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The Ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA) hadannounced the revised

procedure for foreign touristsin groups of four or morearriving by air or sea, sponsored by Indian travelagencies approved by the Ministry of Tourism, andwith a pre-drawn itinerary in April 2013.

The inbound tour oper-ators had been keen to makeuse of the scheme, but hadn’tused it due to the want of cer-tain clarifications. Here, theIndian Association of TourOperators (IATO) had taken alead by requesting the MHAfor required clarifications andvolunteering to help thecause of attracting foreigntourists’ arrivals.

“We have sought clarifi-cations from the Ministry ofHome Affairs so that this can

be implemented effectivelyand our members can makeuse of this facil-ity. Here, theairlines alsoneed to beinformed thattourists mightbe taking flightswithout visaand they shouldbe allowed toboard. It can be

with computer printouts,which confirm that they arepart of the group and theyhave applied for CGLP. As perthe Circular no. 423 of MHA,it is required to fill in the application online onwww.indianvisaonline.gov.in.

The Ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA) hasamended the special

categories in its Visa manual and has entrusted thetravel agents approved by theMinistry of Tourism to play animportant role in getting thefacility of collective landing forgroups. “Foreign tourists ingroups of four, or more, arriv-ing by air or sea, sponsored byIndian travel agenciesapproved by the Ministry ofTourism, Government of Indiaand with a pre-drawn itinerarymay be granted a collectivelanding permit for a period notexceeding 60 days, with mul-tiple-entry facility to enablethem to visit a neighbouringcountry,” said the circularissued by MHA in April.

“To avail this facility, atourist, or travel agency con-cerned shall mandatorily fill inthe applications online on

www.indiavisaonline.gov.in. Acomplete list of group mem-bers along with printed visaapplications and their itineraryshould be submitted bytourists, or travel agency to theFRRO, or FRO concerned, 72hours in advance. The touristor travel agency shall also givean undertaking to conduct thegroup as per the itinerary andextend a further assurancethat no individual would beallowed to drop out from thegroup at any place” added thecircular seen by . As perParvez Dewan, Secretary,Ministry of Tourism,Government of India, it’s avery important development.“India has now opened itsshores by land and sea to peo-ple travelling in groups frommost of the countries acrossthe world, other than a fewdue to special consideration.Fortunately, this developmentalso acknowledges the roletravel agencies accredited by

For collective landing for groups, there are three essentialconditions. It should be a group of 4 or more; applyingthrough a travel agent authorised by MOT and 72 hoursin advance, says Parvez Dewan, Secretary, MOT.

MOT boosts group travel IATO shows the way forward

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This developmentalso accepts the role of travel agenciesaccredited by the Ministry ofTourism

Parvez DewanSecretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

Clarifications from the Ministry of Home Affairs were sought to ensure that the group-landing permitsare implemented effectively and all inbound players canmake use of this facility.

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Contd. on page 18

Making group landings a success

Subhash GoyalPresidentIATO

We, at IATO, alwaystry to get detailedclarifications fromthe concerned ministries on issuesrelated to differentministries

Contd. on page 18

The theme of the IATO Convention 2013

is ‘Tourism Innovations & Partnerships’, which Najeeb believes is a reflection of the true natureof tourism industry.

“Tourism is a hospitalityindustry that is based on rela-tionships, partnerships, inno-vations in technology, prod-uct development, creatingcustomer delight and visitorexperiences. There will beexpert speakers talking ondifferent dimensions of thistheme and we expect veryactive deliberation from par-ticipants. Apart from that,there will be participation bythe tourism departments ofvarious state governments,other allied sectors of tourismindustry, etc. conducting theNational Convention of IATOin Kerala,” said Najeeb.

“Having this conventionconducted in Kerala brings alot of positive attention to the

state from the tourism indus-try across India. The visit andfamiliarisation of the deci-sion-making tour operatorswould promote tourism in thestate. The post-conferencetours will give an opportunityto the delegates to movearound and experience loca-tions and packages by thestate,” he added.

In the fast-changingglobal travel industry, trav-ellers’ preferences have alsochanged. According toNajeeb, the most prominenttravel attraction has alwaysbeen the sun, sand and theblue sea. But more than that,the visitors look for experien-tial tours that give them afeel of India.

“Specially-designedexperiential programmes areproducts new-age travellerslook for. Tourists also wantsmore participatory experi-ences. They are keen on thebody, mind and soul pro-grammes including yoga,meditation and Ayurveda.

In recent times, there havebeen rapid changes in the

tourism and hospitalityindustry. The 29th AnnualConvention’s theme ‘Tourisminnovations and Partnerships’highlights how the market-place got so dynamic and howit requires an equally vibrantnew approach. “In the fast-changing global order, thestakeholders in travel andtourism industry require for-mulating new business part-nerships and innovations atregular intervals. The socialmedia promotions and mar-keting is one such space thatinterests the tour operators’

fraternity a lot, as socialmedia has become such amassive phenomenon. We arekeen to get a speaker fromoverseas, who would explainall nitty-gritties of the socialmedia wave,” said Mathews.

“Moreover, the businesssessions spread over thecourse of the convention willhighlight various innovationsand possible partnershipopportunities to assist all ourdelegates. We had about1,300 delegates in theMumbai convention in 2012.This year, we are trying ourbest and are likely to matchthe numbers registered in theprevious year,” he added.

In the2013 conven-tion, IATO’spatrons andpartners hadbeen veryprompt inextendingtheir support.“The host

Lally Mathews, Co-Convention Chairperson, IATOConvention 2013; says that Kerala is all set to enter thenext level of tourism with the IATO Convention 2013.

Kerala: A strong contender

VIVEK SETHI

The businesssessions spreadover the course ofthe convention willhighlight variousinnovations andpartnershipopportunities

Lally MathewsCo-Convention ChairpersonIATO Convention 2013

Specially-designedexperientialprogrammes areproducts new-agetravellers look for.Tourists also wantsmore participatoryexperiences

EM NajeebCo-Convention ChairpersonIATO

EM Najeeb, Co-Convention Chairperson, IATO is bullish onthe positive aspects of the 2013 convention in Kerala, whichwill put the state in tourism limelight

For a slice of life

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Contd. on page 4

ANALYSIS2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Contd. on page 4

state Kerala, and others likeMadhya Pradesh, AndhraPradesh, Odisha, J&K, andChhattisgarh had alreadycome forward confirmingparticipation, and we expectmany other states to comeonboard at IATO 2013 con-vention. Airline partnersincluding Jet Airways,SpiceJet, and IndiGo hadbeen roped in. On the hospi-tality front, we have roped inas many as 11 hotel part-ners. All the support extend-ed by our partners will make

the convention a great suc-cess,” said Mathews.

“South India has nowbeen very well-received inthe global tourism circles. We receive as many queries for Southern states, as we receive for the Golden Triangle pack-ages. Kerala is now ready to reach the next level with its houseboats,Ayurveda, pristine beaches,new seaplane services andupcoming destinations likeBekal,” he added.

Afive-star luxury resortthat portrays absolute

serenity and harmony with

nature, Jaypee Greens Golf &Spa Resort at Greater Noidais an epitome of elegance.Nestled in 450 acres of greentownship at Jaypee Greens,

the resort is a harmoniousblend of understated luxuryand impeccable service. Asyou walk into the 170-roomresort, with rooms starting

with an area of 750 sq. ft, theambience exudes élan.

The resort has sevenpremium dining outlets.

The 24-hourresto-cafe,Eggspectationspreads out acreative inter-national menuwith an eclecticselection of finefare, includingmany styles ofeggs alone,

making the restaurant one-of-its-kind. Other diningexperiences include Ano Tai– an authentic Chinese cui-sine restaurant, La Brezza –

the Italian restaurant with anaward-winning bar, Enoteca,Paatra for Indian cuisine,Matrix Bar – The Lounge bar,The Churchill – a Cigar Bar,The Tea Lounge and BakersStudio – the Patisserie.

The other unique offer-ings include Wet Feet – adedicated area for kids,Aquene – a swimming poolfor adults with an island bar,an exclusive shopping store,‘The Shop’ with a range of Indian traditional

handicrafts; elegant, multi-functional venues with anexceptional banquet, andconference.

The property is also the first tointroduce SixSenses spa, a super-luxury global spachain from Thailandin India.

A unique conceptspread over an area of 90,000square feet, the Spa has beenintegrated into the naturallybeautiful landscape.

Located just a few kilo-metres from the F1 track, therecently-opened 165-km longExpressway connecting Agraand Delhi has reduced thedrive-time from Greater Noidato Agra to just 90 minutes.The property offers greatmeeting facilities as well. Withtotal space of 75,000 sq. ft, itcan host up to 1,400 personsat a time.

HOTELS4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Nestled in 450 acres of green township at Jaypee Greens along with a 18-hole Greg Norman golf course, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort at GreaterNoida is a 170-room resort, with their area starting from of 750 sq. ft.

The lap of luxury in Greater Noida

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Irresistible Kerala for tourists

South gets credence in world

The greenery and the beau-tiful nature of Kerala with itsbackwaters, beaches, spiceplantations, hills and tradi-tional home-stays make it anirresistible attraction forthem,” said Najeeb. “Medicaltourism is on increase as peo-

ple look for world-class treat-ment at competitive prices.MICE tourism is on theincrease, and almost all newhotels coming up have con-ference and convention facil-ities. History, heritage andculture also are on gooddemand,” he added.

Contd. from page 1

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Japan promotes 311mph Maglev trains for IndiaThe first five cars of the new train, which has a distinctaerodynamic “nose” at the front, were displayed on a testtrack in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The pace of inbound visitorsrecently had fallen behind

the expectations of theinbound industry. But, it hasn’theld back the courageousinbound operators from set-ting up aggressive targets forthemselves. At the same time,they keep their eyes open forpolicy initiatives that can makeIndia more inviting.

“The present times arechallenging, but FICCI’s sur-vey on the present tourismscenario points out that agrowing number of stakehold-ers in the tourism industrynow feel that there could be asurge in inbound touristarrivals in 2013. It is indeed

heartening to note that 46 percent of (close to) 500 respon-dents feel confident that for-eign tourist arrivals would goup in coming six months. Anequal number of respondentsalso feel there would be noimpact of the slowdown overthe next six months ontourism. This is a markedimprovement,” said JyotsnaSuri, Chairperson & ManagingDirector, Bharat Hotels andVice President FICCI.

Echoing similar senti-ments, Vikram Madhok, MD,Abercrombie & Kent India hasset up aggressive targets inthe luxury inbound space thatthey operate. “In the first threemonths of the present year, weare about 10 per cent below

target. But, thebooking trendfor Septemberonwards is verypositive. In fact,we stronglybelieve that theyear will bevery fruitfuland we will end

the year with over 20 per centgrowth,” said Madhok.

Arup Sen, Director,Special Projects, Cox & Kings

also believe that the forth-coming season will offer goodreturns. “The winter of 2013is expected to be much better

than 2012. We expect growthin our inbound segment,”said Sen, confidently. ThomasCook India is committed to its

bullish plans on the seasonahead in 2013. “We arestrongly committed to theplans and targets we’ve setourselves for India Inboundseason 2013-14,” saidSurinder Singh Sodhi, SeniorVice President and Head, Leisure Travel- Inbound, ThomasCook India.

Here, Arjun Sharma,MD, LPTI, promptly brings inthe policy initiatives that arefacilitative in nature to stim-ulate demand. “We had seena gradual deceleration ingrowth since the previousseason. We certainly hopethat policy initiatives likeextending Visa-on-Arrival(VoA) scheme, various strate-gic source markets will cer-tainly help in our objective ofstimulating inbound demand.Steps like extension of grantof VoA on five new ports thatwas recently announced will definitely help revive the sentiment.”

Terming the furore over safety aspects and its consequent fallout on foreign arrivals overrated, industry experts stayconfident of growth in the forthcoming inbound season.

Agents fight sluggish inbound trend

We certainlyhope thatpolicy initiativeswill help instimulatinginbounddemand

Stakeholders inthe tourismindustry feelthat there couldbe a surge ininboundarrivals in 2013

Jyotsna SuriChairperson & Managing Director Bharat Hotels and Vice President FICCI

Arjun SharmaManaging Director LPTI

We stronglybelieve that theyear will be veryfruitful and wewill end the yearwith over 20 percent growth

Vikram MadhokManaging DirectorA&K India

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HOTELS6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Contd. on page 14

Q. How has the weakrupee affected thebusiness?

The continued weaknessof the rupee is a matter of graveconcern for the airlineindustry, just likeany other indus-try. The rupee hasdepreciated by 15per cent year-on-year. Since70-75 per cent ofan airline’s costsare dollar-denomi-

nated, the impact has an overallbearing on aviation turbine fuel(ATF) and other costs as well.Lower costs of operations will

help us to consistently deliverbetter performance. Moreover,India is a growing economy,which means that the demandfor affordable air travel willincrease year-on-year. Whilethere may be a bad period inbetween, but the long-term

picture of the aviation def-initely provides for agreater opportunity forthe entire industry.

Q. IndiGo is nowa leader inASKMs(available seat

kilometres). How doyou manage to stayahead?

We focus on our corecompetence:on-time per-formance, neatand clean oper-ations andcourteous andhassle-freeservice ataffordableprices. It all

boils down to a sense of dis-cipline, ownership, account-ability, which drives thisorganisation. Everythingfrom our meetings, incre-ments and flights happen ontime. Our growth has beenconsistent. Today, we fly 66aircraft, 422 flights daily,covering 33 destinations inseven years of operations.

Q. Any plans toincrease in capacity?

We had initially placedan order of 100 aircraft in2005, out of which 66 arealready flying today. In 2011,we placed an order for 180aircraft. All these A320s willcome into the systembetween 2015 and 2025.Whether we fly to metro orother cities, same flightsoperate everywhere, all econ-omy. That gives us consisten-cy in technology, mainte-nance and makes life mucheasier for us.

Q. There is a lot ofbuzz about impendingStar Alliancepartnership. What isthe true picture?

Right now we are only apoint-to-point carrier, withlow cost of operations andweb-based distribution. Wehave not thought of a StarAlliance partnership yet.

Q. Why hasn’t IndiGoexpanded rapidly intonew destinationsunlike its peers?

Opening new destina-tions mean more costs as itis not just restricted toadding capacity and newflights on existing routes.New destinations meanmore staffing at the airportand ticketing stations as wellas investment on groundstaff. Our strategy is not toexpand the network random-ly, but adding more flights tothe existing route.

Depending on the overallviability of the market, wetake one particular market,create connectivity aroundit, especially to Tier-II and IIIcities, so that customersdon’t have to depend on afew flights of IndiGo andother airlines to completetheir journey. It brings downthe overall cost of operationand also gives us the advan-tage of a better recall. We donot want to open stationsrandomly just with twoflights a day. Rarely have wegone into a market where wehad to pull out. In India, thedemand outstrips supply andwe are running 422 flights…the fact that we’ve remainedprofitable means that thenetwork makes money.

Q. Can boostingregional connectivitybe a viable businessmodel?

We were the first toconnect Guwahati, Lucknowand Jaipur with Bangalore;Jaipur with Hyderabad;Bhubaneswar withHyderabad and Vizag;Kolkata with Vizag, Nagpurwith Pune. Flights connect-ing Ranchi, Varanasi,Mangalore are on the cards.We have been successful indeveloping new marketsand routes. Until we went toPatna in 2010, it was a stag-nant market. Now, we oper-ate three flights a day fromvarious cities and the traffichas grown more than 85 percent. Also, smaller airportshave plans to improve facilities that will allowA320s to land.

AVIATION8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

In India, the demand outstrips supply and we are running 428 flights… the fact that we’ve remained profitable means that the network makes money

Aditya Ghosh, President, IndiGo

In an exclusive interview with , IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh discusses the impact of depreciating rupee on the aviation sector and highlights the carrier’s growth strategy to stay ahead.

‘Sliding rupee a grave concern’

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� New destinations mean morestaffing at the airport andticketing stations as well asinvestment on ground staff

What He Said

The first seaplane, to connect Kerala’s backwater destina-tions, arrived at Kochi airport to a ceremonial water salute.Kerala Minister for Tourism AP Anil Kumar, accompanied by

State Planning Board Vice Chairman KM Chandrasekhar andstate Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, formally received the air-craft as it touched down at the Nedumbassery InternationalAirport, on its maiden flight to Kerala. The service would beformally inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy atAshtamudi Lake in Kollam district on June 2.

Seaplane enters Kerala’stourism service

The model of an adjustable plane, with wings that can beattached to for instance train compartments, was shown at theParis Air Show recently.

The ‘Clip-Air’ project is fresh off the drawing board and featuresa single flying wing that could be clipped onto, for instance train‘capsules’ carrying passengers or cargo, the EPFL TechnicalUniversity in Lausanne said in a statement. "More than a newtype of flying device, its innovative concept could revolutionisethe airports of the future," it said.

The future of air travel?

One of the major chal-lenges being faced by

stakeholders in the travelbusiness is to strike a balance

between online and offlinemarketing and promotionalchannels. Here, a new start-up MediaOneUp offers end-to-end solution customisedfor its travel patrons.

“Our ambition is tomake all our clients stand outfrom the crowd. Through ourexpertise in building flexiblesolutions as per needs of theclients, we catapult their

brand so that its awarenessgrows manifold and results inincreased volume of sales,”said Manish Saini, Director,MediaOneUp.

“We develop niche-branding, con-sulting andmarketingsolutions forour clients. Thebest part of oursolutions isthat it com-bines a mix ofboth traditional

offline channels and new-ageonline channels, dependingon the needs of our clients. Infact, we also offer a uniqueproposition, wherein wecharge no fees from ourclients. We offer them leads,which they can easily convertinto sales and finally, thestart-up shares a small chunk of their overall prof-its,” Saini added.

Saini has ambitiousplans and is on the look-outto lure hotel chains and travelcompanies by offering themvaluable leads. “I see ample

opportunities to serve hoteland travel companies. All ourclients, in addition to sub-stantial businesses, will alsoexperience plausible brandreputation as an addedadvantage of working withus,” Saini added.

MediaOneUp offers a unique proposition wherein its clients are chargedzero fees. The company will provide leads, which can easily be convertedinto sales. In return, it shares a small chunk of its client’s profits.

Striking a balance for travel firms

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AGENTS1 0 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

The best part of our solutions is that it combines a mix of both traditional offline channels and new-ageonline channels

Manish Saini, Director, MediaOneUp

� The company’s ambition isto make all their clients standout from the crowd throughits expertise in buildingflexible solutions as per their needs

Overall Aims

The Lalit Suri HospitalityGroup recently organisedThe 2nd Lalit Walk-A-Thonto celebrate Dabbawalas atThe Lalit Mumbai. The 2nd

Walk-A-Thon saw participa-tion from about 200Dabbawalas against 125 whowalked the roads of Mumbaiduring the 1st edition.Conceptualised by JyotsnaSuri, Chairperson &Managing Director, The LalitSuri Hospitality Group, theevent salutes the ever-pre-sent 5,000 plus dabbawalaswho deliver over two lakhlunch boxes across the busy city every day. Dabbawalas have becomean part of the Mumbai culture and have won accolades across theworld for their clockwork precision and teamwork.

The 2nd Lalit Walk-A-Thon

Thirty-five 5-star hotels have decided to go the eco-friendly way by signing a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) that binds them to the Green Hotels Guidelines with the Delhi Government. Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit was present at the occasion.

The new green measures that are likely to step-up theenvironmental suitability of the hotels comprise of watertreatment plants that treats waste water and makes it fitfor re-utilsation, solar panels for heating water, using bio-degradable fuel as a major source of energy over electricityand natural gas.

35 hotels sign ‘green-pact’

Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & ManagingDirector, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group

Expansion plans:-Swosti has a number of

achievements in its portfolio.It has won some of the mostprestigious awards in theindustry for quality andexcellence in the hospitalitybusiness. Apart from its threeexisting properties (HotelSwosti, Swosti Premium andSwosti Palm Resort) theSwosti Group has ambitiousplans to open several newhotels and resorts at newexotic tourist locations in thestate at Puri, Chilka, Satpada,Bhitarkanika, etc. We intendsetting up world-class prop-

erties with best ambience,recreational facilities, qualityfood and service. It will be amemorable experience alto-

gether for theguests. Wemanage all ourproperties atpar with thebest industrystandards togive real valuefor money toour guests.

Looking at the growingdemand and acute shortageof skilled manpower in thehospitality sector, the SwostiGroup is starting the SwostiInstitute of ManagementScience in Bhubaneswar fromthis year. Initially, coursesrelated to hotel managementwill commence this year, butseveral new courses relatedto Travel & Tourism, Airline Management, OfficeManagement, and Masters’Degree in Business, Hotel Management will alsobe started.

Promoting Odisha:-I feel Odisha as a state

has much more to offer totourists than any other state.We have beautiful beaches (acoast line of 480 km), andIndia’s largest brackishwater lake (1100 sq kms). Itis the only place where youcan see Irrawaddy dolphinsand millions of migratorybirds that flock here duringthe winter season.

Besides this; Satapada,where the seven rivers mergeinto the sea is perhaps theonly place in India where dol-phins come alongside yourtour boats and entertain you.The tribal villages and theculture are some of theattractions that keepEuropean tourists in Orissafor three weeks or more. Onehas to plan to see the best ofIndia in this part of the coun-try, by planning at least for 21nights. Swosti Travels, whichis a leading inbound touroperating company in

Eastern India, specialises inOrissa and the Northeast. Wecan assure guests of ourexcellent standards and qual-ity of services.

HRAO initiatives:-I have been working

with the State Government forbetter understanding andcoordination between theindustry and the state govern-ment. With 180 members inthe Hotel & RestaurantAssociation of Orissa (HRAO),individual problems of hote-liers are also addressed by theassociation from time to time.

Apart from this, we hold reg-ular coordination meetingswith the government and the various departments such as Forest & Environment Department,Home Department, GeneralAdministration and officials atthe district level. It is very dif-ficult for tourism in Orissa togrow without the availabilityof trained manpower and mea-gre support from the Centre..

We are proud that, thedynamic leadership of ChiefMinister Naveen Patnaik, hasmade Odisha one of thelargest investment destina-tions in the country. The statetourism department has pro-duced the best Tourism Policyof the country, which isawaiting cabinet approvaland should be out shortly.Incentives never heardbefore have been incorporat-ed into the new tourism pol-icy, which would provide fora huge inflow of investmentin the tourism sector.

In a special interaction, J K Mohanty, Managing Director, Swosti Group (Hotels-Resorts-Travels) and Chairman,Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) shares his company’s expansion plans and also active rolebeing played by HRAO. Here are the selected excerpts:-

Bringing Odisha to the foreSTATES1 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

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J K Mohanty Managing Director, Swosti Group (Hotels-Resorts-Travels) and Chairman,Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha

Konark Temple, Odisha

Globus Roaming Servicesrolled out the XIM card,

their international SIM cardfor travellers across India lastyear. Talking about the per-

formance of the product inthis first year, Feroz Malik,Director, Globus RoamingServices reveals, “Whatstarted as a pilot run to testwaters in this segment, isnow a full-scale businessmodel. In a short period ofjust one year, we have man-aged to get a fairly decentcustomer base.”

Talking about the USPof the card, Malik affirms,“XIM is a cost-effectivealternate global roamingsolution which offers over90 per cent savings over theother options in this space.We are selling the product toB2B such as large corporateentities, tour and travelgroups. The XIM card offers

single number global roam-ing services to customers.Also, it is a lifetime card,once availed can berecharged and used any-where in the world on sub-sequent travels.”

By offering travelagents an alternate revenuesource, the company is pro-moting the XIM card

through the B2B travel fra-ternity in the country.“Today, when travel agentssell tickets, they do not makeany money, because marginsare quite low or negligible.With this card, we are offer-ing them a lifetime revenuemodel. For every recharge,the agent gets a commis-sion,” he adds.

XIM is a cost-effective, alternate global roaming solution which offersover 90 per cent savings over other options in this space.

Dial ‘XIM’ for global telephony

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We are sellingthe product toB2B such aslarge corporateentities, tour andtravel groups. Weare offering thema lifetime revenuemodel. For everyrecharge, theagent gets acommission

Feroz MalikDirectorGlobus Roaming Services

TECHNOLOGY I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 TRAVTALK 1 3

Virgin Atlantic hasrevealed the strangest itemspassengers leave behind aftertravelling with the airline. Asurvey shows it’s not justreading glasses and CDs.Some passengers also leavebehind smartphones, iPods,iPads, wedding rings, babystrollers, shoes, and evenpassports. Any left items thatare not claimed for more than6 months, if not perishable,are donated for charitablecauses. "We were surprisedto find an artificial limb leftbehind by one of our passen-

gers, but were delighted thatwe were able to re-unitethem,” said Stephen King,General Manager, VirginAtlantic- India.

� By offering travel agents analternate revenue source, the company is promotingthe XIM card through the B2B travel fraternity in the country

Game Plan

Strangest items left on airplanes

The travel fraternityvehemently condemns allcrimes, including instancesof crime against women.However, they want to high-light in their own way that

India is a safe destination fortourists. In Madhok’s wordsthe furore over the safetyaspects and its consequentfall out on foreign arrivals,especially women isoverblown. “The tour oper-ators offer support right fromthe entry point till the depar-ture, which practicallymeans that there are no cir-cumstances whatsoever thatlead to the safety of ourguests being put at risk. Inour luxury domain, there has

been neither any cancella-tion nor any query on safetyof any region,” he added.

“With national andinternational media givingextensive coverage to theincidents, Incredible India’s

image has been impactedadversely, more so with theissuance of travel advisories.Media plays a vital role notjust as influencer, but oftendecision-maker and a bal-anced approach is mission-critical. They should alsohighlight the measures andinitiatives taken by the MOT,Central & State Governmentand administration. Theyshould showcase newtourism-focused develop-ments; unique upcoming des-

tinations, con-cepts andtrends,” opinedSodhi. Sensa-tionalisation ofall incidentsdoes not help inthe long run,Sen said, givinga practitioner’sperspective.

1 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 FAMILY ALBUM

Innovations to beat theslump of economy

The media shouldalso highlight theinitiatives takenby the MOT,Central and StateGovernment andthe administration

This winter is expected tobe much betterthan 2012. We expectgrowth in oursegment

Arup Sen DirectorSpecial Projects, Cox & Kings

Surinder Singh SodhiSenior Vice President & Head, LeisureTravel- Inbound, Thomas Cook India

Contd. from page 6

...And the tourism ministers meetA National Tourism Ministers’ Conference was held in New Delhi in July to discuss the futurestrategies for realising the full tourism potential of the country. The Conference was chairedby K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State, Government of India and attended by over 23 State TourismMinisters and tourism officials were present from all states and union territories.

Business travelers havebeen on the rise in the

country. Betting big on thissegment is the Ascot Hotels& Resorts Pvt. Ltd. The com-pany has successfullylaunched new concepts inhospitality since 1995. It hasvarious brands under itsumbrella, of which the mainbrand is Savoy Suites, whichare premium serviced apart-ments. Today, this brand ispresent in three locations inthe Delhi-NCR, namely, IMTManesar, Sector-16 Noidaand Pari Chowk GreaterNoida. Says Vikram Bakshi,owner and chairman, AscotHotels & Resorts, “These

properties are located in theup and coming bustling busi-ness centers, where thedemand is only rising for such

a concept. Withsatellite citiesin the NationalCapital Regionof Delhi devel-oping at a fastrate and manylocal and inter-national com-panies lookingto expand their

reach in India, there has beena sharp surge in businesstravel over the last fewyears.” Executives from Indiaand abroad spend from a fewdays to months in these busi-ness hubs and travel fre-quently. Hence, servicedapartments are a smart alter-native to a high cost hotelstay or a no frill, no servicesguest house. The presence ofthis concept has beenincreasing in the metro citiessuch as Delhi, Mumbai,

Bengaluru andHyderabad, headds.

Talkingmore about theexisting proper-ties, Bakshielaborates,“Savoy Suites atIMT Manesar isdirectly accessi-ble from the NH-8 and offers 108suites spreadover five floors.Each suite has a

fully furnished livingroom, a well-equippedkitchen and a comfortablebedroom with an attachedtoilet. The property alsooffers a fully functional gym-nasium and pool, fully serv-iced state of the art banquet,meeting and conferencefacilities for various sizedevents. Additionally, there isa premium retail outlet cen-ter within the premises,housing various internation-al brands and food chains.”

Savoy Suites at GreaterNoida offers 58 suitesspread out over six floors, alloverlooking the atrium onthe inside. The one and twobedroom suites have a com-fortable bedroom, a livingroom and a fully equippedkitchen. The property alsohas a fully functional fitnesscentre, outdoor pool andJacuzzi and four meetingrooms to cater to varyingneeds of business meetingsand conferences. The hotelis a part of the Ansal Plazamall at Pari Chowk andguests have a separate entryinto the mall.

These properties are located in the up-and-coming bustling business centres, where thedemand is only rising for such a concept. reports more on the group’s future plans.

Savoy Suites for biz travellersTT BU R E AU

HOTELS1 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Savoy Suites Greater Noida

� All the suites have a fullyfurnished living room,bedroom and an Italiankitchenette. This propertyalso offers a gymnasiumand a terrace swimmingpool, meeting rooms andalso a convenience store

Features

Etihad Airways haslaunched a dedicated in-flightchild care assistance pro-gramme for families, led bythe introduction of a newFlying Nanny on board longhaul flights.

Identified by brightorange aprons, each FlyingNanny aims to provide a ‘help-ing hand’ to families and unac-companied minors. They willalso introduce children to theexciting collectable Etihadcharacters – Zoe the bee,Jamool the camel, Kundai thelion, and Boo the panda – whoaccompany them on their trip.

During the past twomonths, 300 Etihad Airwayscabin crew members havecompleted enhanced trainingfor the role. A further 60 willbe trained in September and500 Flying Nannies will beworking across Etihad Airwaysflights by the end of 2013.

The course includes in-depth training, from the worldrenowned Norland College,concentrating on child psy-chology and sociology,enabling the Flying Nannies toidentify different types ofbehaviour and developmentalstages that children gothrough and how to appreciatethe perspective and needs oftravelling families.

Etihad to haveflying nannies

MOT1 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

But, on the website, it is onlyvisa form that too, missionspecific and there is no visibleprovision for submission of group itinerary. It is impor-tant to understand, where the application is to be filed bythe tourist and which docu-ments to be submitted byhim,” said Subhash Goyal,President, IATO.

“The format of under-taking to be given by touroperators should also beclarified to ensure nothing isleft out. Moreover, theresponsibility of the tour-operator, in case a groupmember slips out, should be limited to reporting thematter to the nearest police

station and/or FRRO regionalor the central office. Thetour-operator shouldn’t beheld responsible beyondthis,” he added. Goyal is alsoquick to highlight that IATO has always worked forinbound tour-operators as aneffective platform. “We, atIATO, always try to getdetailed clarifications fromthe concerned ministries onissues related to differentministries. We then circulatethem to members for theirbenefit.”

“Tour operators cannotdictate terms, but can givedirections on behalf of theIndian Government. Thereare some certain rules fol-lowed all over the world,which have to be followed by

the visiting tourists. It is notonly in our country that wehave to give directives to thetourists, on behalf of the gov-ernment. There are variousreasons, largely the securityreasons, which cannot becompromised. However,Visa-on-Arrival has beenintroduced for many coun-tries, which was not thereearlier. Similarly, more citieslike Goa, Kochi, Trivandrum,Hyderabad and Bangalorehave been added. So govern-ment now unde stands thevalue of tourism and its con-tribution in creating employ-ment and revenue genera-tion,” added Goyal.

MOT1 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

• How and where to apply and papers/documents requiredfor submission by the recognised tour-operator along withthe list of group members as well as tour-program.

• What will be the format of undertaking to be given bytour operators, to ensure nothing is amiss

• Where and when the fees are to be paid, along withvarious options

• In a group landing permit, what will happen to the air-ticket and tour cost paid by the tourist

Some of the issues for clarification

Make group-permit viable

� The inbound tour operatorshad been keen to make use of the scheme, buthadn’t used it due to the want of certainclarifications

� Here, the Indian Associationof Tour Operators (IATO)had taken a lead byrequesting the MHA forrequired clarifications andvolunteering to help thecause of attracting foreigntourists’ arrivals

Features

MOT, who will play an important role in facilitatingthe grant of collective landing permits.” “Thereare 3 conditions, as it should be a group of 4 ormore, applying through a travel agent authorisedby MOT and at least 72 hours in advance. If appli-cant doesn’t meet the criterion, the permit will notbe granted,” he added.

Contd. from page 1

Contd. from page 1

Conditions applied

`10-cr boost to Rajasthan tourism Rajasthan should proac-

tively market its tourismpotential, said the RajasthanChief Minister, Ashok Gehloton the occasion of FoundationLaying Ceremony of a `10 crore ‘Paryatan Bhawan’in Jaipur.

The state should not in any way lag behind in its marketingefforts to attractboth the foreign as well as domestictourists.

According to Bina Kak,Minister of Tourism, the statehas made immense progress in not only tourismbut also in the field

of art and culture as well asforest and environment sector.She also said the six hill forts

were on the verge of beingapproved as UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites. These forts included Amber,

Ranthambore, Gagron,Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer andKumbhalgarh. The construc-

tion of the new building willbe executed by RajasthanState Road Development &Construction Corporation.

Ashok Gehlot with Bina Kak and Rakesh Srivastava, PrincipalSecretary-Tourism

KSM Hotel ConnectionsIndia is one of the best

hotel marketing groups head-quartered in New Delhi. Thecompany extends customisedmarketing solutions to its fran-chisees across the country.

Discussing the existingportfolio of KSM HotelConnections India, KBMahanta, Director, KSMHotel Connections India,informs, “The companyoffers business-stays, resi-dential conferences, HR ini-tiative programmes, etc., atour 16 exclusive destinationsin the country where wehave a wide range of accom-

modation from luxury andsuper deluxe to budgethotels. We suggest the mostviable accommodationoptions to both domestic aswell as international trav-ellers.” According toMahanta, the main focus ofthe company is on corporatesector.Talking about the USPof the company, he says,“Keeping the philosophy ofAtithi Devo Bhava in mind,our entire team has nowreached a stage where wehave achieved a remarkablegrowth in the number oflodging franchisers.”

Throwing light onfuture plans, Mahanta says,“We plan to increase our

emphasis onboth corporateand domesticmarkets. Also,we have got agood responsefrom our corpo-rate for theinternationalsector.

Currently, we are also pro-moting Thailand, Hong Kong,Singapore and Malaysia.”

Within 10 years of its operations, KSM Hotel ConnectionsIndia now works on 20 different categories of propertiesthat covers all segments of hotels.

One group & 20 categories

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We suggest themost viableaccommodationoptions to bothdomestic as wellas internationaltravellers

KB MahantaDirectorKSM Hotel Connections India

Aashish Kumar Roy,General Manager, Iris

Park Hotel New Delhi said,“The prime location in thecentre of a vibrant city likeDelhi and close proximity toDelhi Airport make this hotelideal for business and leisuretravellers from the inboundand domestic segments.” The Iris Park Hotel, NewDelhi has 57 rooms spread across three floors as well asall-day dining options, meet-ings, conferences and ban-quet facilities.

Roy added, “Businesstravellers and FITs will bedelighted with our emphasison value for money experi-ences and exceptional serv-ices. We are also one of thefew hotels in Delhi to have a24-hour kitchen which willhelp us provide better F&Bservices to travellers when-ever they need it, even if it’sat 4 AM. The hotel also owns and maintains its fleet of cars, thereby guaran-

teeing travellers qualitytransport options.”

Elaborating on theirplans to engage with thetravel trade, Roy said,“Though we also work withthe inbound segment, ourtarget is mainly the domesticleisure market especiallyfamilies. Over the last fewyears, we have been workingon reaching out to travelagents and tour operatorspersonally in order to developour network as well as buildrelationships with the tradeand increase awarenessabout the Iris Park Hotel,New Delhi. Going forward,we will look to further widenour reach and expand thenumber of cities we are look-ing to tap.” The hotel is tar-geting metros and Tier IIcities in South and WesternIndia such as Pune,Bengaluru, Hyderabad,Chennai and Mumbai toattract visitors to the hotel.

Iris Park Hotel NewDelhi expects to see 7-10 per

cent growth this year. Royconcluded by saying, “It has been a good year so farand we are positive that we will see significant growthin 2013.”

Situated in the heart of South Delhi, Iris Park Hotel NewDelhi plans to leverage on its central location to attracttravellers from the domestic leisure segment.

Leveraging on location

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Our target ismainly thedomestic leisuremarket, especiallyfamilies

Aashish Kumar RoyGeneral ManagerIris Park Hotel New Delhi

ASSOCIATIONS2 0 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Chennai-based ParveenTravels has taken to the

B2B route to grow its busi-ness. In fact, as per A Mohamed Aarif, ManagingDirector, Parveen Travels, thegroup gets about one-third of business through the B2B network.

“The major contributionto our business is frominbound tourists, and B2Bplays a major role. It alonecontributes to 30% of ourtotal turnover. We handleboth Inbound and outboundtourists. Our major focus inthe outbound sector is Asiancountries, Middle East, Far

East, Europe, Germany andUSA. We are also looking formore tie-ups in both domes-tic and international regionswith B2B agents,” said Aarif.

For the uninitiated, thegrowth story of ParveenTravels is a case study initself. The group started offwith one tourist taxi andtoday, it has got the biggestfleet in South India with morethan 1,100 vehicles, whichalso include the most luxuri-ous of sedans. A must-men-tion about its fleet is the 10-45 seater coaches, whichinclude Volvo and MercedesBenz, with chemical toilets toname a few.

“We haveour head officein Chennai andbranchesspread across infive states. Witha tagline ‘OneStop Shop ForAll Your TravelNeeds’, wehave received

National Tourism Awards for7 consecutive years since2000 for earning maximumIndirect Foreign Exchange andfor providing excellent servic-

es in its field. “Things canchange in a short span of timeif the Government comes for-ward supporting the tourismsector and recognises it as anindustry, and by relaxing itsnorms and policies withregard to inbound foreigntourists,” said Aarif.

“Though transport isconsidered to be the back-bone of the Tour and Travelindustry, the government hasnever created any stronginfrastructure nor given anysupport to the transport seg-ment. The governmentshould come out with a policyOf ‘One Permit, One Tax, OneIndia’ which will promotetourism industry in a big way.Then, we can see growth inboth domestic and interna-tional tourists and we couldalso give uniform revenue tothe government year afteryear. Apart from Road Tax,tourists are also charged withEntry Tax, Service Tax etcwhich the government shouldlook into,” he added.

The group made a gentle beginning with one tourist taxi. Today, it hasgot the biggest fleet in South India and had received the National TourismAwards for 7 consecutive years since 2000.

Parveen Travels banks on B2B

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The majorcontribution toour business isfrom inboundtourists, and B2B plays amajor role

A Mohamed AarifManaging DirectorParveen Travels

Additionally, GeeTeeTravels has also placed

an order for VauxhallMovanos which are due toarrive in early 2014 making them the first trans-port and logistics provider inthe country to have thesevans in their fleet.

Mohan Goyal, Director,Geetee Travels said, “Afterestablishing our base inMumbai, we have decided toexpand further afield toAhmedabad which is a rapid-ly growing market. Once wehave consolidated our posi-tion in the Gujarat market,we will aim to expand toother markets in the countrysuch as Rajasthan in 2014.”

Speaking of workingwith the travel trade, Goyaladded, “Our main focus is onthe inbound tourism segmentwhich is rapidly growing.Additionally, we are seeing alot of demand from the MICEsegment as well. We are con-stantly working together withour partners in the travel andhospitality industry in order toprovide quality services to

inbound tourists to the coun-try. GeeTee deals with over300 operators across India asa part of our franchisee net-work, covering almost all citiesand towns in the country”

GeeTee Travels pro-vides passenger, luxury, pre-

mium and top-of-the-linevehicles on hire. Its fleetincludes passenger levelcars, Executive Level Cars,Luxury Cars, Motor Homes,Mini Coaches and VolvoCoaches. Goyal stated,“GeeTee has an exclusivefleet of Mercedes Benz cars.We are the only car rentalcompany in Mumbai to offera Mercedes S 350 in its fleet.We also have one of thelargest fleet of Volvos with12 Volvos today, a significantincrease from 2 Volvos in2007.” He said, “2013 hasbeen a very good year so far,and I am estimating approx-imately 10-15 per centgrowth this year.”

Goyal informed, “AtGeeTee, our goal is to provideour customers with an indi-vidualised rental experiencewhile satisfying the customerand to constantly grow byimproving our services aswell as constantly innovating.When we first launched in2003, we had just two vehi-cles in our fleet, today wehave over 250 vehicles whichis testament to our growth inthe market.”

GeeTee Travels is currently focussed on strengthening itsoperations across the country. It recently opened its branchoffice in Ahmedabad called Voyage Charter Coaches.

GeeTee: Revving to go

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Once we haveconsolidatedour position inthe Gujaratmarket, we willaim to expand toother markets

Mohan GoyalDirectorGeetee Travels

2 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 AGENTS

Travstarz Holidays &Destinations also plans to

introduce packages toAustralia, the USA andCanada later this year. Thetravel company had recentlylaunched packages to Europe.

Pankaj Nagpal,Managing Director, TravstarzHolidays & Destinations said,“The fluctuating rate of therupee has definitely had animpact on outbound travel.However, we are still seeingtravellers interested in trav-elling abroad, though theymight shorten their length ofstay or countries visited. TheIndian traveller is rapidlyevolving and is keener tohave an experiential uniquevacation.” Nagpal alsorevealed that Travstarz hadseen growth of over 30 percent in Q1 of 2013 comparedto the same period in 2012.

Travstarz which waslaunched by Nagpal alongwith his wife Sucheta Nagpalalso plans to launch an onlineportal by the end of 2013called Travstarz Online. Heinformed, “The online portalwill be a one-stop shop fortravellers who are planning atrip. A customer will be ableto book hotels, flight tickets

Delhi-based Travstarz Holidays &Destinations is focussing on consolidating its presence in theIndian company.

Travstarz Holidays consolidating in India

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Pankaj NagpalManaging DirectorTravstarz Holidays & Destinations

Contd. on page 23

The Indian travel industryis burdened with number

of taxes which makes the‘Incredible India’ not soattractive for inbound as wellas domestic tourists. Indiahas a lot of potential in thefield of tourism and travel as

compared to some of thecountries like Malaysia,Thailand, Singapore, HongKong and Mauritius whichearn more foreign exchangethan what we do. It is a mat-ter of concern, however, thata country which supportsmore than sixteen per cent of

the world population had justone per cent share of theglobal tourist arrival.

According to Thakur,taxation is the biggest chal-lenge faced by the Indiantravel and tourism sector. Hesaid, “Be it ATF for airlines ortransport for tourism; theindustry is burdened with

heavy taxes and often doubletaxation is observed. There isa need for avoiding this bur-den to give a boost to domes-tic tourism sector and alsoimprove foreign exchangeearnings. The Ministry ofTourism has done an excellentjob by introducing Visa OnArrival facilities for various

countries. This is not onlyimproving our inbound busi-ness but is also helping thecountry’s GDP growth.”Moreover, Thakur emphasizesstrongly on state-to-state col-laboration for promoting Indiaas a country among globalmarkets. “States like Keralaand Rajasthan are doing

extremely well among globalmarkets and emerging stateslike Gujarat, Madhya Pradeshand North East states aregaining awareness. However,there is a strong need forstates to collaborate amongthemselves to further boosttourism with mutual bene-fits,” says Thakur.

Apart from challenges like infrastructure and heavy taxation, the country’s tourism sector is also facing problemslike terrorist activities, safety and security, says Vijay Thakur, Past President, IATO.

Taxation is the biggest burden on tourism TT BU R E AU

MOT has donean excellent jobby introducingVisa-on-Arrivalfacilities forvariouscountries

Vijay ThakurPast President, IATO

ASSOCIATIONS I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 TRAVTALK 2 3

and domestic and interna-tional packages from acrossthe world from our invento-ry.” Additionally, the companyalso plans to launch a retailbrand targetted exclusively atthe luxury segment by theend of the year.

The company whichworks with over 15,000 trav-el agents and tour operatorsacross the country is keen onfurther strengthening its rela-tionship with its travel part-ners. Nagpal said, “Our focusis on building our relation-ships with the travel tradeacross the country and we dothis through our e-mail mar-keting campaign as well asregularly engaging withagents and suppliers for morenetworking opportunities.”

Soon, luxuryretail brand Contd. from page 22

With ample space forbanquet and confer-

ence facilities, Jaipur-basedRajasthali Resort & Spa isfurther enhancing its busi-

ness strategy for MICE busi-ness growth. With 54 keys,leisure facilities and banquetarea to cater around 200guests, the property recorded65 per cent of its businesscoming from MICE, which

was dominatedby destinationweddingevents. Itintends to fur-ther grow thissegment forwhich it isclosely workingwith MICE

operators in India and overseas.

Talking about the busi-ness strategies to attract

MICE business, Girish CAgarwal, CMD, RajasthaliResorts & Studios Ltd andPuja Construction said,“MICE is one of the fastest-growing travel segments inIndia, and Rajasthan isknown for destination wed-dings in domestic and globalmarkets. This year, we areprojecting 70 per cent of ourbusiness to come from MICE.

With an excellent heritageproperty offering royal Indianhospitality experience, theRajasthali Resort providesthe best backdrop for royalweddings and signatureevents. We are encouragingMICE operators with attrac-tive incentive schemes anddeals to bring in more MICEbusiness and make RajasthaliResort a preferred destina-

tion for MICE. We are alsooffering all-inclusive valuepackages for corporate com-panies which also include spa services, transport and sightseeing.” The prop-erty is offering family holi-days for two nights and three days at the property forhigh-performing agents whoare getting quality businessin volume.

With 54 keys, leisure facilities and banquet area to cater around 200 guests, the property recorded 65 per cent of itsbusiness coming from MICE.

Rajasthali Resort focusses on MICETT BU R E AU

HOTELS2 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

The Wall StreetHotel is consid-

ered to be a presti-gious address forleisure and businesstravellers alike.Situated at a com-fortable location at M-I Road inJaipur, the hoteloffers all facilitiesand services at com-petitive rates.

The team atWall Street is com-mitted to provide to their val-ued guests the highest stan-dard of personal service andcare, qualities that make it the

top choice for corporate travellers. The discerning feedback of the guests hasenabled the hotel to progres-sively improve upon its serv-ices and form a great sourcefor future guidelines.

Understanding howcompetitive the market istoday, The hotel offers com-plete value-for-money to itsguests. The services that itoffers are steeped in the tra-dition and culture ofRajasthan. Commissioned in2005 by the UKM Group, themanagement was then hand-ed over to ConceptHospitality Pvt Ltd, the pio-

neering group managingEcotel Hotels.

Equipped with all mod-ern amenities in the rooms,like tea-coffee maker, LCD TV, running hot and cold water, Wi-fienabled rooms, car rentals,travel assistance, doctor-on-call valet parking, the hotel boasts ofConversation, a 66-seaterrestobar that serves excel-lent multi-cuisine food.Besides the a-la-cartemenu, Conversation also offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight buffet.

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The RajasthaliResort providesthe bestbackdrop forroyal weddingsand signatureevents

Girish C AgarwalCMD, Rajasthali Resorts & Studios andPuja Construction

� The services that it offers aresteeped in the tradition andculture of Rajasthan

� The hotel offers completevalue-for-money to itsguests

� The team at Wall Street iscommitted to provide to theirvalued guests the higheststandard of personal serviceand care

Services

The Wall Street Hotel in Jaipur is the top choice for corporate travellers as it offers quality services at competitive rates.

Top of the travellers’ list

NEWS

At the curtain-raiser on‘Caravan Tourism -

India by Road’ meet con-ducted by PHD Chamber ofCommerce in New Delhi, theSecretary, Ministry ofTourism highlighted bestpractices that could very

well change the prospects ofcaravan tourism in India.“Caravans are a uniquetourism product, which canpromote various niche seg-ments including family trav-el, pilgrimage, spiritual,MICE or even honeymoontours. It has potential topromote new circuits anddestinations, attractinginbound and domestic trav-ellers of all ages,” saidParvez Dewan, Secretary,Ministry of Tourism,Government of India.

“In countries like UK, USand Singapore, where facilitiesof caravan tourism exist inplenty, caravans had beenused in many innovative ways.In many parts of our country,rooms are still a constraint,especially in peak season. Wecan use caravans as ‘mobilehotels’, which can be a great

help during peak tourism peri-ods,” he added.

Here, Suman JyotiKhaitan, President, PHDChamber highlighted thatIndia’s tourism sector is wit-nessing robust growth onthe back of increasinginbound and domestictourism and caravan tourismcan be increased in India bydeveloping public-privatepartnerships. Further, RajivKumar Vij, Co-chairman,Tourism Committee, PHD

Chamber emphasised on theadvantages of road tourismand its growth journey in the country.

Sharing their experi-ence with the CaravanCircuits, Om VijayChoudhary, Chief GeneralManager, Madhya Pradesh

Tourism said, “MP Tourismhas three coaches operat-ing, where travellers canstay and travel the lengthand breadth of three majorcircuits.” Promoted as‘Holiday on Wheels’, there are several packagesthat the State is promotingin three circuits with bases in Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal. All the basic facilities areavailable onboard, includ-ing Internet connection, in the caravans.”

In many parts of our country, rooms are still a constraint.Caravans can be used as mobile hotels and then bemoved to another place, where there is a shortage.

Caravans as mobile hotels

Market Brand India

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Dignitaries at the curtain-raiser on ‘Caravan Tourism - India by Road’ meet organised by the PHD Chamber in New Delhi

58%

9%

25%

8%

The responses to this came out verystrong with a clear majority (58 per cent)of the industry members wanting theIndia Tourism Overseas Offices to marketBrand India aggressively for inboundtourism.Other suggestions includedinnovative packages by hotels and travelcompanies, forward bookings and EMIdeals to help promote holidays.

recently conducted a poll on “How can wecounteract the impact of the falling rupee onIndian tourism?”

Overseas offices marketing brand India

Forward booking

Creating innovative packages

EMI deals

This season, let the lure ofthe tiger beckon you to

the historic Ranthamborewhere the land tells tales offierce valour and the junglecomes with its own spectac-ular surprises. Allow yourselfto sink into luxury and her-itage as you follow the trailof the elusive animals,indulge your senses withgourmet delights, or simplyfollow some of the roads lesstravelled. Treehouse Groupwelcomes you to its newestproperty, aptly namedTreehouse Anuraga Resort.This is a full service five-starhotel, which restores one of

Ranthambore’s oldest hotels,the Anuraga Resort into amodern complex with a tra-ditional inheritance. The

resort is animportant newaddition to theTreehouseGroup, whichhas alreadymade a namefor itself in themanagement ofvarious hospi-tality concepts

across the country.Treehouse Anuraga Resortcombines the best of the tra-ditional Rajasthani hospital-ity with the modern and con-temporary service standardsof the Treehouse Group. Thehotel has been created withauthentic Rajasthani archi-tecture and constructionstyles. It will have 40 rooms,four suites, a banquet hall,swimming pool, gardens,conference facility, spa andgym as well as restaurant

and bar. The hotel will befully serviced and will offerall amenities to the visitorswho frequently go toRanthambore. TheTreehouse Anuraga will beready for guests byNovember 1 this year. Fromcustomised tours which takeguests deep into the safari,temple trails, to day trips toan organic farm and dairy,the Treehouse Anuraga willoffer unparalleled experi-ences for visitors.

This is a full-service five-star hotel, which restores one of Ranthambore’s oldest hotels, the Anuraga Resort into a modern complex with a traditional inheritance.

Treehouse’s new property by Nov 1

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HOTELS2 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 1

A global survey of over 10,000 travellers conducted by travel search site Skyscanner has revealed that the complimentary feature most travellers wanted at an airport is

a cinema. Around 49% of therespondents voted for the sil-ver screen over other services.Getting a quick nap alsoscored highly with over a thirdof the respondents voting forsleep pods, a feature that AbuDhabi Airport unveiled recent-ly which, at UAE Dirham 45per hour (approximately

`700), provides an affordablealternative to a hotel room.

Cinema wanted in airports

Cinema 49%Sleep pod 36%Library 32%Park 31%Vanity area 30%Kids play area 21%Pool 20%Gym 15%Man-made beach 12%Bikes 11%

Top 10 most wanted features:

In a bid to promote stand-alone and small hotel

chains in the Delhi and NCRRegion, Global Hotel

Representations has been established by OP Mendiratta. Talking aboutthe USP of the company,Mendiratta, ManagingDirector, Global Hotel

Representationssays, “The com-pany will help inmarketing hotelproperties.Represen-tatives of GlobalHotel Repre-sentations canvisit potentialcorporate hous-

es, tour operators, MICEoperators and other businesssources throughout Delhi andNCR region, and increaseawareness about their hotel.Our own sales team will beequipped with the latesttechnology to provide effec-tive visual presentations oftheir properties. The compa-ny will also engage in jointpromotions.”

At a slightly later stage,the company can also look atpromoting a joint discount orloyalty card, where all hotels

they are representing canparticipate in. In addition, inthe second phase of expan-sion, the group will look atstarting a reservation facilityin New Delhi, he adds.

Throwing light on theongoing trends in the hospi-tality industry, the MD elab-orates, “Today, the hoteloccupancy levels across Indiaare very low. There are manyfactors responsible for thistrend – the upcomingGeneral Elections of 2014,the elongated off-season, the

worldwide recession, supplyof rooms exceeding demand.Therefore, our company canhelp individual hotels toincrease awareness, presenceand marketing to help themachieve higher sales and bet-ter occupancy levels duringthese competitive times.”

The company currentlyrepresents St Marks (4-starwith 96 keys) in Bengaluru,The Resort (5-star with 94keys) in Mumbai, Sayaji Hotel(5-star with 244 keys) inPune and many more.

HOTELS2 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

Known as Matsya Nagri,Alwar is a little city that

is aspiring to emerge big.“The quiet and calm natureof this small city attractedmany retired couples to setup their homes as it is verysafe for elderly couples,” saysManish Bhatia, MD of ClarksInn Hotel Alwar. “It is almostemerging as a re-settlementcity for aged people eventhough it is a hub for the cor-porate segment due to theexistence of various industrialplants and offices in andaround the city. Also, thecity’s close proximity toindustrial townships hasensured that it goes througha change,” he adds. Clarks Inn Alwar happens to be the fourth hotel of theClarks Group.

It also makes Bhatia’shotel the only branded chainhotel in Alwar. “The hotel

was started in 2008 and wechose Clarks Inn considering

the market demand and thekind of hospitality we wantedto bring to the city. I decidedto bring Clarks Group intoAlwar to bring an organisedapproach of hospitality to thecity,” Bhatia remarks.

Primarily, the Alwarmarket is driven by corporate

business. “We get an averageoccupancy of 55-60 per centcommanding an ARR of ` 2,300 per night, which isfair enough in comparison toJaipur in proximity,” he elab-orates. Alwar is noticing agrowth of leisure businessbut it is still considered neg-ligible. “We get leisure book-

ing of four-five per cent of the total occupancy annu-ally, but we expect it to growto 20 per cent in future,”Bhatia affirms.

Apart from hospitality,Bhatia’s interest has alwaysbeen towards promoting thecity in a holistic manner that

benefits the travel trade.“There is so much to exploreabout this city which remainshidden. Alwar’s name ismissing from the travel mapand that irks me. The town-ship that has emerged into acity culture holds a lot ofpromise and is a hidden gemof Rajasthan,” he says. Thehotel has also taken initiativeto let people know about thevarious facets of the city thatare tourist attractions. Thehotel wants people to takenotice of this destination as aweekend leisure getawayoption from Delhi, Jaipur andeven Agra. “We undertakeweekend promotions to cap-ture the travellers from Delhi,Jaipur and industrial belt ofRewari and Bhiwadi. Due tothe rapid growth of realestate, the scope of the cityhas increased tremendously.It is time to just convert thepotential into actual busi-ness,” Bhatia informs.

As the only chain hotel in the branded segment in Alwar, Clarks Inn by MGB Hospitality is capturing the corporatesegment and creating avenues to market the city as a potential leisure destination

For hospitality and beyondTT BU R E AU

Alwar is noticinga growth ofleisure businessbut it is stillconsiderednegligible

Manish BhatiaMDClarks Inn by MGB Hospitality Alwar

Through its innovative measures, the company is helping individual hotels increase awareness,presence and marketing to boost sales and occupancy levels during current competitive times.

Better marketing for more hotel biz

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Today, the hoteloccupancy levelsacross India arevery low. Thereare many factorsresponsible forthis trend

OP MendirattaManaging DirectorGlobal Hotel Representations

AVIATION

Clean India: All for a causeK Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism, Government of India along with other dignitaries took Clean India Campaign toTaj Mahal, Agra on July 24, 2013. Taj Mahal is the second heritage site to be covered under this project. In fact, atthe initiative of Ministry of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has agreed to the proposal of ONGC adoptingsix monuments under the Clean India Campaign. The first was Qutub Minar in New Delhi which was adopted by IndiaTourism Development Corporation in June 2012.

Aone-stop solution for allair charter services,

Subha Aviation meets all avi-ation needs. Talking aboutthe USP of the company,Madhukar Kher, Head ofOperations and BusinessDevelopment, SubhaAviation comments, “It is dif-ficult for anyone to adjusttheir own schedule ofengagements with fixed tim-ings determined by sched-uled airlines. These oftenclash for top-level manage-ment and other policy planners. Thus, our servicesare designed to meet specialneeds without being encumbered by air carrierschedules.”

The moment the com-pany is informed of travelplans, including duration,destination and stopovers, itinitiates action with aninflection on special person-alised service. The companycan arrange to provide air-craft with seating capacityranging from five to 150. Theprimary factor promptingpeople, particularly corporateexecutives, to use charters is

the need for confidentialityabout their movements. Suchconfidentiality is not possiblewith travel by scheduled airservices. In the case of char-ter flights, the schedules arerelated to the convenienceand immediacy of theirrequirement, he adds. Going

forward, the company islooking at increasing itsalliance with the B2B travelfraternity. According to Kher,the travel agents and touroperators’ community is vitalfor the growth of the compa-ny. “We also educate thissegment in order to offerquotations and guide them topick up the expectations ofend-users. Sometimes, evenour partners arrange meet-ing directly with the travelagents. We also startedanother sister concern calledAGS Tours and Travels last year. Through this, wehandle domestic and inter-national ticketing with holiday packages, which arecustomised and tailor-madeas per client requirements,”he says.

“In the last two years,there has been 35 to 40 percent increase in the charterbusiness in our country, fromboth domestic and interna-tional markets. The companyhas shown approximately100 per cent growth in thelast two years. In terms of bigaircraft, we command a mar-ket share of almost 75 percent,” he reveals.

Subha Aviation, commanding around 75 per cent marketshare in the charter industry in India, arranges charterservices for corporate meetings, appointments, healthemergencies, holiday trips and social events.

Betting big on charters

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The companyhas shownapproximately100 per centgrowth in thelast two years

Madhukar KherHead of Operations and BusinessDevelopment, Subha Aviation

Palace on Wheels 1st journey for 2013-14The Palace on Wheels rolled on its first commercialjourney for 2013-14 to Rajasthan and other destinations.In the first trip, tourists from 34 different places of theworld are traveling on this super-luxury train

Known for its personalisedservices, Mumbai-based

Kesari Tours is setting stagefor the coming inbound sea-son. Kesari Inbound, a divi-sion of Kesari Tours for FIT &Leisure Groups recently for-ayed into fixed departure

tours to Himachal Pradeshand Kerala. The division alsolaunched ‘short-break’ toursfor foreign nationals and NRIsvisiting India for a short dura-tion. Kesari Inbound also con-ducted two extremely suc-cessful FAM trips for foreigntour operators to Kerala andRajasthan and received a pos-itive response from them. Forthe coming season, the com-pany is offering inboundpackages covering specialinterest tours, spiritual tours,adventure tours, honeymoontours, wellness and spa tours,cultural tours, family toursand many more.

Talking about the com-pany plans and the forthcom-ing inbound season, ShaileshPatil, Director, Kesari Tourssaid, “With the rupee fallingto an all-time low, it is thebest time for foreign nationalsto visit India. The inboundseason is looking promising

and our team is ready to offercustomised, personalised andexcellent services to ourclients. We have unique pack-ages to every part of Indiaoffering excellent prices. Ourinbound division has chalkedout a varied number of toursto suit travellers’ choice of

destination, budget and dates.We work on a very simpleprinciple embedded by KesariBhau Patil, Founder &Chairman, and Kesari Tours,which says – ‘When you makea promise to a guest, honourit’.” Elaborating on short-breaks concept for foreign

nationals and NRIs, Patil said,“Many foreign nationals andNRIs visit India on short busi-ness trips or meeting rela-tives. For them, we havelaunched short-breaksthrough which they canexplore certain parts of Indiain limited time duration.”

It has launched ‘short-break’ tours for foreign nationals and NRIs. Their inbound division has chalked out a varied number of tours to suit travellers’ choice of destination, budget and dates.

Kesari Tours focusses on inbound AGENTS I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 TRAVTALK 3 1

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Our team isready to offercustomised,personalisedand excellentservices to our clients

Shailesh PatilDirector, Kesari Tours

Foreign direct invest-ment (FDI) into India forhotels increased 25 percent year-on-year to$2.32 billion in April, thehighest level in the pastsix months. In April2012, the country hadreceived FDI worth$1.85 billion, according to datafrom the Department ofIndustrial Policy and Promotion(DIPP). The sectors that receivedlarge FDI inflows during April

this year include hotels andtourism ($2.32 billion), pharma-ceuticals ($987 million), services($238 million), chemicals ($51million) and construction ($32million).

FDI in hotels hits 6-monthhigh of $2.32 billion

Acompany offering end-to-end travel solutions

for both inbound and out-bound tourism across all seg-ments and with presenceacross the globe, Dubai-based Bonton Tours &Travels is concentrating onIndia in a big way. And tomake its base stronger in thecountry, the leading multina-tional travel managementcompany launched its firstregional office at ConnaughtCircus, New Delhi in March2013. The commencement ofthe regional office comes onthe back of the successfulestablishment of seven

branch offices of the companyin Mumbai, New Delhi,Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi,Ahmedabad and Pune.Besides these branch offices,the company also has its cor-porate headquarters inMumbai and a back office inNew Delhi other than fran-chisees and preferred salesagents located across India.

Commenting on thedevelopment, AvanishSharma, Managing Director,Bonton Group said, “Ourinvestment in New Delhi isfocussed on delivering value-added customised andlocalised support to our part-ners in North India that will

surely enhancethe consumerexperience andhelp in build-ing customerloyalty to deliv-er long-termgrowth. Weunderstand theimportance ofthis region and

value the response that wehave been receiving from theregion. We appreciate thenuances in the requirements

of North India as compared tothe rest of the country andhence want to provide thisregion with the best cus-tomised travel solutionsthrough our regional office.”The branch office will contin-ue to provide 360-degreetravel products while theregional office will concen-trate on product research anddevelopment and productcontracting. The corporateoffice based in Mumbai will continue to develop products for the rest of thecountry, he added.

Since inception of theregional office, the companyhas already launched newproducts for Hong Kong,Macau, Europe and China aswell as domestic religioustours. The regional office isexpected to introduce many more North India specific products that willsee added interest withmore travellers connectingwith the company for theirtravel needs.

The travel management company launched its first regional office atConnaught Circus, New Delhi in March this year. This comes on the backof successful establishment of seven branch offices of the company.

Now, Bonton office @New Delhi

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We want toprovide thisregion with thebest customisedtravel solutionsthrough ourregional office

Avanish SharmaManaging Director, Bonton Group

HOTELS3 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

The IIFA awards cere-mony was organised atMacau on July 6, 2013.Addressing the occasion, K Chiranjeevi, Minister forTourism, said that globalaward functions such asIIFA not only promotefilms, but also provide aneffective platform for pro-moting tourism and theIncredible India brand.“The Tourism Ministry isproviding financial assis-tance for films and facilitating single-window clearance forfilming in the country. We have also participated in variousinternational film festivals like the Cannes Film Festival toshowcase Incredible India,” said Chiranjeevi.

MOT promotes film tourism

Chiranjeevi, Minister for Tourism, in Macau

Gay tourists in Russia could now face twoweeks in jail

This is a warning for visitors and tourists wanting to travel toRussia. Anything considered pro-gay, from gay-affirmative speech,to gays holding hands in public, to even wearing rainbow sus-penders is now illegal. Russian President Vladimir Putin recentlysigned it into law, which is one of the most draconian anti-gaylaws on the planet.

The new Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi has acamel milk mixologist

The newly opened Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal has an in-house “Camel Milk Mixologist” and offering up various flavoured milk shakes — strawberry, mint and others — to guests.

INTERESTING FACTS

Hotel Signature Grand islocated in the western

part of the Capital, in closevicinity to local trading andpublic sector community. Dueto the easy access to businesshubs and shopping centresacross the city, the hotel hasbeen getting massive busi-ness traffic. The hotel is with-in a 15-kilometre radius ofthe airport and railway sta-tion. With features such as abanquet hall, conference hall,and fine dining restaurant &bar, the hotel caters to day-conferences of various multi-national companies.

“We have kept our ratesvery modest, which attractscorporate traffic. We are theonly property with such fea-tures in West Delhi. Shortly,we will also introduce a spaand health club,” saysGurdeep Singh Gujral,Managing Director, HotelSignature Grand.

To run the hotel better,the company has given oper-ations to the SK Group, whichis a prominent name in the

F&B segment. Through this,the hotel has come up withmembership schemes. Theintroduction of live music inPark Baluchi has increasedfootfalls as well.

Discussing the impor-tance of a B2B market, headds, “Gujral Tours andTravels is a major stakeholderin Signature Grand. We takethe help of tour operators toattract various inboundgroups. We started our oper-ations in October 2010 dur-ing Commonwealth Games.Our growth and sales havebeen increasing every month.In 2012-13, the hotel haswitnessed a growth of 15 percent in spite of recession.”

Talking about the seg-ment with maximum growth,Gujral adds, “Our F&B isextremely strong as we havetwo banquet halls and anopen area to cater to mar-riages and social functions. InWest Delhi, people are veryfond of good food; our restau-rant Park Baluchi restaurantattracts good clientele.”

Hotel Signature Grand is a three-star property in WestDelhi. The management says that growth and sales havebeen increasing every month. In 2012-13, the hotel haswitnessed a growth of 15% in spite of recession.

A ‘Grand’ MICE hub

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We have keptour rates verymodest, whichattractscorporate traffic.We will alsointroduce a spa.

Gurdeep Singh GujralManaging DirectorHotel Signature Grand

� Hotel Signature Grandstarted its operations inOctober 2010 duringCommonwealth Games

Grand Beginning

The interest of hotel com-panies seeking to invest

in India has not appeared towane. Joint ventures arebeing announced, expansionplans are getting drawn up,both private equity and pen-sion funds are seeking todeploy capital, and newergroups are looking to get afoothold in the market.

This is also indicated by the Foreign DirectInvestment (FDI) in thenation’s hospitality industrythat has surged in the lastfinancial year. According tothe data of the Department of

Industrial Policy andPromotion (DIPP), the sectorhas attracted FDI worth US$ 3.21 billion during April,2012-February, 2013. TheFDI inflow in the sector in thelast fiscal is significantlyhigher as compared to the flow of US$ 3.37 billion,which the country receivedduring the last 12 years end-ing March, 2012. The foreigninflows in the hotel andtourism sector did not figurein the DIPP's list of the top-10 recipients of FDI prior toSeptember, 2012.

Much-needed govt boostTalking about the

recent development, NakulAnand,President,HotelAssociation ofIndia says, “Itis definitelygood news forthe hospitalityand tourismindustry.However, a lot

needs to be done even now.Besides taxation andhuman-resource relatedissues, the governmentneeds to take more steps toboost investment in this sec-tor. There is a need to lookat land-related problems forthe hospitality sector. Therecent DIAL hotels’ issuealso needs to be solved asquickly as possible.”

According to KamleshBarot, Immediate PastPresident, FHRAI, unfriendlytourist taxes and policies willonly detract FDI in the sec-tor. “The previous few budg-ets by the Centre have notonly increased taxes onaccommodation, but also onFood & Beverage. Only a fewstates like Odisha have actu-ally made tourism-friendlyinitiatives at the governmentlevel. The rest of the statesfeel that by making tax per-centages higher, they wouldgather more revenue fortheir exchequer. India is agreat tourism market, andthat is propelling investorinterest. Internationalinvestors typically demandgreater research of the mar-ket and greater transparen-cy, which the country needsto build into its system. Werank 132 out of 165 in thebusiness-friendly indexacross the globe,” heinforms.

Unknowingly, manytourist-unfriendly practiceslike the FSI and operating-time regulations under thepretext of security in prime tourist spots likeMumbai, drive investments

away from the entire state. “If the governmentfocusses on the industry, wecan leave the InformationTechnology industry far backward. But the gov-ernment needs to prioritisehospitality, as Karnatakaflourished bringing IT to thefore. If we remove the transaction of last year, theFDI inflows would drop toabout 300-400 million dol-lars, which is broadly in linewith the trend in previousyears,” he adds.

Filling the gapResponding to the FDI

increase, Barot remarks,“The challenge for FDIinvestors is that most inter-national hotel operatingcompanies would prefer tooperate and not necessarilyinvest. Therefore, they alsoobserve the private equityroute or need a third-party tofinance and own the hotel. Tofind reliable and committed

hotel-owners is a challengefor them. And to date, inter-national foreign investmentin India in all forms of realestate, in hotels or assetbuilding is minimal.” In otherdeveloped markets-a lot ofmarkets in the West andsome markets in Asia-thereis significant foreign invest-ment already, whether inoffice buildings or hotels. InIndia, foreign investmentshows the sector has record-ed unprecedented FDI equityinflow. This is impressive,considering the cumulativeinflows over the 12-yearperiod from April 2000 toMarch 2012 were just $3.37

billion. However, the fact isthat this jump is almostentirely on account of a verylarge single transaction lastyear, he adds.

Less development riskAkshay Kulkarni,

Regional Director-Hospitality,South & Southeast Asia,Cushman & Wakefield feelscloser scrutiny of the invest-ments that have come in,reveal that the most of thisinvestment is driven byeither structured firms whohave bought existing portfo-lios or through HNIs whomay have bought one or twolarge assets with funds thathave come in through inter-national routes. “One of themajor reasons for theincrease in the FDI is the factthat the development risk isnow reduced, as these assetsare nearing completion orhave been completed,” hearticulates.

Shagun Sethi, Director,Sales and Marketing, FairmontJaipur feels tax holidayswould certainly encourageFDI and will definitely help innew hotel development.“Such incentives should beextended to all categories ofhotels, so that their expansionplans can pick up the requiredmomentum. Also, these fiscalbenefits should be extendedto the industry to support itsgrowth, which in turn willaccelerate the growth of theIndian economy. Post Budget-2013, the hospitality sectorexpects more involvement,thought and initiatives fromthe government,” she adds.

After the windfall in FDI in the hospitality industry, hotel experts give their opinion on its impact on the overallindustry. But the fact is that the sudden increase is only because of one single large investment and not a changein investment climate, which would have led to a sustained performance.

A $3.2 billion FDI windfall for hospitality

Only a fewstates likeOdisha haveactually madetourism-friendlyinitiatives at thegovernmentlevel

There is aneed to look at land-relatedproblems forthe country’shospitalitysector

Nakul AnandPresidentHotel Association of India

Kamlesh BarotImmediate Past PresidentFHRAI

Incentives shouldbe extended to allcategories ofhotels, so that theirexpansion planscan pick up therequiredmomentum

One of the majorreasons for theincrease in FDI is the fact that thedevelopmentrisk is nowreduced

Akshay KulkarniRegional Director – Hospitality, South &Southeast Asia, Cushman & Wakefield

Shagun SethiDirector, Sales and MarketingFairmont Jaipur

ANALYSIS3 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

ME G H A PAU L

CLIPBOARD I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2 TRAVTALK 3 5

Chinese Fishing Nets, Fort KochiThe chinese fishing nets (Cheenavala) are distinctlyunique to Cochin. It is believed that traders fromthe court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan intro-duced these nets here. Oddly, these nets are foundonly in Kochi, outside China! Many fishermen earntheir livelihood by fishing using these massivenets. A whole stretch of the coast along Fort Kochiand Vypeen are dotted with these nets.

Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort KochiThe original church, situated in Fort Kochi, wasbuilt by the Portuguese in 1505 and named as a

cathedral in 1558. The British colonists destroyedthe cathedral in 1795. The current structure wasbuilt in 1905 and raised to the status of a basilicaby Pope John Paul II in 1984.

Kochi city is also a part of the Greater Cochinregion and is classified as a B-1 grade city by theGovernment of India, making it the highest grad-

ed city in Kerala.

Heralded as the Queen ofthe Arabian Sea, Kochi was animportant spice trading centreon the Arabian Sea coast fromthe 14th century.

Personalities like MahatmaGandhi and The BritishViceroy have visited Cochinthrough the historic railwaystation of ErnakulamTerminus.

Kochi has the first interna-tional airport in India which has been built withoutCentral Government funds.

Ernakulam Junction is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 sched-uled train services daily.

The female-to-male ratio is 1,028:1,000, sig-

nificantly higher than theall-India average of933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rateis 97.5%. The female literacy ratelags that of males by 1.1%, amongst the lowestsuch gaps in India.

Kochi or Cochin is popularly known as theQueen of Arabian Sea.

It also flaunts one of the finest natural har-bours of the world.

It was the centre of the world spice trade formany centuries.

Old Kochi refers to a group of islands whichcomprise Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi,Mattancherry, etc. Today Kochi includesErnakulam city, old parts of Kochi, Kumbalangi,and outlying islands.

The city derives its name from the Malayalamword Kochazhi meaning small lagoon.

HIGHLIGHTS3 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 2

asks IATO’smembers some off-beat questions onwhat would they liketo have changed inIndia, and who wouldthey like most to rep-resent the country incertain fields. FromSRK to Sunny Leone,here is what they hadto say

Brand ambassador for India’s night tourism? Sunny Leone

Brand ambassador for food tourism in the country ? Akshay Kumar

Brand ambassador to promote Bollywood tourism? Amitabh Bachchan

Brand ambassador for India’s food tourism? (1) Mr Hemant Oberoi, Corporate Chef & Grand Executive Chef at

The Taj Mahal Palace Mumb

(2) Mr Sanjeev Kapoor, Ex Executive Chef in Taj, Oberoi, ITDC.

Brand ambassador for India’s night tourism? Undoubtedly, Amitabh Bachchan

If you were the PM of India?(A) Making road travel safer and connecting all major cities and tourist destination in the Country.

(B) Joining all cities by air.

(C) Abolish Service Tax and other tourist related taxes on Tour Operators & Hoteliers and thusliberalise the tourism industry.

(D) Visa on Arrival from all countries.

(E) Improve immigration facilities to give a complete face lift to the department as this is thefirst impression of India, a tourist gets when he arrives from abroad.

Bhim Singh Chairman, IATO Rajasthan Chapter

Brand ambassa-dor for India’s

night tourism? Shahrukh Khan

Brand ambassadorfor India’s sports tourism?

Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar

Brand ambassador for India’s Bollywoodtourism?

Amitabh Bacchan

If I were PM of India? - I would abolishservice tax, rationalise other taxes and give

‘industry status’ to the tourism industry.

Rajiv MehraCommittee Member, IATO

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FACTS ABOUT KOCHI

Brand ambassador for India’snight tourism? Shashi Tharoor

Brand ambassador for India’s foodtourism? Sonia Gandhi

Brand ambassador for Bollywoodtourism? Katrina Kaif

If you were the PMof India?Bring strict Regulationfor tour operators andall other stake-holders.Development of desti-nation infrastructure, export industry benefitto tourism, Single window clearance of alltourism-related projects regarding licenses.

Amaresh Tiwari, Committee member, IATO

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Editorial

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... and some humour to sparkle upRakesh ChopraChairman, IATO Madhya Pradesh Chapter

Marine Drive, Kochi