of tourism. Due to this,
total tourist visits in India
have grown at a steady rate of
about 16 per cent in the last
five years with a forecasted
growth rate of 12 per cent in
the next decade. The sector’s
direct contribution to GDP is
estimated at INR 2,222 billion
in 2013 and generated 25 mil-
lion direct employments in
2012, forecasted to increase
at a growth rate of 2.1 per
cent by 2023,” said Kapoor.
“Tourism in India is insu-
lated against economic fluctu-
ations and it is important to
leverage its potential through
a sustainable policy frame-
work, encouraging commu-
nity participation and
collaborative community
models, offering a holistic
platform to promote inclusive
growth and strengthening the
backward linkages of the in-
dustry,” further added the AS-
SOCHAM chief.
Amid others who spoke
during the ASSOCHAM semi-
nar included - Radu Octavian
Dobre, Charge D’Affaires,
Embassy of Romania, Nakul
Anand, Executive Director,
ITC Limited, Tushar Pandey,
Sr. President & Country Head
(PSPM), YES Bank, Dipak
Haksar, Chairman, National
Council for Tourism & Hospi-
tality, ASSOCHAM and COO,
ITC Hotels, Dr Ramesh
Kapur, Co-chairman, National
Council for Tourism & Hospi-
tality, ASSOCHAM and CMD,
A.B. Hotels Limited, Rakesh
Singh, Immediate Past Presi-
dent, ICAI, Li Qianguo, Dy, Di-
rector, China National
Tourism and D.S. Rawat, Sec-
retary General, ASSOCHAM .
India to introduce electronic visafacility by this year: Tourism SecretaryWith a view to liberalise the visa regime, officials in the Tourism Ministryare busy finalising introduction of the electronic visa facility within this yearas that would enable India to figure amid top four countries in globaltourism, Union Tourism Secretary said at an ASSOCHAM event held in NewDelhi recently.
�Prem Kumar
Trade News16
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
India’s leading integrated
travel and travel related
financial services com-
pany has introduced an inno-
vative product line, Fusion
Holidays, to target a new
emerging Indian consumer
segment.
Thomas Cook India’s in-
ternal research and trend re-
ports had highlighted the
emergence of a new market
segment- an increasingly
value conscious consumer but
an individual in his own right;
hence looking for value saver
travel packages without los-
ing out on personalization.
Thomas Cook’s strength in its
group travel business gives it
powerful economies of scale,
which when coupled with its
Personalised Holidays (FIT
business) offers unique flexi-
bility and freedom. Thus was
conceived a delightful amal-
gamation- ‘Fusion Holidays’-
which allows for the price ad-
vantages of group rates (fixed
departures) and the freedom
to customize one’s itineraries
at the destination.
And for the Indian trav-
eler of today, Fusion Holidays’
colloquial tag line captures
this duality delightfully-
“Saath bhi, Akele bhi”!
From weekend getaways
like Dubai and Sri Lanka or
the favourites of Singapore,
Thailand, Malaysia and Hong
Kong; the scenic splendor of
Switzerland; a smorgasbord
of culture and cuisine in Italy
and Spain; wildlife safaris
and adventure in South Africa
to idyllic island bliss in the
Maldives; Thomas Cook’s Fu-
sion Holidays offers an allur-
ing array of dream vacations!.
Thomas Cook India’s Fu-
sion Holidays are air-inclu-
sive packages: a combination
of airfare (with taxes), accom-
modation in 3 star hotels and
essential sightseeing. While
the departure dates and
hence air travel is fixed, cus-
tomers can personalize all
other components- be it an
upgraded hotel stay, add on
sightseeing tours, extended
stays, etc.
Shibani Phadkar, Senior
Vice President & Head -
Leisure Travel Outbound,
Products, Contracting, Oper-
ations & Tour Management,
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.
said: “As pioneers in the holi-
day business we not only
carefully track evolving con-
sumer segments and trends,
but equally keep our product
innovation in top gear to en-
sure customer delight. Our
Fusion Holidays brings a
unique two pronged benefit to
a new Indian market seg-
ment- great value to cater to
increasing price sensitivity
while respecting his individu-
ality with the flexibility and
freedom of personalized op-
tions.”
Phadkar elaborated, “The
itinerary of each Fusion Holi-
day has been carefully de-
signed, to cover the must-do
sightseeing attractions while
leaving our customers suffi-
cient time to indulge in their
special interests via add on
tours. And with the Summer
holiday season just around
the corner, Fusion Holidays
assures our customers of a
truly unforgettable experi-
ence.” by TNH DESK
Thomas Cook Indialaunches ‘Fusion Holidays’The Company has created a new customersegment by combining the price advantage ofgroup tours, with the freedom to customizepersonal holiday itineraries.
The new store is located
at G-124, Sushant
Shopping Arcade,
Sushant Lok – 1 Gurgaon,
Haryana – 122009. Mr. Rao
Dharmpal, MLA of Haryana at-
tended the launch as Guest of
Honour. Ezeego1.com already
has an offline presence in Sri-
nagar, New Delhi, Noida,
Meerut and Ludhiana, amongst
other Indian markets.
The store will provide
travel services such as flight
tickets, hotel booking, car
rentals, holiday packages, rail,
cruise, bus, sightseeing, visa
and insurance, which are of-
fered on the website. With the
new launch, Ezeego1.com will
have a combined strength of 18
franchisees in India. They re-
cently opened a new offline
stores in Gujarat and Meerut.
Speaking on the launch,
Neelu Singh, COO,
Ezeego1.com said, “This is our
sixth store launch in North
India, which makes it one of
our most important markets.
With this launch, we aim to
reach out to a wider mass of
audience who prefers the con-
ventional method of travel
booking.”
As with all other stores,
Ezeego1.com will provide the
franchisee with an active mar-
keting, technical and store de-
velopment support. The mar-
keting activity will include print
and radio advertising, attrac-
tive and preferential commer-
cials. Store development
support will include store de-
signing to reinforce the brand’s
look and feel. Training and
technical support will be pro-
vided to all franchise staff to ef-
fectively address the changing
technology and enhance cus-
tomer interface.
Ezeego1.com is a compre-
hensive online portal that pro-
vides end-to-end travel related
services, including flight book-
ings, online hotel reservations,
holidays & package tours, car
rentals, train ticket booking,
bus tickets, cruises and more.
Founded in 2006, Ezeego1.com
helps you find the best deals on
air bookings on all Indian & In-
ternational Airlines flight
deals. Ezeego1.com is designed
on a three-pronged model to
cater effectively to the B2B seg-
ment that includes travel
agents, franchises and B2C, to
cater to the end consumer.
by TNH DESK
Ezeego1.com launches newfranchise store in GurgaonEzeego1.com, the online travel search haslaunched a new franchise store at Gurgaon,Haryana.
Neelu SinghCOO, Ezeego1.com
Trade News18
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Dr. Adel ElMasry, Di-
rector, Egyptian
Tourism Office in
India and Deepak Narula,
Managing Director, Aman
Travels Limited inked a Mem-
orandum of Understanding
(MOU). The MOU aims to
launch an online educational
program for Travel Agents &
Tour Operators. The Agents
can reap the benefits of this
program by becoming experts
in selling Egypt.
To make it possible a joint
initiative named as Egypt Ex-
perts have been launched,
where a travel agent can reg-
ister, read the content about
Egypt to enhance his/her
knowledge and can become a
certified destination specialist
by answering few questions.
This website will be bene-
ficial for travel agents and to
ETO. Other add on benefits an
Egypt Expert can receive are-
FAM trips, Egypt Experts club
membership,invitations to at-
tend exclusive events, addi-
tional training modules by
Egypt Tourism Office, leads
for more businesses, pre-
ferred agent status from
Egypt Tourism Office.
“It gives me immense
pleasure and joy to co-partici-
pate with Aman Travels on
the launch of Egypt Experts. I
am happy to co-sponsor this
new online educational pro-
gram for Travel Agents and
Tour Operators. I invite all the
agents to participate in this
program in large numbers.
For amazing value we urge
you to take this wonderful
journey & familiarize yourself
with this wonderful product
about Egypt incorporated
within all its varied and diver-
sified modules. I congratulate
Aman Travels for their initia-
tive and my best wishes on the
happy launching of this pro-
grammme, said Dr. Adel El
Masry.
“With the launch of this
initiative of online training
program Egypt Experts, we
wish to create more aware-
ness about Egypt as destina-
tion which is recovering fast
to achieve another peak in the
inbound tourist arrivals. This
online educational tool will
help an agency to understand
Egypt better and they will be
in a position to sell more. We
wish to enroll more than 100
agents in the first month itself
and gradually increase the
numbers,” remarked Deepak
Narula.
by TNH DESK
Collaboration of Egyptian Tourism Officeand Aman Travels Limited, IndiaAman Travels Limited and Egypt Tourism Office (ETO) together havelaunched an online website to become an Egypt Expert.
Ixigo.com, India’s leading
travel planning & search en-
gine, has announced a major
revamp to its trip planner
product with some great con-
tent and social features. An-
nouncing the revamp,
AlokeBajpai, CEO & Co-
Founder said - “Thanks to
the ever-expanding content
coverage on trip planner and
our unbundled approach to
solving specific travel use
cases on mobile apps, we
have registered a 2x year-on-
year growth. We now have
over 2.5 million active users
every month and have seen
almost 2.5 million app down-
loads across our 5 apps. We
think this is just the begin-
ning!”
New Features
Street view of monuments
– ixigo has become the first
travel site to integrate the
Google street view feature to
offer 360-degree views of his-
torical monuments. ixigoers
will now be able to get
panoramic views of key mon-
uments and historical sites
in India, providing a real vir-
tual tourist experience of
what the place actually looks
like. This will help travellers
in planning their trips better
by knowing in advance what
to expect at these historical
sites.
Expanded content cov-
erage - ixigo now covers
tourist information over 5000
cities, towns and hill-stations
in India. It provides detailed
information including names,
addresses, locations, photos,
opening timings, prices, de-
tailed tourist guides etc. for
over 63000 places to visit,
17000 activities and things to
do, 16000 hotels, 5000 nature
and wildlife spots and over
5,000 tips from travellers.
This makes it more compre-
hensive than any other travel
site in India.
Finding restaurants
across the country – ixigo
now features over 65,000
restaurants across India on
its website and apps. ixigo
also offers the useful ‘Near
Me’ location-based mobile
feature in its app that helps
people explore great local
places to eat at, stay or ex-
plore in whichever city they
are.
Ability to add new
places and pictures - Trav-
ellers can now add interest-
ing places to visit, hotels,
restaurants and even photos
making the website more
comprehensive, and in turn
more informative for fellow
travellers.
User Generated Ratings
& Reviews - ixigoers can
now easily rate and review a
place they visited on the web-
site or on the ixigo apps for
android and iOS. ixigo al-
ready offers over 175,000 re-
views and over 23,000
ratings of places. These rat-
ings and reviews are used to
rank places better in ixigo’s
search results.
Review of trains and
train stations – The ixigo
trains app now provides
users with the ability to rate
and review trains, platforms
and facilities while on the go.
“Travellers have become
more independent than ever;
a recent survey we con-
ducted among frequent trav-
ellers revealed that 67% like
to plan their trip themselves.
With our relentless focus on
mobile, semantic search,
depth of content and user-
generated photos, ratings
and reviews, we are well po-
sitioned to become the brand
of choice for Indian travellers
looking for smarter travel re-
search & planning tools and
trustworthy travel informa-
tion.” said Rajnish Kumar,
CTO & Co-Founder,
ixigo.com.
Ixigo revamps trip planner,bets big on content & appsImproved content coverage and mobile appscontribute to 2x YoY growth.
Tunis offers the best
value for Indian trav-
ellers this year when
it comes to the common inci-
dental costs while staying in a
hotel, according to a cost com-
parison report released today
by TripAdvisor, the world’s
largest travel site.
The results are taken from
the second annual TripAdvi-
sor TripIndex Room Service
report, which compares the
cost of room service items in
48 popular destinations
around the world. The study
takes into account the cost of
a club sandwich ordered
through room service, the dry
cleaning of one shirt and from
the mini bar: a bottle of water,
peanuts, amini bottle of vodka
and a can of cola.
The combined cost of
these room service items will
set you back by `1138 in
Tunis – almost five timesless
thanat the costliest destina-
tion, Helsinki, where the price
totals INR 5498. South
Africa’s Cape Town follows
closely as the second best
value destination for room
service at `1419, while an-
other Scandinavian city, Oslo,
is revealed as the second most
expensive at Rs.5415.
The room rate alone does-
n’t give an accurate picture of
what the full cost of staying at
a hotel can be, especially
when you see the wide range
of prices for everyday room
service items between desti-
nations around the
world.TripIndex Room Serv-
ice gives travellers a useful
snapshot of where their
money will stretch the fur-
thest when it comes to the
cost of these items.
Our very own Mumbai
ranks number 14 among the
least expensive cities with the
combined cost of the room
service items being `1916.76.
However, when you consider
the cost of room service and
room rate combined the cost
comes to `9787.71.
Shell out in Scandinavia,
see savings in Africa
This year’s results show that
you are likely to pay a lot
more as four Scandinavian
cities make it into theworld’s
top ten most expensive desti-
nations.
Europe as a whole domi-
nates the most expensive list
laying claim to six of the top
ten. Helsinki in Finland and
Oslo in Norway take first and
second place respectively
while Zurich, Stockholm and
Paris are placed fourth, fifth
and sixth. Seoul is the only
non-European city to be
named in the top five most ex-
pensive destinations.
Travellers looking to bag a
bargain should head south
toAfrica where three of the
continent’s destinations fea-
ture in the top five places of-
fering the best value – Tunis
in Tunisia, Cape Townin
South Africa and Marrakechin
Morocco.In Europe, the least
expensive city destination for
room service is Budapest,
where a full set of basket
items will cost over a third of
the price of the equivalent
items’ cost in Helsinki.
London not as pricey as
once perceived
London is often considered
one of the world’s most expen-
sive destinations, but when it
comes to the common costs in-
curred once checked-in to a
Tunis and Cape Town offer best valueroom service for Indians abroad TripAdvisorTripIndex Room Service compares the price of hotel amenitiesin 48 popular destinations around the world.
TripIndex Room Service at a glanceFrom the least expensive to the most expensive (green and orange indicate least and most expensive destinations for each item respectively):
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
19Report
Report20
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
hotel, the capital actually
provides better value
than many rival Euro-
pean cities. This year, the
capital city is ranked 13th
place in the priciest list –
making it a cheaper op-
tion than New York and
Paris.
Jakarta best value for
room service and room
rates combined
While Tunis is re-
vealed as the number one
destination for best value
room service, when you
consider the cost of room
service and room rate
combined, Jakarta at INR
7335.17 replaces Tunis as
number one destination
for value overall.
In the most expensive
list, it seems that pricey
room service and pricey
hotel room rates go hand-
in-hand as eight of the
costliest destinations re-
main in the top 10. This
time however, New York
City replaces Helsinki as
the most expensive with a
total cost of Rs
26679.76compared with
Helsinki’s Rs 17891.39.
IATO’s special luncheon
meeting held today at The
Park Hotel, Parliament Street
New Delhi added glamour and
glitz with the presence of An-
geli Dione Gomez, Miss
Tourism International
2013/14.
The event was to honour
her for winning the title of
Miss Tourism International
2013/14 and being Brand Am-
bassador of International
Tourism.
“She will also help us to
boost tourism between India
and Philippines and of course
with other countries being the
Miss Tourism International”
Said Subhash Goyal, Presi-
dent, Indian Association of
Tour Operators (IATO).
In her address Miss
Gomez talked about India’s
Natural Beauty, Art, Culture,
Warmth of People and Hospi-
tality of India.
Pravez Dewan, Secretary
Tourism, Government, of
India was the Chief Guest and
profusely talked about the ini-
tiatives taken by the Govern-
ment of India to boost
International tourist arrivals
to our country particular E-
visa and Visa-on-Arrival.
On this occasion Sanjay
Razdan, MD, Razdan Holi-
days was also honoured for
his winning the “Desert Storm
Car Rally” in Rajasthan.
IATO paid homage to Ram
Kohli founder President, In-
dian Association of Tour Op-
erators and Chairman of
Creative Travel and also to
Francis Wacziarg, Co-chair-
man and founder, Neemrana
Hotels. by TNH DESK
IATO honours Miss AngeliDione Gomez, MissTourism International
Cox & Kings Ltd and
Ezeego1.com have
come together to put a
spin on adventure tourism in
India. They have formed an al-
liance with G Adventures, the
largest small-group adventure
travel company in the world
that offers socially and envi-
ronmentally sensitive travel.
Adventure tourism is a rel-
atively nascent concept in
India, which is why it is largely
unexplored. With this revolu-
tion, Cox & Kings,
Ezeego1.com and G Adven-
tures together are combining
the pleasures of travel with a
sense of responsibility. This is
a wish come true for millions
of young Indians, who wish to
leave behind their inhibitions
and explore the world, while
doing something good for the
environment and future gener-
ations. The objective is to pre-
serve destinations that
travellers love and enjoy, for
future. The priority is bringing
about a positive social change
through travel. In fact, it is this
common conviction of giving
back to society that has
brought together these stal-
warts in the travel space. This
synergy has resulted in the
birth of a safe and reliable ad-
venture travel product, which
will transform the mindset of
Indian travellers towards ad-
venture and sustainable
tourism. These holidays will
be powered by G Adventures.
There is abundant choice
for all kinds of travellers to sa-
tiate their passion for travel.
Travel styles range from
YOLO Tours (You Only Live
Once, so live fast, live free!);
Local Living Tours (Don’t just
visit; move right in!); Classic
Tours (Authentic and down-to-
earth!); Active Tours (If your
genes were made for walking);
Marine Tours (Sail the seas,
conquer the river, ride the
ocean); Expedition Cruises
(Find your cruise); Family
Tours (You, the kids and na-
ture in all her glory!); Comfort
Tours (Adventures with extra
frills); Private Group Tours (2
is company, 3 is a crowd, 8 is a
group).
Speaking on the associa-
tion, Bruce Poon Tip,
Founder of G Adventures,
“India is an exciting and dy-
namic market with huge po-
tential for G Adventures. It’s
experiencing rapid growth in
terms of outbound tourism
and with global demand for
adventure travel also continu-
ing to grow, now is the perfect
time to introduce it as a new
way to see the world. Cox and
Kings is such a well respected
company and it’s an honour to
partner with them. We’re look-
ing forward to welcoming In-
dian travellers on our small
group trips around the world.”
According to Karan
Anand, Head-Relationships,
Cox & Kings Ltd. said, “We do
not just sell holidays. We sell
experiences that reinforce
your love for travel. We saw an
opportunity to whet India’s ap-
petite for adventure and make
them feel as passionately
about travel and sustainability
as we do. We could not have
found a better partner than G
Adventures to bring this revo-
lution to India. They have done
some spectacular work in the
area of sustainable travel,
which will only inspire us fur-
ther.”
As stated by Neelu Singh,
COO, Ezeego1.com, “Innova-
tion has become the buzzword
today. We are at the helm of a
digital euphoria wherein trav-
ellers are adventurous, re-
sponsible and tech savvy. This
is a proud moment for us as
we partner with G Adventures
who has revolutionized the
travel space while maintaining
their vision for a sustainable
future. We are excited to start
a revolutionary travel experi-
ence for all our customers
with all our combined
strengths.”
To kick-start this venture,
G Adventure, Cox & Kings and
Ezeego1.com have come to-
gether and launched the ‘Grab
Your Dream’ contest, which
will give aspiring travellers a
chance to win an adventure of
a lifetime. The contest will be
spread over four seasons with
each season having 12 lucky
winners and they will get a
chance to explore destinations
across the world, on an all-ex-
pense paid trip. It is an once-
in-a-lifetime break to Grab
Your Dream. The entrant just
needs to convince us why they
deserve to be the face of our
Adventure products. All one
needs to do is register on
www.grabyourdream.com and
choose a platform to showcase
the adventurer in you. It could
be through videos, photographs
or blogs.
Each participant can sub-
mit five entries in all. Invite
your friends, family and col-
leagues to vote for you. The ap-
plications are then reviewed by
the Jury based on quality and
creativity of submitted content.
The Jury’s decision is final.
The final round entails a face-
to-face interview that gives you
a chance to prove that you are
the best person to qualify for
the final 12 positions.
The winners will visit one
or more destinations, which
will be allocated at our discre-
tion. by TNH DESK
Cox & Kings, Ezeego1.com with GAdventures to promoteadventure tourism Cox & Kings and Ezeego1.com have formed alliance with G Adventures topromote adventure tourism. Launched ‘Grab Your Dream’, chance for 50adventurers to travel free.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
21Trade News
Heritage/Trade News22
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Famed as the largest mu-
seum in India and one
of the best museums in
Asia, the Indian Museum in
Kolkata displays rare artefacts.
It is the only destination in con-
temporary India to flaunt relics
of Lord Buddha dating back to
2,700 years old. In a unique ini-
tiative, the Bengal Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (BCCI)
has taken up an interesting proj-
ect- Buddhist Tourist Circuit
that aims to make Kolkata the
most significant Buddhist pil-
grim destination of India in the
coming period and bring a surge
in Buddhist tourist footfalls from
South-East Asia.
It is believed that Lord Bud-
dha’s body was partially cre-
mated and buried in Kusinagar
in Bihar after his demise. Manab
Pal, Chairman-Tourism, BCCI
explained, “The Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) had car-
ried out excavations in Kusina-
gar way back in 1994 and
discovered the bones of Lord
Buddha that were displayed at
National Museum in New Delhi.
A part of Lord Buddha’s bones
were brought to Indian Museum
in Kolkata but only around 9 per
cent of the bones were exhib-
ited. The museum remained
closed for six months and was
reopened in February, this year.
Tourists can take a peek at Bud-
dha’s relics including two bones
that are treasured at the Terra-
cotta Gallery on the ground floor
of Indian Museum. Apart from
India, there is Buddha temple in
Kandy in Sri Lanka that flaunts
a single tooth of Lord Buddha
and is a revered destination for
Buddhist pilgrims.”
Dr. Manmohan Singh, the
Prime Minister of India had said
during the reopening of Indian
Museum that museum portrays
culture and history of the coun-
try and relics are to be dis-
played for tourists visiting the
museum. Manab Pal informed,
“We have approached the In-
dian Museum authorities to
form a separate enclosure for
the display of Buddha’s relics
and build a separate entrance
for global Buddhist pilgrims to
wash their hands and feet for
paying their obeisance to Lord
Buddha.”
Indian Museum preservesrare Buddha relicsBCCI has proposed the Indian Museum to have aseparate enclosure for rarest of Buddha’s relics ina bid to woo global Buddhist pilgrims to Kolkata.
The aims of BCCI’sBuddhist Tourist
Circuit project are:•Has proposed theIndian Museum to
come up with a sepa-rate enclosure forBuddha’s relics.
•Set up a separateentrance in IndianMuseum for globalBuddhist pilgrims.
•Transform Kolkatainto a prominent Bud-dhist pilgrim hub of
India.•To hike the numberof global flights fromSouth-East Asia to
Kolkata. •To surge the flow ofBuddhist pilgrimsfrom Pacific RIM
countries to Kolkata.
SnapShot
�Swaati Chaudhury
RezNext, the world’s
only true real-time
distribution com-
pany has announced that it
has signed up 300+ hotels
across 35 cities in India be-
tween January and February
2014.These customers join
the 400+ customers who
signed up for RezNext prod-
ucts in 2013.
“This large adoption rate
is testimony to the fact that
hotels in India are looking at
the real-time distribution
model that RezNext offers to
address the existing chal-
lenges in the hotel distribu-
tion business.We advocate
an integrated distribution
model where hoteliers have
access to revenue manage-
ment intelligence that helps
them clearly define their dis-
tribution goals and focus on
channel management from a
yield perspective,” said Mike
Kistner, Chief Executive of-
ficer, RezNext Global Solu-
tions Pvt. Ltd. “I am very
pleased with the growing ad-
dition to our customer base
and look forward to an excit-
ing year ahead for RezNext.”
RezNext has partnered
with best of breed global in-
dustry solution providers to
offer an
end-to-end solution suite
that caters to the entire dis-
tribution ecosystem.Core to
the offering is the real-time
two-way interfaced propri-
etary technology that allows
hoteliers to distribute their
inventory real-time on elec-
tronic distribution channels.
According to Mike Kistner,
“At RezNext we are guided
by the philosophy of helping
our customers improves
their revenues while au-
tomating key processes. Our
real-time two-way connect
with leading online travel
agents like Goibibo helps
hoteliers publish their rates
and inventory real-time. Our
technology automates the
booking process including
modifications and cancella-
tions allowing hotels to focus
on theprimary function of
providing great service to
their guests. Hoteliers have
adopted this model and can
clearly see the benefits this
brings their business.”
Among the signups for
RezNext products, the
largest traction is seen with
RezE, the web booking en-
gine solution. “RezNext has
been actively propagating
the importance of converting
the hotel’s website into a
strong distribution channel.
In global countries while
major brands drive about
33% of their bookings from
their website, in India this is
only at 7.7%. With RezE, ho-
tels can power their websites
and display real-time inven-
tory for sale. In addition to
this,hotels can also promote
specific real-time packages
on their website thus improv-
ing the opportunity to drive
more bookings through this
channel, said Mike Kistner.
by TNH DESK
RezNext sees strongmomentum in sales growthOnboards 300+ customers between January-February 2014 increasing its customer base to700+ hotels in a span of 6 months.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
23Government News
People of Kerala will
hereafter get a chance
to learn the rich by-
gone era of a ‘lost city’ which
played a crucial role in mold-
ing the socio-politico culture of
the state, with the government
on Sunday opening four muse-
ums under the Muziris Her-
itage Project.
The museums available for
visitors are the Kerala History
Museum, housed in the Paliam
Kovilakam, Kerala Lifestyle
Museum in Paliam Nalukettu,
Kerala Jews Historical Mu-
seum housed in Paravur Syna-
gogue and Kerala Jews
Lifestyle Museum in Chen-
damangalam Synagogue. All
museums are equipped with
video screens, touch screens
and information panels to help
the visitors understand the
rich history of the region.
Kerala Tourism Director S
Harikishore, who visited and
opened the museums for pub-
lic on Sunday, said that the
mega heritage project would
be inaugurated after the com-
pletion of visitors centre, activ-
ity centre, convention and
research centre and hop on-
hop off boat service. “We de-
cided to open the museums for
public because we completed
the conservation projects on
time and deployed staff and
guides in the museums. In ad-
dition to the four museums, the
people can also visit heritage
sites like Pattanam, Paravur
Market, Kottappuram Fort,
Kottapuram Market, Chera-
man Juma Masjid, Gothuruthu
Performance Centre and Pal-
lipuram Fort,” he said.
Harikishore said that the
museums would remain open
from 10 am to 5 pm on all days
except Monday.
“The Muziris Heritage
Project is one of the biggest
conservation projects in the
modern history of India. It is
because of this magnitude that
both the Central and state gov-
ernments have come together
to conserve and showcase a
culture of more than three
millennia,” Hon’ble Minister
for Tourism A P Anil Kumar
said.
He said “the project gives
the people an opportunity to
walk the same road once trav-
elled by explorers and traders
in ancient Muziris.”
Paliam Kovilakam was the
residence of Paliath Achans,
who were prime ministers to
the erstwhile maharajas of
Kochi in the 16th century. An
architectural wonder, with its
carved stairways and
balustrades, the Paliam Kovi-
lakam is situated in Chen-
damangalam. The 18th
century Paliam Nalukettu was
where the female members
and minor boys of the Paliam
family lived.
The project site is spread
across North Paravur munici-
pality in Ernakulam district
and Kodungallur municipality
in Thrissur district with 12
panchayats-Chendaman-
galam, Chittatukara,
Vadakkekara, Pallipuram,
Eriyad, Mala, Mathilakam,
Poyya, Puthenvelikkara,
Sree Narayana Puram, Vel-
langalore and Edavilangu.
“The Muziris Heritage
Project focuses on sustain-
ability and involvement of
local communities. The proj-
ect follows international
guidelines such as the UN-
ESCO Charters on heritage
conservation,” said Kerala
Tourism Secretary Suman
Billa.
The museums will provide
the people an insight into
multi-layered history of the
ancient port city, which myste-
riously disappeared sometime
after the first century A.D.
The state government’s
decision to revive the Muziris
Heritage Project has been
widely praised by countries
across the world, including
China, South Korea, Japan,
Singapore, Russia and
Bangladesh. The UNESCO
and the United Nations World
Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) have also backed
the state government’s con-
servation efforts. by TNH DESK
Museums on Muzirisheritage opened to publicThe museums would remain open from 10 am to5 pm on all days except Monday.
Hospitality/Government News24
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
The West Bengal govern-
ment is rolling out plans
to boost rural tourism
beyond the beach resort of Digha
in the district of Midnapore with
an aim to woo both domestic and
foreign tourists. A detailed proj-
ect report (DPR) is being pre-
pared for rural tourism project
in and around Digha.
The project worth Rs 25
crore intends to offer some
novel experiences to tourists
like authentic rural culture,
watching local craftsmen and
women crafting conch shells,
wall hangings, lampshades and
bangles from sea shells and
stroll in tamarisk forests and
beaches of Digha and
Shankarpur. It aims to make
tourists familiar beyond Digha
like Tajpur beach.
The department of tourism,
West Bengal plans to establish
eco-friendly rural tourism clus-
ters in coastal hamlets of Ram-
nagar I Block surrounding Digha
on public-private partnership
(PPP) model. The area is in the
coastal regulatory zone that does
not allow concrete construction.
A road stretching 7 km will be
build from Digha to Shankarpur
with mud huts on either side of
the road. by TNH DESK
Digha to receive eco-tourismfacelift
Concerned with the
fear of being delisted
from UNESCO, the
132-year-old Darjeeling Hi-
malayan Railway (DHR) has
resumed its service on the
Kurseong-Darjeeling and
Siliguri-Rang Tong stretches.
The move will help to neutral-
ize the chance of the coun-
try’s oldest mountain railway
system losing its heritage tag.
The toy train was de-
clared as a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO in 1999 and
is the world’s second narrow
gauge railway next to Sem-
mering in Austria. The Hi-
malayan railway was hit by
severe landslides and UN-
ESCO had expressed con-
cerns on the status of DHR.
All UNESCO listed World Her-
itage Sites are looked after by
a comprehensive conserva-
tion and management.
Ghoom is the second
highest railway station in the
world to be connected by
steam locomotive. The
Kurseong-Siliguri section of
the toy train has stopped its
service since 2010 after being
affected by landslide. DHR
has been running truncated
service between Darjeeling
and Kurseong in the hills and
Siliguri and Rang Tong in the
foothills. The Indian Railways
is facing an acute shortage of
funds and UNESCO has sanc-
tioned Rs 42.5 crore to the In-
dian Railways to relay the
tracks. Only 13 km of the
stretch need to be bridged to
run the full service.
by TNH DESK
Darjeeling HimalayanRailway resumes service
After receiving several
coveted accolades in
the recent past, The
Metropolitan Hotel & Spa
(a.k.a. THE MET) continues
its award-winning streak by
winning the “Outstanding
Hotel Partner Award” for
achieving the Highest Rev-
enue in the Independent Hotel
category by one of the most
reputed travel portals, Book-
ing.com. This award is solely
based on for providing un-
matched hospitality services,
comfort and luxury to guests
coming from across the globe.
Expressing his happiness
at this prestigious moment,
Vipul Gupta, Executive Direc-
tor, The Metropolitan Hotel &
Spa, says, “We are delighted
to be conferred with this
honor and express our grati-
tude towards Booking.com for
recognizing our efforts. The
Met has always tried to give
the best of the services to its
customers and will always
keep trying to exceed their ex-
pectations.”
Booking.com awards are
one of the most valuable &
renowned awards, which are
given to the selective hotels
basis their excellent perform-
ance. Booking.com is inform-
ative, user-friendly web portal
that guarantees the best
available prices. Its goal is to
provide business and leisure
travelers with the most acces-
sible and cost-effective way of
discovering and booking the
broadest selection of accom-
modation, in every corner of
the world.
The Metropolitan Hotel &
Spa, New Delhi is a Five Star
Deluxe full service hotel lo-
cated in the heart of the busi-
ness and commercial hub of
New Delhi, and provides easy
access to most of the corpo-
rate and financial centres,
ministries, embassies and the
International Trade Fair
grounds. Now nicknamed as
“THE MET” – the smart and
swanky hotel is a member of
Great Hotels of the World,
Luxury Collection and pro-
vides a peek into the future of
hospitality. The Met, a fine
blend of style and substance,
welcomes guests to a fresh at-
mosphere with vivid, minimal-
ist, urban, stylish designs,
and let them slip into
smoothest place with warm
and thoughtful service. Liber-
ally sprinkled with both busi-
ness essentials and travel
comforts, The Met is the per-
fect destination for finest liv-
ing for an international
business and upscale leisure
traveler. Come, LIVE MET
SMART at this prestigious
property in New Delhi, India.
by TNH DESK
The Metropolitan Hotel &Spa bags ‘OutstandingHotel Partner’ titleThe Metropolitan Hotel & Spa bags title of‘Outstanding Hotel Partner’ by renownedBOOKING.COM
(L-R) Kakoli Bannerjee, Head, Sales & Sanzeev Bhatia, Gen-eral Manager, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa
We are delighted to beconferred with this honourand express our gratitudetowards Booking.com for
recognizing our efforts. TheMet has always tried to givethe best of the services to
its customers.
“
“
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
25Government News
Here’s a piece of ex-
citing news for Sen-
ior citizens of India
looking forward to travel to
the coral paradise of Lak-
shadweep. In the latest move
to pull tourists to experience
unlimited sea adventure, the
department of tourism under
the aegis of administration of
Union Territory of Lakshad-
weep is offering around 10
per cent flat discount on
package tours for Senior citi-
zens of India from this year
onwards.
Set up way back in 1956,
Lakshadweep has a group of
36 islands and is around 440
km away from Cochin to-
wards the west coast of Ker-
ala. The islands of Minicoy,
Kadmat, Kavaratti, Kalpeni
and Agatti are open for
tourists and there are basic
tourism infrastructure in the
uninhabited islands of Thin-
nakkara and Bangaram. The
islands of Kavaratti, Kadmat
and Minicoy are equipped
with beach resorts. The de-
partment of tourism is trying
to boost the islands as water
sports destination with a
plethora of water sports ac-
tivities like kayaking, scuba
diving, snorkeling, wind surf-
ing, water skiing, rafting,
parasailing, jet skiing and
deep sea fishing.
There is Lakshadweep
Diving Academy that came up
in 2012 to make the island
into Asia’s best diving hub
and is known as India’s pre-
mier diving academy. There
are a number of diving cen-
tres in islands including
Kavaratti, Kadmat, Ban-
garam, Agatti and Minicoy
that are into providing certi-
fied scuba diving courses.
The residents of the islands
have been imparted training
to serve as diving instructors.
The water sports equipments
like kayaks, paddle boats,
skiing boats, sailing yachts
and glass-bottomed boats are
on offer in the islands. Of
late, the union territory has
emerged as a unique adven-
ture sport-nature tourism
destination for adventure
buffs.
The department of
tourism has devised six kinds
of tour packages including
Lakshadweep Samudhram-
cruising to Kavaratti, Kalpeni
and Minicoy, coral reef tour of
Kavaratti, Kalpeni and Mini-
coy, marine wealth aware-
ness at Kadmat, Taratashi
tour of Kavaratti, swaying
palm tour – an island tour of
Minicoy and scuba diving
tour at Kavaratti.
According to A M Hus-
sain, Assistant Director, De-
partment of Tourism
Development, Administration
of Union Territory of Lak-
shadweep, “We have ambi-
tious plans to commission
two passenger ships in the
current year to develop the
connectivity to the islands.
The presence of virgin
beaches forms the main USP
of our destination. The best
time to visit the islands is
from October to May. Bengal
tourists record the highest
footfall in Lakshadweep
while European travellers
mostly visit Bangaram Is-
land. Mumbai, Pune and
Kolkata form our key tourist
markets.” Hussain was
speaking at Lakshadweep
Tourism Meet in Kolkata on
March 3.
The nearest take-off
point for Lakshadweep is
Cochin both by air and ship.
“Tourists can stay for a pe-
riod of six days in the is-
lands. There were around
5,500 domestic visitors to
Lakshadweep and about 10
per cent global visitors last
year. We expect at least 20
per cent rise in tourist ar-
rivals this year,” added Hus-
sain.
High value eco-tourism inIndia’s marine wonderlandLakshadweep is blessed by nature’s gloriouslargesse and is best known as high value eco-tourism destination of India.
�Swaati ChaudhuryPackage tours ofLakshadweep
Tourism:•Lakshadweep
Samudhram-a five-day ship-based tour.•Coral Reef package.
•Marine wealthawareness pro-
gramme.•Taratashi package-
an island tour ofKavaratti.
•Swaying palm pack-age.
•Scuba diving pack-age.
SnapShot
Bishnupur, the pre-
colonial temple
town in West Ben-
gal famed for terracotta
temples, paintings and Gha-
rana of Hindustani classi-
cal music is vying to receive
UNESCO’s World Heritage
tag with the support of Ar-
chaeological Survey of
India (ASI). The temple
town flourished during 17th
century and was under the
reign of Malla dynasty.
Once the temple town is
accorded the World Her-
itage site status, there
would be a master plan for
the renovation of the entire
heritage precinct and the
flow of tourism would re-
ceive a boost generating
business prospects. All il-
legal structures in and
around the reputed Jor Bag
temple would be demol-
ished. Besides, local crafts
and culture would be in
focus and get global recog-
nition. There is an array of
temples in the town lying in
ruins. With the heritage
tag, all the dilapidated tem-
ples would receive conser-
vation and retain their lost
glory. by TNH DESK
Bishnupur eyeing WorldHeritage tag
We have ambitiousplans to commissiontwo passenger ships inthe current year to de-velop the connectivityto the islands. Thepresence of virginbeaches forms the
main USP of our desti-nation.
““
A M Hussain, AssistantDirector, Tourism, Lak-shadweep
Government News26
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
In a unique initiative to cap-
tivate a major chunk of do-
mestic tourists, Goa
Tourism Development Corpora-
tion Limited (GTDC) is offering
a boost to festival tourism in the
state. Some of the major and
most popular festivals of Goa
are Christmas, New Year’s, and
Heritage Festival, Carnival,
Shigmo, Cashew and Coconut
festival.
Experiencing the Goan cul-
ture can be incredibly exciting
experience for tourists during
their trips to the state. GTDC is
all set to host Cashew and Co-
conut festival in May that would
exhibit cashew and coconut
delicacies and its allied prod-
ucts.
Shigmo festival is held from
March 16 to 30. Nilesh Cabral,
Chairman, GTDC explained,
“Culture forms a significant as-
pect of Goa and festival tourism
is going great guns in the state.
A large number of tourists vis-
iting Goa are planning their
itineraries during festive sea-
son. The biggest spring festival
in the state is Shigmo that
forms a spectacular 14-day
show of Goan mythology and
ethnicity at the annual Shigmo
parade that takes centre stage
across the state. A number of
groups comprising men and
women in traditional attire put
up vibrant performances and
they are interspersed with
small groups that move with
traditional Goan drums.”
The visa-on-arrival initia-
tive taken up by Central gov-
ernment will be extended to
global tourists arriving from
180 countries to India. Cabral
informed, “Global tourists will
no longer have to visit the local
consulates to get their visas
and can avail of visa-on-arrival
facility at international airports
in India. We are quite optimistic
about this facility since it will
enhance the flow of global
tourists into the state. We are
stressing on to boost family
tourism that will enable par-
ents and children to visit to-
gether and enjoy the fun
activities like heritage walks,
camps, water sports, eco tours
and wildlife activities.”
Goa Tourism is also looking
ahead to take-off new projects
that include sea plane, hot air
balloon, family theme parks,
golf course and marinas that
would surge the flow of family
tourists into the state. It has
categorized 34 infrastructural
projects to be completed within
a span of three years. Goa
Tourism is looking at a possibil-
ity of tie-up with private hospi-
tality groups to transform its
properties into world-class
standards.
Goa’s beaches are highly
popular for both domestic and
global travellers and ensuring
safety of tourist is high on the
agenda of GTDC. Cabral added,
“We have launched develop-
ment and cleanliness drive on
beaches. The state will soon
boast in having one of the
cleanest beaches in South-East
Asia. We have deployed life
guard system and adequate
cops at the beaches who will be
posted till midnight. CCTV cam-
eras will be installed in areas
that have high tourist footfall.”
Goa Tourism is concentrating
on domestic tourist markets of
West Bengal, Karnataka, Ma-
harashtra, Gujarat, New Delhi,
Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala. The po-
tential global tourist markets
are Russia, the United King-
dom, Germany, Italy, France,
Central and Eastern Europe
and the Baltics. “It is for the
first time that the state has
crossed three million tourist ar-
rival mark. The arrival of do-
mestic tourists has surged by
12.47 per cent while the hike in
global tourists has been 9.27
per cent last year,” further
added Cabral.
In an effort to offer a boost
to MICE tourism in the state,
plans are on the anvil to set up
a convention centre with a seat-
ing capacity of 5,000 people. It is
a great destination for blending
work with leisure. “The state
has vintage hotels and has been
involved in MICE and wedding
tourism since a number of
years. The state figures high in
corporate initiatives in the
country,” summed up Cabral.
Goa beckons with festivaltourismThe all-time favourite tourist hotspot of Goa isbetting big on festival tourism.
�Swaati Chaudhury
Latest initiatives ofGoa Tourism:
•To promote festivaland family tourism.•Cashew and Co-
conut Festival in May,2014.
•Cleanliness and de-velopment drive on
beaches.•Deployed life guardsand cops on beaches. •Would install CCTVcameras on beaches.
SnapShot
Nilesh CabralChairman, GTDC
In an effort to explore the
riverine routes of Bengal
and Bihar, the West Ben-
gal government has launched
its open-waterway policy with
the exciting river cruise from
Kolkata to Patna sometime in
mid-February. For years, wa-
terway in the Gangetic Plains
has remained unutilized. The
state government has signed
MoU with Assam Bengal Nav-
igation that forms one of the
most premier luxury river
cruise operators in the east-
ern region of India.
The luxury cruise is all set
to touch the significant her-
itage destinations of Bengal.
The cruise is pegged at Rs
11,500 per person for a single
night and includes all luxury
facilities. It will make
stopovers at Barrackpore,
Chandarnagore, Kalna,
Nabadwip, Mayapur, Plassey,
Murshidabad, Farakka, Bha-
galpur, Monghyr and eventu-
ally reach Patna. It would take
seven days to reach Farakka
and another eight days to
make it to Patna. The vessel is
well-equipped with restau-
rants, bar, salon and spa. The
state government is acting as
a facilitator in the luxury
cruise and would extend all
support in receiving statutory
clearances within shortest
time. It has also signed MoU
with another luxury cruise,
Heritage River Cruise.
by TNH DESK
Luxury Ganga Cruise fromKolkata to Patna
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
27Government News
In a bid to tap the tourist
market from the eastern
region and North-eastern
region of India, Maharashtra
Tourism Development Corpo-
ration (MTDC) for the first
time hosted an interactive
road show with the prominent
travel groups in Kolkata some-
time on February 17.
For tourists seeking to lux-
uriate in the lap of nature or to
take a sneak peek into the
treasured past or stroll on the
white sands of picture-perfect
beaches, Maharashtra has un-
limited weekend getaways. En-
dowed with 720 km of long
coastline, 40 national parks
and 100 beaches with ameni-
ties and safety, the state has a
plethora of surprises for do-
mestic and global travellers.
Maharashtra has infinite
tourism potential and was
once not dependent on tourism
owing to its robust economy.
According to Dr. Jagdish
Patil, Managing Director,
MTDC, “We get the highest
number of global travellers
around 25 per cent in India
and we are reaching out to 10
Indian cities like New Delhi,
Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Ben-
galuru, Panjim, Hyderabad
and Agra with our road shows
this year. We would step in
Chennai and Lucknow. We are
interested to woo sizeable
chunk of tourists from the
eastern and North-east region
that has a population of 14
crore. Our state has recorded
the highest growth rate of tiger
population in the country and
has the fourth largest popula-
tion of big cats. Nearly 80 per
cent of India’s caves are in Ma-
harashtra and the oldest,
world-renowned caves of
Ajanta dating back to 2200-
year-old flaunt vegetative
fresco paintings. The state has
four World Heritage Sites like
Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves-
the world’s largest monolithic
cave temple, Chhatrapati Shiv-
aji Terminus and Elephanta
Caves. The unique metro of
Mumbai forms the highpoint of
our tourism.”
Maharashtra occupies the
fourth slot in receiving domes-
tic tourists in the country. The
state stands tall with three
kinds of forts in the country in-
cluding under water, ground
and marine. Patil said, “Our
State has the best connectivity
in terms of airports and it has
the largest number of airports
in India. There are five jyotir-
lingams, eight Ganesh Temple
or Ashta Vinayaka and three
Shaktipeeths honouring God-
dess Bhavani with high foot-
falls. The pilgrim citadel of
Shirdi received 13 lakh pil-
grims in December, 2013. The
Sahyadri Mountains offers
sound opportunities for
trekking and rock climbing. We
have set up water sailing activ-
ity in Nagpur. Indian Institute
of Scuba Diving will open its
doors at Tarkarli in Konkan
region in March. It will be the
first-of-a-kind in Asia.” Lon-
avala provides facilities for
hot-air ballooning.
MTDC has taken big
strides to roll out Bollywood
tourism packages in associa-
tion with private partners. The
guided tour takes off from
Goregaon and shows off out-
door studios. There are three
kinds of packages tagged at Rs
500, Rs 1,299 and Rs 3,200 for
six hours. Patil informed, “We
would unveil sea world in Sind-
hudurg with water parks and
under water activities. We
have around 2,000 bed and
breakfast lodges and home
stay facilities across the state.
We can boast of our luxury
train- Deccan Odyssey recog-
nized as the best luxury train
in Asia last year. It has been
rated as the top ten luxury
trains in the world. We have
prioritized 25 Buddhist sites
from Mumbai to Nagpur and a
detailed survey has been taken
up on the amenities required.
We have the oldest Buddhist
caves at Karla and Bhaja on
Mumbai-Pune National High-
way. Our potential global mar-
kets are the United States and
the United Kingdom. We are
trying to launch direct flights
from Aurangabad to Thailand
in order to bring Buddhist
tourists from South-East Asia.
We have signed MoU with
Japan to augment mutual eco-
nomic relations in areas of
tourism and investment.”
MTDC is looking forward to
open its office in Lucknow.
MTDC has built Ajanta
Visitor Centre at Ajanta
caves, the largest in the world
that has museums, restau-
rants and information centre
under one-roof. There is El-
lora Visitor Centre sprawling
over 1,50,000 sq. ft of area.
MTDC has prepared Eco-
Tourism Development Plan
for Mahabaleshwar, Panch-
gani and Matheran. Patil
added, “We are converting
five resorts into non-conven-
tional energy resources.
Three more resorts made of
bamboos are coming up in
April, this year. We would
have seven properties in
Konkan Coast, of which three
are new and four are being
upgraded.”
The state has about 10,000
hectares of land covered with
mangrove forests and is the
leading producer of 10 variety
of fruits. “We are into rural and
agro-tourism and we would
host Chickoo festival in
Thane,” further added Patil.
Incredible Maharashtra offersmemorable experienceMaharashtra Tourism is taking giant steps tomake the state a preferred tourist getaway for oneand all.
�Swaati Chaudhury
MTDC’s currentsteps include:
•To open office inLucknow.
•Started BollywoodTourism packages.•To open Indian In-stitute of Scuba Div-
ing at Tarkarli.•Attract touristsfrom Eastern and
North-eastern states.•Start direct flightsfrom Aurangabad to
Thailand.•Signed MoU with
Japan.•Chosen 25 Buddhistsites from Mumbai to
Nagpur.•Charted out Eco-De-velopment Plan forthree destinations.
•Convert five resortsinto non-conventional
energy resources.•Begin Chickoo Festi-
val in Thane.•Ganesh Chathurthiin Trafalgar Square
in 2014.
SnapShot
Dr. Jagdish PatilManaging Director, MTDC
Aviation News28
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Asurvey conducted by
Airports Council Inter-
national (ACI) has
awarded the newly launched in-
tegrated terminal of Kolkata
Airport the Best Improved Air-
port in the Asia-Pacific region.
Some of the other airports that
have been adjudged in this cat-
egory are East London in
Africa, Gothenburg in Europe,
Amman in Middle East, San An-
tonio in North America and
Nassau in Latin America-
Caribbean region.
ACI is regarded as the most
comprehensive customer serv-
ice benchmarking tool in the
global aviation sector and col-
lects the immediate appraisal of
fliers’ from check-in counters
through departure across 285
airports across the world. The
award reflects the views of the
fliers in the field of 34 key serv-
ice indicators and serves as an
objective indicator of best per-
forming airports in the globe.
Fliers travelling through
Kolkata Airport have witnessed
a considerable change within a
span of a year. The change is
quite visible since there is a
huge difference between the old
terminal and new terminal com-
prising sprawling steel and
glass structures that are highly
efficient and have aesthetic
value. The new facility in
Kolkata Airport has a number
of improvement areas like short
X-ray, multiple gates for entry,
multiple check-in counters,
queues at registered baggage,
security check stations that
help in fast movement of pas-
sengers and several aero-
bridges enable a direct entry
into the aircraft. Passengers ar-
riving into the city no longer get
into the chaotic traffic at the ter-
minal. by TNH DESK
Kolkata Airport selected in “Best” categoryairport in Asia
Auckland Airport has
signed a Memoran-
dum of Understand-
ing with Mumbai Airport that
will see the two airports form
a ‘sister airport’ relationship.
The airport sistership has
been established with objec-
tives that include increasing
international air links and
tourism between and beyond
both airports’ respective
countries.
Glenn Wedlock, Auckland
Airport’s general manager
aeronautical commercial,
says that the sistership is im-
portant as India is a key mar-
ket for New Zealand and is a
key focus for Tourism New
Zealand over the next three
years.
“With over 31,250 Indian
visitor arrivals to New
Zealand in the last 12 months,
and over 80 per cent of these
visitors entering through
Auckland Airport, we con-
sider India to be a very impor-
tant market for us,” says Mr
Wedlock.
“The Indian travel market
also represents a huge growth
opportunity for New Zealand
tourism,” says Wedlock. “Our
Ambition 2020 strategy tar-
gets 69,000 Indian arrivals by
2020 which is equivalent to 14
per cent growth per annum
over the next six years.”
“Recently we have seen
some impressive growth from
the Indian market,” continues
Wedlock. “January 2014 saw
Indian visitors to Auckland in-
crease by 16 per cent when
compared to the same period
last year.”
“Within India, Mumbai is a
key market for New Zealand
and we believe this sister air-
port relationship with Mumbai
International Airport will fa-
cilitate further traffic growth
between the two key hubs
through joint ventures,” says
Wedlock. “We will also be
working closely together to
stimulate more Indian visitor
arrivals to New Zealand in the
peak Indian travel times of
May and December, thus in-
creasing growth in New
Zealand’s shoulder tourism
season.”
Naveen Chawla, Vice Pres-
ident Aero Marketing from
GVK Mumbai International
Airport says, “In the dynamic
aviation scenario, airports
worldwide are seeing the ben-
efits of closer ties through ‘sis-
ter’ agreements. Mumbai and
Auckland are both leading
gateways and the agreement
would promote co-operation
between the two airports in
developing the traffic flow be-
tween the two countries. The
sister airport partnership be-
tween these two major gate-
ways will also bring in best
practices to improve services
offered to passengers, airlines
and all other stakeholders.”
“This association between
both our airports is very
timely. The new integrated
Terminal 2 at Mumbai with en-
hanced airport infrastructure
is capable of handling the ex-
pected growth in the passen-
ger traffic and can also
accommodate all types of air-
craft with adequate parking
bays. The whole airport expe-
rience is enhanced with cus-
tomised retail, food and
beverage, branded duty free
and overall passenger experi-
ence,” continues Chawla.
“Mumbai is the Financial
and Commercial capital of
India. The city is strategically
located and connects to 29 In-
dian cities within two and a
half hours of flying time. It is
also considered as the city of
dreams and is home to India’s
biggest entertainment industry,
“Bollywood”. Mumbai is also
strongly positioned as a major
aviation market in the Asia Pa-
cific region.” by TNH DESK
Auckland Airport signs MoUwith Mumbai AirportAuckland Airport has signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding with Mumbai Airport that will seethe two airports form a ‘sister airport’relationship.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
29Aviation News
For the Himalayan state
of Sikkim, power and
tourism are the two
main sources of revenue gen-
eration that serve as the indi-
cators of economic and social
growth. The two major sectors
generate employment options
and uplift the social standard
of the Himalayan populace.
The landlocked state is a
treasure-trove of fabulous
Buddhist monasteries and
shrines that draw a steady
stream of tourists from South-
East Asian countries. Accord-
ing to Bineeta Rai, Chief
Executive Officer, Sikkim
Tourism Development Corpo-
ration (STDC), "In an effort to
make the state a 365-day
tourist destination, we would
like to set up as many as 100
tourist getaways with special
emphasis on sustainable
tourism. We intend to make
tourists to have a first-hand ex-
perience of the rural life in the
Himalayan land that has three
ethnic communities including
Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali
with distinct culture, tradition
and cuisine. We are bent upon
to develop rural tourism and
home stay facilities in all the
four districts of the state. A
new airport will start rolling at
Pakyong this year that will
have a tremendous impact on
the flow of tourists. " There has
been a 10 per cent surge in the
frequency of chopper services
from Bagdogra to Gangtok in
2012.
The land has a plenty of
opportunities for adventure
tourism and nature lovers can
experience stunning sights of
the Himalayan valley. Rai in-
formed, "The newly opened
Silk Route that forms the old
India-Tibet trade route has
been thrown open for domestic
tourists in East Sikkim and
with the efforts of our state
government to set up more
home stay facilities along this
route, it would make a memo-
rable and nostalgic experience
for tourists. A new trekking
trail has come up in West
Sikkim and Chongrang has
been identified as the base
campen route Labdang, Zongri
and Goechala. The trekking
route is traversed by the Holy
Lamas in search of paradise."
Chaar Dham and Buddha
Park in South Sikkim have
emerged as pilgrim centres for
domestic and global tourists.
Buddha Park at Ravangla is in-
cluded in Buddhist circuit and
is a favourite for travellers
from Thailand, Malaysia, Sin-
gapore, Nepal and Bhutan.
"Our potential tourist markets
are West Bengal, Gujarat, Ma-
harashtra and South India. We
are eyeing the global tourists
from South-East Asia and Eu-
ropean destinations. Since the
state shares international bor-
ders, there are certain restric-
tions imposed on movement of
global tourists. There has been
around 30 per cent hike in the
outflow of domestic tourists
and 10 per cent in global
tourists into the state last year.
We are expecting to receive
around 10 lakh visitors in
2014," added Rai.
Sikkim to get new airportWith the support of Pawan Chamling government,Sikkim Tourism has drawn up a host of forward-looking initiatives to make the state into a 365-daytourist getaway.
Plans of SikkimTourism:
•Create 100 touristdestinations.
•Develop ruraltourism and home
stay options.•Get a feel of ethnicrural lifestyle in the
state.•Opened new
trekking trail in WestSikkim.
SnapShot
�Swaati Chaudhury
On 26 March 2014, gov-
ernments gathered
for a diplomatic con-
ference at the International
Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) in Montreal to discuss
revisions to the Tokyo Conven-
tion. The revisions would en-
hance the ability of law
enforcement and other author-
ities to prosecute the small mi-
nority of passengers who are
violent, disruptive, abusive, or
acting in a manner which
might endanger safety.
The Tokyo Convention was
negotiated in 1963 and it gives
jurisdiction over offenses com-
mitted onboard aircraft to the
state of registration of the air-
craft. With modern leasing
arrangements, the state of air-
craft registry is often neither
the state in which the aircraft
lands nor the state of the oper-
ator. This limits the practical-
ity of enforcement and
consequently the options
available to mitigate disrup-
tive behaviors. For this rea-
son, the airline industry
supports proposals for juris-
diction to be extended to both
the state in which the aircraft
lands and the state in which
the operator is located.
"Airlines are doing all they
can to prevent and manage
unruly passenger incidents,
but this needs to be backed up
with effective law enforce-
ment. Reports of unruly be-
havior are on the rise. The
Tokyo Convention was not
originally designed to address
unruly behavior and there is a
great deal of uncertainty
amongst carriers as to what
actions crew can take to man-
age incidents in the air. And if
the aircraft lands in a state
other than where the aircraft
was registered, local authori-
ties are not always able to
prosecute," said Tony Tyler,
IATA’s Director General and
CEO.
"At the moment there are
too many examples of people
getting away with serious
breaches of social norms that
jeopardize the safety of flights
because local law enforcement
authorities do not have the
power to take action," said
Tyler. by TNH DESK
IATA for closing legal loopholes onunruly passengersThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments toclose legal loopholes that allow unruly passengers to escape lawenforcement for serious offences committed on board aircraft.
Tony TylerIATA’s Director General and CEO
InterContinental Hotels
Group (IHG) and IL&FS
Skills, one of India’s
largest skills development
organisations, have
launched the 15th IHG Acad-
emy programme in India,
joining over 300 IHG Acad-
emy programmes globally.
The partnership will see
IL&FSInstitute of Skills (IIS)
providingIHG approved voca-
tional hospitality training
across the country as part of
the programme. Following
the three-month course,par-
ticipants are able to apply
for roles at IHG hotels in
India and across the globe.
The IHG Academy is a pi-
oneering global collabora-
tion between IHG and local
education and community
providers. The programme
aims to provide peoplewith
skills development and em-
ployment opportunities and
create a sustainable talent
pipeline for IHG. The part-
nershipwith IIS is IHG’s first
vocational programme in the
country. It was officially in-
augurated by IHG’s Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer (CEO),
Richard Solomons; who
joined DilipChenoy, MD &
CEO, National Skill Develop-
ment Corporation, and
ArunkumarPillai, Chief Op-
erating Officer, IL&FS Skills,
to tour IIS, Delhi and ad-
dress the first class of stu-
dents yesterday.
On his visit to IL&FS In-
stitute of Skills, Delhi,
Richard Solomons, Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer, IHG com-
mented, “We pride ourselves
on the great experience we
offer guests in India and
around the world. The only
way we can achieve this is to
have well-qualified, passion-
ate teams. In India, we have
the task of recruiting 10,000
new employees over the next
three to five years as we
open the 45 hotels in our de-
velopment pipeline. One of
the most effective ways for
us to achieve this is to train
for the required skills
through structured skill de-
velopment programs like this
one. It is our privilege to
work in conjunction with the
Indian government to share
our knowledge and enhance
the skills of young people
who want to build their ca-
reer in hospitality. This part-
nership with IL&FS Skills
will make a big difference to
these students and enables
us to actively contribute to
our local communities in a
meaningful and lasting way.”
Arunkumar Pillai, Chief
Operating Officer, IL&FS
Skills Development Corpora-
tion Ltd added, “More and
more businesses are ac-
knowledging that the skills
gap is affecting their ability
to meet customer expecta-
tions. So it’s heartening to
see prestigious companies
such as IHG coming forward
and owning the issue of skill
development and making it
one of their business pillars.
We are extremely pleased to
partner with them to ensure
a continuous stream of
skilled workers who will not
only add value to IHG but
also to the entire hospitality
sector in India.”
The programme supple-
ments IHG’s on-going sup-
port of the Indian
Government’s Hunar Se
Rozgaar initiative, launched
to create employable skills
for young adults aged 18 to
28 years old who do not have
access to specialised educa-
tion.
IL&FS Skills’ students
will be trained to IHG’srigor-
ous and world-class stan-
dards whilst also gaining
thorough knowledge and un-
derstanding of the Indian
hospitality sector. Thetrain-
ing programme is divided in
two sessions of 45 days
each, mixing theory and
practical classes. In their
first session, students will
be trained by IL&FS Skills
on the English language, and
soft skillsusing the latest
technology. During the sec-
ond part of the programme,
IHG will provide on-the-job
training to give the young
students an opportunity to
put into practice what they
have learnt. A special em-
phasis will be placed onre-
cruiting women into the
programme, with the aim of
mobilising the female work-
force.
In order to ensure con-
sistency and compliance
with National Skills Develop-
ment Corporation (NSDC)
requirements, a candidate
selection process is held to
recruit the right partici-
pants. As with all IHG Acad-
emy programmes worldwide,
a passion for delivering
great service to guests is a
prerequisite for those who
have an interest in entering
the programme.Upon com-
pletion of the three-month
training, candidates will bene-
fit from being more employ-
able and will also have the
opportunity of employment in
an IHG hotel including Inter-
Continental Hotels & Resorts,
Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn
and Holiday Inn Express.
With its vocational train-
ing methods, IL&FS Skills has
changed the lives of over
300,000 young individuals
through placement-linked
training and technology driven
customised curriculum.
by TNH DESK
IHG, IL&FS Skills Partnerto Develop VocationalHospitality Talent in IndiaThe 15th IHG Academy programme in Indialaunched with one of India's largest vocationaltraining organisations.
Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer, IHG officially launched the 15th IHG Acad-emy programme in India yesterday.
Hospitality News30
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
31Government News
After signing Memo-
randum of Under-
standing (MoU) with
Quebec (Canada) and
Wakayama (Japan), Maha-
rashtra Tourism Development
Corporation (MTDC) recently
signed an MoU with Ger-
many’s Baden-Wurttemberg
state. According to Jagdish
Patil, MD, MTDC, the MoUs
will not only help in enhancing
and strengthening the ties be-
tween two states and coun-
tries overall but also develop
tourism and trade co-opera-
tion. Moreover, Maharashtra
as a state gets global exposure
and awareness among global
travellers. More states from
countries like Australia and
Korea are in talks with MTDC
for similar co-operations and
are under considerations at
the moment.
Elaborating further on the
international focus, Patil said,
“Maharashtra is currently the
top state in India in terms of
international arrivals. How-
ever, many of them are transit
passengers with hardly a
night stay in the state. We just
don’t need numbers but also
tourist spent and overnights.
To improve our brand visibil-
ity and bring in more
overnight tourists, we thought
of signing MoUs with states
(with similar tourism motto)
of the countries which are po-
tential for our tourism
growth.” MTDC will be soon
opening its tourist informa-
tion office in Wakayama while
the Japanese state has re-
cently opened their office in
Mumbai. The South West Ger-
many tourism board office
based in Mumbai will be
working closely with MTDC to
improve tourism sector be-
tween both the regions.
“Korea tourism has ap-
proached us for similar co-op-
eration while we are in talks
with Australian state as well.
Through such MoUs, we in-
tend to go global and improve
our local tourism sector,” ex-
plains Patil. Not just interna-
tional, the state is also in
process of signing similar
MoUs with Indian states. It
has signed up MoU with Goa,
Gujarat, Karnataka and Mad-
hya Pradesh while it is consid-
ering to states like Delhi,
Andra Pradesh and Bihar.
MTDC focusing oninternational tiesSigns MoU with South West Germany, aims atmutual tourism co-operation strategy
Luxury with short-breaksTo bring local MoUs in action, MTDC is in
the process of rolling out inter-state itineraryfor its luxury train – Deccan Odyssey. More-over, it will also introduce ‘short-breaks’ itin-erary on the train offering passengersflexibility in number of overnights. Currently,it offers just two itinierary, each of sevennights eight days. From the coming season(October 2014, it will offer six different itin-erary and multiple short breaks itineraries.
�Anand Shah
Some important high-
lights regarding FTAs
and FEEs from
tourism during the month of
February, 2014 are as follows:
Foreign Tourist Arrivals
(FTAs):
FTAs during the Month of
February 2014 was 7.38 lakh
as compared to FTAs of 6.88
lakh during the month of Feb-
ruary 2013 and 6.81 lakh in
February 2012. There has
been a growth of 7.2% in Feb-
ruary 2014 over February
2013 as compared to a
growth of 1.0% registered in
February 2013 over February
2012. FTAs during the period
January-February 2014 were
14.58 lakh with a growth of
5.1% , as compared to the
FTAs of 13.87 lakh with a
growth of 1.8% during Janu-
ary-February 2013 over the
corresponding period of 2012.
Foreign Exchange Earnings
(FEEs) from Tourism in
rupee terms and US$ terms
FEEs during the month of
February 2014 were `11,355
crore as compared to `10,252
crore in February 2013 and
`8,502 crore in February
2012. The growth rate in
FEEs in rupee terms in Feb-
ruary 2014 over February
2013 was 10.8% as compared
to 20.6% in February 2013
over February 2012.
FEE from tourism in
rupee terms during January-
February 2014 were
Rs.22,552 crore with a
growth of 8.9%, as compared
to the FEE of Rs.20,717 crore
with a growth of 21.0% dur-
ing January-February 2013
over the corresponding pe-
riod of 2012.
FEEs in US$ terms dur-
ing the month of February
2014 were US$ 1.824 billion
as compared to FEEs of US$
1.905 billion during the
month of February 2013 and
US$ 1.729 billion in February
2012. The growth rate in
FEEs in US$ terms in Febru-
ary 2014 over February 2013
was negative growth of 4.3%
as compared to the growth of
10.2% in February 2013 over
February 2012.
FEE from tourism in
terms of US$ during Janu-
ary-February 2014 were US$
3.629 billion with a negative
growth of 5.2%, as compared
to US$ 3.830 billion with a
growth of 12.3% during Jan-
uary-February 2013 over the
corresponding period of
2012. by TNH DESK
Foreign Tourist Arrivals grows7.2% in Feb 2014 over Feb 2013 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in February, 2014was 7.38 lakh which was 6.88 lakh inFebruary, 2013 with a growth of 7.2%. ForeignExchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism inRupees terms in February, 2014 wereRs.11,355 crore in comparison to Rs.10,252crore in February, 2013.
Maharashtra is currentlythe top state in India interms of international ar-rivals. However, many ofthem are transit passen-gers with hardly a nightstay in the state. We justdon’t need numbers butalso tourist spent and
overnights.
“
“Jagdish PatilMD, MTDC
Government News32
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
This is the second
major international
award for Kerala
Tourism in the last two
months.
Kerala Tourism won the
Golden City Gate top award,
the gold prize, of the ITB-
Berlin for its print campaign
on the backwaters, beating
tough competition from major
national tourism boards in the
world.
Presented every year at
the prestigious ITB-Berlin fair,
the Das Golden Stattdor or the
Golden City Gate Awards are
considered the ultimate recog-
nition in global tourism com-
munication. The awards are
held under the patronage of
the German Federal Associa-
tion of Film and Audio-Visual
Producers. This year’s ITB-
Berlin began on March 5 in the
German capital city. It is the
first time that Kerala Tourism
has won the gold in the print
category. Malaysia Tourism
had won the gold in the print
category last year.
Kerala Tourism's print
campaign this year on the
backwaters presents the
state’s famous water bodies as
a fascinating water world, in
the big league of the Great Wall
of China and the Great Barrier
Reef of Australia.
This is the third honour in
as many months for Kerala
Tourism at the international
and national level. In January,
Kerala Tourism had won the
United Nations World Trade
Organization (UNWTO)
Ulysses Prize, the first for
India, for excellence and inno-
vation in tourism. Last month,
it had dominated the National
Tourism Awards for 2012-13,
winning four top prizes.
"We are truly honoured by
this remarkable recognition
from the world's biggest travel
trade show," said A P Anilku-
mar, Kerala Tourism Minister.
"The top award at Berlin
demonstrates the significant
place of Kerala's beautiful
backwaters among the most
important destinations in the
world," Anilkumar said. "This
is a recognition for the Kerala
brand," he added.
The print campaign of
Kerala Tourism, titled 'The
Great Backwaters', was
launched late last year. The
campaign presented the back-
waters of Kerala, stretching
from one end of the state to the
other, as a single destination
and a once-in-lifetime experi-
ence for the traveller. The Na-
tional Geographic Traveler
rated Kerala's backwaters
60th among 133 great destina-
tions around the globe.
"It is a huge achievement
for Kerala and a major boost to
the state's reputation as one of
the top tourism destinations in
the world," said Kerala
Tourism Secretary Suman
Billa, who received the award
at the ITB-Berlin awards cere-
mony, held on March 6. "The
award shows the important
place of our backwaters on the
global tourism map," he added.
Kerala Tourism Director S
Harikishore hailed the award
as an endorsement of the con-
tinuing efforts of the tourism
department in showcasing the
vast tourism potential of the
state. "It is our objective to
present our distinguished visi-
tors with the best in the world
in terms of variety, originality
and creativity," he added.
Started in 1966, ITB-Berlin
is the world's leading travel
trade show, with the Who's
Who of the tourism and travel
industry present at the event.
With 180 countries participat-
ing in the event, ITB-Berlin is
expected to attract a mindbog-
gling 180,000 visitors, includ-
ing 113,000 trade visitors, in
this year's edition, which runs
up to March 9.
The Golden City Gate
awards are presented in the
print, film and media cate-
gories and assessed by an in-
ternational jury.
The Kerala Tourism stall
at the ITB-Berlin this year,
which was also based on the
Great backwaters campaign
theme. The Kerala stand fea-
tured installations of narrow
canal with water, country
boats, walking bridge etc
which attracted thousands of
visitors. The Kerala Tourism
delegation, led by Shri Suman
Billa, comprised 19 co-ex-
hibitors, namely Abad Hotels,
Coconut Bay, Dune Eco Group,
Kumarakom Lake Resort, Eas-
tend Hotels and Resorts, Nee-
leshwar Hermitage, Nikki’s
Nest, Poovar Island Resort,
Thomas Hotels and Resorts,
Uday Samudra Leisure Beach
Hotel and Spa, Dravidian
Trails, Jayasree Travels and
Tours, Intersight Tours and
Travels, Spiceland Holidays,
The Travel Planners,
Carnoustie Ayurveda and Well-
ness Resort, Kairali Ayurvedic
Health Resort, Nattika Beach
Ayurveda Resort and Vaidya
Sutras.
by TNH DESK
Kerala Tourism winstourism ‘Oscar’ for 'GreatBackwaters' campaignKerala Tourism has taken the top prize at theworld’s largest tourism trade show held inGermany, winning the ITB-Berlin’s Golden CityGate gold award, dubbed the ‘Oscar of TourismCommunications’.
Government News34
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
In order to ensure a safe
and enjoyable journey for
all the pilgrims doing
chardham yatra and
Hemkund Sahib Yatra this
year, the government of Ut-
tarakhand has announced
various measures to be imple-
mented. On 4th March govern-
ment of Uttarakhand issued
various directions regarding
the forthcoming yatras.
To facilitate the pilgrims
and tourists a special control
room has been set up at the
Uttarakhand Tourism Head-
Quarter at Dehradun. A Nodal
Officer will manage the cen-
tre. Telefax number of the
control room: 0135-2559898.
Email Id is
[email protected]. This
service shall be available from
7 am to 9 pm every day.
All district magistrates in
Garhwal besides the depart-
ments of health sanitation,
water, electricity etc have
been assigned responsibilities
for maintaining efficient and
smooth chardham yatra oper-
ations.
Instructions have been is-
sued to ensure that work on
roads and infrastructure is
completed by April 30, 2014.
A special task force compris-
ing of police and Nehru Insti-
tute Mountaineering,
Uttarkashi has been set up for
the Kedarnath route from
Bhimbali. This shall function
under the district magistrate
Rudraprayag.
Mobile towers and PCO
booths have been erected
every 15 km of the route and
mobile hospitals and medical
camps have been established
for the benefit of the pilgrims.
All wireless networks have
been made operational and
also a new police post at Kedar
Valley shall become opera-
tional in April 2014.
Services of private helicop-
ter operators will be engaged
to take passengers to Kedar-
nath. Government is taking all
efforts to ensure safety of pil-
grims by making biometrics
registration for all pilgrims vis-
iting chardham yatra. Biomet-
ric registration counters will
be setup at entry points of
state and also in yatra routes.
Dr. Umakant Panwar,
Secretary, Government of Ut-
tarakhand emphasized that
the government of Uttarak-
hand is committed to meet all
the above stated objectives for
ensuring a safe, secure and
comfortable coming chard-
ham and Hemkund Sahib
yatra. by TNH DESK
Uttarakhand promises safe Chardhamand Hemkund Yatra 2014 The opening date for the Holy Dhams is May 2, 2014 for Yamnotri andGangotri. Kedarnath will open on May 4, Badrinath on May 5 and HemkundSahib on May 25.
The Chief Minister re-
viewed preparations
for the yatra and or-
dered officials to complete
road repair work along the
pilgrimage route by April 30
and asked them to deploy in
full strength the newly consti-
tuted State Disaster Response
Force personnel in the danger
zones.
This year the state admin-
istration is taking all neces-
sary precautions to deal with
any emergency during the
yatra season. The last year
the state saw the large-scale
loss of lives and property in
the calamity including bio-
metric registration of devo-
tees before they embark on
the pilgrimage and introduc-
tion of the facility of weather
alerts on their mobile phones.
Almost a year after the
Kedarnath disaster, Uttarak-
hand government has decided
to deploy SDRF personnel in
danger zones on yatra routes.
This measure comes at a time
when apprehensions were
raised over the safety of pil-
grims on chardham yatra
scheduled to begin in the first
week of May. Chief Minister
Harish Rawat gave this direc-
tion while reviewing the
preparations of the Chardham
yatra. Chief Minister has
asked the officials to complete
all the road repair works on
Chardham yatra route by
April 30 deadline. The portals
of disaster hit Kedarnath
shrine will open for devotees
on May 5.
Adjoining areas of the holy
portals of Kedarnath were
heavily affected by the
tragedy of the last year. The
state Government created
SDRF on the patterns of
NDRF a few months earlier
with personnel trained in dis-
aster management from the
police force.
The state government's
preparedness to handle the
crisis during the last year’s
natural calamity was sever-
ally criticized. Learning les-
sons from the last year’s
tragedy, the state government
formed SDRF. by TNH DESK
Uttarakhand to deploy DisasterResponse Force for Chardham Yatra In a bid to put a fool-proof security system into place before the Chardhamyatra that begins in May, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat hasordered deployment of large number of State Disaster Response Forcepersonnel in danger zones prone to natural disasters en route to the famousHimalayan shrines located in the state.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
35Government News
First, we would like
you to tell us a little
bit about Karnataka. What
does the State have to offer
for its tourists?
Well, as you may have seen
in our logo, Karnataka is a
State with many worlds. And
it really is. The State wel-
comes a great number of
tourists every year from
across India and around the
globe to its many magical
historical sites, hill stations,
beach towns and a large for-
est tract with diverse flora
and fauna. There is also a
huge scope for adventure
and outdoor activities as
Karnataka is blessed with
every kind of terrain apart
from snowcapped moun-
tains. All in all, Karnataka
with its many worlds is a
State for everyone!
Sounds fantastic!
How is the Tourism
Department promoting
Karnataka? What meas-
ures has it undertaken on
national and international
levels?
Karnataka Tourism has
been quite successful in pro-
moting the destination
through a good mix of media
- advertising, social media
activation, trade fairs and
exclusive marketing meets
with the trade are part of our
promotional activities.
Different markets are ap-
proached differently. While
in Germany and France we
target the culture lover, in
UK we aim at reaching out to
the history lover and wildlife
enthusiast. We try to provide
exciting stories for the
media to write about and as
a result, we have generated
nearly 200 pages of interna-
tional PR in some of the best
titles in the world. You
wouldn’t find a national level
media publication that has
not carried a firm recom-
mendation of Karnataka to
travellers.
Speaking of Ger-
many, understand-
ably Karnataka Tourism is
trying to project a rather
unknown destination at
ITB Berlin?
Yes, absolutely! At ITB, the
world’s leading travel trade
show, we get an excellent op-
portunity to present new
destinations and experi-
ences. We’ve been part of
ITB for the past 13 years,
and each year we have tried
to portray something differ-
ent.
Last year, we presented
Karnataka’s exquisite hand-
icrafts in our pavilion. This
year, we will showcase the
Historic City of Bidar, which
has very recently entered
the Watch List of the World
Monuments Fund. Now,
that’s quite an important in-
dication of the potential of
the area. It’s the capital of
the famed Bahamani dy-
nasty. Located almost at the
centre of the Deccan, it’s one
of those unexpected places
to find in India, especially in
the South.
Why have you cho-
sen Bidar this year?
Well, Bidar is a relatively un-
explored city compared to
the neighbouring heritage
sites like Hampi, Pattadakal
and Mysore, which have
been celebrated worldwide.
Bidar was ruled by many dy-
nasties since the 10th cen-
tury, which has resulted in
an abundance of magnificent
monuments for visitors to
see.
What Bidar does is, with
its proximity to Hyderabad,
it also opens a perfect door-
way for us to promote the en-
tire North Karnataka circuit
in a way that hasn’t been
done before. Up till now, we
have been promoting this re-
gion where we advise people
to travel from Bangalore and
reach Bidar via Hampi and
Pattadkal.
But now, we are offering
an entire circuit that crosses
the Deccan all the way to
Goa (after touching Gul-
barga, Bijapur, Hampi and
the like) as an exit point.
Both Hyderabad and Goa
have international airports,
and quick connections via
some of the Middle East air-
ports could possibly attract
travellers.
What is the highlight
of Bidar?
I think it’s the sheer scale
and size of the monuments.
Some are in ruins, but they
add to the splendour and
mystique of the architecture,
designs and colour. They are
larger than life and give a
glimpse into the styles of
artistry of that era.
There are plenty of
places to visit. History lovers
will be in for a real treat. The
Bidar Fort, Takhat Mahal,
Rangeen Mahal, the Ba-
hamani Tombs, Chaubara
and mthe Papanaash Temple
are among the important
monuments. Since Bidar was
under many kingdoms at dif-
ferent times, you will find a
very interesting blend of the
Hindu, Turkish and Persian
styles of architecture. A true
‘Historic City’.
So, is Bidar exclu-
sively a heritage
destination?
No, definitely not. Bidar also
has a forest area of over
40,000 hectares, which pro-
tects the endangered Black-
buck. There is a property
called The Blackbuck Resort
in the Honnikeri Reserve
Forest, which is managed by
one of India’s largest resort
chains promoting wildlife
and ecotourism, the Jungle
Lodges and Resorts. So
there’s something for those
who seek adventure as well.
What does all this
mean for Karnataka
Tourism?
Well, the more places we have
to showcase, the closer we are
to our slogan of ‘One State.
Many Worlds.’ We are trying to
live up to that line and ensure
that we have enough for anyone
who wants to have an interest-
ing tryst with nature, heritage
and culture. This means there
is the opportunity to attract
more people than we currently
do. It also means there are more
challenges to surmount, like
quality of accommodation and
other facilities. But we are get-
ting there. by TNH DESK
Q&A: Arvind Jadhav, Additional ChiefSecretary, Tourism, KarnatakaIn this interview, Arvind Jadhav shares his views on the progress ofKarnataka as a fast blooming tourism destination, and gives us a peek intowhat more awaits the travellers to the State.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Destination36
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
English Gardens
Perhaps the most ‘typically
English’ gardens are Capabil-
ity Brown’s creations – with
their expansive lawns, isolated
coppices and ubiquitous water
features – and a great place to
check out his handiwork is
Chatsworth House, where vis-
itors have been strolling on the
five-and-a-half-acre Salisbury
Lawn for centuries (along with
the odd resident deer). “Eng-
land’s Greatest Gardener” had
a hand in designing the land-
scape of Audley End House,
too, but it’s the Organic
Kitchen Garden that many vis-
itors come here to see. You’ll
find several varieties of pears,
plums, peaches and nectarines
grown here (albeit with some
help from greenhouses), too,
which are guaranteed to get
your mouth watering. There is
perhaps nothing more quintes-
sentially English than Hidcote,
one of Britain’s most popular
gardens, located in the
Cotswolds, and notable for its
miles of sculptured hedges, as
well as its formal outdoor
“rooms”. Created in the early
20th century by the American
Lawrence Johnston, it is in an
area full of great gardens – in-
cluding one just across the
road, Kiftsgate.
For a garden with a more
contemporary feel, head up
north to The Alnwick Garden.
Even on a warm day, it’s worth
taking a raincoat here; one of
the main attractions is the
Grand Cascade – a tumbling
mass of waterfalls that shoots
out jets every half hour.
In addition, this May
marks the 10th anniversary of
Trentham Estate, in Stafford-
shire. Trentham, has always
been an iconic garden, the first
significant, and greatest, Ital-
ian-style garden in Britain.
Transformed from a medieval
monastery to a grand country
estate, the formal gardens
were laid out in the 1840s by
Houses of Parliament architect
Sir Charles Barry and the
parkland and lake designed by
none other than Capability
Brown.
New cycling holidays: Cycle
Shakespeare’s Way
On the 450th anniversary of
his birth, celebrate England’s
most famous playwright by cy-
cling Shakespeare’s Way, from
his hometown in Stratford
Upon Avon, to the Capital
where his name became im-
mortalized. Visit the beautiful
and quintessentially English
towns of The Cotswolds and
The Chilterns, towards Shake-
speare’s Globe and the newly
opened Sam Wanamaker The-
atre on London’s Southbank.
Visitors will be able to re-
create the Bard’s journey by
booking a gentle package or an
intense cycling package.
Ale & Amble in the Lake Dis-
trict, 5 April 2014
A seven- night holiday which
combines the stunning beauty
of the Lakes with essential re-
fueling stops at some of the re-
gion’s most enticing, historic
inns en route.
Exotic flowers in full bloom at the ChelseaFlower Show, dapper gentlemen in bowtiesquaffing champagne along the banks of Hen-ley, and ladies crowned with lavish hatscheering on their favourite horses; a lot ofold and new attractions await you in Englandin Spring 2014.
Visit England toenjoy fascinatingSpring 2014
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
37Destination
Highlights include the
Bridge and Fish at Buttermere;
characterful inns at Borrow-
dale, Langstrath and Scarfell
and an opportunity to savour
some of the finest local real ales
produced by Jennings, Conis-
ton, Keswick and Hesket New-
market breweries; some of the
best walking in Britain comple-
mented with the perfect pint!
New Rambler’s Women’s
only Week, 19 April 2014
A 7 night holiday based at Ram-
blers Countrywide Holidays
own property Hassness House
at Buttermere in the glorious
Lake District. Activities in-
clude, hill walking; yoga and pi-
lates; morning jogging; Nordic
walking; aerobics and circuit
training with optional rejuve-
nating dips in the lake !
South Downs Spa Walking,
May 2014
A 5 night holiday exploring the
South Downs combining the
luxury of Champney’s Forest
Mere Hotel. Apart from total
pampering, highlights include,
the stunning parkland of
Haslmere; Thursley and the
Devil’s Punchbowl; Frensham
Ponds built 500 years ago as
fish farms for the Bishop of
Winchester.
Hare Farm Hideaways, Sus-
sex
Just a stone’s throw away from
The Shepard’s Hut are a thou-
sand ewes all due for lambing
season this spring. A stay in
one of these huts during this
special time gives a first-hand
insight into how a farm gears
up for such a busy time. You
will see the sheep and lambs all
over the fields, and what an ex-
perience to see them play right
up to your hut!
This year, visitors can assist
the lambing team and take part
in the farm’s lambing courses.
From learning tupping to wean-
ing and moving onto sheepcare,
be prepared to get mucky and
be fully immersed into a
herder’s life for a day. You’ll
watch the team help birth the
lambs and might even help bot-
tle feed an orphaned lamb.
The Pig near Bath 10
March: Tucked in the folds of
the Mendip Hills, a new pig
restaurant near Bath will be de-
signed in the same shabby chic
style that has become signature
to the chain and will feature a
restaurant, walled kitchen gar-
den, 30 bedrooms in the house
and garden and spa treatment
rooms.
Pig on the Beach, Dorset:
May 2014
The creation of Robin Hutson,
the nation’s most inspired hote-
lier, together with co-Director
David Elton and co investor Jim
Ratcliffe, The Pig-on the Beach
will be located above Studland
Bay, Dorset, one of the most
stunning beaches in England.
The beautiful 18th century
Manor House, which is a Na-
tional Trust property, is cur-
rently owned by Andrew and
Karen Purkis and they will con-
tinue to operate the hotel until
the end of November 2012.
Hospitality News38
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
The Cardamom ClubThekaddyIn God’s own country, amongst
mist-kissed mountains of the
Silent Valley, lies Niraamya
Retreats, Cardamom Club,
Thekkady. This is a place
where the only jams are
caused by elephants leisurely
crossing the roads. Catch a
rare glimpse of a tiger, pranc-
ing around in the evening sun.
The scent of spices lies redo-
lent in the air and the peace of
the jungle pervades across
The villas are perched
among acres of cardamom
plantations, surrounded by
the lush green jungles. The
winding paths lead across
sunlit cottages, done up plan-
tation style, with a cheerful
and bright ambience. The cot-
tages blend traditional charm
with modernity. The resort of-
fers a chance to indulge in
some of the state of the art
wellness therapies from the
Niraamaya Spa as well as a
chance to explore nearby
sanctuaries, jungles or enjoy a
dash of adventure.
The resort experiences in-
cludes a chance to take up the
Periyar Tiger Route, which is
part of the Thekaddy Reserve,
which is also home to other
flora and fauna. The Border
trekking programme takes
you on treks which range
across heights of 1000 to 1200
metres above sea level, offer-
ing not just a dose of adven-
ture, but also a chance to see
the varied jungle life. Café
Samsara, the all day dining
destination, not only offers
global cuisines, but a chance
to savour some of the choicest
local spices and flavours as
well.
The globally acclaimed
spa at Niraamaya Cardamom
Club, Resort offers therapeu-
tic traditions from across the
world. Our therapists have
mastered Ayurveda, the an-
cient Indian healing system,
Thai and Western relaxation
techniques, and traditional
Asian therapies like reflexol-
ogy.
Treat yourself to a com-
plete wellness package and re-
turn home completely
rejuvenated - body, mind, and
soul. The Cardamom Club,
Thekaddy will entertain, en-
liven and rejuvenate you with
a gamut of activities. While
wellness and adventure can
overtake your days, enjoy the
Bonfire Nights and Bespoke
Destination Dining in the
evening. Or opt for authentic
cooking classes by the chefs,
which are comprehensive,
hands-on cooking classes so
that you master not only the
flavor, but all the nuances of
authentic Keralite cooking.
Also on the menu is the
Cardamom Club Trek, which
is a journey of an invigorating
4 kilometers through the fra-
grant cardamom plantations.
The pristine silence is dis-
turbed only by the squawks of
numerous native birds.
Suryaa Samudra- Ko-valamNiraamaya Retreats offer the
most breath-taking properties
in South India, in varied lo-
cales. The award-winning
Surya Samudra at Kovalam is
a heritage property, known not
just for its fabulous location,
but also for the state of the art
spa, which has global acclaim.
The Surya Samudra is sur-
rounded by lush greenery on
one side and the Arabian Sea
on the other.
The property has 31 her-
itage cottages, which are built
like traditional Keralite
homes. The rooms are a blend
of weathered wood and con-
temporary luxury, offering a
perfect balance between old
world charm and modern com-
fort. The entire resort exudes
luxury, comfort and relax-
ation. The ambience lends it-
self to a wellness retreat, as
well as a holiday in one of
South India’s most pristine lo-
cations. The rooms offer open
air bathrooms, awe inspiring
views of the sea as well as all
modern amenities.
The resort has a variety of
fine dining options, from
Madira, the bar overlooking
the beach, Café Samsara, the
open air verandah style all day
dining venue, which offers
global cuisine and spectacular
views of the ocean, as well as
Essence, which offers Far
Eastern cuisine and is
perched on a cliff. Indulge in
long walks around the beach,
or take a dip in the infinity
pool, which is literally carved
out of a rock.
The globally acclaimed spa
is infused with timeless thera-
peutic traditions from across
the world. The therapists have
mastered Ayurveda, the an-
cient Indian healing system,
and are trained in Yoga, au-
thentic Thai and Western re-
laxation techniques and
traditional Asian therapies
like reflexology.
Combine your vacation
with a wellness package or an
intensive detox and treatment
program. And return rejuve-
nated - body, mind and soul.
The Niraamaya Retreats
offer bespoke and customized
holidays, that allow you to not
only avail of the world famous
wellness therapies, but also to
plan an adventure, or a trek to
explore the dense jungles. If
efforts culinary are your de-
sire, then the cooking classes
at the resort will surely invei-
gle you to try out some of the
flavourful local cuisine, often
cooked with the fresh catch of
the day. by TNH DESK
Rejuvenate at Niraamaya Retreats inThekaddy, KovalamThe Cardamom Club, Thekaddy and Suryaa Samudra, Kovalam, both areproperties of Niraamaya Retreats and perfect places for rejuvenation in thelap of the nature.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
39Hospitality News
Hilton Worldwide and
Hilton Hotels & Re-
sorts recently an-
nounced the opening of
Hilton Bangalore Residences.
The trendy upscale, full-ser-
vice hotel is strategically lo-
cated within the Embassy
Golf Links Business Park, the
hub of several Fortune 500
companies. Overlooking the
expanse of the Karnataka
Golf Course, the hotel is sited
at the intersection of Kora-
mangala and Indiranagar,
and within a 25-minute drive
of M.G. Road and Sarjapur
Outer Ring Road, the com-
mercial nerve centres of the
city, offering easy access to
the best in shopping, enter-
tainment and dining. Hilton
Worldwide forayed into Ban-
galore, earlier this year, with
the launch of DoubleTree
Suites by Hilton Bangalore.
"As our fourth Hilton
brand hotel to open in the
country, Hilton Bangalore
Residences will deepens our
presence in an important
market in India, among our
key strategic regions,” said
Rob Palleschi, Global Head,
Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
“With an exceptional loca-
tion, distinctive, modern
guest accommodations and a
complete range of facilities
and services for business and
recreation, we are confident
Hilton Bangalore Residences
will become the first choice of
travellers visiting this capital
city.”
Owned by Umbel Proper-
ties Pvt. Ltd. and managed by
Hilton Worldwide, the hotel
features 247 studios and one
and two bedroom suites that
range from a spacious 495
square feet to 1,335 square
feet and are among the
largest in the city. Each gue-
stroom is purpose-built to
meet every guest’s needs,
from transient business trav-
ellers to long-stay guests, of-
fering dedicated living, dining
and work areas and a fully-
equipped kitchenette. The
kitchenettes are furnished
with appliances like mi-
crowaves, induction plates
and refrigerators, providing
guests the option of self-
catering. The suites addi-
tionally feature separate liv-
ing rooms, washers/dryers
and dishwashers. Other
highlights include the signa-
ture and luxurious Hilton
Serenity Bed and an unclut-
tered work desk with an er-
gonomic chair.
“We are very excited to
extend our portfolio in Ban-
galore with the opening of
our second hotel in the city,”
said Daniel Welk, Vice Pres-
ident, Operations – India,
Hilton Worldwide. “India is a
key strategic growth market
for Hilton Worldwide.
Presently, we operate hotels
and resorts in Delhi, Gur-
gaon, Mumbai, Chennai, Ban-
galore, Trivandrum,
Vadodara, Pune, Goa and
Shillim. Recently we also
signed agreements for hotels
in Agra, Jaipur and Luc-
know.”
Hilton Bangalore Resi-
dences offers four stylish din-
ing venues. Ministry of Food
is the all-day global cuisine
restaurant. The Salt Grill
poolside al-fresco bar and
grill is an ideal venue to relax
with a drink as the sun goes
down. KLINX is the chic
lobby bar and recess the cof-
fee lounge.
Business travellers will be
able to access round-the-
clock business services as
well as web-enabled com-
puter workstations. The con-
ference and events space at
the hotel comprises two
boardrooms, ideally suited
for mid-sized and exclusive
business meetings and social
gatherings, and four meeting
rooms that can accommodate
up to 90 people in a range of
settings. Recreational op-
tions include an outdoor tem-
p e r a t u r e - c o n t r o l l e d
swimming pool, a 24-hour
fully-equipped Fitness Centre
by Precor™, a spa and an in-
door Kids Play Area.
Hilton Bangalore Resi-
dences will participate in
Hilton HHonors, the only
guest rewards programme
that allows members to earn
Points & Miles for the same
stay and redeem points for
free nights with No Blackout
Dates at over 4,000 hotels
worldwide. Hilton Bangalore
Residences is located on Em-
bassy Golf Links Road, Busi-
ness Park, Bangalore,
Karnataka. by TNH DESK
Hilton expands itspresence in BangaloreOpened Hilton Bangalore Residences
Hospitality News40
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Partha Chatterjee, Ad-
visor, Berggruen Hotels
said, “We have roughly 10%
of our inventory as secure
women's rooms in Keys ho-
tels because we understood
the need for creating these
for the individual women
traveler of today.” Besides
Berggruen Hotels sensitizes
their staff to be receptive to
single women traveler
needs in restaurants and
public places and give them
a comfortable environment
to live in.
Last year the govern-
ment has come up with a
proposal requiring hotels to
reserve certain number of
room for women only to pro-
vide safe stay to woman
guests. Although the gov-
ernment did not pursue the
matter further, and so far
no final decision has been
taken on this, the proposal
divided the industry some
favoring the proposal while
other opposing it.
Chatterjee said that his
company agrees to the gov-
ernment’s proposal and it
would be a good initiative
for single woman traveller.
As regards the implication
of such decision on eco-
nomic viability of the hotels,
particularly on budget and
mid-market hotels, Chatter-
jee said that currently the
market is at 10% of the total
population of hotel rooms so
it is economically viable.
Most hotels can increase
their inventory as the de-
mand increases.
Disagreeing with the
government’s proposal,
Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive
Director, Sarovar Hotels
Private Limited, said that
providing specific rooms for
women on the platform of
safety has a reverse impli-
cation that hotels are not
safe for women. “Our serv-
ice design strives to make
the entire hotel safe for
women. One of the key serv-
ices that a good hotel pro-
vides to its guests is safety
besides comfort,” added
Bakaya.
However, he doesn’t
think reserving certain
rooms for women at hotels
will impact economic viabil-
ity of the hotels, particu-
larly on budget and
mid-market hotels. “It won’t
impact the economic viabil-
ity of the hotels. We at
Sarovar will keep improvis-
ing our safety systems to
look after all our guests,”
said Bakaya.
According to Bakaya, for
the safety of woman guests,
hotels should continuously
review their safety and se-
curity systems. “The hotel
should be a secure place for
all who come there – men,
women, children, aged,
physically challenged etc.”
Elaborating on what his
company is doing for the
safety of woman guests,
Chatterjee said that With an
ever-increasing number of
female business travelers
addressing the needs of this
market segment has become
increasingly critical for
hotel companies. Keys Ho-
tels, which has been at the
forefront in addressing spe-
cial needs of female travel-
ers, has taken a holistic
approach. He added that a
focus on combinations of
services, amenities, and fa-
cilities to accommodate
women travelers contribute
to feel safe, comfortable,
empowered, and pampered.
“The women secure rooms
are either in a separate
wing or the rooms are as-
signed near an elevator.
These rooms have a video
phone to identify person at
the door, they also have
extra CCTV surveillance for
the corridors.” Chatterjee
said that safety is para-
mount to the female trav-
eler. “At Keys Hotels we
believe in providing an ex-
perience that makes them
feel safe and secure. Our
dining room and bar staff is
specially trained to be sen-
sitive to any discomfort felt
by women when she is din-
ing alone or is having a
drink alone. They have been
trained to intervene subtly
and ensure that a woman
does not have to face any
unwelcome advances in our
premises. We would like to
move beyond safety and
make our women guests feel
at home and enjoy our
amenities and have a pleas-
urable stay.”
Commenting on the gov-
ernment’s proposal requir-
ing hotels to reserve certain
number of room for women
only, Ashish Vohra,
Founder & CEO, JüSTA Ho-
tels & Resorts, said that
This is a well intentioned
proposal but it needs to be
thought through rather than
blanket application of the
same, all reputed hotels fol-
low a strict regimen for the
safety of their lady guests.
“We do the same and it has
been outlined in detail later.
We do not feel that a
mandatory ruling on sepa-
rate floors or particular
rooms for lady guests is
warranted. Especially no of-
ficial inspection required
for the same. We are mind-
ful of the same and carry
out our responsibility dili-
gently,” he added.
As for the implication of
the proposal on economic
viability of budget and mid-
Women only rooms/floorsat hotels for womensafety With some criminal incidents evolving safety ofwomen guests, the Indian hotel industry hasbeen taking steps to insure safety of singlewoman guests at hotels.
Hotels should continu-ously review their safetyand security systems forthe sake of their guests.Hotels should be a secureplace for all who comethere – men, women, chil-dren, aged, physicallychallenged etc.
““
Ajay K. BakayaExecutive Director, Sarovar Hotels Private Limited
We have roughly 10% ofour inventory as securewomen's rooms in Keyshotels because we un-derstood the need forcreating these for the in-dividual women traveler
of today.
“
“
Partha ChatterjeeAdvisor, Berggruen Hotels
�Prem Kumar
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
41Hospitality News
market hotels, Vohra said
that if the same is impli-
cated in its current form it
shall lead to a lot of
wastage. “Hotels with lim-
ited inventories will be se-
verely hampered in their
operational efficiencies and
will lead to losses as there
will be vacant rooms, be-
cause of the rule which we
will not be able to sell to our
gentlemen guest in busy pe-
riods. Logistically, this will
be a nightmare for the hotels
as well as cause immense in-
convenience to guests at
large.”
Talking about what his
company is doing for the
safety of woman guests,
Vohra said, “We take are re-
sponsibility towards our
guest most seriously. The
Manager on duty is fully re-
sponsible for the well being
of all guests especially lady
guest. In spite of that, we
have certain key procedures
that are strictly followed by
our staff. They have been
specially trained to do so.”
According to Vohra, cer-
tain key procedures that are
strictly followed by the staff
at his hotels are: (1) Single
Lady Guest is always allot-
ted rooms either on the
Lobby Level or the First
Floor; There is always the
visibility factor, (2) all calls
for the Lady Guests are al-
ways screened and never
transferred directly to the
room, (3)Room numbers are
never disclosed (4) Choice of
rooms is offered to the Lady
Guest, (5) Only Lady room
attendants service the room,
(6) all service times are mon-
itored by the Front Office
Manager/In charge, and (7)
round the clock security and
CCTV coverage of all corri-
dors and public areas main-
tained.
This is a well intentionedproposal but it needs tobe thought through
rather than blanket appli-cation of the same, all re-puted hotels follow astrict regimen for the
safety of their lady guests.
“
“
Ashish VohraFounder & CEOJüSTA Hotels & Resorts
Keys Hotels, one of the
fastest growing mid-
market hotel chains
in India is all set to launch its
first hotel in the pilgrim desti-
nation segment. Launching in
March 2014, Keys Hotel Tem-
pletree at Shirdi will be Keys
Hotels’ 5th hotel in Maharash-
tra.
Located in close proximity
to the Sai Baba Temple com-
plex, this 87-roomed property
will offer the guests a wide
range of business services in-
cluding complimentary Wi-Fi,
making it ideal for pilgrims
and business travelers alike.
Apart from offering 2 kinds of
suites; Keys Hotel, Templetree
is the only hotel in Shirdi
which offers rooms specially
designed to the needs of the
differently-abled and single
women. The hotel will also
boost travel to other impor-
tant religious destinations like
Shani Shignapur, Trim-
bakeshwar near Nasik, Sakuri
near Rahata and the hill sta-
tion of Bhandardara.
The hotel facilities include
Keys Café, a multi-cuisine
restaurant that serves 100%
vegetarian multi cuisine and
traditional ‘upvaas’ (religious
fasting) dishes. Other features
include an open air lawn to
host functions for upto 120
people, entertainment zone of-
fering mocktails and light
snacks, gaming facilities, chil-
dren’s play area and swim-
ming pool with a separate
children pool.
To make the stay more
soothing for the guests, the
hotel has also built-in a small
temple in the premises, made
arrangements for a compli-
mentary pick up and drop to
Sai Baba Temple and a sou-
venir shop for the devotees.
The hotel is also well
equipped with a travel desk to
arrange the guests’ visit to Sai
Baba Temple.
On account of entering in
a management contract with
Keys Hotels for Keys Hotel,
Templetree, Sangram Desh-
mukh, CMD, Shraddha Re-
sorts said, “Shirdi is an
important religious travel des-
tination in this state. With the
regular influx of national and
international tourists to the
city, there is always a need for
quality accommodation. We
have build a great hotel and
partnership with Keys will
bring the required profes-
sional management to the
property.”
Sanjay Sethi, MD and
CEO, Berggruen Hotels added,
“Shirdi sees a constant inflow
of international and national
devotees throughout the year.
This traffic demands presence
of branded accommodation in
the city. With Keys Hotel, Tem-
pletree, we wish to tap this
massive potential and ensure
that the guests’ stay in the city
is a pious and satisfying expe-
rience.”
Currently, Keys has 14 ho-
tels in operation while 21
properties are in various
stages of development, slated
to open in due course of time.
Apart from expanding at reli-
gious destinations like Vrin-
davan, Amritsar and Harid-
war; Keys Hotels is expanding
its various brand offerings at
Mumbai, Vishakhapattanam,
Kochi, Gurgaon, Noida, Al-
ibaug, Vadodara, Lucknow,
Goa, Kovalam and Raipur. By
the end of the current year
Keys Hotels expects to have a
minimum of 20 operational
hotels. Recently, Keys Hotels
launched its first palace prop-
erty with The Pratap Palace –
A Keys Resort at Pushkar -
Ajmer.
Keys Hotels, a brand of
Berggruen Hotels Pvt. Ltd.
rolled out its first owned hotel
at Trivandrum in September
2009. Berggruen Hotels is a
young hotel company founded
in 2006 by Sanjay Sethi and
his team of hotel profession-
als. The business is com-
pletely funded by Berggruen
Holdings out of New York.
The company has set up a
leading chain of mid market
hotels, resorts and service
apartments across India
under its brand of Keys Ho-
tels, Resorts and Apartments
and an upscale brand of busi-
ness hotels under the brand
name Keys Klub. by TNH DESK
Keys Hotels LaunchesKeys Hotel, Templetree atShirdiKeys Hotels ventures into pilgrim destinationswith this launch at Shirdi. The new hotel offerswide range of services for business and pilgrimtravellers including specially designed rooms fordifferently-abled and single woman travellers.The company also plans hotels at other pilgrimdestinations like Vrindavan, Amritsar andHaridwar.
Hospitality News42
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
This hotel is the first
property launched by
Radiance Residency
& Resorts. With its 68 Rooms,
Nidhivan Hotels & Resorts is
the first hotel to provide real
ambience, comfort and facili-
ties in Vrindavan that, till now,
were found only in metropoli-
tan cities. The Hotel is emerg-
ing as a new destination close
to New Delhi/NCR (Only 2 Hour
distance).
Located at Gopalgarh
Tehra Road, Vrindavan,
Mathura, Nidhivan Hotels &
Resort boasts of a host of facil-
ities ranging from ‘On-line
reservation, rooms, besides
other set of facilities for the re-
ligious & corporate travellers
visiting the holy city of Vrinda-
van.
With less than 2 km from
the main city centre and about
12 km from the famous Kr-
ishna Janambhoomi Temple,
in Mathura, it is in the heart of
Braj which is full of areas of re-
ligious and historic relevance.
Speaking about his choice
of Vrindavan as location of the
first hotel of his company,
Saurav Goel, Managing Direc-
tor, Radiance Residency & Re-
sorts, said, “The city of
Vrindavan plays home to about
4,000 temples, each unique in
its relevance and beauty, in-
cluding major temples like
Bankey Bihari temple, ISKCON
Temple, Rangaji temple,
Govind Dev Temple and many
others. One should also visit
the the temples around Vrinda-
van in the Braj area. A large
number of people have been
coming to the city with no stan-
dardized Hotels in the region.
We wanted to fill this gap.”
Nidhivan Hotels & Resorts,
the first Hospitality venture of
Radiance Residency & Re-
sorts, is a four-star equivalent
Hotel in the holy town of Vrin-
davan, Uttar Pradesh.
“In all my trips to Vrinda-
van I had felt the need for a
quality stay and arrangement.
With “Nidhivan” we have man-
aged to create a new pious and
luxurious destination, espe-
cially for Pilgrims to Vrind-
van/Mathura and followers of
Lord Krishna along those com-
ing here and looking for a
weekend stay,” said Goel.
The city of Vrindavan
plays home to about 4,000 tem-
ples, each unique in its rele-
vance and beauty, including
major temples like Bankey Bi-
hari temple, ISKCON Temple,
Rangaji temple, Govind Dev
Temple and many others. One
should also visit the the tem-
ples around Vrindavan in the
Braj area.
Speaking about USP of his
hotel, Goel said, “We are the
largest Hotel in the Mathura
/Vrindavan belt. We have be-
come pioneer in adding luxury
in Vrindavan. With 68 rooms,
Nidhivan is the first hotel to
provide real ambience, comfort
and facilities in Vrindavan
that, till now, were found only
in metropolitan cities.”
The Hotel aims to be a one
of a kind destination in Vrinda-
van providing its guests with
not just comfort but also bring
them close to Braj and its
legacy.
As regards the markets
the hotel is targeting, Goel
said, “The Hotel plans to offer
itself as a new destination
close to New Delhi/NCR and
will be offering special 2
nights and 3 night weekend
getaway packages for visitors
coming from Delhi/NCR, Agra
and Jaipur.”
Nidhivan Hotels &Resorts: the largestluxury hotel at VrindavanNidhivan Hotels & Resorts, a four- star equivalentproperty in the holy town of Vrindavan, UttarPradesh opened last year in August.
We are the largest Hotelin the Mathura /Vrinda-van belt. We have be-come pioneer in addingluxury in Vrindavan. With68 Rooms, Nidhivan is thefirst hotel to provide realambience, comfort andfacilities in Vrindavan
that, till now, were foundonly in metropolitan cities.
““
Saurav GoelMD, Radiance Residency &Resorts
�Prem Kumar
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
43Hospitality News
Hilton Worldwide re-
cently announced
the signing of a man-
agement agreement with
Fruitful Buildcon Private Lim-
ited for a Hilton brand hotel in
Jaipur. The launch of Hilton
Jaipur later this year will
mark Hilton Worldwide’s
entry into the city, one of the
most popular tourist destina-
tions in India.
Located in the heart of the
city, Hilton Jaipur will offer
the ideal base for leisure as
well as business travellers. In
addition to being minutes
from popular tourist attrac-
tions that include Hawa
Mahal, City Palace and Albert
Hall Museum, the hotel will be
in close proximity to shopping
and entertainment hubs in-
cluding Johari and Bapu
Bazaar. The hotel’s location
near government establish-
ments in Civil Lines, and busi-
ness and commercial districts
in Gopalpura Industrial Area
and M.I. Road will also make
it well-suited for business
travellers.
“Hilton prides itself in
providing guests with high
quality accommodations and
services, and the addition of
our Hilton Jaipur property
will be no exception. With a
prime location in the heart of
the city, spacious guest ac-
commodations fully equipped
with signature Hilton touches
and a full range of upscale fa-
cilities and services for
leisure and business, we are
confident our new location
will become the hotel of
choice for travellers visiting
the city,” said Rob Palleschi,
Global Head, Hilton Hotels &
Resorts. “We are thrilled
Hilton Jaipur will be our fifth
Hilton brand hotel in India,
which is one of our most im-
portant growth markets.”
Owned by Fruitful Build-
con Private Limited and man-
aged by Hilton Worldwide,
Hilton Jaipur will feature 179
rooms and suites that range in
size from 360 square feet to
650 square feet. Each equipped
with the complete range of fa-
cilities and services, hotel
guests will enjoy signature
Hilton Serenity Beds, er-
gonomic workstations and
four-fixture baths. The hotel
will also feature four trendy
and exciting dining outlets, a
round-the-clock business cen-
tre, outdoor swimming pool
and 24-hour fitness centre.
With 10,000 square feet of
state-of-the-art conference and
event space that includes an
open-air patio and a 3,300
square foot ballroom with a 21-
foot high ceiling, the hotel will
also present the ideal setting
for exclusive mid-sized and in-
timate business meetings and
social gatherings.
“We are very excited with
this opportunity to extend our
hotel network to include
Jaipur. Recently, Hilton World-
wide also signed an agreement
for a hotel in Agra. With the
opening of these fine hotels, we
will be able to offer our guests
the great option of experienc-
ing the famous Golden Trian-
gle with us,” said Martin
Rinck, President, Asia Pa-
cific, Hilton Worldwide. “Over
the last two months, we en-
tered Trivandrum and Banga-
lore with the opening of Hilton
Garden Inn Trivandrum and
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton
Bangalore. With this exciting
growth, we currently manage
and franchise hotels and re-
sorts in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mum-
bai, Bangalore, Chennai,
Trivandrum, Vadodara, Pune,
Goa and Shillim.”
"We are delighted to enter
into an agreement with Hilton
Worldwide, a leading global
hospitality company, for our
foray into the hospitality in-
dustry,” said Ritesh Dere-
wala, Managing Director,
Fruitful Buildcon Private Lim-
ited. “We are also very ex-
cited with the opportunity to
bring Hilton, the most recog-
nized hotel brand in the
world, to our home town.”
Hilton Worldwide cur-
rently operates the following
hotels and resorts in India -
New Delhi: Hilton Garden Inn
New Delhi/Saket; Gurgaon:
Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon
Baani Square and Double-
Tree by Hilton Gurgaon-New
Delhi NCR; Mumbai: Hilton
Mumbai International Air-
port; Bangalore: DoubleTree
Suites by Hilton Bangalore
and Hilton Bangalore Resi-
dences; Chennai: Hilton Chen-
nai; Trivandrum: Hilton
Garden Inn Trivandrum;
Vadodara: Hampton by Hilton
Vadodara-Alkapuri; Pune:
DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-
Chinchwad; Goa: DoubleTree
by Hilton Goa-Arpora-Baga
and Shillim: Hilton Shillim
Estate Retreat & Spa.
by TNH DESK
Hilton to enter Jaipurunder Hilton Hotels &Resorts BrandHilton Worldwide has signed agreement withFruitful Buildcon Private Limited to enter Jaipurwith a hotel under its flagship Hilton Hotels &Resorts brand.
We are very excited withthis opportunity to extendour hotel network to in-clude Jaipur. Recently,Hilton Worldwide also
signed an agreement fora hotel in Agra. With theopening of these fine ho-tels, we will be able tooffer our guests the greatoption of experiencingthe famous Golden Trian-
gle with us.
“
“
Martin Rinckpresident, Asia Pacific, Hilton
With a prime location inthe heart of the city, spa-cious guest accommoda-tions fully equipped withsignature Hilton touchesand a full range of up-scale facilities and serv-ices for leisure and
business, we are confi-dent our new location willbecome the hotel ofchoice for travellers visit-
ing the city.
“
“Rob PalleschiGlobal Head, Hilton Hotels &Resorts
Hospitality News44
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
red Fox hotel east delhi wins national Tourism Award 2012-13
Rotana, one of the re-
gion’s leading names
in luxury hotel man-
agement, has opened its second
5-star hotel in Al Ain. The new
254-room Hili Rayhaan by
Rotana has been specially devel-
oped to complement the ambi-
ence of the UAE’s picturesque
Garden City, with its design,
décor and amenities aimed at
promoting the most relaxing of
stays.
Strategically positioned in
Hili District, a thriving tourist
area and bustling suburb in the
north of Al Ain, Hili Rayhaan by
Rotana is just 20 minutes’ drive
from Al Ain International Air-
port, 60 minutes from Dubai and
75 minutes from Abu Dhabi. It is
located close to the heritage and
archaeological sites of Al Ain
city and is expected to be a first-
choice for guests wanting to
combine modernity with tradi-
tion.
“Al Ain has grown rapidly in
stature as a tourist and business
destination, with the result that
there is a burgeoning need for
upscale accommodation in the
city,” said Greg Allan, Rotana’s
Area Vice President for Abu
Dhabi and Al Ain. “The exten-
sive market research we con-
ducted over the past couple of
years showed that there is a
strong demand for a 5-star facil-
ity that is alcohol-free, so we
have incorporated this as an in-
tegral aspect of our new offer-
ing,” he added.
Hili Rayhaan by Rotana is
connected to the new Wahat Hili
Mall, which was launched in
September last year. The pre-
mium boutique retail and leisure
facility is a one-stop destination
for visitors to Al Ain, uniting dis-
cerning shoppers with leading
brands. The mall rises three sto-
ries high and encompasses 160
outlets, combining all the ele-
ments expected for a modern-
day shopping experience.
“Wahat Hili Mall is one of the
reasons why Al Ain is becoming
an increasingly popular destina-
tion for travellers. We have re-
ceived fantastic feedback from
visitors to the mall since we
opened, with many appreciating
the presence of big name retail-
ers such as Géant, Fitness first,
E-max and My Play Zone for the
first time in Al Ain,” said Saeed
Al Dhaheri, Chairman and CEO
of Wahat Hili Mall. “Rotana has
become synonymous with un-
compromising world-class stan-
dards in hospitality and this
reflects the vision we have for
Wahat Hili project - ensuring ex-
cellence, convenience and supe-
rior quality in every detail. We
are delighted to have one of the
leading hotel operators in the re-
gion as an integral component to
that ambition,” he added.
Hili Rayhaan by Rotana of-
fers rooms and suites that are
spacious, comfortable and ap-
pointed with a high level of supe-
rior amenities. These include
high-speed internet connections,
in-room entertainment with
multi-channel satellite televi-
sions, complimentary coffee and
tea facilities and IDD telephones
with voice mail.
Guests booking into the Hili
Rayhaan by Rotana can enjoy a
number of dining options during
their stay. ‘Elements’ is an all-
day dining restaurant offering
international buffet for break-
fast, lunch and dinner, with the
‘Hili Majlis’ lobby lounge an
ideal venue for an informal get
together over a cup of coffee.
Sun lovers will appreciate Sun-
deck, a pool cafe offering a wide
selection of juices, beverages
and light snacks by the pool.
There is also a 24-hour in-room
dining service.
by TNH DESK
Rotana opens its 2nd 5-star hotel in Al Ain 254-room Hili Rayhaan by Rotana is the firstproperty to open in Al Ain under the alcohol-freebrand, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana.Hotel is designed to accommodate business andleisure travellers.
For luxury travellers in-
tending to visit Kolkata
and other destinations
of Bengal, here’s some refresh-
ing news from the hospitality
sector that will cheer them up.
For the first time, Inter Conti-
nental Hotels Group (IHG) of
the United States will make its
entry with its global, luxury hos-
pitality brand- Holiday Inn in
Kolkata, Durgapur and Siliguri.
Being a renowned hospitality
group across the globe, IHG has
partnered with Kolkata’s Jain
Group to foray in the eastern
belt of India. Jain Group is a
well known real estate and fi-
nancial organization in the east.
Holiday Inn Kolkata will be
built over 1 lakh sq. ft area in
New Town and would open its
doors in the year-end. It would
gear up with 150 rooms, ban-
quet facilities, speciality restau-
rants, gym and roof-top spa.
Holiday Inn in Siliguri will be a
premier luxury hotel with global
standards in North Bengal and
open its gates in next two years.
Spread over 1 lakh sq. ft area,
the luxury will be equipped with
100 rooms, three banquet halls,
24-hour coffee shop, three spe-
ciality restaurants, health club,
salon and a swimming pool.
According to Douglas Mar-
tin, Vice President, Operations,
South West Asia, “We have re-
ceived the first opportunity to
establish our global hospitality
brand in Kolkata and in eastern
India as well and we have a
management agreement with
Jain Group. Our hospitality
brand would cater to the needs
of travellers high on global hos-
pitality standards. It will satisfy
the needs of both business and
leisure travellers. The state of
West Bengal holds a plethora of
potential in hospitality busi-
ness.” As of now, IHG has a ro-
bust presence in New Delhi,
Mumbai, Pune and Goa and
has eight Holiday Inn hotels
across the country. The re-
puted global hospitality player
has nine hotel brands in its
portfolio and plans are in the
pipeline to make an entry in
North-eastern region in the
next two years.
The hotel in Durgapur will
be built on National Highway
Number 2 sprawling over
80,000 sq. ft area with 130 lux-
ury rooms, three banquet halls,
three fine-dining restaurants,
swimming pool and other facil-
ities. All the three properties of
IHG will have strategic loca-
tions in Bengal.
This is incidentally the first
venture of Jain Group in the
hospitality business. Shrayans
Jain, Vice Chairman, Jain
Group, explained, “Holiday Inn
Kolkata promises to bring true-
blue international five-star ex-
perience in the city that would
change the face of the city hos-
pitality scene. We have in-
vested around Rs 300 crores to
build up the hotel properties in
Bengal.” by TNH DESK
IHG to set foot in Bengal citiesIHG is partnering with Kolkata’s Jain Group toestablish Holiday Inn global hospitality brand inBengal.
IHG partneringwith Jain group to:•Set up Holiday Innhotels in Kolkata,Siliguri and Durga-pur.•Set foot in easternIndia.•Establish globalhospitality brand inDurgapur and Silig-uri.•Bring the concept ofluxury hospitality ofglobal standards inNorth Bengal.
Snapshot
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
45Hospitality News
In a bid to lure summer
tourists from Bengal to en-
chanting destinations
across India, Sphere Travelme-
dia and Exhibitions hosted India
International Travel Mart (IITM)
in Kolkata from February 28 to
March 3. The partner state was
West Bengal Tourism and the
travel fair had around 86 partic-
ipants with leading state
tourism departments making
their presence this time. IITM
has its presence in cities like
Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyder-
abad, Mumbai, Cochin, Pune
and Gurgaon.
The travel exhibition
formed a platform for business-
to-business and business-to-
consumer interactions. Com-
menting on the fair, Surinder
Hakhu, Director, Sphere Travel-
media said, “Bengal is one of the
largest tourism markets in the
eastern belt of India and today
has emerged as one of the major
outbound markets in the country
next to Maharashtra and Gu-
jarat. We are organizing tourism
road shows in Gulf countries and
we are planning to take IITM to
Oman next year. We are hoping
to hold food fest along with IITM
from next year onwards. The
food fest will have delectable
spreads from all regions of India
that would pull a large number of
foodies and tourists as well.”
by TNH DESK
IITM to flaunt food festin futureIITM plans to exhibit popular cuisines from allIndian states at its pavilion from 2014.
IITM’s future plans:
•To host food fest along
with travel marts in India
next year.
•To step in oman in 2014.
Hospitality News46
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Unique Mercantile
India recently an-
nounced its partner-
ship with Whydham Worldwide
to bring its famous American
hotel brand Howard Johnson,
popularly known as HoJo, to
India. HoJo hotels in India will
be positioned as a mid-market
hotel chain, following the
brand’s philosophy “Smart
Choice for the Smart Trav-
eller”. The brand will make its
entry into India through an
agreement between Unique
Mercantile India and Wynd-
ham Worldwide. Under the
agreement, Unique India will
develop 35 HoJo properties by
2020 across different parts of
India, with the first property
opening shortly in Bengaluru.
Talking about the partner-
ship with Wyndham Worldwide
Raj Kumar Rai, Chairman
and Managing Director,
Unique India, said, “We are ex-
tremely happy to announce
our partnership in the hospi-
tality sector with the presti-
gious Wyndham Worldwide
Group. Unique Mercantile
India Pvt. Ltd. will invest INR
2000 crore on various business
models for growing brand
HoJo in India. We chose Ben-
galuru as the destination to
open the first property, as this
city has warmly accepted all
global brands. The first prop-
erty will house 117 rooms and
suites.”
HoJo will offer unmatched
amenities, comfort and
friendly service for an every-
day traveller at an affordable
price. Announcing the launch
of Howard Johnson in India,
Rahul Rai, Director, Unique
India said, “Following an ex-
clusive business model in the
hospitality sector, we aim to in-
vest in both incomplete and ex-
isting hotels which are not
performing at a below average
level. We aim to convert such
hotels into HoJo properties
and provide them with top
notch services with interna-
tional standards. Wyndham
has the expertise in managing
and marketing of hotels and
with our partnership we hope
to strengthen HoJo’s presence
in India, a brand that is recog-
nized around the world.”
The property in Bengaluru
will open in Hebbal, close to
many large corporate houses.
The self-sufficient hotel will
have high speed WiFi connec-
tivity in all rooms and public
areas, along with well ap-
pointed amenities like digitally
secured laptop complaint
safes, personal mini bar and
refrigerator, tea and coffee
maker, working table with er-
gonomic chair and many more.
To add to this, guests can enjoy
an outdoor swimming pool on
the 5th floor that gives a
panoramic view of the city, a
spa and a high-tech fitness
centre. For high powered meet-
ings and business visits, the
property hosts a 3,500 square
feet conference and event
space and it also offers a range
of scrumptious gourmet that
makes its guest’s stay more
enjoyable and self-sufficient.
Set to strengthen its pres-
ence in India, the Wyndham
Worldwide Group presently
has hotels in places like Agra,
Alleppey and Ghaziabad. The
partnership with Unique India,
will witness a phased expan-
sion plan, across the country
in states like Andhra Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab,
Delhi NCR region, Madhya
Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra,
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gu-
jarat and Goa.
Speaking about the
Group’s expansion Eric A
Danziger, President and CEO,
Wyndham Hotel Group said,
“In the Asia Pacific region,
China and India are the major
markets for the hospitality in-
dustry. Considering India’s
growth economically, it an ob-
vious choice for us to enter the
Indian market with this brand.
Howard Johnson is a brand
with 60 years of rich tradition,
and 500 hotels around the
world. It is a great product for
an everyday traveller who
looks for quality and afford-
able accommodation. We are
excited with the tie-up with
Unique India and look forward
to expanding the HoJo brand
in India, with their expertise.”
Unique Group with its
mass portfolio in Mediclaim,
insurance and time share also
diversified into real estate in-
vestment. The company re-
cently created a new vertical
for real estate which is called
Swayam Life Spaces. Today
the company is the largest real
estate development firm in
Ahmedabad with its various
projects coming up in cities
like Hyderabad and Mumbai.
Early this year, the com-
pany combined its visionaries
with the strength of the largest
hotel Group in the globe, Wyn-
tham Worldwide.
by TNH DESK
Unique India partnerswith Whydham GroupUnique India has partnered with Whydham tolaunch Howard Johnson hotel brand in India.Unique India plans to open 35 hotels underHoward Johnson brand in India, in the next sixyears.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
47Hospitality News
Marriott International
strengthens its pres-
ence in Central
India with the introduction of
its Courtyard by Marriott
brand - a premium business
hotel strategically located in
the commercial district of Bi-
laspur, which will cater to dis-
cerning business visitors and
locals alike.
The Courtyard by Marriott,
Bilaspur officially opened its
doors in the presence of Dr.
Raman Singh, Honorable Chief
Minister of Chattisgarh making
it the 11th Courtyard in India.
The brand is already present in
Mumbai, Chennai, three in
Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad,
Gurgaon, Kochi and Bhopal.
Speaking on the occasion,
Rajeev Menon, Area Vice
President, South- Asia, Mar-
riott International Inc, said, “In
recognition of the growing pop-
ularity and potential of certain
key markets in Central India,
we decided to enter Bhopal
with the Courtyard brand. Our
entry now into Bilaspur is a
continuation of that specific
growth strategy. Central India
has been growing and attract-
ing business visitors in a big
way and Bilaspur being the
country’s largest power gener-
ating hub is a city that is rap-
idly growing and offering
numerous business opportuni-
ties. It is our endeavor to offer
Bilaspur’s visitors – a hotel
that offers the best in hospital-
ity like only Marriott can,
thereby giving them an experi-
ence that makes their stay
comfortable and memorable.”
Courtyard understands
business travelers and through
continuous research, the brand
constantly evolves to meet
guests’ changing needs. Com-
bining innovative technology
with style and comfort, the
adaptable lobby space offers
options so guests can make the
most of their time on the road.
On behalf of the owners of
the Courtyard By Marriott Bi-
laspur Sanjay Gupta, Director
of City Mall 36 said, “Marriott®
is an international lodging
leader, with more than 3,900
properties and the broadest
portfolio of brands in the indus-
try. We are delighted to partner
with this renowned hospitality
major to bring the first interna-
tional business hotel to our city.
Bilaspur is home to people and
business visitors who recog-
nize great value and service
and hence, we are positive this
hotel is sure to meet their every
requirement.”
Speaking on the occasion
of the launch, Amit Midha,
General Manager, Courtyard
by Marriott, Bilaspur, said,
“Marriott’s entry into this dy-
namic and growing city is our
attempt to offer visitors and
guests a business hotel that of-
fers smart and innovative hos-
pitality, ensuring the right mix
of services that would help
guests maintain a good work
balance and thrive during their
stay.”
Courtyard by Marriott, Bi-
laspur offers a choice of 106 (in-
cluding 70 deluxe rooms, 30
superior rooms, 2 junior suites
and 4 courtyard suites) well lit
spacious rooms with natural
lighting and contemporary
décor. All the rooms are
amongst the most spacious one
will find in the city and are thor-
oughly equipped with state-of-
the-art modern amenities.
Guests will be captivated
with a wide and exciting array
of international and regional
cuisines at the hotel. It offers
an incredible gourmet experi-
ence with its trademark
restaurant, MoMo Café. In ad-
dition, the property has MoMo
2 Go for those on the move;
MoMo 2 You for a dining expe-
rience in the comfort of one’s
own room and Bar Thirty Six
to relax and unwind over re-
freshing drinks.
The Courtyard by Marriott,
Bilaspur features the only ban-
quet space in the city with a
pre-function area and largest
indoor halls that comfortably
accommodate over 1000 people
thereby making it the pre-
ferred choice for a professional
business activity or a personal
celebration for friends and
family. by TNH DESK
Courtyard by Marriottopens in Bilaspur,Chattisgarh Marriott International expands its Courtyardfootprint in Central India with opening of businesshotel in Bilaspur in Chattisgarh
International News48
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
AFIFA inspection team
spent 10-days travel-
ling the North and
South Islands of New Zealand,
assessing training venues and
hotels in each of the seven
host cities in preparation for
when the highly-anticipated
tournament comes to town on
30 May 2015.
Marion Mayer-Vorfelder,
head of the FIFA U-20 World
Cup, said she was pleased
with New Zealand’s prepara-
tions after local and interna-
tional FIFA-U20 World Cup
officials visited Whangerei,
Auckland, Hamilton, New Ply-
mouth, Wellington,
Christchurch and Dunedin.
The praise from Mayer-
Vorfelder holds New Zealand
in good stead considering this
is the fifth edition of the FIFA
U-20 Football World Cup that
she will oversee. She also
claimed this tournament will
put New Zealand on a ‘plat-
form’ for the world to see.
"New Zealand is a great
country ... we toured seven
venues North to South and
overall we are very impressed.
Facilities are good, enthusi-
asm is great. We are positive
it will be an excellent tourna-
ment from all perspectives,"
Mayer-Vorfelder said at a
press conference held in
Auckland.
Most played sportAlthough New Zealand is
known as a predominantly
rugby-mad nation, thanks to
the heroics of the world-beat-
ing All Blacks, the FIFA U-20
Football World Cup will be the
third FIFA tournament to be
hosted in New Zealand.
Despite rugby's popularity,
football is the most partici-
pated in sport in New Zealand
and the impending festival of
football is expected to fill sta-
diums across the country with
colour and a carnival atmos-
phere as a host of rising stars
of the global game take to the
field.
"New Zealanders will be
overwhelmed by the standard
and quality of football played
in this tournament, it really is
the launch pad of our next in-
ternational footballing super-
stars and we would urge all
sports fans not to miss out on
seeing these players in ac-
tion."
"I was fortunate enough to
see Lionel Messi play at this
tournament only in 2005, and
it is this calibre of player
which fans in New Zealand
will get to see live in 2015. Al-
ready I can feel the anticipa-
tion building across the
country," Mayer-Vorfelder
added.
The FIFA U-20 Trophy
was also on display in Auck-
land - the first time it has been
allowed to tour a country so
far in advance of the tourna-
ment. The finely-crafted tro-
phy will embark on a
whirlwind tour of New
Zealand, stopping at over 40
towns, from May 5 – 30, 2014,
concluding exactly one year
before the tournament kicks
off.
The press conference also
highlighted ticket pricing for
the tournament, with prices
expected to be on the lower
end of the spectrum in order
to attract as many fans as
possible to watch the beautiful
game in one of the world’s
most beautiful countries.
FIFA U-20 World Cupofficials give New Zealand thumbs upFIFA U-20 World Cup officials have given New Zealand their seal ofapproval as the country gears up to host one of the biggest sporting eventson the planet.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
49International News
Background: FIFA U-20World Cup 2015The FIFA U-20 World Cup
New Zealand 2015 starts on
May 30, 2015 and concludes
on June 20, 2015. Matches
will be played in seven host
cities - Auckland,
Christchurch, Dunedin,
Hamilton, New Plymouth,
Wellington and Whangarei.
Broadcast to more than
1000 countries, with a global
reach of around 170 million
people, the FIFA U-20 World
Cup will also help promote
New Zealand to the world.
Around 10,000 international
football fans are expected to
travel to the New Zealand in
support of their team.
The match schedule will
see four pool games played in
two of the seven host cities
daily - with plenty of double-
header football action to whet
the sporting appetite. New
Zealand will also host the ICC
Cricket World Cup in 2015
adding to the list of major
sporting tournaments held in
the country in recent years.
by TNH DESK
To celebrate the launch
of its new India cam-
paign – ‘Jhappi Time’,
Destination NSW recently
hosted twenty of India’s top
travel agents in Sydney and
New South Wales.
The first two partners to
come on board with DNSW
around this campaign are
Ezeego1 and Yatra.com. This
landmark campaign, called
‘Jhappi Time’ or ‘hug time’, is
the first campaign developed
and executed by any Aus-
tralian tourism body to specifi-
cally target the visiting friends
and relatives (VFR) market, in
India.
Both partnerships involve
cooperative campaigns with
Destination NSW, aimed at con-
necting with the VFR market.
Four themed ‘Jhappi Time’
videos have been specially shot
by Destination NSW and will be
used to engage consumers,
with campaign elements in-
cluding strategic broadcast,
print, digital, social and trade
communication.
The agents also attended
the launch of the campaign in
February, took part in a prod-
uct workshop, and experienced
the regional destinations of the
Blue Mountains, South Coast
and Port Stephens/ Hunter Val-
ley. Agents also visited the Syd-
ney Cricket Ground with a
guided tour and practice in the
cricket nets. by TNH DESK
Indian travel agents focus onSydney and New South WalesDestination New South Wales partners withEzeego1 and Yatra.com to reach out to theIndian travel market .
International News50
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
The archipelago nation
of the Philippines with
7,107 colourful scenic
islands is a great holiday desti-
nation in South-East Asia and
has a plethora of exciting
places to explore for travellers.
In a move to entice Indian
tourists from new growth mar-
kets and to maximize the pres-
ence of leading travel agents in
Kolkata, Philippines Tourism
hosted Kolkata Business Mis-
sion sometime on February 11.
This marked the second visit of
Philippines Tourism in Kolkata.
Raymund Glen Agustin,
Chief Tourism Operations Offi-
cer, Department of Tourism,
Philippines informed, “We are
quite eager to emphasize on
cities other than New Delhi and
Mumbai in India and Kolkata
forms the metro on the eastern-
most part of India that is nearer
to South-East Asian country of
Myanmar. It is a city that has a
large chunk of outbound poten-
tial travellers. Other metros like
Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyder-
abad and Ahmedabad form our
key focus. We are concentrating
on tier-II cities of India to in-
crease the flow of tourist traffic
to the Philippines.” However,
hosting tourism roadshows is
something quite new for Philip-
pines Tourism.
Glen Agustin said, “We are
levelling up our co-operative
advertisements. We have a ro-
bust presence in North- East
Asian countries including
Korea, China, Russia and
Japan. China is our fourth
largest outbound tourist mar-
ket. India has been identified as
one of the BRIC countries and
ranks as the 14th largest out-
bound market in terms of
tourist arrival to the Philip-
pines. We feel that India will
emerge as our 12th source mar-
ket in the future years.” Glen
Agustin pointed out nearly one
lakh Indian tourists would
touch down the Philippines by
2016.
The island country has In-
ternational Convention Centres
at Manila, Cebu and Boracay.
Well-known as the Entertain-
ment City of South-East Asia,
Manila has been hosting a se-
ries of global events since 2012.
At the same time, the depart-
ment of tourism is quite hopeful
to receive around 10 million
global tourists by 2016. For In-
dian travellers, the destinations
of choice are Manila, Cebu-
well-known as the Queen City
and Boracay. Indian dishes are
on offer in all leading cities of
the Philippines barring
Palawan.
The tourism group has
roped in eight travel agents
from Kolkata. Glen Agustin
added “We are looking to ex-
pand our presence in the city.
We would launch online special-
ized training programme for In-
dian travel partners this year.
Around 100 MICE groups from
India would fly down to the
Philippines this year and we
are looking at a surge in the
MICE tourist arrivals from
Kolkata this time.”
Undoubtedly, the most num-
ber of Indian visitors to the
Philippines are from New Delhi
and Mumbai. “Kolkata is in the
seventh position in the out-
bound tourist market of India.
It also happens to be the 10th
city where largest number of
passports has been issued in
2012. Nearly 56% Indian trav-
ellers flying to the Philippines
are business visitors. We had
around 52,000 Indian visitors
last year and we are hopeful to
receive at least 66,000 Indian
tourists this year,” further
added Glen Agustin.
Looking at new Indiangrowth marketsHigh on fun quotient, the Philippines archipelagois a mix of adventure, shopping, MICE andhoneymoon destinations for travellers.
Raymund Glen AgustinChief Tourism Operations OfficerDepartment of Tourism, Philippines
�Swaati Chaudhury
PhilippinesTourism’s focus:
•Indian metros likeKolkata, Chennai,Bengaluru, Hyder-abad and Ahmed-
abad.•Tier-II cities of
India.•Take-off specializedtraining programme
for Indian travelagents.
•Would receivearound 100 Indian
MICE groups in 2014.
SnapShot
The event had an atten-
dances of Health & well-
ness Administrators,
Salons & slimming centers,
Health & wellness professionals,
Nutritionist, General Public,
Dealers, Importers, Retailers.
Tourism Authority of Thai-
land was seen promoting a range
of high standard wellness and
spa services , beauty services,
Detox & slimming, Medical
Beauty treatment, Health related
services, nail art and many more
as the country is known for its
hospitality, service, cleanliness
and authenticity of the treat-
ments.
Commenting on the associa-
tion, Runjuan Tongrut, Director,
TAT New Delhi, said, TAT is al-
ways excited to be part of such
events. The event also enabled
us to showcase the Luxurious
Pleasures of Thailand to the right
audience and enlighten them on
the relatively newer destinations.
We look forward to welcome you
to Amazing Thailand Stall and
experience “Thai Massage
“which will be offered you dur-
ing the event”. by TNH DESK
RUNJUAN TONGRUT, DIRECTOR, TAT NEW DELHI
TAT is always excited to be part of suchevents. The event also enabled us to show-case the Luxurious Pleasures of Thailand tothe right audience and enlighten them on
the relatively newer destinations.“Amazing Thailand showcase beauty andwellness tourism at Kosmetika 2014At the recently concluded Kosmetika 2014 “A Beauty & Wellness Show”Tourism Authority of Thailand was the partner to create awareness aboutWellness industry in Thailand, Held on March 25-30, 2014 at PragatiMaidan, New Delhi.
According to P
Manoharan, Director
India, Tourism
Malaysia, the key growth fac-
tor for Thailand tourism from
India is the direct air connec-
tivity. There are close to 144
flights between India and
Malaysia while Thailand is far
ahead of the game. Thailand
received over one million In-
dian arrivals in 2013 while
Malaysia is at over 6,80,000.
But it is only the direct air-con-
nectivity which is impacting
the arrival numbers from India
to Malaysia? Popular destina-
tions like Maldives, Seychelles,
Fiji, New Zealand, Philippines
or even Macau are facing the
problem of either low or no di-
rect flight connections from
India.
Take an example of our do-
mestic market. Due to low or
no direct air connectivity be-
tween Kashmir and many In-
dian states, the ‘heaven on
earth’ misses out on tourism to
other well connected destina-
tions like Rajasthan, Kerala
and Goa. Direct air connectiv-
ity is the most crucial element
and if a destination misses on
that, a major chunk of tourism
business flies off. Direct Air
connectivity = Improved
tourism. However, this formula
is not valid for long-haul desti-
nations like US, Canada, South
America or even Ireland to
some extent.
The role that airlines and
airports have played in open-
ing up new destinations has
been massive in the recent
times.
South Africa: Stealing seats
from other airlines
One of the top performing des-
tinations from India – South
Africa is also facing troubles
due to low direct air connectiv-
ity. At present, only South
African Airways provides di-
rect connections between India
and South Africa. Hanneli
Slabber, Country Manager –
India, South African Tourism
Board said, “Air connectivity is
our biggest challenge. We don’t
really have good number of In-
dians travelling to South Africa
because of non-availability of
direct flights (except Mumbai
to South Africa). Since the
numbers are low, the airline is
not convinced that they will
make profit if flying from other
Indian cities.”
South Africa received
1,30,000 Indians visitors in
2013 and this year it is expect-
ing 10% growth. The tourism
board is now working closely
with other airlines like Emi-
rates, Etihad and Kenya Air-
ways to bring in passengers
from multiple Indian cities they
fly to. Hanneli said, “Travellers
can combine Dubai, Abu Dhabi
and Kenya with South Africa
by extending two to three days
in either of these destinations.
Also, the one-stop flight prices
offered by these airlines are al-
most similar to what passen-
gers would be paying to reach
to Mumbai and take a direct
flight to South Africa.”
Australia: Growing stronger
with direct flights
Australia has now become a
well-known destination among
families, honeymooners and
even high-end travellers. The
tourism figures to Australia
from India have grown over the
years. However, with the intro-
duction of direct air connectiv-
ity via Air India in August last
year, the country is registering
growth in arrivals from India.
Nishant Kashikar, Country
Manager – India, Tourism Aus-
tralia said, “The introduction
of direct flights on the India -
Australia route by Air India
has not only helped in improv-
ing air connectivity, but also in-
creasing arrival numbers.
Australia has witnessed a solid
increase in visitor arrivals
from India which is currently
its 10th largest inbound
tourism market. Kashikar
added, “Building aviation ca-
pacity is critical to achieving
the India 2020 potential. It is
estimated that an extra
345,000 seats will be required
by 2020 to meet the expected
demand from India.” Appar-
ently, Air India flies to Sydney
– Melbourne and back to New
Delhi. Tourism Victoria is now
keen to have direct connec-
tions with India and have
Mumbai – Melbourne direct
flights soon operated by Air
India.
Not just direct flights!
Both the case studies men-
tioned above reveal the impor-
tance of direct air connectivity
for a destination. However, it’s
not just the only component to
attract tourists. There is much
more for a destination to do
than just focus on having di-
rect air connectivity from de-
sired/potential tourism
market. Manoharan says, “We
need more direct flights from
India. But that’s just not the
only thing. We also need to de-
velop our nightlife products
and better public transport to
bring in a range of tourism ac-
tivities for Indian travellers.”
Mischa Mannix-Opie, Re-
gional Manager – SSEA,
Tourism New Zealand said,
“The formation of alliances
with local and regional au-
thorities is required so that
all partners are engaged in
‘selling’ a destination. The
first task is to make sure
that the destination is on the
‘must visit’ list’.”
Slabber said that a des-
tination can’t solely rely on
an airline to bring them
tourists.
Is direct air-connectivitythe solution?It is indeed important for a destination to havedirect air connections to grow tourism. But is itthe only deterrent for low tourism figures? Tnhfinds out.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
51International News
P ManoharanDirector India, Tourism Malaysia
Hanneli SlabberCountry Manager, IndiaSouth African Tourism Board
Nishant KashikarCountry Manager, IndiaTourism Australia
�Anand Shah
Mischa Mannix-OpieRegional Manager, SSEATourism New Zealand
International News52
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
With the Proboscis
Monkey as the
mascot for VMY
2014, this will be the biggest
and grandest ever tourism cel-
ebration with hundreds of
events and festivals all lined
up to welcome the world. As
part of its efforts to raise
awareness on the celebration
of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY)
2014 globally, Tourism
Malaysia had embarked on a
Sales Mission to Sri Lanka
and India from 10 March to 20
March.
Tourism Malaysia’s Direc-
tor General, Yg Bhg. Dato’
Mirza Mohammad Taiyab lead
the delegation to Mumbai and
Delhi while Dato’ Azizan No-
ordin, Deputy Director Gen-
eral lead the delegation in
Colombo, Kochi and Banga-
lore. They were accompanied
by officials from the Ministry
of Tourism and Culture, State
representatives and members
of the Malaysia travel trade
fraternity. While the primary
objective of the Sales Mission is
to strengthen Malaysia’s stand-
ing as a dream travel destina-
tion and increase tourist
arrivals from India and Sri
Lanka, Tourism Malaysia is
also looking forward to driving
strong support from both the
Indian media, travel trade and
airlines fraternity for the ongo-
ing Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
“India has always been an
important market for us. In
2013, a total of 650,989 Indian
travellers visited Malaysia,
maintaining its position as the
sixth top tourist generating
market to the country. And this
year we are expecting close to
7,80000 to 8 lakh tourists from
here,” said Dato’ Mirza. “Be-
sides the famous attractions in
Kuala Lumpur, we have a
plethora of offerings planned to
welcome our Indian guests.
From being the world’s
favourite shopping destination
and to having the world’s best
beaches, from the most relax-
ing spa vacations to golfing hol-
idays, from weddings and
honeymoon locales and heli-
copter tours, you can be as-
sured of perfect custom made
holiday,” added Dato Mirza.
Tourist arrivals from Sri
Lanka were 64,051 in 2013,
which was an increase of 2.0%
against 62,821 tourists in 2012.
And with new products and
destinations being promoted
specifically for the Sri Lankan
market, the number is ex-
pected to increase to 70,000
this year.
During the Sales Mission,
Tourism Malaysia also organ-
ized travel marts for the travel
trade players to meet and net-
work. This is a platform to
showcase Malaysia’s diverse
tourism offerings and highlight
the scope for collaboration be-
tween travel agents in
Malaysia and India.
Members of Istana Budaya
from Malaysia also performed
at the Cultural evenings of the
Sales Mission bringing the
essence of Malaysia to South
Asia. Malaysia’s tourism sector
continued to be a significant
contributor to the country’s
economy in 2013. Tourist re-
ceipts were RM65.44 billion, an
8.1% increase from RM60.56
billion in 2012. Tourist arrivals
grew by 2.7% to 25.7 million
compared to 25 million in
2012.VMY 2014 is expected to
see around 28 million tourists
visiting the country and gener-
ating receipts up to RM76 bil-
lion.
This year if there is a place
to be, it’s Malaysia. More than
200 events await tourists in
Malaysia. For instance, thou-
sands of international auto rac-
ing fans will flock to Malaysia
end of this month for the
15thF1 Petronas Malaysia
Grand Prix. Other events that
will interest sports fans include
the Malaysian Motorcycle
Grand Prix, Sime Darby LPGA
Malaysia, and CIMB Golfing
Challenge.
If those who like culture,
there is Colours of 1Malaysia
and Borneo Cultural Festival.
Foodies should come for the
three-month Fabulous Food
1Malaysia. For music lovers,
Malaysia has the Rainforest
World Music Festival in
Sarawak, Sunset Music Festi-
valin Sabah, and Penang World
Music Festival, just to name a
few. by TNH DESK
Tourism Malaysiapromotes Visit MalaysiaYear 2014 in South Asia VMY 2014 in 5 South Asian Cities Malaysia iscelebrating its fourth Visit Malaysia Year (VMY2014) with the theme “Celebrating 1MalaysiaTruly Asia” to reflect the diversity in unity of allMalaysians.
L to R - Manoharan Periasamy, Hatimi Abas, Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Datuk Tee Slew Kiong, Y B M Asojan Muniyandy, Dato Azizan Noordin
Major recognitions/Accolades:No. 10 in Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2014The only Asian country to have made the list.Penang has been named the No.1 culinary spotin the world for 2014.CNN’s World’s 100 best beaches (2013)– Perhent-ian Kecil island, Terengganu (No.13), Juara Beachin Tioman Island, Pahang (No.21), and TanjungRhu in Langkawi, Kedah (No.49) – compiled fromvarious sources (travellers, colleagues, readers,on-site visits and research).Kuala Lumpur – 4th – Best Shopping City in theWorldby CNN survey in 20122nd Best Shopping Destination in Asia Pacific byGlobe Shopper Index 2012
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
53International News
Britain received record
Indian visitors in
2013. As per Joss
Croft, Marketing Director, Vis-
itBritain, the country received
more than 3,72,000 Indians in
2013, a 10% growth over 2012.
This year, Britain hopes a 5%
growth from India by induct-
ing various marketing initia-
tives and business strategy.
VisitBritain recently
launched a Bollywood App –
Bollywood In Britain (BIB)
through which it is promoting
Bollywood theme holidays for
Indian travellers. This App
has been created to engage
the digitally savvy consumer
with a passion for films and
travel and explore the Great
Britain in a fun and uncon-
ventional manner. On the
sidelines of the BIB launch in
Mumbai, Croft said, “Bolly-
wood is one of the most in-
strumental marketing tool for
attracting tourists from
India. We observed that over
40% of Indian travellers as-
piring to visit Britain are
keen to visit locations fea-
tured in any Bollywood
movie.”
Also, the ‘GREAT’ cam-
paign by VisitBritain across
the world has gained popular-
ity and has established the
brand among aspiring trav-
ellers. Croft informed that in
India the ‘GREAT’ campaign
is focused more on heritage,
education, countryside and
sports. He said, “GREAT
campaign is not just about
tourism, it promotes every
segment of our trade indus-
try. In India, we specifically
are promoting GREAT Her-
itage, GREAT Sports, GREAT
Education, GREAT Country-
side, GREAT Culture, etc. We
observed that the top three
activities desired by an In-
dian traveller in Britain are
related to heritage and thus,
the focus on GREAT Her-
itage. We will continue with
this campaign in India and
are positive that the brand
will enhance the destination
awareness among Indian
travellers.”
VisitBritain witnessedrecord growth from IndiaAims a 5% growth in 2014; Launches Bollywoodapp.
India currently stands at15th position in terms oftop tourist markets forBritain. However, it leadsin the BRIC markets andconsidering its potentialfor future, we are strongly
focusing on India.
“
“
Joss Croft, Marketing Director, VisitBritain
�Anand Shah
India is becoming a sophis-
ticated tourism market as
more and more travellers
are opting for out-of-the-box
travel itineraries and pack-
ages, said Leigh Harry, CEO,
Tourism Victoria. To tap the
growing Indian outbound
travel, Tourism Victoria has
come up with a multi-pro-
longed strategy. The board has
recently unveiled new cam-
paign ‘Come Alive in Mel-
bourne’ – to leverage social
media platform in India and
strengthen brand of Mel-
bourne and Victoria among In-
dian travellers. It has also de-
ployed the marketing tool of
television by shooting few
episodes of an Indian tele-se-
ries in Victoria. Through this,
it aimed to reach the booming
middle class and upper middle
class and strengthen its desti-
nation brand. Moreover, it is
also in process of developing
ICC World Cup 2015 packages
with select travel trade part-
ners in India to ensure maxi-
mum number of Indian cricket
lovers can explore Victoria.
The region received over
73000 Indian visitors in 2013,
an increase of 9% growth over
2012.
The board recently organ-
ised third edition of its Sales
Mission in Mumbai, New Delhi
and Bengaluru to showcase the
latest tourism products to the
Indian travel trade partners.
On the sidelines of unveiling
the ‘Come Alive in Melbourne’
campaign in Mumbai, Harry
said, “Predominantly, India
was a leisure and VFR market
for Victoria. But since few
years, we are observing that
more and more Indians are
opting for niche products like
food & wine tourism, adven-
ture, sports and nature based
tourism, etc. It’s a strong sign
that Indian market is becoming
more sophisticated and is look-
ing for more experiential
tourism products.”
Tourism Victoria’s Multi-prolonged strategy for IndiaImproving itineraries for special interest groups,promoting ICC World Cup 2015
Tourism Victoria Super Trade Mission 2014 in Mumbai(L-R-Ayaz Memon, Disha Parmar, Nakuul Mehta, Brett Lee and Minister Louise Asher)
�Anand Shah
Spa News54
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Spazzo at the Crowne
Plaza Today New
Delhi Okhla is a 1300
square metre destination,
providing a serene setting for
relaxation and rejuvenation.
Each therapy room comes
with its inbuilt steam room
with Pevonia products. The
spa menu has been created
to reflect elements of Indian
culture and healing tradi-
tions. “At Spazzo, we’ve
blended personalized treat-
ment offerings, colour water
bed therapy (hydro therapy)
– the only one in the capital
city, uniquely synchronized
music styling, diet, and the
antioxidant blessings of the
world’s finest teas into an
artful indoor oasis,” in-
formed Pallavi Singh, mar-
keting & Communications
Manager, Crowne Plaza
Today new Delhi Okhla.
Therapies available
Spazzo offers a wide range of
treatments to its guests, and
fulfills their personal wishes
- be it to relax, rejuvenate,
energize, hydrate or detoxify.
“We offer spa services like
massage, body treatments
and facials (also called spa
treatments),” said Singh.
Massage
Massage makes you feel good
and has lots of health bene-
fits. This is one of the rea-
sons it's the most popular
service at the spa. But there
are many different styles of
massage: Swedish massage,
Deep Tissue massage, Aro-
matherapy massage, Couples
massage and Sports mas-
sage.
Specialty Massage
Specialty massage can range
from hot stone massage,
Thai massage to Abyhanga
and Balinese Massage.
Facials
There's no denying that
every woman loves a pam-
pering day. There's no better
way to pamper yourself and
get some much-needed relax-
ation than a facial. A facial
has benefits which are aes-
thetic as well as psychologi-
cal. Not only does it improve
the look of the skin, it also
takes that back-breaking
stress off your shoulders.
The spa offers a large variety
of facials to suit all skin
types.
Body Treatments
Body treatments deal with
your body's skin. The most
common types of body treat-
ments are body polishes and
body wraps. A body treat-
ment is not the same as mas-
sage, but it can be a good
complement.
Signature therapy at
Spazzo
Spazzo’s signature spa ther-
apies have been devised to
address guests’ increasing
desire for simple, effective
and authentic spa experi-
ences. Weather you wish to
feel calm, rejuvenated or en-
ergized our soothing treat-
ments will restore a sense of
harmony to your body, mind
and soul.
Gentle breeze: Swedish
massage technique helps you
destress, unwind and
achieve a deep state of relax-
ation. Your bodies circulation
Spazzo offers blended personalized treatmentSpazzo at the Crowne Plaza Today Okhla provides serene setting for relaxation and rejuvenation.
�Prem Kumar
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
55Spa News
is boosted as sore joints are
quickly alleviated.
Awaken the Spirit:
Soothing and relaxing pure
aromatic essential oils are
precisely blended for this
Aromatherapy massage, in-
spiring your body to redis-
cover its harmonious
balance.
Crowne Therapy: A
calming yet energizing scalp
massage focusing upon vital
energy points distresses
back and neck.
Foot Pamper: Reflexol-
ogy combined with a foot
scrub pampers your feet. An
ancient oriental method of
massage, it restores a natu-
ral flow of energy in the
body.
Rejuvenating Bali: A
combination of gentle
stretches, acupressure and
aromatherapy oils stimulate
the flow of blood, oxygen and
"qi" (energy) around the
body.
Sunset Romance: Com-
plete journeys with tropical
body wrap & gentle breeze in
a romantic ambiance, to
renew the senses as you
enjoy this treatment with
your partner.
Luminous renewal:
This in-spa treatment fea-
tures a potent blend of stabi-
lized vitamin "C" combined
with the latest high-tech for-
mulation of freeze-dried sea-
weed. It includes an
Aromatic silky scrub fol-
lowed by an aromatherapy
massage.
Ultimate rejuvenation:
Sit back, relax and enjoy,
this rejuvenating experience
includes optimal facial to
boost your skin's radiance
with rejuvenating “C” Com-
plex. Aromatic moor wrap
rich in natural vitamins,
minerals and enzymes is
generously applied to your
entire body. Sore muscles,
aches and pains are allevi-
ated as your body's circula-
tion is stimulated and stress
vanishes, followed up with
finishing touches.
Ayurvedic traditional
massage: A traditional In-
dian massage done through
a soothing and symmetrical
long stroke to regulate the
circulatory and nervous sys-
tems of the body. The warm
herbal medicinal oil chosen
according to your body type
balances the doshas and
leaves you feeling refreshed
and rejuvenated. A steam
bath is recommended follow-
ing this massage.
USP of Spazzo
“The key USP of our spa is
hot water colour bed and it
is its own kind that you
won’t find anywhere in the
city. We use colours for the
therapy and it is a truly ho-
listic, non-invasive and pow-
erful therapy which dates
back thousands of years,”
said Singh. Colour is simply
light of varying wavelengths
and, as such, is a form of en-
ergy that is used in this
colour therapy bed. Colour
therapy aims to balance and
enhance our body's energy
centers/chakras by using
the colours of the light spec-
trum, which can help to
stimulate our body's own
healing process. Colour
therapy bed is used for
calming, relaxing, healing,
balancing, energizing and as
well as an overall relaxation
therapy with different
colour schemes.
Guests’ profile at the Spa
Crowne Plaza Today New
Delhi Okhla primarily caters
to business travelers - trav-
elling for success! Combin-
ing work stress with the
hassel of traveling can make
business trips particularly
taxing and potentially anxi-
ety inducing. Therapies at
Spazzo have thoughtfully
been put together to ensure
that its guests feel rejuve-
nated at all times.
Aviation Report56
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
India has the potential to
become the third largest
aviation market by 2020
and the largest by 2030.
There is large untapped po-
tential for growth due to the
fact that access to aviation is
still a dream for nearly 99.5
per cent of its population, in-
dicates the FICCI-KPMG
'India Aviation 2014-Enhanc-
ing Air Connectivity' report
launched today at the most
prestigious civil aviation ex-
position in Hyderabad.
According to the report,
the Indian civil aviation in-
dustry is on a high growth
trajectory, albeit with minor
hiccups. The industry has
ushered in a new wave of ex-
pansion driven by Low Cost
Carriers (LCC), modern air-
ports, Foreign Direct Invest-
ments (FDI) in domestic
airlines, cutting edge Infor-
mation Technology (IT) inter-
ventions and a growing
emphasis on No-Frills Air-
ports (NFA) and regional
connectivity.
The Indian civil aviation
industry is amongst the top
10 in the world with a size of
around USD 16 billion. This
is a fraction of what it can ac-
tually achieve.
"In view of the enormous
growth prospects of air traf-
fic and substantial invest-
ment projections, Indian
aviation market offers signif-
icant long term opportunities
for global aviation players.
Indian Government and in-
dustry are already working
together closely. I am confi-
dent, this partnership will be
further strengthened and
play a critical role in improv-
ing regional connectivity and
promoting sustainable devel-
opment of the civil aviation
sector in the country," said
Sidharth Birla, President of
FICCI.
The report notes that the
next generation of aviation
growth in India will be trig-
gered by regional airports. At
present, there are around
450 used/un-used/abandoned
airports and airstrips spread
all over the country. Many In-
dian states, especially in
Eastern India, have started
taking pro-active measures
to promote air connectivity.
These initiatives include re-
duction in Sales Tax on ATF,
development of no-frills air-
‘Indian aviation haspotential to be numberone globally by 2030’According to the Indian Aviation report by FICCI-KPMG, Indian aviation sector has the potentialto be number one globally by 2030.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
57Aviation Report
In view of the enormousgrowth prospects of airtraffic and substantialinvestment projections,Indian aviation marketoffers significant longterm opportunities forglobal aviation players.Indian Government andindustry are alreadyworking together
closely." Sidharth Birla,President, FICCI.
“
“
ports, promotion of aviation
academies and supportive
policies for airlines and
tourism. West Bengal de-
serves a special mention as it
is the first large state in the
country to declare zero per
cent Sales Tax on ATF at its
regional airports and 15 per
cent Sales Tax on ATF used
by additional flights started
at its metro airport in
Kolkata.
A lot more needs to be
done, as several Tier 2/3
cities are still unconnected
or underserved. These in-
volve relaxation on regula-
tions, revising the security
requirements, allowing do-
mestic code sharing, provid-
ing free or discounted
utilities and connecting in-
frastructure. The proposed
Essential Air Services Fund
(EASF) by Ministry of Civil
Aviation (MoCA) needs to be
set up immediately. All this
will have a multiplier effect
in terms of higher growth of
local economic activities,
tourism and employment.
"India is blessed with a
great geographic location, a
large upwardly mobile mid-
dle class and immense
tourism opportunities. We
have just touched the tip of
the aviation iceberg. The
beauty is that our challenges
are primarily related to poli-
cies, procedures, regulations
and taxes. These are all man-
made problems and hence
surmountable. The central
government and the eastern
states have brought in many
reforms in the aviation policy,
procedures and taxation. We
hope this trend continues",
said Amber Dubey, Partner
and India Head of Aerospace
and Defense at global consul-
tancy KPMG.
The report highlights the
significant growth in the In-
dian aviation sector over the
last decade. As per data from
the Airports Authority of
India (AAI), passenger
throughput grew to 159 mil-
lion (FY 13) and cargo
throughput to 2.19 million
MT (FY 13), registering an
impressive growth of 13 per
cent and 10 per cent CAGR
respectively over the period
FY 2003-2013.
On the global front, air-
crafts transported around 3.1
billion passengers and over
51.6 million tonnes of freight
in 2013. The growth in pas-
senger traffic has been led by
the strong progress made by
Middle East countries and
supported by other emerging
economies of Latin America,
Africa and Asia-Pacific. How-
ever, developed economies of
North America and Europe
lagged behind in terms of
growth in passenger traffic.
The Asia Pacific region
promises to emerge as the
largest aviation market by
2032.
The most significant de-
velopment in the Indian do-
mestic market is the growing
dominance of the low-cost
carrier model, which in FY
2013 accounted for almost 70
percent of the domestic ca-
pacity. LCCs have driven the
growth in aviation and
tourism through low fares,
introduction of regional
routes and periodic discount
offers. Full service carriers
plan to shift more seats to
their low cost offerings in
line with market trends. In-
dian carriers plan to double
their fleet size by 2020 to
around 800 aircraft.
The FICCI-KPMG 'India
Aviation 2014' report points
India is blessed with agreat geographic location,a large upwardly mobile
middle class and immensetourism opportunities. Wehave just touched the tipof the aviation iceberg.
Our challenges are prima-rily related to policies,procedures, regulationsand taxes. These are allman-made problems and
hence surmountable.
“
“
Sidharth Birla
President, FICCI
Amber Dubey
India Head, Aerospace &
Defense, KPMG
Aviation Report58
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
out that development of air
transportation services and
socio-economic development
are highly correlated. Ac-
cording to the International
Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO), an additional dollar
invested in air transport
leads to a benefit of around
three dollars to the local
economy. Moreover, every ad-
ditional job created in the air
transport results in creation
of over six new jobs.
The growth in Indian avi-
ation has created significant
employment opportunities.
With passengers and aircraft
fleet likely to double by 2020,
the need to strengthen the
human resource develop-
ment infrastructure is imme-
diate. As per KPMG
estimates, the total man-
power requirement of air-
lines is estimated to rise
from 62,000 in FY-2011 to
117,000 by FY-2017. It is es-
timated that the sector, over-
all, will need about 350,000
new employees to facilitate
growth in the next decade.
Shortfalls in skilled labour
could create safety issues
and may see staff salaries
rise, hurting India's cost
competitiveness.
It is a well known fact that
the Indian aviation industry is
overtaxed and this is being re-
flected in the industry's lack of
competitiveness at the global
level. It is important for India
to acknowledge the devastat-
ing impact of high taxes. Some
of the avoidable taxes/charges
that need immediate attention
are central and state taxes on
ATF and MRO, Service Tax on
air tickets, high airport
charges etc.
India's current MRO mar-
ket size is estimated to be
around USD 700 million. By
2020, the total Indian fleet
would double in number, mak-
ing it critical to have a strong
domestic MRO industry. Ac-
cording to industry sources,
merely 5-10% of the MRO
work for domestic scheduled
carriers is carried out in
India, while most of the main-
tenance activities are out-
sourced to third-party service
providers outside the country.
This is a classic case of scor-
ing self-goals. An inter-minis-
terial task force on MRO
needs to be formed immedi-
ately by the government to
check the outflow of MRO rev-
enue, foreign exchange and
jobs.
Overall, in order to be-
come a top aviation market,
all round improvements are
required – in airports, air nav-
igation, cargo, MRO, general
aviation and human resource
development. India would
need to broaden the base of
domestic flyers. No-frills air-
ports in Tier 2/3 cities need to
be developed and the pro-
posed EASF needs to be acti-
vated to address financing
challenges. Government poli-
cies, procedures and regula-
tory framework need to be
futuristic, pro-active and
aligned to stakeholder expec-
tations.
The FICCI-KPMG 'India
Aviation 2014- Enhancing Air
Connectivity' report concludes
that Indian aviation has a
huge untapped potential – we
need to recognise it and go for
it. by TNH DESK
•The Asia Pacific regionis expected to emerge asthe largest aviation mar-ket by 2032•Indian carriers plan todouble their fleet size by2020 to around 800 air-crafts•Indian civil aviation in-dustry is amongst the top10 globally with a size ofUSD 16 billion•India's current MROmarket size is estimatedto be around USD 700 mil-lion•Total manpower require-ment of airlines to risefrom 62,000 in FY 2011 to117,000 by FY 2017
British Airways’ 85
years of rich legacy
in India witnessed
the grand arrival of its first
Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Hy-
derabad today through its as-
sociation with one of India’s
most revered actors, Amitabh
Bachchan. British Airways
celebrated the arrival of the
new aircraft at the incredibly
exquisite, Taj Falaknuma
Palace, with The Opulent
British Ball that witnessed
presence of crème de la crème
of prominent personalities
such as, Mr Amitabh
Bachchan, Mrs Jaya
Bachchan and British Deputy
High Commissioner in Hyder-
abad, Mr Andrew McAllister.
Dazzling fireworks, delectable
cuisine, the perfect company
and drinks sponsored by Dia-
geo, left the guests completely
awe-struck and something to
cherish forever!
British Airways’ Boeing
787 Dreamliner aircraft
touched down at Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport, Hyder-
abad at 04:45 hours yesterday
(Monday, 31 March 2014). The
brand new aircraft adorned
with a plaque commemorating
and honouring the megastar
Amitabh Bachchan, an indi-
vidual truly known for his in-
comparable contribution to
the Indian cinema over
decades. This collaboration
signifies rich legacy, commit-
ment and success in the In-
dian market for both British
Airways and Mr Bachchan.
Customers travelling to
Hyderabad will now get the
opportunity to travel in the all
new luxurious and ultra-mod-
ern Dreamliner 787, whilst ex-
periencing British Airways’
award winning hospitality.
British Airways started the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner serv-
ice in Hyderabad commencing
from 31 March 2014.
Commenting on the occa-
sion Christopher Fordyce- Re-
gional Commercial Manager,
British Airways, South Asia
said “We are delighted to an-
nounce yet another milestone
in British Airways’ history in
Hyderabad. Our very first
Dreamliner 787 has made its
landing here yesterday morn-
ing and what better way to
mark this momentous occa-
sion than to honour the iconic
Mr Bachchan to commemo-
rate this successful launch.
“Our customers from Hy-
derabad can now take advan-
tage of new levels of comfort
and reduced jet-lag thanks to
improvements in air quality,
mood lighting, and quieter
cabins, all features of the new
787. We welcome you all and
do hope you enjoy the experi-
ence.”
Amitabh Bachchan said,
“I am delighted to be associ-
ated with the launch of British
Airways’ 787 Dreamliner in
India. London is one of my
favourite destinations and
there is no better way to travel
to the city than with British
Airways. The service, food
and flat beds on the long haul
flights are second to none and
I always arrive feeling well
rested.
“My family and I have
been flying with British Air-
ways for years. The airline
holds a strong legacy in India
and I hope they continue to
serve us with the same zeal
and fervour, forever.”
The new Dreamliners will
feature the elegant cabin de-
signs fitted on British Air-
ways’ new Boeing 777-300 ER
aircraft, which have proved
very popular with customers.
All 787s will feature a new
Club World 2:3:2 layout, the
latest generation World Trav-
eller and World Traveller Plus
seats.
British Airways is contin-
uing to improve services for
customers and will roll out
more new aircraft across its
worldwide network as deliver-
ies continue over the next
three years. The new aircraft
forms the centerpiece of the
airline’s £5 billion investment
programme to benefit cus-
tomers. The airline has or-
dered 12 A380s and 24 Boeing
787s. Eight of these aircraft
have already joined the fleet,
and a further eight will join
the fleet later this year. The
remaining aircraft rest over
the next two years.
British Airways brings its1st 787 Dreamliner toHyderabadBritish Airways also honoured superstar AmitabhBachchan.
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
59Aviation News
Aviation News60
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Plaza Premium Lounge,
the world’s leading
Airport Lounge
provider announced the
launch of its Airport Premium
Services at Kempegowda In-
ternational Airport, Ben-
galuru. The Company
introduces two state-of-the-art
pay-in lounges open to all
travellers at the International
and Domestic Departures ter-
minals of the airport.
The two new airport
lounges have been built with a
vision to extend its world
class airport service to Kem-
pegowda International Air-
port, providing comfort,
convenience and value to trav-
ellers going through Kempe-
gowda. At an entrance fee
starting from INR 1000 plus
tax guests can enjoy compli-
mentary delectable food and
beverage selection, comfort-
able seating, power showers
to freshen up, business centre
facilities and the airport’s best
spa and massage service for
guests to relax and unwind.
Comfort, innovation and
interactivity are at the coreof
the Plaza Premium Lounge
concept. Echoing Bengaluru’s
lauded reputation as ‘The
Garden City’, the new
lounges, which are designed
by celebrated Australian ar-
chitect Mitchel Squires of
Mitchel Squires & Associates,
feature lush green unique
garden design, delivering a
flawless enhanced airport ex-
perience that is second to
none.
“As a leader in the Airport
Premium Services, we are de-
lighted to introduce Plaza
Premium Lounge in Ben-
galuru and launch our
lounges together with the
newly upgraded terminals at
Kempegowda International
Airport in addition to our
well-established network of
New Delhi and Hyderabad.
Our primary goal is to provide
afive-star comfort and con-
venience for all international
travellers with our services
and facilities while at Air-
ports,” said Song Hoi See,
Founder and CEO of Plaza
Premium Lounge Manage-
ment Limited.
Being the first pay-in
lounge in the world, the com-
pany contributed to the whole
travel experience by of-
feringeveryone an effortless
travel. With its expansion
plans, the company hope to
reach and touch the lives of
every traveller in all parts of
the world.
Plaza Premium Lounge
Management Limited is the
management company and
shared service provider for
Plaza Premium Lounge Net-
work worldwide. With more
than 15 years of experience, a
results-oriented track record
and proprietary knowledge
operating and managing the
airport lounges, the network
is directing expansion plans
through multi-location opera-
tions in major international
airports in the world. Its
lounge is the world's first
commercial VIP lounge open
to airport users irrespective
of airline or class of travel.
Headquartered in Hong Kong,
we now operate more than
110 locations in 29 interna-
tional airports. by TNH DESK
Plaza Premium LoungeArrives in BengaluruIntroduces five-star guest comfort at the airport
Bollywood fever has hit
Virgin Atlantic, as the
airline pays homage
to Iconic Indian Cinema in its
latest multi-media marketing
campaign: ‘Feel like a Star’.
The campaign reflects the
larger than life service of Vir-
gin Atlantic that brings
on-screen experiences show-
cased by Bollywood alive. The
airline is inviting Indian trav-
ellers to make the most of
their love for Indian cinema
by flying to the most popular
destinations showcased in
Bollywood movies. In a fur-
ther twist on the Bollywood
theme, Virgin Atlantic is of-
fering a discount to travellers
lucky enough to have been
sprinkled with movie stardust
and own some of the most fa-
mous filmy names. Passen-
gers with names such as
Simran or Karan, Arjun or
Kiran can now book with Vir-
gin Atlantic and claim up to
10% discount on the basis of
their name itself for travel till
July 31st, 2014.
The ‘Feel like a Star’ cam-
paign subverts the ‘What’s in
a name’ theory and inspires
people to experience luxury
by flying Virgin Atlantic. The
campaign uses the look and
feel of a typical movie poster
to showcase the astounding
destinations it flies to and to
frame its cheeky reminders of
the unique offerings available
on-board, reiterating that fly-
ing isn’t a chore but a pleas-
ure. The campaign focuses on
the great amenities available;
from the fabulous collection
of latest Bollywood/ Holly-
wood blockbusters on its in-
flight entertainment to its
awe-inspiring cabins and
services that are designed to
cater the needs of the Indian
travellers.
“From the beginning, Vir-
gin Atlantic brought back
style and fun to air travel,”
says Stephen King, General
Manager, Virgin Atlantic -
India. “We believe the journey
should be as enjoyable as the
destination. ‘Feel like a Star’
campaign highlights the
unique experience of flying
Virgin and will surely connect
to all Bollywood lovers. Last
year, we flew over one thou-
sand passengers with these
shortlisted filmy names and
are looking forward to wel-
coming many more Rahuls,
Priyas and Rohits on-board
this summer.”
The multi-layered and
image-driven campaign
launches today with radio,
online video banners, out of
home (OOH) and print adver-
tising. The ‘Feel like a Star’
campaign provides a glimpse
of how Virgin Atlantic has
made flying glamorous for its
passengers with the movie
poster and ‘reviews’ acting as
the central element in many
of the ads tying the campaign
together. by TNH DESK
‘Feel like a Star’ thissummer with the Bollywoodairline, Virgin AtlanticIn a unique offer, the airline invites fans to claimfabulous discounts purely on their Bollywoodinspired names
The World Tourism
O r g a n i z a t i o n
(UNWTO) will be
holding its Silk Road Task
Force meeting during this
year’s Routes Silk Road
event which will take place in
Tbilisi, Georgia on July 6-8.
This announcement
comes soon after an agree-
ment was reached at ITB in
Berlin between Routes (part
of UBM live) and UNWTO to
work together in advancing
matters related to air con-
nectivity and travel facilita-
tion.
“UNWTO’s joint research
with WTTC clearly demon-
strates the impact that visa
facilitation can have on eco-
nomic growth and job cre-
ation. Routes Silk Road 2014
is an excellent initiative that
will surely help address the
travel facilitation challenges
along this tourism route and
we are thus very happy to
hold the UNWTO Silk Road
Task Force meeting along-
side Routes. Moreover, with
its forward-thinking ap-
proach to visas and its open
skies policy, Georgia is an
ideal destination to host such
an event, and I must congrat-
ulate Georgia for winning the
bid. UNWTO looks forward to
working together with
Routes and Georgia to make
this edition the best yet”,
said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO
Secretary-General.
“Following the announce-
ment of our partnership we
are thrilled that UNWTO has
decided to hold its Silk Road
Task Force meeting at our
event in July,” said Katie
Bland, Director Routes, UBM
Live continuing: “Routes Silk
Road will be held in Georgia
which is a gateway connect-
ing several important eco-
nomic regions including Eu-
rope, the New Independent
States (NIS) and Central
Asia and as such it is the
ideal location for Routes Silk
Road and the UNWTO Silk
Road Task Force. Holding
this important meeting
alongside our own event will
further strengthen our part-
nership and we are excited
about the opportunities this
provides Routes.”
The UNWTO Silk Road
Task Force meeting brings
together key representatives
from Silk Road destinations,
United Nations agencies, the
private sector and associa-
tions to discuss and plan pri-
orities for tourism
development along this an-
cient route. The meeting
aims to raise the profile of
tourism along the Silk Road
and drive sustainable and re-
sponsible tourism develop-
ment by enhancing
cooperation between the
countries along the Silk
Road.
Routes Silk Road, which
will be hosted by United Air-
ports of Georgia (UAG) under
the auspices of the Ministry
of Economy and Sustainable
Development, is the route de-
velopment forum that con-
nects CIS, Central and
Eastern Europe, Middle East
and Asia.
Routes organises world-
renowned airline and airport
networking events through
its regional and global Route
Development Forums. Each
year, there is one global
event and one regional event
in Asia, Africa, Europe, the
Americas and CIS respec-
tively. by TNH DESK
UNWTO Silk Road TaskForce to meet at RoutesSilk Road Routes and UNWTO will strengthen itspartnership in Georgia
TALEB RIFAI, UNWTO SECRETARY-GENERAL
UNWTO’s joint research with WTTC clearlydemonstrates the impact that visa facilita-tion can have on economic growth and jobcreation. Routes Silk Road 2014 is an excel-
lent initiative that will surely help address the travel facili-tation challenges along this tourism route and we arethus very happy to hold the UNWTO Silk Road Task Forcemeeting alongside Routes.
“
KATIE BLAND, DIRECTOR ROUTES, UBM LIVE CONTINUING
Following the announcement of our part-nership we are thrilled that UNWTO has de-cided to hold its Silk Road Task Forcemeeting at our event in July. Holding this im-
portant meeting alongside our own event will furtherstrengthen our partnership and we are excited about theopportunities this provides Routes.“
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
61International News
This unique service
starts as soon as you
land at Dubai airport,
where a chauffeur-driven car
awaits you. An exclusive
check-in to an Avari Business
Class (ABC) room or a suite;
early (9am) check-in & late
(6pm) check-out facilities;
complimentary newspaper;
and all the safety and in-room
amenities expected from an
international, deluxe hotel
add to the comfort.
The “ABC” service also en-
titles the business person ac-
cess to the Club Lounge,
enjoying a formal environ-
ment for private meetings
through the day, compli-
mented with complimentary
beverages, snacks & tea/cof-
fee facilities. The use of the
well-equipped business cen-
tre, with complimentary pho-
tocopy services, assists the
traveller in all his/her busi-
ness needs.
Avari Dubai Hotel has its
own ways of making the busi-
ness travellers feel more spe-
cial by offering a choice of a
lavish buffet breakfast at the
Olive Tree restaurant or a-la-
carte in the Club Lounge; and
a customized, dietary consul-
tation with the Head Chef,
who will take care of all health
and religious needs.
Other unique offerings of
the ABC Service are - comple-
mentary daily ironing of a
business suit or laundry of a
shirt/blouse; a well-deserved
massage (at a discount) at the
Avari roof top Spa; compli-
mentary use of the health club
and swimming pool; unlimited
free local landline calls and
faxes; complimentary in-
room, smart interactive TV &
media center with wireless
keyboard; complimentary
[wired & WIFI] highspeed in-
ternet access in rooms & pub-
lic areas; 20%-50% discounts
on a host of facilities; and dis-
counts on selected external
excursions.
Dubai has emerged as a
top tourist destination for
travelers across the globe.
With one of the most supreme
location in Dubai, Avari Dubai
Hotel redefines the leisure
and business hotel category
and proves to be a lifestyle
destination beyond compari-
son. The seven storey, atrium
building with 178 newly reno-
vated rooms and suites is a
unique and prestigious desti-
nation which has been de-
signed to cater for every
possible need a business or
leisure traveller may have. All
rooms at the Avari were re-
cently renovated to an inter-
national, 5-star standard,
packaged in a 4-star deluxe
hotel! It enables a leisure and
business traveler to enjoy
everything that he or she
wishes and work at the same
time. by TNH DESK
Avari Dubai Hotelintroduces unique servicefor global biz travellersAvari Dubai Hotel, a four star Deluxe, atriumhotel situated at Al Rigga (Deira), introducesAvari Business Class Service - a uniquecombination of convenience and comfort.
International News62
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
The Hotels.com Hotel
Price Index (HPI) is
a regular report on
hotel prices in major destina-
tions across the world. As
per the latest report, trav-
ellers from Hong Kong paid
the most for hotel accommo-
dation in India in 2013, part-
ing with `8,061 a night. This
was a 6% increase when
compared to what they paid
in 2012. Visitors from the
Middle East were in second
place paying `7,909 a night
followed by South Africans
who paid `7,594. Travellers
from both, Middle East and
South Africa saw increases
of 3% and 4% respectively.
Many of the highest in-
creases were paid by visitors
from Europe. Belgium was
up 25% to `6,363, Finland
added 22% to `6,187 and
Italy had the same percent-
age increase, taking its aver-
age to `6,098. Thailand and
China were the fastest risers
in Asia with the former up
23% to `6,903 at and the lat-
ter up 17% to `7,115.
Of the few countries with
declining rates paid, the
Brazilians saw the hardest
fall, parting with 10% less
during 2013 to `6,645, fol-
lowed by Japan with its own
devalued currency deterring
foreign travel, down 6% to Rs
7,154.
Other falls were seen at
the bottom of the table as the
Malaysians parted with the
least on `5,315, registering a
drop of 1%, followed by the
Russians down 2% to `5,510
and the Taiwanese down 5%
to `5,517.
The Hotel Price Index
(HPI) report also revealed
the top destinations for over-
seas visitors coming to India.
While Delhi, Mumbai, Goa,
Bengaluru, Chennai and
Jaipur continued to reserve
the top six spots, the Indian
city known to attract Inter-
national tourists the most,
Agra, the land of Taj Mahal
has dropped two spots. Agra
has moved from 7th to 9th
position, giving way to Hy-
derabad and Thiruvanantha-
puram in 2013. by TNH DESK
Visitors from Hong Kong,Middle East & South Africaare top 3 spenders onhotel rooms in IndiaIndian metros dominate the list of top 10domestic destinations for international travellers.
King’s Park Street re-
cently introduced
India’s first ever ‘Exhi-
bition of Food, Adventure and
Culture Fair 2014’ at the King’s
Park Street, under DTTDC fly-
over of Raja Garden. Touted as
New Delhi’s most awaited place,
King’s Park Street is one of its
own kinds of project to develop
underutilized land in Delhi.
On the occasion, Ricky
Chawla, Director, King’s Park
Street, said, “I am very de-
lighted to announce the opening
of King’s Park Street as it is not
only the first of its own kind but
also first project of utilizing un-
derdeveloped land of the city.
There are various recreational
options available in other parts
of Delhi except West Delhi. So
the entire West Delhi was ea-
gerly waiting for this project
since its announcement. With
King’s Park Street, a new av-
enue of entertainment has
opened its door and very soon,
this place would be known a
new cultural landmark of Delhi.
At the King’s Park Street, we
strive to build a repertoire of the
best of India and make it a year
around destination for the com-
plete family.”
Sanjay Soni, Director, Con-
cepts and Strategy, King’s Park
Street, shared his views, “I am
delighted to be associated with
King’s Park Street, which is
Delhi Tourism’s unique project,
inspired by the contemporary
examples internationally
wherein spaces under the fly-
overs and train stations are
used for public gatherings and
thus creating landmarks and
destinations. Similarly, King’s
Park Street has been conceptu-
alized as a unique transforma-
tion of urban spaces under
flyover and other public areas in
New Delhi. King’s Park Street,
which is West Delhi’s first ever
culture hub, will be an innova-
tive platform to showcase the
true Indian culture as well as
promote activities for modern
generation. This kind of land
utilization has never been done
in India before”.
Speaking on the occasion,
Amit Sukhija, Project Director,
King’s Park Street said, “With
Exhibition of Food, Adventure &
Culture Fair 2014, we are taking
the first step in the development
of utilizing underdeveloped
land in Delhi as well as creating
a benchmark for bringing expe-
riential tourism product in the
country. This trend is well-ac-
cepted in foreign nation and is
very popular. In India, it is first
venture and we hope it will be a
trendsetter in the area of enter-
tainment shopping in the coun-
try.”
The fair which concludes on
April 6 is attracting visitors
from across the city. Nearly 200
vendors from across the coun-
try are exhibiting their products
and as many as crafts persons,
weavers, artisans, folk musi-
cians and dancers are showcas-
ing their talent at the exhibition.
It has complete exposure of
everything India has to offer, be
it stalls selling traditional hand-
icraft or demo display and sale,
traditional and modern Indian
fashion and accessories, au-
thentic regional cuisines from
all parts of India, performing
arts from all parts of the coun-
try, theater and music perform-
ances.
Built in 2001, Raja Garden
Flyover is an important flyover
as it links Ring Road to Najaf-
garh Road. The Flyover which is
1.3 km long is one of the areas
which are underutilized and has
been selected for the develop-
ment plans of Delhi Tourism.
The area is an entertainment
zone, which is spread across
15000 square metres and has
amphitheatre-cum-mini theatre,
exhibition space, food court, art
& culture shows, street food fes-
tivals, adventure sports and a
lot more interesting activities.
The centre is very close to Ra-
jouri Garden metro station and
has closer proximity to all the
shopping malls and main mar-
kets.
Various vendors from
across the country are exhibit-
ing at the venue and promoting
Indian art and culture, regional
cuisines and street foods at a
common platform along with
adventure sports and folk per-
formances. Entry to the fair
was free for first 7 days i.e till
28th March 2014. by TNH DESK
India’s 1st Exhibition ofFood, Adventure &Culture Fair 2014King’s Park Street launched India’s first ever‘Exhibition of Food, Adventure & Culture Fair2014’ in New Delhi.
(L to R) Amit Sukhija, Ricky Chawla and Sanjay Soni
APR IL 2014|TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
63Culture News
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Blue Square Consultants
has been in operation for over
four years and is consistently
growing. The company has
grown from being a represen-
tation company to a service
solution provider. “We have
established ourselves as the
trusted service provider in the
tourism industry as we con-
sistently deliver quality to all
our clients in sync with their
plans for the Indian market.
We started off with providing
professional services to
tourism boards seeking to
enter the Indian market.
From working with one
tourism board in our first
year, today we have a portfo-
lio which consists of several
tourism boards, DMC’s and
hospitality brands,” said
Sheerazi.
Throwing lights on core
areas of activities of Blue
Square, Sheerazi said that
Blue Square Consultants is a
leading niche destination rep-
resentation and marketing
communication management
firm in India. “Our aim is to
promote and develop the busi-
ness of international travel
products in India. Anchored
in Mumbai, we provide 360º
services customized to clients'
needs which include working
on need-based assignments.”
With access to over
10,000 travel agents across
the country and a combined
database of over 450 media
houses, Blue Square delivers
plans with verifiable results
and enhanced profitability in
a cost effective manner. Mak-
ing all this possible is a young,
talented and professional
team that provides holistic
and innovative solutions in
the travel and tourism sector.
Enumerating the services
of Blue Square, Sheerazi
said, “In a nutshell, our serv-
ices consist of providing con-
sultancy services, conducting
market research, initiating
consumer promotions, con-
ceptualizing marketing com-
munications, managing public
relations, conducting product
training, exhibitions and
trade shows and achieving
sales targets.”
Vision and objectivesAt Blue Square, people are
driven by “the power of
three”. This power of three is
“a fascinating combination of
innovation, creativity and
freshness.” Explaining Vision
and objectives of Blue Square
Sheerazi said, “Our vision is
to be the pioneer in our indus-
try. We are a tourism solution
provider with expertise in
destination marketing, trade
sales and public relations.
Our objective is to help our
clients understand and en-
gage effectively with the rap-
idly increasing and dynamic
outbound market called
India.”
Future of travel repre-sentation biz in India
With the increase in the mid-
dle class as the Indian econ-
omy has improved
significantly, the UNWTO has
rated the Indian market as
one that is bound to be a
major outbound nation in the
coming years,” noted Sheer-
azi. “Therefore, any country
that is serious about promot-
ing tourism cannot afford to
ignore India. It is for this rea-
son that several destinations
are keen to start marketing
activities in India. However,
making foray into a market as
diverse as India can be quite
daunting. Hence, it is always
more helpful to use the serv-
ices of a well-established rep-
resentation company. The
market knowledge, network
and hands-on expertise of a
representation company go a
long way in pushing a brand
in the market.”
Future of Indian outbound
travel
According to Sheerazi,
Tourism is one of the fastest
growing industries in the
world at present, and India
has emerged as a major out-
bound market over the past
decade as a result of its large
population, expanding econ-
omy, emerging middle class
and liberalizing travel and
aviation environment. The in-
crease in disposable income
has energized the sector to
grow further and accordingly
the outbound tourism is on its
positive growth, said Sheer-
azi. She noted that the size of
the Indian middle class cur-
rently stands at approxi-
mately more than 350 million,
roughly the size of the popu-
lation of the US and growing
at an estimated 40-50 million
annually. “With 17% of the
world’s population, India is
ranked as one of the top five
countries for potential out-
bound travel. The number of
Indians travelling overseas is
set to rise from nearly 15 mil-
lion at present to 50 million by
2020. According to a recently
released Amadeus-Frost &
Sullivan tourism industry re-
port, Indians travelling to
Asia-Pacific alone spent
$13.3 billion in 2011. This fig-
ure is set to zoom to $91 bil-
lion by 2030, making Indians
the second-biggest
spenders, after China, in the
world on overseas travel,”
said Sheerazi.
‘Consistently delivering qualityservices to our clients in syncwith their plans’In Conversation with TnH, Lubaina Sheerazi, Business Head of BlueSquare Consultants, speaks about vision and objectives of her company,and how it has grown as an established player in a short span of time.
In Conversation64
Our vision is to be the pioneer in ourindustry. We want to provide 360ºservices customized to a clients'needs which include working onneed-based assignments.“ “
lubaina sheerazi
Business head of Blue square Consultants
�Prem Kumar
Premier Inn, the UK’s largest
budget hotel chain and part of
Whitbread Plc, has appointed
V.V. Giri as Regional Director, Op-
erations (South Asia). With in-
dustry experience of nearly 30
years, Giri brings on board deep
understanding of Operations, client/owner rela-
tionships, team and talent management and train-
ing and development initiatives. He has extensive
experience in leading large teams with hands on
exposure and has been successful in building
strong operational functions.
As Regional Director, Operations for South Asia,
Giri will be responsible for providing direction to
further enhance Premier Inn’s presence in the
country. He will manage a wide portfolio of verti-
cals related to the operations of the hotel, includ-
ing sales and marketing, branding and
communication, information systems, finance
management, legal, human resources, training
and guest quality insight.
V.V. GiriRegional Director, Operations(South Asia) Premier Inn
InterContinental Hotels Group has
appointed Jayne O’Brien to the po-
sition of Senior Vice President of
Global Brands. She will be respon-
sible for overseeing brand vision
and strategy across IHG’s global
portfolio of nine brands.
O’Brien has a rich background in the travel industry.
During her 18-year career at British Airways, she
served in a number of senior brand marketing and
commercial roles. O’Brien was responsible for helping
to develop many of British Airways’ most successful
brand and product initiatives, including the first flat
bed in Business Class (Club World), the One World Al-
liance Brand and initiatives such as the first Arrivals
Lounge concept at London Heathrow Airport.
Prior to joining IHG, O’Brien served as Chief Mar-
keting Officer for Dubai Properties Group, a leading
master developer of destinations and districts across
Dubai. There she was responsible for all group mar-
keting across the group, including brand manage-
ment, public relations and customer relations.
Jayne O’brien Sr. VP of Global Brands InterContinental Hotels Group
Unique Global Hotels Alliance Pvt.
Ltd. has appointed Jagmohan
Misra as the Country Head. Misra
has over 33 years of combined ex-
perience in the development, proj-
ect manegement, operations and
launch of some of the leading hotels
brands in India.
Misra started his career with the Oberoi Hotels in
1978 and achieved the distinction of being appointed
as the youngest General Manager in the group. Dur-
ing his stint with Radisson Hotels in Malaysia he was
responsible for the opening and successfully setting-
up operations of the four prime properties owned by
the brand.
He was one of the pioneer members in the Hotel
Leela Venture and played a crucial role in the sign-
ing-up of a MoU with the Four Seasons. Subsequently,
he joined the Grand Group to launch the prestigious
Goa Intercontinental Resort. He also took-up the role
of vice president and senior vice president for The
Grand Hotels in Goa, Bangalore and Delhi.
Jagmohan Misra Country HeadUnique Global Hotels Alliance
Hilton Bangalore Residences has
appointed Vikas Sharma as Gen-
eral Manager. Scheduled to open
in the first quarter of 2014, Hilton
Bangalore Residences is located in
the Embassy Golf Links Business
Park, the hub of several Fortune 500
companies, at the intersection of Indiranagar and
Koramangala, and within a 25-minute drive of M.G.
Road and Sarjapur Outer Ring Road.
Sharma, appointed as pre-opening general man-
ager for Hilton Bangalore Residences in December
2012, brings more than two decades of experience
in the hospitality industry. In his former role at Star-
wood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Sharma
was the general manager for Aloft, Bangalore.
Prior to joining Starwood Hotels & Resorts World-
wide, Inc., he was the general manager for The
Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore. Previously, Sharma
held several positions in F&B operations with Taj
Hotels Resorts & Palaces in Mumbai and Bentota,
Sri Lanka.
Vikas Sharma General Manager Hilton Bangalore Residences
Courtyard by Marriott Pune City
Centre has appointed Gagan
Deep Singh as General Manager,
Courtyard by Marriott Pune City
Centre. With a career spanning
over 15 years in the field of hospi-
tality and having worked as the Di-
rector of Operations at JW Marriott Mumbai, Gagan
Deep Singh undertakes the reign of Courtyard by
Marriott Pune City Centre as the General Manager.
As the General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott
Pune City Centre, Singh will be responsible for the
smooth functioning of the property. Centrally located,
the hotel enjoys close proximity to areas like Kore-
gaon Park, the airport, railway station and IT parks,
thus making it the most sought after hospitality des-
tination by business and leisure travelers.
With a repute of having successfully worked in dif-
ferent roles at various Marriott properties around the
country, Singh was one of the main protagonists who
successfully executed the launch of Pune Marriott
Convention Centre Hotel (now JW Marriott Pune).
Gagan Deep SinghGM, Courtyard by Marriott PuneCity Centre
Appointment News66
APR IL 2014| TNH (TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY)
Howard Johnson, America’s fa-
mous hotel brand and a part of the
Wyndham Worldwide Group has
appointed Saibal Sen as the Gen-
eral Manager of its first property in
India at Bangalore – Howard John-
son Bengaluru Hebbal.
Sen comes with a rich experience of 19 years worked
with various organisations. In past he was associated
with groups like The Taj, Four Point Sheraton and The
Lalit. His last assignment was with the Sarovar Group
Hotels & resorts.
Sen is an alumni of the prestigious Institute of Hotel
Management & Catering Technology, Mumbai. He likes
travelling, exploring new destinations, enjoys the thrill
of exposure to new cultures, cuisine and meeting with
people. His hobbies also include reading non-fiction
and music and travelling. Howard Johnson is a chain
of hotels, motels and restaurants located primarily
throughout the United States and Canada. Founded by
Howard Deering Johnson, it was the largest hotel and
restaurant chain in the US in 1960s-70s.
Saibal SenGeneral Manager Howard Johnson Bengaluru Hebbal