FINAL Trav Talk Jan-2015 final 13-01-2016:TT Layout 1/18 ...travtalkindia.com/pdf/2016/01-jan-2016-2.pdf · 1/1/2016 · Eastern Treasure India Tours Despite a less than expected

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` 50/-Vol. XXVIII Issue 2; January 2nd fortnight i ssue 2016 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 44

NEPAL TALK

FINAL_Trav Talk Jan-2015_final_13-01-2016:TT Layout 1/18/2016 4:08 PM Page 1

The inbound tourism will grow andI think there will be a significantgrowth but what we have to keep inmind is that the numbers are stillvery small. I think the industry inIndia today recognises that ourfuture will come from domestic trav-

ellers, but that’s not going to be our bread and butter.The question we should be asking is what we really aredoing to create tourism products for the domestic mar-ket. It could be more resort locations, better connectivity,better infrastructure etc. Wealthy Indians are not takinglong vacations anymore, they do short vacations. Wehave to make products to meet that kind of demand.That’s where the future is.

Dilip PuriManaging Director India, and Regional Vice President

South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts

In 2016, I think inbound tourismshould grow. e-Tourist Visa is a greathelp for the tourism industry. This isa major step that has been taken topush tourism in India forward. But itdepends on how the world economyis because people travel on that

basis. For example, India today is one of the best ‘valuefor money’ destination. Government has promised totake tourism very seriously. I presume we would see abetter year ahead and this industry will grow.

Anil MadhokManaging Director

Sarovar Hotels

Inbound tourism in 2015 to India wasslow and not as good as expected,due to many unavoidable factors,such as slow economic growtharound the world. We are hoping2016 will be more fruitful for theindustry and have a better turnout interms of foreign tourist arrivals. The

latest addition to our portfolio is a special luxury divisionVILASA, with focus on quality tourism, by attracting long-staying and high-spending tourists to India.

H.S. DuggalManaging Director

Minar Travels 2016 looks far more positive in termsof growth of inbound numbers andwe expect to see a good responseto our products and thus an increasein numbers in this segment. Themebased tours are high in demand andthe right approach will lead to growth.We deal in special interest tours and

a lot of new programmes have been received well by theinbound market in 2015.

Surpal S DeoraDirector

Maxxfun Holidays

Inbound tourism to India was belowaverage in 2015, although the FTAdata from the Ministry of Tourismshowed an increase. This data isoften not authenticated as far asleisure travellers are concerned.Inbound industry is bleeding andmost of the companies have seen

a drop in business by 20 to 30 per cent. It is a criticaltime that the industry and government together, evaluateand take steps to improve the situation because in myopinion 2016 will not be a different year. I think we, thetour operators, need to be careful and work collectivelyto capitalise on whatever business we have. Industrymust refrain from bad business practises and sub stan-dard services which can defame tourism in India.

Ravi GosainManaging Director

Erco Travels

I think inbound tourism is showingslight improvement. The rates are ina depression stage because domes-tic and inbound travellers areextremely rate sensitive and weneed to see how situations changebased on world economies. With

e-Tourist Visa coming into place, we are hopeful to seean increase in inbound tourism in the following months.The way India is moving forward, we are increasinglybecoming less dependent on inbound tourism and thefocus is shifting towards domestic tourists.

Sanjeev PahwaSenior Vice President-Operations

South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

India faces a lot of competition in theinbound tourism sector today. WhileSouth East Asia was always a com-petition, the new emerging countriesof the previous USSR are rapidlyemerging as a new segment whichis attracting a lot of tourism in place

of India. To combat this trend, we have to continue tofocus on our heritage sites. We need to start marketingand talking our culture to the outside world. TodayThailand, Vietnam, Indonesia are far ahead.

Kanika HasratGeneral Manager

Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon

The inbound segment of tourismhas fared very badly in 2015. In2016, we are hopeful that destina-tions like Odisha, Chattisgarh andNortheastern states will receive abetter response. I feel that OdishaTourism should market the statebetter as the incentive is lacking.

Sanghamitra JenaFounder Director

Eastern Treasure India Tours

Despite a less than expected growth of just 4.4 per cent in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during January-December 2015, the tourism industry remains optimistic. During this period, 80.16 lakh tourists visited India ascompared to 76.79 lakh in Jan-Dec 2014, a growth of 10.2 per cent over the same period in 2013. Discerningtrade players hope for better numbers in 2016.

Hopeful for better inbound by 2016

TT BU R E AU

As far as inbound tourism is con-cerned in 2015 the numbers havenot been encouraging. Despite e-visas and visa on arrivals not muchis happening and the numbers oftourists remain low. This basicallyis happening because of the eventsin Russia. The number of tourists

from Russia has decreased and Goa especially hasbeen affected because of this. Also, in 2015 the hoteloccupancy rates remained low. In fact I would like toadd January, February and March 2016 also don’tlook very encouraging.

Anurag AgarwalHony. General Secretary, ADTOI

Introduction of e-visas, investmentsin real estate and hospitality andthe proactive and pragmaticapproach of the government hasseen a rapid growth in tourism.Marketing India as a tourism des-tination has worked well too. In thepast, it was travel to Goa, Kerala,

Golden Triangle and Rajasthan. Today, we have all ourstate tourism boards going aggressive in their cam-paigns to promote each and every destination in India.

Jay BhatiaHon. National Treasurer & Chairman – Tourism Council,

Travel Agents Association of India

The inbound tourism segment did notfare at all to its potential. We are stillfar from the curiosity and desire ofinternational travellers and hencefrom the numbers. I hope in 2016,India’s image is rebuilt and trust isreinstated in India as a valid destina-tion for tourists to have their vaca-

tions. We, the industry, need to put additional efforts tomarket India and not to carry the anxiety of marketing ourrespective companies. We need to have more number ofqualified people in the decision making organisations,acquire the knowledge and understanding of inboundtourism and its requirements.

Anil KumarCo-owner and Director (Marketing, Product Development

Operation), Senkay Tours and Travels

The inbound market did not do verywell in 2015 but we identified somenew sectors and destinations toexplore that will definitely support theinbound segment in the coming year.In 2016, we are expecting morenumber of tourists in new areas andhope that the government is going to

facilitate the inbound segment’s growth. In 2016, we willencourage more government-private partnerships.

Atul SinghDirector, Travel Connections


Addressing the quality of education offered in tourism training institutes, conducted a pollto find out if the institutes meet the demands of the industry. A majority of the industry feels that

the standards are not met with and need improvement, especially in terms of faculty, training and courses.

Some suggestions from readers: Training on areas like international and domesticdestinations for selling DOM/International Travel packages Better teaching staff

Lack of travel related knowledge Courses must be designed for preparingstudents in strategic planning, research and development of newer areas and productsand effective marketing Inclusion of guest speakers (not just the heads) from the

industry Train students on practical knowledge, not bookish knowledge.

Need better training institutes

67%NO

33%YES

Recent statistics from the Ministry of Tourism

revealed a 3.2 per cent growthin foreign tourist arrivals forDecember 2015, over the samemonth in the previous year. Inan attempt to further boost thetourist arrival numbers, MOThas come up with the‘Incredible Himalayas’ cam-paign that will set into play in thecoming months.

Mountain tourism expansion

Billa says that it is not avery well-known fact that alarge part of the Himalayas isin India. "Two years ago, the777 Days of Great IndianHimalayas was introduced topromote mountain tourism inIndia," he says. "Since the

duration for that campaign,which is 777 days, has cometo an end, we are nowrebranding it as IncredibleHimalayas and launching astronger platform that willonce again showcase theHimalayas to the world ascore strength of India." He fur-ther reveals a few things that

are being worked on in tan-dem for this campaign. "Weare working with the Ministryof Space to map trek routesthrough satellites for the ben-efit of the tour operator andwill serve as a guide with allthe important destinations inthe Himalayas for trekking andadventure routes," he informs."Addressing safety issues, thetour operators will also be pro-vided with a satellite phonefrom the Tourism Office whichis a very important addition especially if we are talking about an international mar-ket," he shares.

Billa feels that once thevisa issues are cleared, thecampaign will be a very inter-esting product for tourists.

IATO is also workingwith the TourismMinistry topromoteIncredible

Himalayasfor whichfunds to thetune of ` 3.5-4 crorehave been ear-marked, disclosedIATO President,Subhash Goyal at a recent conference.

Eight states benefitfrom mountain tourismwhere roughly 25 per cent oftotal tourists visit the mountainseach year. Goyal stated that 30 per cent growth

in the number of tourist arrivals is expected in 2016.

Building internationalrelations

When asked if Indiawould face stiff competition with

Nepal on mountain tourism,Billa states that it is not

about competi-tion. "It is not a

question of shar-ing the pie, it'sabout increasing

the size of thepie. Workingtogether will

only

make abigger and

stronger prod-uct and providebetter experi-

ences for tourists.In fact, we are cur-rently in talks with

Nepal to work out com-mon itineraries for this cam-

paign," he adds. Apart fromworking on common itinerariesfor Incredible Himalayas, Billacomments that they are alsocollaborating on the Buddhistand Ramayana circuits, owingto their cultural similarities.

According to Billa,inbound tourism in 2015 wasnot as good as it should be."We have more or less laid theground work for factors thatwere affecting the inboundnumbers, so hopefully, 2016 willprove to be a goodyear for us," he

says.

He also talks aboutthe importance of strengthen-ing Incredible India's interna-tional presence which is whythey are relying on India's giftof yoga to attract more touristfootfalls. "We will be partici-pating at Fitur this year whereyoga will be the main attrac-tion," he comments. "TheSpanish market is very impor-tant for us and we are hopingto get a good response at the trade fair."

With the commencement of 2016, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, reveals plans to ensure year-round tourist footfalls to the country with the Incredible Himalayas campaign. Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministryof Tourism, discloses developments on the campaign and feels that once the visa issues are cleared, the campaignwill be a very interesting product for tourists.

MOT focuses on international presence

AH A N A GU R U N G

We will be participating at Fitur this year where yoga will be the main attraction. TheSpanish market is very important for us and we are hoping to get a good response at the trade fair.

Suman BillaJoint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism

9.13 lakh FTAs in India during December 2015, growth of 3.2 per cent

` 3.5-4 crore funds have been earmarked for IncredibleHimalayas

Signed MoU with the Ministry of Trade Industry and Tourism ofColombia for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism

India Tourism at a Glance



BULLETIN

SanJeet, Director, DDPGroup, is the new Vice

Chairman of PATA IndiaChapter; Jatinder S. Taneja,Chairman, Travel SpiritInternational is the HonorarySecretary, while Vikram

Madhok, MD, Abercrombie and Kent India, is the newHonorary Treasurer. The new office-bearers were unani-

mously selected, revealedRuneep Sangha, ExecutiveDirector, PATA India Chapter. He also revealed that they had received many nominationsfor the new executive commit-tee. However, the office-bearersfor 2016-17 were selecteduncontested.

Talking about theroadmap for the new term, hesaid, “PATA India Chapter isnow working towards develop-

ing its plans for 2016. We havea busy calendar ahead and wewill be focusing on education,training and organising trade seminars, including theprestigious PATA Travel Mart in

the coming year.” VinodZutshi, Secretary, Ministry ofTourism, Government of India,automatically assumes theposition of the Chairman, PATAIndia Chapter.

PATA India Chapter recently declared the names of its office-bearers onits new executive committee for 2016-17.

Reshuffle at PATA India

TT BU R E AU

SanJeet Vice ChairmanPATA India Chapter

Jatinder S. TanejaHonorary SecretaryPATA India Chapter

Vikram MadhokHonorary TreasurerPATA India Chapter

Runeep SanghaExecutive DirectorPATA India Chapter

We have a busy calendar ahead and we will befocusing on education, training and organisingtrade seminars, including the prestigious PATA Travel Mart in the coming year.

Runeep Sangha, Executive Director, PATA India Chapter


VIEWPOINT

STATISTICS

It is said, all the answers lie within. India seemsto be in the process of such an introspection.

Airlines, Indian as well as international, seem tobe taking active interest in exploring the potentialof smaller cities. They are now willing to take risks– albeit calculated – and actually adding Tier IIand even Tier III cities to their network. This hasopened up the possibilities of huge passengermovement and exponential growth.

Indian states are now training their focuson domestic traffic and taking them much moreseriously than they have done in the past. Notjust those that have been spending seriousmoney on marketing themselves, but eventhose who have thus far focused mainly oninternational markets.

At a time when even small regions frominternational countries are breaking away fromtheir parent tourism boards (Island of Crete isone such example) to tap the Indian market, itis only right that we do the same – to tap bothinternational tourists as well as our domestictravellers, who today have deep pockets andthe urge to experience their own country.

Looking inwards

TRAVTALK is a publication of DDP Publications Private Limited. Allinformation in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this pub-lication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressedby third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not neces-sarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to advice our readersthat one or more recognised authorities may hold different viewsthan those reported. Material used in this publication is intendedfor information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific

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INDIA: Total Contribution of Travel & Tourism to Employment

29 mn Tourism jobs by 2025In 2014, Travel & Tourism directly supported 23,024,000 jobs (5.5% of totalemployment). This is expected to rise by 1.9% in 2015 and rise by 2.2% pa to29,020,000 jobs (5.7% of total employment) in 2025.

With the basic foundation for developmentlaid in 2015, the Ministry of Tourism is

geared up to bring about revolutionary changesthis year. The industry awaits with bated breaththe launch of the National Tourism Policy, andthe amendments it will bring about. Top priorityis being given on building strong internationalrelations in the form of MoUs in the areas oftourism and civil aviation, which have beensigned with several countries such asCambodia, Colombia and Korea, to name a few.

Furthermore, increasing focus on developingthe resources at hand and making complete useof products that were previously not utilised totheir full potential will surely prove to be a fruitfuldecision in the long run. The latest statisticsreveal that FTAs during the period January-December 2015 were 80.16 lakh with a growthof 4.4 per cent, as compared to the previousyear, and with a number of campaigns andinitiatives well under way, growth is inevitable.From here, the only way is forward!

Building new tiesSource: WTTC Travel & Tourism economic impact 2015

Travel & Tourism generated 23,024,000 jobsdirectly in 2014 (5.5 per cent of totalemployment) and this is forecast to grow by1.9 per cent in 2015 to 23,455,500 (5.5% oftotal employment). This includesemployment by hotels, travel agents,airlines and other passenger transportationservices (excluding commuter services). Italso includes, for example, the activities ofthe restaurant and leisure industries directlysupported by tourists. By 2025, Travel &Tourism will account for 29,020,000 jobsdirectly, an increase of 2.2 per cent pa overthe next 10 years.

Digging through the archives we found the movement of Ranvir Bhandari in 1992. From there to the COO of ITC Hotels today... our heartiest congratulations!

archives: Then & Now

ITC HotelsWith the recent shuffle at the top management at ITC Hotels,Ranvir Bhandari is the new Chief Operating Officer, ITCHotels, and is responsible for expansion and managementof both ITC and WelcomHotel brand. Before this, Bhandari was the Vice President, Operations at ITC Hotels.The 55-year-old hospitality veteran started his career with theOberoi Hotels and joined the ITC Group in 2002, and also did asmall stint with with Max India Ltd in between, before comingback to ITC Hotels in 2012.

Then

Now

INDIA: Direct Contribution of Travel & Tourism to Employment


QWhat are your plansfor 2016?Madhya Pradesh (MP) is

focusing on an intra-state airservice, initiated by MP Tourismand Ventura Air Connect to facil-itate tourists and corporate trav-ellers. We have started an inno-vative transport initiative calledCaravan Tourism. Caravans arespecially designed vehicles withcarrying capacity of eight adultsand tourists can hire them toany place of their choice. Thestate is promoting WaterTourism at Tawa-Madhai andBargi-Mandla, cruises being the main attraction. River rafting at the Betwa River inOrchha is also a popular activitybeing promoted.

QWhich are the mostimportant tourism cir-

cuits in MP and what isbeing done to promotethem?

We plan to showcase thehidden jewels of the state like architectural marvels at Mitawali, Padawali andBateshwar near Gwalior. Therich state museum and rem-nants of the empire of RajaChhatrasal at Dhubela, naturalwonder Bhedaghat nearJabalpur, historical treasuretroves of and around Vidishaand the under-exploitedBuddhist circuit are sites thatwe intend to focus upon in the coming year.

QHow has eTV facilityhelped in increasing

number of tourists comingto MP?

The eTV scheme facili-tated many tourist arrivals toMP. In 2014 we saw a total of63,930,720 tourists out ofwhich 63,614,525 wereIndians and 316,195 were for-eign tourist arrivals.

QElaborate on yourengagements with

travel trade partners.MP Tourism successfully

completed the three day travelmart organised from October16-18, 2015. The second editionof Travel Mart highlighted 200

hosted buyers and media from15 countries and major travelmarkets of India. We focused onWildlife, Heritage, Culture andTourism. This event providedimpetus to the growth of traveltrade in the state.

QElaborate on yourefforts to boost

tourists’ safety?

MP has set up the state’s first Tourist Police Postat Pachmarhi. 288 police personnel, trained as tourist police, will be deployedat 12 tourist police postsacross the state. These postswill provide information, security and assistance todomestic and foreign touristsvisiting MP.

Continuing in the spirit of the Year of Tourism in 2015-16, Madhya Pradesh Tourism has a host of new products andevents lined up in the New Year. Hari Ranjan Rao, Commissioner Tourism & Managing Director, Madhya PradeshTourism, shares plans and strategies of the state.

Intra-state air service in MP soon J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 7STATES

AN K I TA SAX E N A

Major events of 2016

Simhastha 2016 (Festivalof Faith) from April 22-May21, 2016 in Ujjain

Jal Mahotsav 2016 (WaterFestival) from February 12-21, 2016 inHanuwantiya, Khandwa

We have started an innovative transport initiativecalled Caravan Tourism. The state is promotingWater Tourism at Tawa-Madhai and Bargi-Mandla, cruises being the main attraction. Riverrafting at the Betwa River in Orchha is also a

popular activity being promoted.

Hari Ranjan RaoCommissioner Tourism & Managing Director

Madhya Pradesh Tourism


8 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 AVIATION

Optimistic about the Indiansector, Dorji said, “We had

started operating flights toCalcutta as early as October2013 and we started operationsin Delhi from September 2015.The frequency of the flights istwice a week—Sunday andWednesday. We are workingvery closely with a lot of Indianagents and with our new officein Delhi, this will furtherstrengthen our relationship.”

Noting that the load factorfrom Delhi to Bhutan has signif-icantly increased, Dorji said, “Inthe last two years we have donefairly well. The Indian market isvery lucrative for us. Apart fromtourists coming from abroad; wehave a lot of tourists comingfrom India. The load factor fromDelhi, India, to Bhutan hasincreased over a period of time.We are optimistic that BhutanAirlines will do very well in theIndian sector.”

The airline operatesseven flights per week to

Calcutta and Thailand and twoflights per week to Delhi. “Weare thinking of increasing onemore flight, Paro-Kathmandu-Delhi and Delhi-Kathmandu-Paro. We will also operate pointto point Delhi-Paro, dependingon the traffic.”

Ashwani Sharma,Director, RAAS Ventures, said,“We are the exclusive OTA forBhutan Airlines and right nowI am also helping them withoperations set-up. BhutanAirlines is planning to fly out ofDelhi to Paro, to connect toKathmandu and maybeRangoon is on the cards.”

“We have recently tied upwith TBO Group to sell and promote Bhutan. We allknow that Nepal is in a bit of political turmoil, but I think Bhutan has huge poten-tial,” he added.

Bhutan Airlines recently opened its office in Connaught Place,New Delhi. Phala Dorji, CEO, Bhutan Airlines, tells abouttheir plans for the Indian market.

Strengthening ties with agents

KA N C H A N NAT H

Ambitious PlansBhutan Airlines operates 7 flights per week to Kolkata & ThailandOther than its existing 2 flights to Delhi, it plans to add one more

India is bracing itself for an eco-nomic impetus with rapidly

growing industry and a large,young population. Mahajansays, “Since the economicdownturn of 2009-10 the char-ter aircraft market in India hasmade a gradual recovery withwealthy individuals and largecorporations resuming theirtravel plans. Moreover, therehas been a substantial demandfor charter aircraft from Tier-IIand Tier-III cities like Indore,Surat, Bhopal, Ludhiana,Kanpur, etc.”

Talking about the marketcondition, she added, “The cur-rent scenario is however, quitedisappointing. The majority ofaircraft owners like GMR, GVKand DLF who bought theirplanes about 7-8 years ago tovisit their set-ups in India andabroad are today saddled withdebt and are selling their assetsto repay loans. Some of themhave managed to sustain them

by chartering their aircraft in theopen market.”

Commenting on the futureof business in India, she concluded, “I’m still upbeat thatthis market will grow within nextcouple of years at the rate of 10-15 per cent considering thatthe government is making all the possible efforts to ensurethat the entire industry grows.Some efforts in the areas of infrastructure, permission procedures especially inunmanned airstrips, airportcharges needs to be put in tofuel this growth.”

Ajuka Mahajan, Head - Charter Sales,Foresee Aviation, remains optimisticabout the future of charters in India.

Charter market togrow by 10-15%

TT BU R E AU

Ajuka MahajanHead - Charter SalesForesee Aviation

40% surge inIndian arrivals inthe Philippines

The Philippines has recordeda growth of 40.54 per cent invisitor arrivals from India inOctober 2015, a remarkablesurge over the previous year. The Department ofTourism (DOT), Philippines, hasconfirmed that there were 6,590visitor arrivals in October 2015against 4,689 in October 2014.

During January-October2015, 61,155 Indian touriststravelled to the Philippines,recording an increase of 24.13per cent. The Indian marketcontinues to be one of theimportant contributors of inter-national visitors to thePhilippines.

SanJeet, Tourism Attaché,Philippines Tourism MarketingOffice India, has attributed theshowing to be in line with DOT’splan of achieving 100,000Indian tourist arrivals by 2017.

He said that the double-digit growth in arrivals can alsobe attributed to major metros aswell as feeder markets. “One ofthe main reasons is theincrease in disposable incomefor leisure and travel related pur-suits amongst middle and afflu-ent class travellers. There hasalso been a steady increase inMICE movements as well asFITs and small groups travelfrom India,’’ he said.

Phala DorjiCEOBhutan Airlines

Ashwani SharmaDirectorRAAS Ventures



1 0 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 STATES

Until 1969, there was noassociation that focused on

small tour operators inMaharashtra, which was whenthe Maharashtra TourOrganisers' Association(MTOA) was formed. The cur-rent leadership is intent onrevamping its focus as well asits image. Sudhir Patil,President of Maharashtra TourOrganisers’ Association(MTOA) and Founder &Director, Veena World, says,“We are making an effort tobring the tour operators togeth-er so that they can discuss theirproblems, which are uniqueand different from travel agents.My main focus is to raise thisassociation to a new level. Ourmembers are small tour opera-tors and we want to exposethem to the industry – at thestate, national and even inter-national levels – and guidethem on how they can growtheir business.”

Patil clarifies that he isn’tjust referring to Fam trips,

but increasing their overall education level and facilitating interactionsbetween members. “The chal-lenge is that a lot of new devel-opments that are happening inthe industry aren’t reachingthem. Other associationsmostly focus on travel agents.So the smaller tour operatorsdespite being members don’tbenefit because everyone istalking about tickets and air-lines,” he adds.

Patil says that their chal-lenges are local in nature anda lot of it has to do with railwaybookings, coach companiesand hotels. Some of themeven do their own catering.“We have not touched theinbound tour operators yet.Our main focus right now is toelevate the smaller tour operators. We do bi-monthlymeetings and have interac-tions on key topics, which we will gear up in the coming

six months,” Patil adds. In thepast, the association has conducted sessions on insurance, international med-ical insurance and domesticinsurance and forex.

With 130 members, theassociation isn’t looking to add members just for thesake of it. “First, we should beable to help those who arealready with us. We have anonline presence at mtoa.co.inwhere they can downloadmembership forms,” Patilreveals. The association alsotakes up issues on the gov-ernment level. It had recentlydiscussed on-ground prob-lems with the J&K govern-ment as well as the Himachalgovernment when there wasa taxi strike. “I have also highlighted the problems ourmembers face in Rajasthan –about road tax, lackadaisicalresponse from hotel GMs, etc. Now there’s a privatebody in the form of theFederation of Hospitality &Tourism of Rajasthan to pushthat,” Patil says.

The Maharashtra Tour Organisers’ Association (MTOA) wants to conductknowledge sessions on topics that are relevant to its small-sized touroperator members located across Maharashtra.

MTOA plans knowledge sessions

HA Z E L JA I N

Our members are small tour operatorsand we want to expose themto the industry – at the state,national and even interna-tional levels – and guide

them on how they can growtheir business.

Sudhir PatilPresident, Maharashtra Tour

Organisers’ Association(MTOA) and Founder &

Director, Veena World

Atotal of 420,247European travellers

arrived in the state betweenJanuary-October, 2015, com-pared to 401,063 during 2014amid many West Europeancountries struggling to protecttheir economies in the after-math of the Greek debt crisisand the downturn in China. Anumber of tourists continuedto arrive in Kerala 2015 evenfrom countries like Italy,Finland, the Netherlands,Portugal and Germany,whose less than expectedeconomic growth is worryingfinancial analysts.

“Europe remains the num-ber one traditional market forKerala while we have beenable to create strong marketsin several countries abroadalong with finding new ones,”said A.P. Anilkumar, TourismMinister, Government ofKerala. “This is evident from thefact that more number of

tourists from European coun-tries have visited our state in2015 compared to 2014despite of their economiesencountering hurdles in a fullrecovery,” he added.

“The Chinese downturnand the turmoil in many emerg-ing economies have had anegative impact on theEuropean economy slowlyrecovering from the 2009 financial meltdown, but Europewill certainly rebound from the present situation,” said the Minister.

Tourist arrivals from Europe to Keralaregistered a 4.8 per cent increase untilOctober 2015.

Rush of Europeantourists in Kerala

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A.P. AnilkumarTourism MinisterGovernment of Kerala



1 2 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 FAMILY ALBUM

An experiential travel concept� Goa Carnaval from Feb 6-9, 2016

� VFS Global to train TAAI members on visas

� 7 Emirates to conduct joint road-show in India in Feb

� Delhi-Gorakhpur on Air India 6 timesa week

� IRCTC to partner with self-helpgroups to boost e-catering

� Radisson Udaipur opens with 56 rooms

� SpiceJet launches new holiday site,SpiceVacations.com, offering arange of themed, customisable holiday packages

� In the year ending September 2015,the UK granted over 360,000 visitorvisas to Indian tourists, a 16.5%increase year on year

� J&K to organise 15 roadshows starting Jan 15

� MTDC starts helicopter tours inMumbai from Juhu airport

In an attempt to promote wildlife conservation in India, the management team ofSinginawa Jungle Lodge – Kanha invited over 100 guests from the travel and indigenousart fraternity and discussed various wildlife conservation and experiences, along withthe future of indigenous art in central India at Hyatt Regency Delhi.



Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), which put the spotlighton Central India, received 700 buyers in two days of B2Bevent. A whopping 98 per cent agents were from Tier-II andTier-III cities. With the theme ‘On the Move’, GPS will travelto four other cities – Coimbatore, Kolkata, Chandigarh andAhmedabad in the coming months.

1 4 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6

GPS 2016: The centre of action FAMILY ALBUM




J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 1 7NTO

With a view to develop and promote Bahwan

Tourism’s services in India,Bahwan Tourism LLC of Omanhas appointed Mumbai-basedOutbound Konnections as itsIndia representative.

Speaking about theappointment, AnjumLokhandwala, Founder and Director, OutboundKonnections, says, “It is aproud moment for us and weare thrilled at being appointedas the Indian arm of Bahwan

Tourism Oman in India.Bahwan Tourism is the leaderin providing competitive pack-

ages and quality of servicesfor all travel segments —FITs, MICE, group, special

interest tours, etc. — and weare very keen to develop andmultiply their market share in

India. Destination Oman hasa lot to offer in terms of cul-ture, scenic beauty and prod-ucts targeted at the niche,evolved traveller.”

S.A. Gururaj, GeneralManager, Bahwan Tourism LLC,Sultanate of Oman, says, “Weare delighted to announce theappointment of OutboundKonnections as our representa-tive in the India market for salesand marketing. We believe thatthey have the credentials to pro-mote our unique services thatBahwan Tourism and its hos-pitable team has to offer, to thediscerning Indian clientele.”

Outbound Konnections has been named as the sales andmarketing representative of Bahwan Tourism LLC, Sultanateof Oman, to develop the market and promote the group andits services in India with an emphasis on the B2B segment.

Bahwan forays into India

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Anjum LokhandwalaFounder and DirectorOutbound Konnections

The Consulate General deFrance in Mumbai has com-

municated updated informationon the current situation inFrance in terms of measurestaken for safety and security ofoverseas visitors. It has reas-sured that France's borders arenot closed, but the President ofthe French Republic has decid-ed to establish systematicchecks at entry points to theFrench territory (road, rail, portand airport crossing points).

Restoration of border con-trols means that the documentsthat must be presented duringborder controls are the same asthose usually required fornationals of your country.However, longer waiting timesare to be expected at airportsand stations served by interna-tional services (Thalys,Eurostar, etc). Waiting time forcontrols in Paris airportsremains reasonable, at lessthan 45 minutes.

Citizens of EuropeanUnion Member States need avalid identity document (IDcard or passport). Generally,the documents required to

enter France are the same asusual. The visas issued prior tothe establishment of bordercontrols remain valid to enterFrance. Visa issuance timesremain unchanged comparedto the period prior toNovember 13, 2015.

France has beefed up security for the safety of overseastourists. But this will not interfere with their holiday plans.Here’s an update on the current security procedures andconditions that your clients visiting France should know.

France steps up security

Tourist attractions and shoppingAll public cultural establishments in Paris, the Île-de-France

and France more generally are open. Open sites include (non-exhaustively): Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Château de Versailles,Disneyland Paris, Grand Palais, Centre Georges Pompidou, NotreDame de Paris, Paris Lido, Crazy Horse, Bateaux Parisiens, andthe Moulin Rouge. Security and controls have been enhanced atthe entrance to major monuments, but do not result in additionalwaiting times of more than 15 minutes compared to normal times.

Key ContactsParis Tourist Office:www.parisinfo.com [email protected] +33 1 49 52 42 68

Trains: www.voyages-sncf.com

Metro: www.ratp.fr

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We believe that they have the credentials to promote our unique services to the discerning Indian clientele.

S.A. Gururaj General Manager, Bahwan Tourism LLC, Sultanate of Oman

New AvenuesBahwan Tourism providecompetitive packages andquality of services for alltravel segments such asFITs, MICE etc.

Destination Oman has a lotto offer in terms of culture,scenic beauty


1 8 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 AVIATION

“Indian airlines, which are atthe core of the aviation value

chain, reported over 30 per centdecline in combined losses to$1.2 billion in 2015, from $1.7 bil-lion in 2014. The growth hasbeen robust for airports in 2015.In the first six months of 2015,total passenger handled atIndian airports increased to 124million, witnessing a growth of16.5 per cent compared to same period last year,” saysGurdeep Aggarwal, Manager,CAPA Advisory.

According to an updatedreport on passenger growthforecast by International AirTransport Association (IATA),India is expected to displacethe United Kingdom as thethird-largest market in 2026. ”Interms of routes, Indonesia-East Timor will be the fastestgrowing route (13.9 per cent),followed by India-Hong Kong(10.4 per cent), withinHonduras (10.3 per cent), with-in Pakistan (9.9 per cent) and

UAE-Ethiopia (9.5 per cent),”says Tony Tyler, DirectorGeneral and CEO, IATA.

Responding to the fore-cast, Aggarwal says, “India isamong the fastest growing avi-ation markets in the worldtoday with over 16.5 per centincrease in domestic traffic thisyear (YTD). The strong growthprojections together with the deficient and lagging air-port and allied infrastructure,calls for an urgent need, tobuild and augment India’s aviation infrastructure.”

Talking about the Indianperspective, Aggarwal says,“There has been no serious,detailed study conducted onthe structural capacity of Indianairports and the situation maybe even more challenging thanpresumed. This issue has thepotential to be a major bottle-neck for the growth of aviationin India. Apart from the timeinvolved in construction of air-port infrastructure, there is aneed of several years of urbanplanning involving land acqui-

sition and development of sur-face connectivity to the airport.”

Elucidating the predic-tions in the report, Tyler says,

"As a result of economic andpolitical events over the lastyear, we expect nearly 400 mil-lion fewer people to be travel-ing in 2034 than we did at this

time last year.The economicimpact of fewer travellers is sig-nificant. It is important that wedo not create additional head-winds with excessive taxation,onerous regulation or infra-structure deficiencies."

Expressing his views onthe issue of taxation onAviation Turbine Fuel,Aggarwal says, “Removingsales tax on ATF is the singlegreatest benefit that the gov-ernment could deliver to theairline industry. ATF is thelargest cost input for airlinesand yet this is the factor wherethe cost disadvantage faced byIndian carriers is by far thehighest. In 2015 ATF account-ed for around 45-50 per cent ofoperating costs for most Indianairlines. This compares with32.3 per cent globally.”

He adds, “We see one ortwo new pan-India airlinesentering the market in next 12-18 months. The new entrantmay also form Joint ventures(JVs) with foreign airlines. PostDNCAP, we see increased

interest in regional and commuter airlines, consideringsignificant concessions provision provided under RCS (Regional ConnectivityScheme).” However, Aggarwalwarns the new airlines to pos-sess adequate capitalisation tosustain operations.

According to CAPA, 2015 has been a good year overall for the aviation sector, due to the lower crude oil prices,resulting in 40-45 per cent decline in domestic ATF prices. However, the lack of aviation infrastructure can set backthe industry in times to come.

16.5% rise in domestic traffic in 2015

AN K I TA SAX E N A

As a result ofeconomic & politicalevents over 2014,we expect nearly400 mn fewerpeople to betravelling in 2034

Removing sales tax on ATF is thesingle greatestbenefit that thegovernment coulddeliver to the airline industry

Gurdeep AggarwalManagerCAPA Advisory

Tony TylerDirector General and CEOIATA

China758 million new passengers fora total of 1.196 billion

United States523 million new passengers fora total of 1.156 billion

India275 million new passengers fora total of 378 millionIndonesia132 million new passengers fora total of 219 million

Brazil104 million new passengers fora total of 202 million

Top 5 fastest growing markets(additional passengers peryear over the forecast period)



2 0 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 AGENTS

It was a season of festivities in December 2015 as members of the SkålInternational Bombay celebrated Christmas together on a somewhat warm eveningin Mumbai at Hotel Sofitel Mumbai BKC.

Skål Bombay rejoices in festivities

QWhat are your strate-gies to improve busi-

ness in 2016?The Minar business strategywas finalised at the Managers’Meet which was attended byour senior professionals and representatives fromArgentina, Mexico, Iran, Koreaand China. While we will con-tinue our participation in differ-ent exhibitions and road-shows, our primary focus willbe on markets like the U.S,Australia and Scandinavia.Ayurveda in countries likeGermany and Middle East isalso on our radar.Furthermore, the AviationDivision of the company isworking with new airlines tobring them to India. These air-lines will contribute immenselyin the development of tourismas well from the hub countries.Minar’s outbound division,which is in its 5th year of exis-tence, is doing great. While wecontinue to sell Far East/Emirates, our thrust is on exot-ic destinations and cruises.

Another focus in the currentyear is to improve our thrust into the WesternEuropean market.

QPlease tell us about any new

additions to the company’sportfolio.The latest addition to our port-folio is a special luxury divisionVILASA, with focus on qualitytourism, by attracting long-staying and high-spendingtourists to India. We havereceived a good response andhave engaged services of pro-fessional companies in targetcountries to create awarenessabout VILASA, and promotingthe unique luxuries availablein India.

QWhat are some of yourpromotional activi-

ties? Minar is extensively usingsocial media to populariseevents in India and are pushingMICE activities abroad as Indiais now emerging as a goodMICE destination. Our portalTRAVBOON is a user-friendlyplatform and ready for launch.We are determined to achieveour goals in 2016 and contributing to the Indiantourism industry.

After witnessing a slow economic growth all over the world lastyear, H.S. Duggal, Managing Director, Minar Travels, talks aboutstrategies to increase business in 2016 and their latest offerings.

Expansion in Western Europe

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Minar isextensively usingsocial media topopulariseevents in Indiaand are pushingMICE activitiesabroad

H.S. DuggalManaging DirectorMinar Travels

Talking about the uniquenessof the company, Shorey

says, "Specialisation is the keyto survival of any business. Inorder to create an identity forourselves, we forayed in beachgetaways and launched the firstand only exclusive website,www.sunnsandvacation.com, inIndia. The portal features exoticbeach locales ranging fromCaribbean to Tahiti and every-thing in between."

Discussing the new initia-tives in 2016, Shorey explains,"Medical tourism is a growingsector in India and is expectedto experience an annualgrowth rate of 30 per cent. Inthe coming year, our emphasiswill continue to promote out-bound tourism to countries likeSeychelles, Kazakhstan, Tahitiand Fiji, in addition to exploringother, newer destinations. InAugust 2015, we opened anoffice in Almaty, Kazakhstan tofoster medical tourism fromCIS region to India." Shoreyalso adds, "We also offer holis-

tic and wellness holidays forpeople who are looking for something different apartfrom the usual shopping and sightseeing."

Speaking about newerdestinations to be brought on thetourism map, Shorey adds, "I amhoping that some off-beat desti-nations like Iceland, Russia, CIScountries such as Kazakhstan,Moldova and Bhutan will play amajor role in 2016."

Talking about the supportof the travel trade to the busi-ness, Shorey says, "Since lastyear, we have been catering tothe B2B market specifically forSeychelles as it is our strong-hold and we have direct con-tracts with many hotels. Withour extensive knowledge aboutthe region, we are able to partvaluable information to ouragents which assists them fur-ther in selling the destination totheir clients."

Rohit Shorey, Director, Destination Travel Services, speaks toon medical tourism, markets of the Commonwealth of

Independent States (CIS) and plans for 2016.

Emphasis on medical tourism

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With our knowledgeabout the region, weare able to partvaluable informationto our agents whichassists them furtherin selling thedestination

Rohit ShoreyDirectorDestination Travel Services

Road AheadOur emphasis will continueto promote outboundtourism to countries likeSeychelles, Kazakhstan,Tahiti and Fiji





The Nepal Tourism Board(NTB) has been on its

toes to change the perceptionabout the country in the aftermath of the 7.8 magnitudeearthquake. Just like everyother country struck by disaster, the tourism industrysuffered a huge blow as a consequence of the naturalcalamity and tourist arrivalnumbers plummeted by morethan half in 2015.

“Fortunately, we havehealed faster than anticipated,”says Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO,Nepal Tourism Board. “Severalmeasures are being taken tospread the news about therecovery progress. Firstly, weare trying to reach out to anumber of potential tourists,tour operators and Nepal sell-ers to pass the message thatNepal has bounced back andthat travelling in Nepal is not aproblem at all. This we aredoing through online promo-

tional campaigns and oursocial media channels, to cir-culate real-time user-generat-ed news and pictures of Nepalas it is now,” he informs.

He adds that even in thewake of the earthquake, sev-eral steps were immediatelyimplemented by NepalGovernment and NTB to pro-tect tourism interests.“Kathmandu’s heritage siteswere reopened within twomonths after the earthquake.

Correspondence and convey-ing of the right message to theconcerned embassies inKathmandu helped in moder-ating sharp travel advisories,”he says. Similarly, MiyamotoInternational, a global structur-al and earthquake engineeringfirm, was invited to survey theprime tourist areas i.e.,Everest and Annapurna, andboth were deemed safe forpresent travelling.

Defying the test of time, the tourism industry of Nepal has fortified itself faster than ever throughseveral campaigns and efficient cooperation, informs Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board.

Targeting 8 lakh visitors in 2016

Deepak Raj JoshiCEONepal Tourism Board

Nepal Knowhow Online promotional campaign throughwww.nepalnow.org thatshows the current statusof the country

Majority of tourismhotspots like Lumbini,Pashupatinath, etc.,escaped damage

33 out of a total of 35trekking routes were unaffected

International and nationalevents such as PokharaStreet Festival, ChitwanElephant Festival,Kathmandu InternationalFilm Festival, KathmanduMountain Bike Fest, alongwith cultural celebrationstook place

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2 6 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 NEPAL TALK

Nepal: A Himalayan treasureIn April 2015, a massive earthquake struck central Nepal followed by severe aftershocks that affected someheritage sites in Kathmandu Valley and a few trekking trails. brings you some popular tourist siteswhich escaped unscathed and are absolutely safe for tourists to visit.

BeforeAfter

Pashupatinath Temple complex

Bouddhanath Stupa complex

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Talking about the USP ofLords Hotels' foray in

Nepal, Puri says, "Lords Hotelis the first mid-market hotelchain to mark its entry in Nepalamongst the largely unorgan-ised and 5-star categoryhotels. We are currently oper-ating Lords Mirage Inn inKathmandu and have twoproperties coming up inBhaktapur and Birgunj."

Explaining the situationof the hotels in Nepal post theearthquake, Puri says, "Postthe quake, the occupancydipped majorly. The internalpolitical turmoil and Madheshiissue further reduced the occu-pancy and guest arrivals. Therewas no major Mansarovargroup movement seen thisyear either. The percentageoccupancy from April toDecember 2014 was at adecent 55 per cent whichdipped to 35 per cent in thecorresponding period of 2015.To try and cover the occupan-

cy, there was a dip in ARRs byalmost 22 per cent."

Discussing the strategiesto improve the occupancies andRevPar in Nepal, Puri explains,"We are trying to tap theNepalese domestic market and

drawing Chinese business vis-itors, apart from creating multi-ple rate plans for better conver-sion. Short-term promotionswith key channel partners likeCleartrip , MMT etc have beenundertaken while maintaining

sell rate parity across all chan-nels. We are following flexiblepricing during high and lowoccupancy periods."

Speaking about thesource markets of guests vis-iting the hotel, Puri adds, "Weare expecting tourists primarilyfrom India and China. In addi-tion, a fair sprinkling of touristsis also expected from theMiddle East, Europe andKorea." Puri sees the tourismsegment improving but admitsthat it will take some timebefore boom is seen again.

Discussing the incen-tives being offered to agentsto promote Nepal better, Purisays, "We are promisingagents to provide transportfacilities and local guide totourists. The earthquake andfuel crisis has brought downthe business by almost 40percent and to attract Indiantourists again, we would needto offer them attractive newpackages offering better ratesand facilities."

Lords Hotels and Resorts is opening two new properties inBhaktapur and Birgunj in Nepal, a sign of a robust hospitalityindustry in the country, says Rishi Puri, General Manager, LordsHotels and Resorts.

2 new Lords hotels in Nepal

Rishi PuriGeneral ManagerLords Hotels and Resorts

MICE business in Nepal to multiplyGiving an insight into Nepal's hospitality industry, Upaul Majumdar, General Manager, Soaltee Crowne Plaza,talks about the increase in guests from neighbouring countries and what he expects this year.

Soaltee Crowne PlazaKathmandu, claims to be

one of the finest hotels inNepal. Managed by the IHGGroup, it boasts three special-ity restaurants, a new external10,000 sq ft venue, and a casi-no, among other things.

Referring to the aftermathof the earthquake, Majumdar

informs that the property, as wellas the industry bounced backas quickly as it weakened in2015. "We had a drop of almost15 per cent in overall revenue in2015 compared to 2014," heshares. "The second quarter of2015 saw relief workers pour infrom all over the world and mosthotels were sold out. From Julyonwards, we witnessed rebuild-ing of most tourist sites and cer-tification of various circuits to be

safe by international safety rat-ing agencies," he elaborates.Majumdar adds that severalFam trips were organised toshowcase the normality of thecountry post earthquake.

He says that the hotelaccomodates highest numberof Chinese and Indian guests,other than Americans, Spanishand Asians. “Another growingmarket is Bangladesh, which

has seen an increase in recenttimes," he adds.

Owing to the fact thatNepal and India have openedborders that are connected tothe states of West Bengal,Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, andBihar, as well as the easing ofleave travel concession (LTC) by the Government ofIndia, Majumdar anticipates a large number of tourists from

India this year. "After the reintroduction of Nepal Airlines'flights to India, the MICE busi-ness is also expected to lookup and many hotels haveclosed large movements in themonths of March and April," he adds. "Our Casino Mahjongis also a big draw for leisuregroups, while the destinationitself attracts numerous adventure and nature lovers,"he comments.

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Upaul MajumdarGeneral ManagerSoaltee Crowne Plaza

Source: Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO)


For Nepal, 2015 was filledwith challenges to say the

least. In spite of several obsta-cles in the way, the country isalready on its path to recoveryand is bouncing back slowly but surely.

Passenger movementrecorded at TribhuvanInternational Airport (TIA) in2014 was 3.51 million anddropped six per cent to 2.66million in the first 10 months of2015, mainly due to the earth-quake that occurred in lateApril 2015. However, theinbound tourism in Nepal hasbeen going strong for over adecade. “Since 2002, we havenoticed more tourist arrivalsthan Nepalese travellingabroad,” says Ram HariSharma, Director Corporate,Nepal Airlines Corporation.“Additionally, the last decadehas seen an annual averagegrowth rate (AAGR) of 10 percent in the TIA passengermovement,” he adds.

2015 also saw thenational carrier Nepal Airlinesreintroduce three routes, viz.,New Delhi, Mumbai andBengaluru, to India, apart fromalready flying to several otherinternational destinations suchas Hong Kong, Bangkok,Kuala Lumpur, etc. Sharmasays, “The average load factorfor NAC for the year 2015 isestimated at 77 per cent andwe forecast an 85 per centaverage load factor for 2016.We’ve noticed that the mostpopular routes are New Delhi,Hong Kong and Bangkok andare also contemplating onstarting a Kathmandu-Kolkataroute soon,” he comments.

Despite the hurdles,Sharma is optimistic about2016 and what the year has instore for them. “Though thenatural disaster and theembargo have set the wholetourism and Nepalese econo-my in the doldrums, we arehopeful that the year 2016would be a year of recovery,”he says. “Several tourism

organisations are bringing outcampaigns and other such ini-tiatives to increase the flow ofair and land passengers toNepal. Furthermore, theGovernment of Nepal is verypositive and supportingtowards tourism-related activ-ities in the country. So, we areexpecting a sizeable improve-ment,” he concludes.

Despite a few setbacks in 2015, Ram Hari Sharma, Director Corporate, Nepal Airlines Corporation, stresseson Nepal’s strong inbound segment that has been on a steady incline over the past decade and Nepal Airlines’performance in the past year.

77% load factor on Nepal Airlines

AH A N A GU R U N G

We’ve noticed that the most popular routesare New Delhi, Hong Kong and Bangkok andare also contemplating on starting aKathmandu-Kolkata route soon.

Ram Hari SharmaDirector Corporate

Nepal Airlines Corporation

J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 2 7NEPAL TALK

Rising against oddsSeveral tourism organisa-tions are bringing out cam-paigns to increase the flowof air and land passengersto Nepal

The average load factor forNAC for the year 2015 isestimated at 77 per centand forecast an 85 per cent average load factor for 2016

In 2015, Nepal Airlines reintroduced three routes,viz., New Delhi, Mumbaiand Bengaluru, to India,apart from already flying to several other internationaldestinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur


NEPAL TALK2 8 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6

Talking about the packagesoffered by the company,

Nagpal says, "With over 10years of experience in dealingwith tours to Nepal, we havedealt with approximately 4,000passengers in a year. Sincelast year, we have been indirect touch with most of themajor hotels in Nepal and offera special fare from Jet Airwaysand IndiGo."

Explaining therevival of tourism industryin Nepal post the earth-quake, Nagpal says,"Tourism in Nepal wasaffected after the earth-quake but most of thedamaged monumentshave been repaired."Expressing hope forrevival and supportrequired from tourismrelated industries, Nagpalsays, "We are confident thatNepal packages will sell well inthe coming year, especially ifthe hotels and airlines reduce

price for the leisure market.Casinos should also provideattractive schemes that will def-initely appeal to large groups."

Talking about the supportrequired from the travel tradepartners to sell Nepal better,Nagpal adds, "Nepal should getinvolved in promoting the peaceand calm everywhere aroundthe world, especially India, sothat the clients are aware of thecurrent situation and develop-ment there. This will definitelyhelp boost tourism traffic."

Nagpal also adds, "Thefact that airfare to Nepal is stillreasonable, approximately

` 9,500 to ` 10,000, gives aboost to a lot of MICE groupsand helps us promote morepackages to Nepal."

Sunil Nagpal, Managing Director, Diamond Tours and Travels,gives an insight into selling Nepal tour packages and the aspectsthat will help raise the demand once again.

Nepal on revival route

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Sunil NagpalManaging DirectorDiamond Tours and Travels

India, a prime value marketJoshi conveys that Nepal

witnessed approximately 50per cent drop of tourists includ-ing Indians from the previousyear’s arrival, which averagedabout 800, 000. “Our aim is to

get back those numbers in2016,” he states. “For that, wewill focus immensely on ourprime markets, Europe, theUS, India and China.” While themajor source markets forNepal are India, China, USA,Europe, and Japan, Joshi saysthey have also targeted theSouth East Asian countries asa potential and upcoming mar-ket. Along with the rapid growthof Chinese tourists, the countryhas generated interest in cer-tain sections of the Europeanmarket like Russia, East

Europe and Scandinaviancountries. “India, of course isour prime value and volumemarket, always, keeping ourclose geographic and culturalproximity in view,” says Joshi.“In the last decade, the annualtrend of Indian tourist arrivals

to Nepal by air has beenbetween 100,000-150,000.”

Commenting on theongoing trends in the industry,Joshi reveals that he has wit-nessed a shift of tourists fromprime hotspots, with travellersmore curious to discover theundiscovered. “Apart fromGolden Triangle- Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan, tourists nowhave options to venture toplaces beyond, which are yetpure and undiscovered,” hesays. “Adventure tourism

is becoming a part of Indian and Chinese tourists’ itinerary, which was very unlikely previously. Similarly, our popular destinationPokhara is evolving into aworld-class adventure andleisure destination.

With all their homeworkand hard work, Joshi is certainthat 2016 will be a year ofrevival and recovery. “NTB hasworked very closely with theGovernment of Nepal and ourprivate and international coun-terparts in the last year,” hestates. “The teamwork andperseverance from our resilienttourism industry must be givendue credit for the swift planningin the face of crisis. The brandNepal has stood the test oftime and Nepal is definitelyback on top of the world.”

Contd. from page 24

Chitwan National Park


With the onset of 2016,Fitur is all geared up to

take place for its 36th stagingfrom January 20-24 in Madrid.The last edition of the interna-tional tourism trade fair wit-nessed 9,419 exhibiting com-panies from 165 countries/regions and 125,084 trade par-ticipants where trade visitorattendance increased by 5 percent. Similarly, while the num-ber of visitors from abroadwent up by 12 per cent, the

number of exhibiting compa-nies and stand holdersincreased by 4 per cent and 13per cent respectively.

Ana Larrañaga,Director, Fitur, informs that thisyear, there have been bothnew national and internationalentries. “For the coming edi-tion, the prominent new partic-ipants are The Netherlands,Indonesia and Gabon. We alsowant to highlight the presenceof important internationaltourism schools, which had notattended the past editions,” she adds.

Revealing interestingaspects of the fair, she shares,“The Fitur Partner this year isAndalusia. We have also rein-forced the sections that associ-ate new technologies andtourism, such as Fitur Tech andFitur Know-how, along with

those signed up to new marketniches such as shopping andhealth tourism through the FiturShopping and Fitur Healthmonographic sections, whichwe are organising for the sec-ond time after good results fromthe last staging.”

In Larrañaga’s opinion,India is a market of great

tourist value, with importantgrowth potential and possibili-ties of developing new,tourism-associated businesssegments and niches. “In thisregard, Fitur is a good oppor-tunity for India,” she says.“India’s participation in Fitur, interms of exhibitors and squaremetres, is among the largestand most important from Asia

and has grown in recentyears,” she elaborates.

The last staging of Fitursaw 21 Indian companies asthe main stand holders and 24as co-exhibitor companies,with a 34 per cent growth onsurface area contracted byIndian exhibitors as comparedto the previous staging.

After hosting over 9,000 exhibitors in the 2015 edition, Fitur 2016 is set tocommence from January 20-24 in Madrid. Ana Larrañaga, Director, Fitur, givesa preview of what to expect this year.

India looking for a grand FiturJ A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 2 9EXHIBITIONS

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India’sparticipation inFitur, in terms of exhibitors andsquare metres, isamong the largest and mostimportant from Asia and has grown in recent years

Ana LarrañagaDirectorFitur

GPS 2017 from Jan 6-7 The Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) that recently con-

cluded its fourth edition in Nagpur, has announced January 6-7,2017 as the dates for its fifth annual show that puts the spotlighton Central India. Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, JagsonsTravels, organiser and promoter of GPS, said, “Next year, we maydo away with the B2C day as the exhibitors are keen on having

only B2B meetings. January 5 has been kept only for presentations by the sellers. GPS 2017will again serve as a platform for a pan-Indiaproduct launch. We are currently in discussions

and things will be confirmed soon.” He said that GPS was not an exhibition but a platform

for ‘travel and tourisminteractions’ addingthat they are even considering

taking GPS onboardGenting Hong Kong’s

Dream Cruises.


3 0 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 NEWS

The Mega Tourism & Hospitality Expo was held on the sidelines of the annualMega Trade Fair for the first time in Kolkata from December 23-27. The tourismexpo, organised by Incredible India, along with the Bengal Chamber ofCommerce & Industry in association with Travel Agents Federation of India,was inaugurated by West Bengal Tourism Minister Bratya Basu.

Mega Expo debuts in Kolkata

QWhat markets are you focusing on right

now?Currently, we are looking

at three categories such asleisure tourists, weddings andcorporate events. Indians like tocelebrate their weddings withmuch fanfare and grandeur andThe Deltin, Daman is well-equipped for the same. With abouquet of offerings in terms ofbanquets and pool parties, The Deltin, Daman, offers theperfect backdrop for all pre-wed-ding ceremonies and even post-wedding functions.

QWhat is the property’sUSP?The Deltin, Daman, has a

grand, pillar-less ballroom thatcan accommodate up to 2,000people in cluster-style seating,which works perfectly for corpo-rate events and weddings. It alsohas a large poolside area with the capacity of more than 500 pax for a perfect out-door function.

QWhat is your strategyto promote The Deltin,

Daman in India?In the hotel industry cus-

tomer is always the king and sowe would like to give the besttreatments to our guests.Considering that it is one of thepremium hotels in Daman, wewould like to bring internationallevel of experience in all thecategories, be it food and bev-erage, services or stay. We arelooking at promoting our property through several chan-nels both offline and online. Wealso have our own internalsales force.

The Deltin, Daman, is eyeing luxuryweddings and corporate conferences. AkarshMathur, GM, The Deltin, Daman, tells more.

Deltin, Daman eyesweddings, MICE

Egyptian Tourism hasincreased its focus on

India and is set to introduceseveral changes that will drawmore Indian tourists to thecountry. After a dismalturnover of about 60,000Indian tourist arrivals in 2014,Ismail A. Hamid imparts that2015 was much better forthem. “Although we still don’thave the exact figures for2015, we estimate around 78to 80 thousand tourists fromIndia, which is a 30-33 percent increase over 2014,” he says.

Hamid revealed someplans that will give fillip to moretourist arrivals in 2016. “Ourplans of expansion include theincrease of direct flight fre-quency, enhancing the connec-tivity from more metros, intro-ducing new products such asthe Red Sea resorts, MICE,wedding tours and movieshooting tours,” he explains.“We are also working onexpanding our promotion cov-erage to Tier II cities, develop-

ing partnership relations withtour operators in the marketand introducing a new adver-tising campaign which will usetotally new visuals and willfocus more on online activities.”

He also mentions that the com-parative proximity between thetwo countries, the variety anduniqueness of the Egyptiantourist products, along with theoriental Indian friendly environ-ment in cuisine, heritage andspirit are all factors that willbring Egypt soon to the top ofIndian travellers’ bucket list.

The Egyptian TourismOffice also offers an onlinetraining programme for travelagents. Hamid comments thatthe programme has been asuccessful one which hasattracted over 800 travelagents pan India. “We are noworganising a Fam trip to Egyptfor the top five agents from thetraining program and plan todevelop it to provide furtherknowledge,” he says. “We arealso in discussion with ourpartners to organise road-shows in early February in themain Indian metros and will belaunching a website dedicatedonly to travel trade which will secure a direct communi-cation platform for them to interact with our office,” he concludes.

Ismail A. Hamid, Egyptian Tourism Counsellor, Regional DirectorIndia & Far East, details on his expectations from the Indianmarket and their agenda for 2016.

Egypt roadshows in Feb

TT BU R E AU

We areworking onexpanding ourpromotioncoverage toTier II cities

Ismail A. HamidEgyptian Tourism CounsellorRegional Director India & Far East

At the roadshow held inDelhi, the MHG had 19

participants, out of which sixwere GMs from different prop-erties, such as the Middle East,Thailand, Seychelles and SriLanka. Talking about the same,Shannon Creado, RegionalDirector of Sales - India atMinor Hotel Group, said, “Ourhotels have witnessed a steadyincrease from India which hasprompted a wider participation.With the right partners onboardand with a wider portfolio, weare optimistic in 2016.”

He added, “The MinorHotel Group launched its firsthotel, the Anantara Hua Hin in2004. Today we have a portfolioof 135 hotels and resorts. Wehave recently taken over theTivoli brand in Portugal andSouth America. Currently, MHGhas hotels in Thailand, Vietnam,Cambodia, Bali, the Maldives,Portugal, South America,Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique,Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi. We

would soon be opening twohotels in Oman. Sri Lanka isanother growing market. Withthree existing hotels and anoth-er one opening in March, we arelooking forward to welcoming alot of Indians.”

Talking about the traveltrade, he said, “We have a fewselect contracted partners, andencourage our travel agents tobook through these partners.Every travel agent is looking fora channel that gives them gooddeals. Our B2B partners areupdated with our offers andhave the right product knowl-edge. Therefore, they can

handle any queries and ensurespeed to market.

Anantara Kalutara Edoardo Giuntoli, GM,

Anantara Kalutara and AVANIKalutara said, “Anantara PeaceHaven Tangalle Resort openedin December 2015 andAnantara Kalutara is likely toopen by March. This will be apositive shock for the hospitalityindustry in the country. We get10 to 12 percent from the Indianmarket depending on the sea-son. For Anantara opening thisyear we would like to bring it to30 per cent. That is why we arehere to promote our propertiesand we will continue to come.The main challenge ofHospitality in Sri Lanka is theinfrastructure, which needs tobe improved, though peoplethere are extremely hospitable.Key elements are very muchpresent to make holidays of travellers fantastic. Occupancieshave been at 70 per cent for ourhotels in Kalutara. We keepgrowing with the opening ofAnantara in 2016.”

Minor Hotel Group (MHG) saw an increase of 60 per cent inroom nights exclusively from the Indian market in 2015 vis-a-vis2014. found out more at their roadshow in New Delhi.

India: Steady market for Minor

KA N C H A N NAT H

Shannon CreadoRegional Director of Sales -India at Minor Hotel Group

Akarsh MathurGMThe Deltin, Daman

TT BU R E AU

3rd Hyatt property opens in Goa

Hyatt Place Goa/Candolim isthe latest Hyatt-branded hotel,which has opened in Goa. The147-room hotel brings the HyattPlace brand’s intuitive design,casual atmosphere and practicalamenities to the Goa area. Withthe addition of this property, theHyatt portfolio in Goa grows tothree properties, including ParkHyatt Goa and Grand Hyatt Goa.“The opening of Hyatt PlaceGoa/Candolim is a significantmilestone for the Hyatt Placebrand as it continues to expandin India and across the globe,”said Kurt Straub, VicePresident, Operations (India),Hyatt. This is the fourth HyattPlace hotel to open in India, join-ing Hyatt Place Hampi, HyattPlace Pune/Hinjewadi and HyattPlace Gurgaon/Udyog Vihar.Ideally located in the heart ofNorth Goa, the property is inclose proximity to the state’sbeaches, including CandolimBeach, Calangute Beach andFort Aguada, as well as popularentertainment and nightlife des-tinations. “The Hyatt Place brandis designed to offer seamlessexperiences suitable for bothbusiness and leisure travellers.We know that our guests willappreciate the comfortable andfunctional amenities offered atHyatt Place Goa/Candolim,” saidSanjay Patti, General Manager,Hyatt Place Goa/Candolim.




J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 3 3INTERVIEW

QWhat is Goa Tourism’sfocus for 2016? Safety and security will

always be our top priority. I willoversee the department’s rolein the maintenance of thestate’s beach cleanliness,beach safety, and tourist polic-ing. Goa Tourism is addingnew activities, events and poli-cies. All this will go a long wayin increasing the tourist foot-falls to the state. Our focus thisyear will also be to promote the e-Tourist Visa facility availablefor international tourists andour new products, especiallyniche tourism products.

QWhat products is Goa Tourism promot-

ing this year?Goa is promoting MICE

in a big way including our ban-queting facilities and conven-tion centres that will draw for-eign tourists and global corpo-rate houses to Goa. Projectssuch as marinas, luxuryresorts for high-end weddingsand luxury yachts are some ofthe attractions for 2016.

Other areas of interestlike heritage, wedding andhoneymoon tourism; festivals,fashion and film tourism aresome of the aspects we wantto underline. We are alsoaggressively promoting eco-tourism, including AV tourism,adventure tourism, hinterlandtourism, wellness and medicaltourism, as well as sportstourism. In the months to comewe will also be adding newtourism initiatives like rope-ways, horse-riding, bungeejumping, segway tours,paragliding and so on.

QCan you share someinbound statistics for

Goa for 2015? While data is still being

compiled and analysed, it is adelight to note that for the firsthalf of 2015 (January-June) wesaw an overall increase in foot-falls by 51 per cent. There wasan eight per cent increase inforeign tourist arrivals asagainst the correspondingperiod for 2014. We received atotal of 21.81 lakh tourists inthe first six months of 2015 asagainst 14.37 lakh tourists inthe same period in 2014. Ofthis, 2.54 lakh foreign touristsvisited Goa between Januaryto June 2015 as against 2.51lakh in 2014.

QHow many internation-al tourists are you

expecting this year?As the year has just com-

menced, it is difficult to com-ment on the exact figures for

2015. However, Goa receivedapproximately 4.5 lakh touristsin 2014 and we are expectingan eight to 10 per cent growthin international arrivals for2015-16. Foreign tourists areavailing the e-Tourist Visa facil-ity in a big way and more than50,000 tourists have alreadyavailed of it at the Goa airportat Dabolim. In addition to for-eign tourists arriving throughcharters and cruise liners,

there is a big increase in foreign FITs. Our new initiatives are also targeting high-end foreign and specialinterest tourists.

QWhat countries is Goakeen on tapping?GTDC is tapping coun-

tries like Russia, UK,Germany, France, Middle Eastand South East Asia.

Sanjeev C. Gauns Dessai, the recently appointed Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, talks aboutpromoting Goa as a 365-day destination even to the international market through its collection of new products.

Goa to focus on weddings & eco-tourismHA Z E L JA I N

For the first half of 2015 (January-June) we saw an overall increase in footfalls by 51 per cent. There was an eight per cent

increase in foreign tourist arrivals as againstthe corresponding period for 2014.

Sanjeev C. Gauns DessaiDirector, Department of Tourism

Government of Goa


Women of theGreen was the theme colour for theladies-only Network Talk organised by

and The Park Hotel, New Delhi.The women turned up dressed in dapper greens and raised a toast to afun evening.


trade go green for fun




3 8 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 INTERVIEW

QWhat is the focus of the roadshow?Our focus is mainly on

products from Bali. We haveinvited around 25 participantsfrom Bali including a variety ofhotels and other allied services. Our primary focus isto promote Indonesia as a des-tination. Last year, around90,000 Indian tourists travelledto Bali alone. We have been inthis industry since the last sixyears and have seen the mar-ket grow really well. So this isthe year when we thought ofstrengthening our base in theindustry and one of the wayswe are doing this is by organ-ising the Bali roadshow.

QWhat is the scheduleof the roadshow?It will be a five-city show

starting from Delhi on February5, 2016 from 10 am to 4 pm.There will be a one-on-one talksession in the evening withoperators from Bali. This will befollowed by a cocktail sessionat 7 pm in which Indonesiancorporates are expected to join

us along with our other part-ners. On February 8, we will begoing to Chennai followed byBengaluru on February 9 andAhmedabad on February 11. Itwill end in Mumbai onFebruary 12 with a cocktailparty. We hope to get theIndonesian Consulate and theIndonesian embassy as well asthe Indonesian officials toattend the Bali roadshow. Allthe key market players will bethere and we are expectingmore than 100 travel agentsfrom every city to join us as wehave a good base here and

have a lot of business comingin from the agents.

QWhat are your focusareas for 2016?Last year we booked with

around 11,000 passengersincluding MICE and otherevents. This year we will try tooutdo the numbers with thefocus remaining on Bali. Otherdestinations like Jakarta,Bandung, Ubud, Lambok, andKomodo Islands are someplaces which we will also befocusing on. Since we are adestination management com-

pany, we do complete productpackages including hotel book-ings, transfers, sightseeing,etc. We do all types of traveltours such as MICE move-ments, weddings, and educa-tional tours.

QWhat upcoming trendsdo you predict in

2016?The year 2016 looks

promising in terms of increasein numbers of tourists. Certainsectors like MICE are gettingpicked up very well. There area lot of weddings taking place

in Indonesia. Bali is also afamous wedding destination forthe Indian market and a lot ofhotels are promoting them-selves for destination weddingsas well.

QWhat is the USP of U&IHolidays? Our reservation is cen-

tralised from Mumbai so thereis no international call, no language problem and revertsare quick. Most of our pack-ages are designed for Indiamarket and accordingly wenegotiate with hotels, so ourrates are very competitive forthis market.

QWhat is your compa-ny's strategy for

growth in 2016?In 2016, we are launch-

ing our portal which will helpus to penetrate the market. Weare also developing our eventteam which will be taking careof big events like weddings in Bali.

QHow was 2015 in termsof business for U&I

Holidays?

We saw 14 per centgrowth in 2015 as compared to 2014. We had handledaround 12,000 passengers toIndonesia from India market in 2015.

QHow has terrorismaffected tourism?Fortunately, Indonesia

has not been affected by therecent ongoing terrorism activ-ities. Indonesia is a peacefulcountry and the peopleinvolved in the tourism industrythere are friendly and helpful.Indonesia remains a tourist-friendly destination.

Shyam Upadhyay, Director, U&I Holidays, talks about his company’s plans and gives insights on theupcoming five-city Bali roadshow starting February 4-14, 2016.

5-city Bali roadshow from Feb 4-14TT BU R E AU

We will have all the key market players andare expecting more than 100 travel agentsfrom every city to join us as we have a goodbase here and have a lot of business comingin from the agents.

Shyam UpadhyayDirector, U&I Holidays

Show on the RoadThe company will alsofocus on destinations likeJakarta, Bandung, Ubud,Lambok, and KomodoIslands

The reservation is cen-tralised from Mumbai sothere is no internationalcall, no language problemand reverts are quick.



HOTELS

While the hotel has been in a ramp-up phase, we have seen a tremen-dous growth in volumes at the hotel.The pricing has been rationalised andthat has helped increase the occu-pancy of the hotel by almost 65 percent compared to 2014. The ARR’s

are now more in line with the market and immediate com-petition set. The ADR has seen a slight dip of 5 per centover last year. Aerocity as a destination is still a construc-tion site. Hence, the buy in from customers to believe inthis destination takes longer.

Antony PageGeneral Manager, JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity

Changing dynamics of AerocityAerocity still remains a construction site even as few hotels have opened doorsand started operations here. We find out how this active space is changing andhow the hotels currently open there are faring.

KA N C H A N NAT H

JW Marriott New Delhi AerocityJW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity started operating October 2013. It has 523 rooms and all the rooms are functional.

With top of the line 14 luxury hotelsand more than more than 5,000 hotelrooms, the 43-acre hospitality andcommercial district named as theNew Delhi Aerocity is expected tousher in volumes and growth for hos-pitality industry. Industry experts fore-

see an increase in stiff competition as Aerocity will be cru-cial for hotels in the next two or three years with some tophotel brands being fully operational and others beinglaunched soon.

Tristan Beau De LomenieGeneral Manager Delegate, Pullman Novotel New Delhi

Aerocity

Pullman Novotel New Delhi AerocityOf the 270 keys, Pullman Aerocity has 99 operational, and outof 400 rooms, Novotel Aerocity has 207 operational rooms.

It’s been little over a year now, fromthen we have seen continuousgrowth on average daily rate. As astrategy it was our cautious approachof penetrating all the segments withour competitive price points, oncethat was done we kept altering our

approach; which is yielding a higher on Average Daily ratewith sustainable occupancy. A major challenge is theunderdeveloped infrastructure. GMR is still under the plan-ning phase to provide basic amenities like drainage andwater supply to its occupants.

Matthieu FirminGeneral Manager, ibis New Delhi Aerocity

ibis Delhi AerocityThe ibis New Delhi Aerocity is currently operating with 316 keys.

We have only grown from strength tostrength. There is a significantincrease in our both ARRs and occu-pancies as compared to last year. Wehave seen a growth of 20 per cent inRevPar over last year. However, beingclose to both domestic and interna-

tional airports there are very limited local residences in itsperiphery. There are also no malls, entertainment or shop-ping options around the hotel presently, which are usuallyadded attractions to draw leisure travelers and FITs.

Sukhbeen Singh TaraHotel Manager,

Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport

Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi AirportLemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport has 280 rooms and isoperating with full inventory.

QWhat is the USP of your property? Dubai Parks and Resorts

will become the Middle East’slargest multi-themed leisureand entertainment destinationcomprising three separatetheme parks: motiongateDubai, a Hollywood movieinspired theme park concept;LEGOLAND Dubai; andBollywood Parks Dubai, a first-of-its-kind, authentic Bollywoodmovie experience. Dubai Parks& Resorts will house the LapitaHotel, a four-star themed hotel

which will be managed by theMarriott Group, and RiverlandDubai, a complementary andcentrally located retail, diningand entertainment district con-necting the three theme parksand hotel.

QWhat kind of sales areyou expecting from

India?In 2014, the approximate

statistics was one million. For Dubai Parks & Resortsspecifically, we are looking forat least half a million visitorsfrom India in a year at least. Our target across the

globe would be about 5.5 million visitors and 6.5 millionvisits to the destination.

QAre you providingexciting deals to travel

agents to promote DubaiParks & Resorts?

We will be working with local travel trade partners as well as other part-ners in India. We have variouspackages for clients lookingfor different options. We have flexibility in our packages for people whohave limited time or for that matter for people who

will be here for leisure and will have ample time attheir disposal.

Dubai Parks & Resorts is set to be the region’s largest multi-themed leisure andentertainment destination when it opens in October 2016. Nevil D'Souza, Head – Sales, Dubai Parks & Resorts, tells more.

Tapping half a million India visitors

Nevil D'SouzaHead – Sales, Dubai Parks & Resorts

AN U P R I YA BI S H N O I

JANUARY 2016South African Tourism Kolkata Jan 18 roadshow

ASEAN Tourism Forum Manila, Jan 18-25(ATF) Philippines

South African Tourism Delhi Jan 19roadshow

Destination NSW, Tourism Kolkata Jan 20Queensland & Tourism Victoria Travel Trade Workshop- Best of Australiaroadshow

FITUR Spain Jan 20-24

South African Tourism Hyderabad Jan 21 roadshow

South African Tourism Mumbai Jan 22 roadshow

IITE Nagpur Jan 22-24

World Travel Trade Mart Mumbai Jan 22-24

Singapore Tourism Board Mumbai Jan 27session

Singapore Tourism Board Delhi Jan 28session

EMITT Istanbul Jan 28-31

SATTE Delhi Jan 29-31

Sirpur National Music Chhattisgarh Jan 29-31& Dance Festival

CSTF Delhi Jan 30

FEBRUARY 2016Tourism Authority of Mumbai Feb 1Thailand- Koh Samui roadshow 2016

Global Destinations event Kolkata Feb 1

Surajkund International Surajkund, Feb 1-15Crafts Mela Haryana

Singapore Tourism Bengaluru Feb 2Board Session

Global Destinations event Ahmedabad Feb 2

Singapore Tourism Chennai Feb 3Board Session

Global Destinations event Bengaluru Feb 3

Global Destinations event Mumbai Feb 4

India International Kolkata Feb 4-6Travel Mart

Tourism Fiji roadshow Chennai Feb 5

India Travel Mart Chandigarh Feb 6-8

U&I Holidays Bali roadshow Chennai Feb 8

Tourism Fiji roadshow Mumbai Feb 9

Austrian National Tourist Mumbai Feb 9Office roadshow

U&I Holidays Bali roadshow Bengaluru Feb 9

Austrian National Tourist Ahmedabad Feb 10Office roadshow

Tourism Fiji roadshow Mumbai Feb 10

6th India International Hotel, Delhi Feb 10-12Travel & Tourism Research Conference (BCIHMCI)

Tourism Fiji roadshow Ahmedabad Feb 11

Austrian National Tourist Delhi Feb 11Office roadshow

U&I Holidays Bali roadshow Ahmedabad Feb 11

For more information, contact us at: [email protected]


J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 TRAVTALK 4 1CLIPBOARD


4 2 TRAVTALK J A N U A R Y 2 N D F O R T N I G H T I S S U E 2 0 1 6 MOVEMENTS

Morning walks, yoga and meditation help Hector Dsouza,Director – India, SouthWest German Tourism, to de-stresseach day. Speaking about his favourite holiday moment, hesays, “Sighting my 25th tiger at Kanha Tiger Reserve a couple

of years ago is something I will neverforget.” South Goa in India and

Europa Park in SouthWestGermany are his favouriteholiday destinations.

Ariane Ehrat, CEO, Tourism Organisation Engadin St. Moritz,a former ski racer, won the silver medal at the World SkiChampionships in 1985 at the age of 24. At 51, she continuesto pursue her passion. “During winters in St Moritz, I ski. I’m

on the slope skiing every availableminute. My favourite time is early

morning at 8 am when no oneis on the slope – it’s just meand the slope,” she says.Having visited India brieflythough, “I want that we explore

more of India from south to thenorth. It is such an interesting

country. I also want to discoverthe benefits of India’s

famous ayurvedictreatments,” Ehrat

adds.

Talking People is a special dedicated corner, created as a sounding board for who’s who of the Indian and International travel industry. With Talking People, it is our endeavour to bring you face-to-face with people.Contributed by: Anupriya Bishnoi & Hazel Jain

Starwood Hotels and ResortsNew DelhiStarwood Hotels and Resorts has promoted Dhananjay Saliankarto Regional Director, Sales & Marketing and Starwood SalesOrganisation, South Asia. A business management graduate,

Saliankar comes with over 25 years of experi-ence in the hospitality industry. He began hiscareer with Centaur Hotels, moved on to TheOberoi Hotels and has worked with TheRegent International and Le Meridien beforejoining Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Withthis new role, Saliankar will be responsible

for sales and marketing activitiesand Starwood SalesOrganisation for the SouthAsia region.

Clarks Shiraz AgraAgraMahipal Singh has joined Clarks Shiraz Agra as Senior VicePresident. Singh’s 33 years of vast experience with the Taj Group ofHotels in India and abroad will bring in rich professional experience

to the city of Agra. His multicultural and cosmo-politan experience includes career stints as aGeneral Manager in eight locations both inleisure and business hotels across the coun-try. Over the span of his hospitality career,Singh had garnered experience in handling

key hotels in unique locations. He holds anMBA in Marketing from Institute

of Management DevelopmentResearch Pune (1982).

Courtyard Marriott AgraAgraAbhishek Sahai has been appointed as the new General Managerof Courtyard Marriott Agra, where he will be managing diverse lead-ership responsibilities of Guest Services, Rooms DivisionManagement, F&B Operations, Administration,Project Management, conceptualisingevents, among other things. Sahai comeswith over 15 years of experience. He waspreviously associated with chains like TheOberoi Group and The Leela Hotels, andheld the role of General Manager at The Leela Palace Udaipur. He started his professional career with The OberoiGroup and was associated with thebrand for a decade.

Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences KolkataPrabhakar Singh has joined Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences,the flagship property of Accorhotels in Eastern India, as the Directorof Sales and Marketing. His previous assignment was at Vivanta by

Taj – President, Mumbai as Director of Salesand Marketing. His tenure with Taj Hotels,Resorts and Palaces spans a period of 10years across three geographies in theWest, South and North of India. He has also worked with The Leela Palaces,

Hotels and Resorts in Mumbai prior to hisstint with the Taj Group.

Pullman & Novotel New Delhi AerocityNew Delhi AerocityVishrut Gupta has been appointed Director of Food & Beverage atPullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity. Gupta comes with 13 yearsof experience in the hospitality industry. In his new role, Gupta will

head the entire F&B Division for the signaturerestaurants and bars of both the hotels. Heshall oversee the smooth functioning ofthe F&B department. Gupta was previ-ously the F&B Director at StarwoodHotels and Resorts, The Westin PuneKoregaon Park. He has worked withbrands like Reliance Industries, The LeelaKempinski, Mumbai, ITC Grand Central,

Mumbai and ITC Mughal Agra.

Thomas Cook India MumbaiThomas Cook (India) has announced the appointment of Vishal Surias MD of Kuoni Travel (India). Prior to the appointment, Suri headedthe outbound portfolio as Chief Executive Officer - Tour Operating,

Kuoni India. He comes with an experience of over22 years across a gamut of consumer centric

industries like telecom, internet, and officeautomation; including over a decade in run-ning travel businesses. Suri is an engineer-ing graduate with B.E. in Electrical. Surijoined Thomas Cook in 2005 and pro-

gressed to become the Chief OperatingOfficer – Leisure Travel (Outbound &

Domestic) in 2007.

Taj Falaknuma PalaceHyderabadRitesh Sharma has been appointed the new General Manager of TajFalaknuma Palace. Sharma started his career with the Taj family 15years ago, as Front Office Associate with the Taj Coromandel,

Chennai. Sharma holds a degree in HotelManagement from S.R.M Institute, Chennai.To further develop his management skills, hejoined the Executive Management Program atthe well renowned S.P Jain Institute ofManagement and went on to attain the SixSigma Black Belt certification from the Indian

Statistical Institute.

The ImperialNew Delhi Indira Banerjee has been appointed as Director- Sales and StrategicPlanning at The Imperial New Delhi. She is a seasoned Hospitalityprofessional with over three decades of experience. In her new posi-tion Banerjee would helm global sales and inter-national portfolios while spearheadingstrategic planning for the hotel. This is herthird tenure at The Imperial, filled withenriched experience of her past associ-ation with the brand as Director-Travel/Trade to Director-Sales and Marketing.She was previously associated with TheOberoi Group, Sujan Luxury Hotels & TheClaridges Hotels & Resorts.

Holiday Inn AmritsarAmritsar Vishal Kumar has been appointed as Director of Sales forHoliday Inn Amritsar. Kumar brings with him almost 15 yearsof experience in the hospitality and aviation industry. In his cur-

rent role, Kumar would look into the Sales& Marketing section of the hotel. Hisexperience ranges from corporate,

travel trade and online business. Hisnew role will include planning andstrategising the marketing plans forthe hotel, directing all sales and mar-

keting efforts towards achievingthe operational

goals of thehotel.

Aseem Kapoor, Area Director-Northwest India and GeneralManager Hyatt Regency Delhi, is an ardent reader. “During offhours I enjoy reading about innovation around the world; thatkeeps me going. I also have a keen interest in studying about

the booming digital segment.” Kapoorabsolutely endorses the Hyatt brandand Park Hyatt Milan hotel is his

favourite. He loves to dine atHyatt restaurants- The ChinaKitchen and TK’s Oriental Grill.

Kapoor is a Thai food lover andwhen in Singapore he just doesn’tmiss dining at StraitsKitchen,which offers the best of local

cuisines. While Mumbai iswhere his heart is,Kapoor says heprefers travellingwith SWISSAirlines.



Postal Reg. No.: DL(ND)-11/6044/2015-16-17; WPP No.: U(C)-178/2015-17 for posting on 1st-2nd and 16th-17th

of the same month at New Delhi PSO, New Delhi - 110001, RNI No.: 53492/1991Date of Publication:15-01-2016

“Acquisition is all about timing and hasnothing to do with the market,” says

Madhavan Menon, Chairman and MD ofThomas Cook (India). Having maintaineda radar silence over the last three monthssince the announcement of its acquisition

of Kuoni India because of necessary reg-ulatory approvals, Menon shed some lighton the restructuring. He said, “With theacquisition of Kuoni India, we haveacquired three strong brands, that enjoystrong consumer connect: 66-year-oldSOTC, SITA, which is a 52-year-old brandand Distant Frontiers which is a newbrand. While India is indeed a highly frag-mented market, our acquisition consoli-dates us into the largest organised playerin the travel space – be it in the outboundpackaged holiday business or in the MICEbusiness or corporate travel.”

The Kuoni brandExplaining the new structure, he said

that Kuoni India will be rebranded asSOTC India and will operate independent-ly. The company has started the processof discontinuing the Kuoni brand in India.He said, “The Kuoni brand is available tous in India for one year and we plan tomigrate to SOTC. Kuoni was introduced tothe India market, but a few years ago, andif I look at SOTC or SITA, they are far bet-ter known and enjoy a significant brandrecall with Indian consumers. We havealready changed the email IDs to sotc.in.”

Kuoni’s outbound business will beknown as SOTC India Pvt Ltd. SOTC willhave an independent management team.

It will continue to run the outbound business – packages holidays, corporatetravel, MICE and domestic travel that will be launched. Thomas Cook India will de-merge SITA – Kuoni India’s inbound brand – and merge it with TCI. This company will be known as TCI,headed by Dipak Deva, which will incor-

porate the three brands– TCI, SITA andDistant Frontiers.

The Thomas Cook brandThe Thomas Cook India Group is

allowed use of the Thomas Cook brand till2025. As part of its Brand TransitionStrategy, the plan is to hence leverage thestrengths of these brands and draw up astrategy to replace the Thomas Cookbrand in the long term. “We will allow the

acquired companies – Kuoni India andKuoni Hong Kong – to operate independ-ently the way they do with their own man-agement teams. Thomas Cook and SOTCwill compete with each other in the B2Cmarketplace simply because we have cus-tomers who are loyal to each of thebrands. But the back-end will be a sharedservices platform.”

Franchise networkMenon assured that the development

will not affect trade partners in any way andthat the franchise network of Thomas CookIndia and that of SOTC will remain separate.“We do not intend to merge them at this pointin time. At some point in the future if we seethis as of value for our trade partners or us,we may. Travel agents who have relation-ships with us and share a relationship withSOTC, are at free will to service anybodythey wish. We will not interfere with the mar-ket structure or with the distribution structurethat either company has. In a mature market,we would have found distributors selling twofranchises simultaneously. I don’t think weare ready to do that yet,” he says.

While Thomas Cook India will rebrand Kuoni as SOTC India and compete in themarket, the acquisition will not affect either of the franchisees and the franchisenetwork of both Thomas Cook India and SOTC will remain separate.

Thomas Cook: What’s in a name?

HA Z E L JA I N

Travel agents who have relationshipswith us and share a relationship with SOTC, are at free will to serviceanybody they wish. We will not interfere with the market structure orwith the distribution structure that

either company has.

Madhavan MenonChairman and MD, Thomas Cook (India)

Numbers as of Dec. 2014Total travel revenue of the combined entity in India is `756 crore

Total travel revenue including Hong Kong is about ̀ 850 crore

The year 2015 has been a challenging year with the Russia charter business suf-fering a setback in spite of which we managed to do some good business. In 2016,the Global economy is showing signs of recovery, which is promising for India asa destination. As a historic step for the tourism sector towards liberalisation of thevisa regime, the government took a great step with granting eTV on arrival to morethan 117 countries in the span of the last one year. It remainsa landmark step but due to lack of adequate infrastructurethis might emerge as the biggest-most challenge inshowing a positive result for the travel industry. India'stourism market is also picking up with initiatives suchas Make in India and Digital India.

Dipak DevaChief Executive Officer –India & South Asia

SITA (Thomas Cook India Group)


Documents

FINAL Trav Talk Jan-2015 final 13-01-2016:TT Layout 1/18 ...travtalkindia.com/pdf/2016/01-jan-2016-2.pdf · 1/1/2016 · Eastern Treasure India Tours Despite a less than expected