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A DDP PUBLICATION

During the 12th Five YearPlan, the Ministry of

Tourism is poised to addressthe various issues related todevelopment and promotionof tourism in the country.One of the most importantmotivations to grow thetourism sector comes fromthe immense employmentcreation potential it has.

“During the 12th FiveYear Plan, the Ministry ofTourism has targetted to cre-ate additional employment ofabout 2.5 crore in the tourismsector, both direct and indi-rect. India’s share in theinternational tourist arrivalsis also targetted to increaseto 1% from the existing0.64%,” said K Chiranjeevi,Minister for Tourism in awritten reply in the LokSabha in New Delhi.

The role of theGovernment in tourismdevelopment has been rede-fined from that of a regulatorto that of a catalyst. Apartfrom marketing and promo-tion, the focus of tourismdevelopment plans is now on

integrated development ofenabling infrastructurethrough effective partnershipwith various stakeholders.

As per the workingstrategy for the 12th Five YearPlan, the Ministry of Tourismhas adopted a ‘pro-poortourism’ approach whichcould contribute significantlyto poverty reduction. This hasbeen stated in the AnnualReport of the Ministry ofTourism for the year 2012-13released recently.

In fact, the Ministry ofTourism provides CentralFinancial Assistance (CFA) tovarious State Governmentsand Union TerritoryAdministrations for varioustourism projects prioritisedevery year in consultationwith them, subject to avail-ability of funds, inter-se pri-ority and adherence to thescheme guidelines. Further,to resolve Inter-Ministerialissues involved in the devel-opment of tourism in thecountry, an Inter-MinisterialCoordination Committee(IMCCTS) has been constitut-ed under the Chairmanshipof the Principal Secretary tothe Prime Minister.

Further, the Ministry ofTourism has been making

As per the working strategy for the 12th Five Year Plan,the Ministry of Tourism has adopted a ‘pro-poor tourism’approach. reports...

The Federation ofAssociations in Indian

Tourism and Hospitality

(FAITH), which has 10 traveltrade associations as itsmembers conducted a launchevent recently in Delhi.Nakul Anand, Chairman,FAITH, kick-started the eventwith his presentation, delib-erating on the global perspec-tive and then highlighting thetourism potential in India.

“In 2012, we saw globaltourist visits cross the 1 billion mark. However,we need to transform‘Impossible India’ to‘Incredible India’ and winover 1 per cent share in theglobal international travelmarket,” said Anand.

Aashish Gupta, newly-appointed Consulting CEO,FAITH, then announced thetop five priorities that FAITHwill pursue with the CentralGovernment and the various StateGovernments.“Now, on a con-tinuous basis,FAITH willengage andwork along withthe CentralGovernmentand will start on

the ‘Big 5’ for Indian Tourismand Hospitality. It includeselevation of tourism and hos-pitality to get benefits similarto industry; creation of anenabling tax regime for bothdirect and indirect (servicetax); creation of specialisedtourism and hospitality infra-structure; creation of sus-tainable supply of skilled andhighly-motivated workforceand further extension of visaon arrival for seamless travel.”

“Creation of seamlessand cost-efficient groundtransportation movement;development of specialisedtourism infrastructure andlast-mile tourism infrastruc-ture; availability of compet-itive land bank and FSI;high-speed of project

2.5cr jobs from tourism

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During the 12th FiveYear Plan, theMinistry of Tourismtargetted anadditionalemployment ofabout 2.5 crore inthe tourism sector,both direct andindirect

K Chiranjeevi, Minister for TourismIndia

We need totransform‘Impossible India’ to‘Incredible India’and win over 1 percent share in theglobal internationaltravel market

Nakul AnandChairmanFAITH

Now on a continuous basis, FAITH will engage and work withthe Central Government and various state governments onthe Big 5 for Indian tourism and hospitality.

FAITH releases Big 5

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Contd. on page 10

Contd. on page 10

Considering the potentialof Indian outbound travel

market, major global serviceproviders – be it airlines,hotels, tourism boards, cruiselines, etc; are turning theirfocus on India to tap the max-imum market share.

Despite the increasingnumber of competitors in themarket, the service providersare confident of profits. Theyfeel that the competition isexpanding the size of themarket, resulting in a healthydistribution of market sharefor each of them. The top fivemetro cities are the major

focus for everyone, whilemini metros are coming intotheir view as well. However,the most interesting markettrend is ‘South India’ comingup as a major tourism hub forthese service providers.

According to ParthaChatterjee, Advisor, KeysHotels; South India is becom-ing an attractive breedingground for tourism serviceproviders. “Look at thegrowth in domestic, inboundand outbound tourism trafficfrom South Indian cities – itis an excellent rate. TheBangalore airport is provingto be an excellent connectiv-ity point for international air-

lines, and nowthe new termi-nal at Chennaiairport will fur-ther act as agateway toSouth India.With improvinginfrastructure attourist loca-tions, more and

more hoteliers are enteringthis region. And with betteraccommodation facilities,

even MICE is becoming an emerging segment inSouth India.”

Action Down SouthFor global and domes-

tic tourists, South India ispopular for two things -action by SuperstarRajnikanth and for its cui-sine. The tourism boards arealso working hard to popu-larise their culture, heritage,festivals, wildlife, hill sta-tions, etc by participating indomestic and global traveltrade shows, and workingwith tour operators.

Spreading wings According to the Civil

Aviation Ministry; Mumbaiand New Delhi airports handleabout 200 international flightsa day, Chennai receives 100flights a day (expected toincrease with the new inter-national terminal) whileHyderabad and Bengalurureceive about 50 flights a day. However, with increasingairport charges at Mumbaiand New Delhi airports, air-lines are also considering to shift focus to South Indian airports.

According to a recentstudy, India is the biggestmarket for Emirates outsideUAE. Bengaluru andHyderabad contribute toabout 20-25 per cent of itstotal market share, whileChennai contributes about13 per cent, which is muchhigher than its market sharefrom Mumbai and New Delhi.

AirAsia India will soonstart its India operations withits head-office in Chennai andoperational bases inBangalore, Chennai andKochi. Tony Fernandes, CEO,AirAsia said, “A lot ofMalaysians fly to South India.AirAsia India will initiallyoperate in the South Indianmarket as we have a goodunderstanding of thisregion.” According to him,the operational cost and air-port taxes are also muchlower in South India, as com-pared to Mumbai and NewDelhi. Multiple European,

With Mumbai and New Delhi still acting as top source markets for service providers in the tourism sector, the South Indian metros – Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are in the limelight! Considering this; , inassociation with the Ministry of Tourism, is organising the South India Travel Awards this year.

South Indian cities on the world map

AN I TA JA I N

AirAsia Indiawill initiallyoperate in theSouth Indianmarket as weunderstandthis region

With improvinginfrastructure attourist locations,more and more hoteliersare entering this region

Partha Chatterjee AdvisorKeys Hotels

Tony Fernandes CEOAirAsia

Contd. on page 14

STATES2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

In a bid to improve thetourism infrastructure in the

state, the Government ofGujarat plans to introduce anew tourism policy by the endof the year. The policy willfocus on increasing the part-

nership of private players inthe tourism sector as well asdeveloping tourism infrastruc-ture in the state. The govern-ment also plans to lease landto private players on a long-term basis for tourism purpos-es and that the regulationswere being worked out.”

VipulMittra, PrincipalSecretary –Tourism, CivilAviation,Pilgrimage &Devasthan(Industries &MinesDepartment),

Govt of Gujarat, said that theprivate sector is interested toinvest in Gujarat and that 39projects had already been cho-

sen for development.”Saurabh Patel, Minister forTourism, Govt of Gujaratinformed, “Since last fewyears, tourism has become apriority and therefore, we willbe introducing a new policyfor investment in tourism laterthis year.

In terms of visitor arrivals, we are seeing 13-14%growth per year toGujarat, but we still have a long way to go .”

The Gujarat govt hasoutlined over `450 crore inFY2013-2014, an increasefrom `250 crore in FY2012-2013 to develop tourisminfrastructure as well as topromote the state. Our goalis to catch up with other

states over the next couple of years.”

Patel also said thatthough the state is keen onattracting more inboundtourists, its main focus would be on the domestictourist segment.

ASSOCIATIONS4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

The 29th Annual Convention of IATO is providing a special platform for its members to handpick from a host of globalbest practices, the most suitable measures that could be introduced in daily business regimes for ‘Working Partnerships-The Future in 2025’. brings to you the merits of picking as many best practices as possible.

Working Partnerships- The Future in 2025

In the last few years, technol-ogy has become an inherent part oftravel business in such a mannerthat today, life without it, seemsimpossible. This will primarily driveall the partnerships between touroperators, hoteliers, airline profes-sionals, OTAS and other players in the travel industry. In fact,all the stakeholders in the travel business unanimously agreethat in future, technology will play a far more important role.Partnerships will continue but it will have to evolve. And asDarwin had put forward, it will be the survival of the fittestin the industry. In the next 10 years, only those travel stake-holders will survive and sustain their business who go withthis flow and adapt to the situation. Starting from big consol-idators, major online players, medium and small tour opera-tors, all will have to deploy complex technology with immenseease to undertake marketing and promotion.

Homa Mistry, CEO, Trail Blazer Tours India

Traditional selling channelssuch as travel agents in marketssuch as India are extremelyimportant for hotel chainsincluding Accor. A step towardsstrengthening this alliance wastaken almost two years back with the tie-up with Connect-Worldwide (CWW). With the CWW pact, we have been ableto strengthen our relationship with the traditional travelagent. The idea was to bring the Accor brand closer to thetravel agent, help Accor to drive its visibility and of course,to reward our travel agents. CWW has helped us expandour reach into the Indian market quicker and at the sametime, helped drive business to our hotels globally.

For looking at partnerships inthe B2B travel industry, it isimperative that we know who ourcustomers are. In the next fiveyears, our consumers are and willbe more of global animals. Weneed to understand that we can-not push our own products to them as they are seekers. Theywill seek what they want. Thus, going forward, I see moregeneric tour operators merging to become more niche. I seethe emergence of virtual travel shopping malls where touroperators and hoteliers might come together and virtuallysell products to the future customers. If five years back, thetour operators had taken this step and come ahead to forman online portal in collaboration, perhaps OTAs might nothave been this successful. So what is now required is towork in cooperation and not competition.

Maahesh AiyerVP-OperationsLemon Tree Premier Hotels

Nikhil DhodapkarRegional Director, Sales & Marketing- India, Accor

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The state plans to focus on involving private players with the support of the government in order to boosttourism in the state…

New policy on the anvil for Gujarat

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Vipul MittraPrincipal Secretary – TourismGujarat

Khushboo Gujarat KiThe Gujarat senior tourism officials were speaking on the

sidelines of a roadshow organised in Mumbai recently by theTourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited. Over 40 suppliers fromGujarat comprising travel agents, tour operators and hotels andresorts participated in the roadshow. The state tourism boardhas also held similar roadshows in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad,Bengaluru and Pune. This year, the Gujarat Government will invest `90 crore in the campaign. The third phase of thecampaign is set to roll out this September.

AGENTS6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

Q. Kindly brief us onthe LPTI’s journey so far?

It has been a veryexciting journey and a oneof self-realisation, too. Forexample, when we as a teamfirst went about expandingthe market base. Once thatwas done, we started towork at building our brand and increasing ourmarket share. It has been afulfilling journey because webrought smiles to faces ofmillions of people who travelled with us.

Our work enabled us toshowcase the myriad hues ofIncredible India which com-pelled a lot of travellers tocome back to India again andagain. And somewhere, whilewe enjoyed what we weredoing, we reached theNumber One position in thecountry. One of our mostcherished and humblingachievements is the smile wecould bring to the faces of lit-tle children by creating thefirst dedicated foundation inthe history of the Indian trav-el industry, ‘Shaping Lives’.

Q. How do the variousstrategic business units

of LPTI workto stay ontop in theirrespectivedomains?

Sinceinception, wehave created 12dedicatedStrategicBusiness Units

(SBUs) that work acrossentire gamut of the Indiantourism products, represent-ing all the market segments.Each of these verticals is anindividual profit centre withits own targets, goals andworking with its distinctmethodology. It is this diver-sity that blends beautifullyinto a tapestry and forms theunique identity of Le Passageto India. Each of these SBUshas relevant leadership, greatteams and every one of themis either already a marketleader or fast on their way tobecoming one. All the SBUshave been nurtured withpatience and dedication whileproviding them with an envi-ronment and apt tools togrow.

Q. What new SBUs arein the offing? Is it goodtime for acquisition?

While currently all ourStrategic Business Units arein various stages of maturing,growth and consolidation, we

are open to new alliances andpartnerships. Acquisitions, inthe present environment arealso a sound business senseas we can achieve good valu-ations for a good idea. We, atLe Passage, are committed tolong-term growth of thetourism sector and strive

towards being responsibleleaders.

Q. From a leadershipperspective, whatattributes of yourleader infuses theburning desire to stayon top year after year?

There is no magic wandto all this. There is no substi-tute to passion, perseveranceand hard work. As a company,we will grow by between 10-15% this year across our vari-ous business verticals viz.inbound, Outbound and MICEsegments.

How important are theannual conventions ofleading travel tradeassociations? Why?

Annual conventions area melting pot of ideas and aplatform, where the industrycan iron out differences, findsolutions and most importantlyset the tone for future growth.It is also an opportunity tobring the industry together andcreate the necessary platformfor creating a single voice that can bring about evolution.I must congratulate the currentleadership at IATO for steeringthe industry well during these challenging times. I wishthe IATO convention much success.

The group is open to new alliances and partnerships, including acquisitions, which in the present environment makessound business sense. Arjun Sharma, Managing Director, Le Passage to India (LPTI) talks about the journey of thecompany, its various strategic business units and much more in a candid interaction with .

A sound time for new acquisitions

Arjun Sharma

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Our work enabled us toshowcase the myriad huesof Incredible India whichcompelled a lot of travellers to

come back to India. Andsomewhere, while weenjoyed what we weredoing, we reachedthe Number Oneposition in thecountry

As no major policy changeis expected in the run-up

to the elections next year,experts feel the industrywould continue to face chal-lenges due to the demand-supply imbalance. Accordingto a recent study, the growthin demand would slow this

year, owing to additional sup-ply in the market.

Speaking on the side-lines of a recent event, hote-liers said they had a cautiousoutlook this year. JyotsnaSuri, Chairperson andManaging Director, The LalitSuri Hospitality Groupremarked, “Last year was achallenging one for theindustry with average roomrates and revenue per roombeing under pressure. In2013-14, the demand forhotel rooms is expected tosee modest growth. We aretrying to control our costsand overheads. So far, wehave not reduced our staff-to-room ratio or room rates.

These are try-ing times, notjust for thehotel industry,but the overalleconomy. In2014-15, thehotel industrycould see bet-ter growth after there ismore clarity

in the political situation in the country.”

According to KBKachru, Chairman, CarlsonRezidor Group, the hotel

industry is expected to con-tinue facing challenges dueto economic conditions in

key Western markets andthe supply-demand imbal-ances. “Due to the impend-ing elections, we do notexpect many policy changes.The industry expects pres-sures on room-rates to con-tinue, though we expect Tier-II and Tier-III marketsto show good growth,” hepointed out.

Hotel chains are thus,giving discount offers andfreebies this summer to spurdemand in a poor market.“Companies are not expecting a turnaround in business, which hasalready witnessed a drop ofseven per cent in the rev-enue per available room(RevPAR) and a marginalincrease in occupancy.Going forward, our strategywill be to maintain the market share and look atsub-segments carefully,”Rajeev Kaul, President,Leela Hotels and Resortsasserted. Certain markets

The hotel industry is expected to continue facing challenges due to economic conditions in key Western marketsand the supply-demand imbalances. A report by .

Better growth for hospitality in 2014-15HOTELS8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

Due to theimpendingelections, we do notexpect many policychanges

In 2014-15, thehotel industrycould seebetter growthafter there ismore clarity inthe politicalsituation

Jyotsna SuriChairperson and Managing Director,The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group

KB KachruChairmanCarlson Rezidor Group

With risingoperating costs, it hasbecomeimperative forcompanies to managebaselines

Raymond Managing DirectorIndian Hotels Company

MEGHA PAUL

Contd. on page 20

� The hotel industry isexpected to continue facingchallenges due to economicconditions in key Westernmarkets and supply-demandimbalances.

Scenario

With its rich culture, her-itage and vibrant natu-

ral beauty, India has much tooffer to leisure tourists.However, to attract MICEtourists, the country lacks theinfrastructure required to hostlarge numbers. Numerousplans have been mooted todevelop world-class conven-tion centres, internationalstandard airports and hotelswith capacity to host theselarge numbers. The number ofdomestic companies choosingto hold their MICE activitiesoutside the country has seenIndia’s outbound MICE growto US$600 million last year,according to statistics fromInternational Congress &Convention Association(ICCA).

Domestic FocusSeveral hoteliers in the

country, though, are of theopinion that instead of aimingto attract more internationalconventions to India, the focusshould be on domestic conven-tions. Vikram Kamat,Executive Director, KamatHotels observed, “One-sixth ofthe world’s population is inIndia and the country hastremendous potential in theMICE segment. I believe thatwe should forget internationalconferences, for the momentat least, and focus on thedomestic segment. Domesticconventions are increasinglygoing abroad because they findgreater value there. We needto offer them similar opportu-nities in the country and begin

by ironing out any problems orissues that arise here.”

Partha Chatterjee,Advisor, Keys Hotels con-curred, “One of the most pop-ular destinations for outboundMICE activities from India isFrance, which has over 200

locations for MICE activities.In India, the preferred desti-nations for MICE are NewDelhi, Mumbai, Kolkata,Hyderabad, Greater Noida,Bengaluru, Kochi, Jairpur andKolkata. Other then these,there are over 4,000 towns inIndia, so there are locationsavailable. For instance, Lavasahas 1,000 rooms available,but is not generally thought

of as a MICEdestination,though 40 percent of its rev-enues comefrom the MICEsegment.”Chatterjee alsoopined that,“With 60-70 per

cent of a hotel’s businesscoming from the domesticsegment, this is where thefocus of hotels should lie.”

MICE PotentialWith growing interest

among business travellers to

experience the culture andbeauty of India, MICE trav-ellers are constantly on thelookout for new and uniquedestinations. And India hasplenty to offer to this seg-ment. Chatterjee stated,“The startling statistic isthat over two million Indianstravel abroad for MICE everyyear. In India today, theMICE segment contributes20 per cent of a hotel’s busi-ness in India and the growthyear-on-year is also 20 percent currently. It is the infra-structure that needs to bedeveloped further. Forinstance, a state-of-the-artconvention centre will bebuilt in Pragati Maidan inDelhi by September 2015

which will give the MICEmarket a tremendous boost.”

According to Ajay KBakaya, Executive Director,Sarovar Hotels and Resorts,with Indian hotels not havingenough rooms to host largeconventions, two-three hotels

or more as needed could cometogether and approach largeconventions. He also said thatthere was undoubtedly poten-tial in the segment but that itneeded to be tapped in theright way.

ChallengesThe lack of infrastructure

and support for MICE is thebiggest roadblock to furthergrowth of the segment inIndia. Kamat stated, “There isno mindset for growing MICE.For instance, when a conven-tion is held in Bombay, theevenings see delegates jostlingfor auto-rickshaws and taxiswhich is not feasible. We needgreater teamwork to developMICE. Hoteliers, travel agents,

tour operators, transportproviders; all need to worktogether. A convention with5,000 participants, for exam-ple, will require many vehiclesand we need to see if the basicsupport is available for con-ventions of that size. MICEevents don’t involve onlyhotels. It’s an important com-ponent, but there is a muchlarger eco-system that goeswith it. We need more confer-ence co-ordinators who are capable of handling conventions of that size. MICE in India still has a longway to go.” Bakaya added,“We have an opportunity togrow MICE in India, but theseopportunities are not avail-able all across the country. Weneed hotels to come togetherand ask big conferences tocome to India. MICE trav-ellers want to go to good des-tinations. When we’re talkinglarge-scale conventions inIndia, we only have one con-vention centre, which is theHyderabad InternationalConvention Centre. So thesefacilities need to be developedon an urgent basis.”

With over two million Indians travelling abroad every year for MICE, hotels are increasingly focussing on domestic conventions. analyses the potential of MICE in the Indian market.

Domestic conventions on hotel’s radar

Vikram KamatExecutive DirectorKamat Hotels

We should forgetinternationalconferences, for themoment at least, and focus on thedomestic segment

Partha ChatterjeeAdvisorKeys Hotels

With 60-70% of ahotel’s businesscoming from thedomestic segment,this is where thehotel’s focusshould lie

Ajay K BakayaExecutive DirectorSarovar Hotels and Resorts

Hotels should cometogether and ask bigconferences tocome to India. We need greaterteam work todevelop MICE

According to ICCA statistics,every year 4,00,000conferences are held worldwide which costs up toUS$ 280 billion

From this, India’s share is US$ 4.8 billion

Every year, two million Indianstravel abroad for MICE

Sobering Stats

LYANDRA D’SOUZA

sustained efforts to augmentthe tourism infrastructureacross the country. Morethan half of TourismMinistry’s Plan budget ischannelised for funding thedevelopment of destinations,circuits, mega-projects andalso for rural tourism infra-structure projects. Out ofthe 54 mega tourism proj-ects identified, 40 havealready been sanctioned bythe end of January, 2013.The mega projects are ajudicious mix of culture, her-itage, spiritual and eco-tourism and aim to give tourists a holistic per-spective.

Tourism is a jobcreator and agreat saviour

FAITH sets itsagenda to achieve its motive

Contd. from page 1

Contd. from page 1

approvals and State taxationthat stimulate growth of theindustry,” said Gupta, aspart FAITH’s list of priorityto be taken up with the StateGovernment.

In his address ParvezDewan, Secretary, Ministry ofTourism, Government ofIndia said, “At the recently-held UNWTO event in India,its chief had disclosed thattravellers spend almost fourtimes higher than the globalaverage in India. FAITH willa good platform to sit togeth-er and brainstorm with theindustry behind closeddoors.”

CII Tourism Fest in Chandigarh from Dec 5-7, 2013 Organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and supportedby Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; the first edition of ‘CIITourism Fest’ will be held from December 5-7, 2013 in Chandigarh.

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

Known as a wonderlandfor millions of visitors,

Hyderabad based Ramoji FilmCity is tapping every segmentof traveller from domesticand international markets. Acomprehensive fun, enter-tainment and leisure hub, thefilm city is certified by theGuinness World Records asthe world’s largest film studiocomplex. It is now positioningitself as complete thematicdestination offering film-induced tourism ideal forfamily holidays, honeymoons,weddings and MICE events.The film studio is also design-

ing Sahas – TheRamojiAdventure landto challenge,inspire anddelight the par-ticipants, test-ing their bodyand mindagainst a varietyof odds. This

new attraction is focused oncorporates, families, adven-ture lovers, groups, collegeand school students fromdomestic and inbound mar-kets. It will feature adventureactivities like Pole HarnessCourse, Net Course, Paintball, Zorbing, ATV Rides,Cycle/Bike Rides, shootingarena, inflatable zones and

pool area. Among the proj-ects in the pipeline are Wings– the Bird’s Park which willbe one-of-its-kind aviary inIndia and will strengthen thereputation of Ramoji FilmCity as the ‘most eco-friendlytourist destination’.

Talking about the filmcity, Rajeev Jalnapurkar, Vice

Preisdent, Ramoji Film Citysaid, “For a veritable holidayexperience, Ramoji Film Cityoffers a kaleidoscope ofattractions where nature andfun of films coexist.

Rolling landscapes,striking gardens,captivating livestunt shows andthrill rides makethis film city ahaven of amusement whileexclusive film-basedofferings like spell-binding sets, lavishlocales and RamojiMovie Magic makeit a class apart.”

The film city also housesnumber of hotels (Sitara andTara), F&B outlets, confer-ence facilities. It has designedcorporate packages whereinone can conduct high-level

meets, corporate meeting,workshops on one hand andout-of-the-box, fun-filledexperiences on the other.Apart from acting as a perfectgateway for weddings,Ramoji Film City also offershoneymoon packagesdesigned with array of recre-ational activities on offerincluding fun-filled honey-moon video, photo shoots,spa treatments, ethnic bul-lock cart ride with jinglingbells, etc.

Jalnapurkar adds,“Exploring all the realms of experience; it is all ways been our endeavor to provide excellence in the services and quality to our customers across the spectrum of leisure,MICE and grand weddings.Because of our commitmentto high standards, constantevolution and customer asthe focal point we are seen as the fastest growingthematic destination in India.”

The Ramoji Film City is coming up with two more attractions targeting domestic and inbound tourism sectors.These new attractions are focussed on corporates, families, adventure-lovers, groups, college and schoolstudents from domestic and inbound markets. takes a look.

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Everyone’s welcome at Ramoji Film CityATTRACTIONS1 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

TECHNOLOGY

For those who want to bedifferent from others and

feel they need more andmore, TI Infotech has theperfect solution, ’TravelCloud Suite’ (TCS), withcapacity and features toenable small players to kickstart their business operationwithin minutes.

“The system will havethe functionalities to givesmall players what they needwith extra customisation.TCS is built on latest technol-ogy and enhanced featureswith options to sell all type ofservices such as hotels, trans-fers, sightseeing and flightwith a blended display ofresults from multiple inven-tories from XML’s and ownnegotiated contracts,” saysMeenu Sachdeva, ManagingDirector, TI Infotech.

Discussing the afford-ability of technology, espe-cially for beginners, small and medium companies,Sachdeva adds, “In the cur-rent scenario, it is no more agame to be played by thelarge enterprises. Technologyhas now become an essentialpart of the business. Todaytechnology solutions areavailable and affordable forall kind of players. The sce-nario only differs from the sit-

uation wherein the smallplayers rather than focussingon niche services and theirstrong USPs, start planningto have the full blown solu-tions which are being used bythe large enterprises. Astechnology changes verysoon, small startup compa-nies don’t have a lot of moneyfor the needed technology

investments for their busi-ness. A wise entrepreneurmust be able to determinewhat products need to bebought and what softwareand gadgets will be anti-quated before the companycan fully utilise them. Whena company invests in a tech-nology, the technology itselfshouldn’t need to bereplaced due to changes inbusiness.”

Sachdeva further adds,“Small and medium playersshould start their automationprocesses from their corerequirement to the nextimportant, and then to thenext, and keep on building ina step-by-step mode. Thishelps to manage the cost,maintenance resources, lesserupfront deposit for instantsale, and gives the confidenceto build up more when thesuccess has been tasted in thefirst phase. “We see a brightfuture as there is a need ofbetter automation processesin this industry in the comingtime. The industry needs toremain in constant touch withtheir clientele, suppliers andpartners. The futuristic tech-nological solution will have aholistic approach to provideand share the information fora business need and for theneeds of social connectivity,”explains Sachdeva.

Built on the latest technology and enhanced features,TI Infotech’s ‘Travel Cloud Suite’ has the capacity andfeatures to enable small players to kick-start their business operation within minutes.

Traveltech for every need

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Small andmedium playersshould start theirautomationprocesses fromtheir corerequirement tothe nextimportant need

Meenu SachdevaManaging DirectorTI Infotech

ICTT 2013: Investing in technologyKerala recently held theInternational Conferenceon Travel Technology(ICTT). ICTT had been organised by the Kerala-basedAssociation of TravelTrade Organisations,India (ATTOI).

Middle Eastern and Asiancarriers are now either con-nected or have applied toconnect South Indian cities.

India’s flag carrier – AirIndia is also planning to havea third hub in South India(probably Chennai orBangalore) to tap the growingair traffic (both internationaland domestic). Domestic car-riers like Jet Airways, GoAir,SpiceJet and IndiGo are con-stantly improving their con-nections in South India.

States’ connectionThe ‘God’s own coun-

try’ is still considered as themost popular state fromSouth India in the global market. However,Karnataka, Tamil Nadu andAndhra Pradesh are nowcoming forward and partic-ipating at global trade fairsto improve visibility and awareness. Recently,Andhra Pradesh Tourismsigned an MoU withKarnataka Tourism to facili-tate easier and discountedbooking of trains and hotelsfor travellers from mutualstates. Also, Karnataka is

in discussion for the possibility of taking its luxury train Golden Chariotto Andhra Pradesh.

Talking about outboundtourism; increasing number ofNTOs are now focusing on Bangalore, Chennai,Hyderabad and even Kochi fortheir roadshows, trade fairs,sales meeting, etc to tap thetourist traffic from these cities.Hanneli Slabber, CountryManager – India, SouthAfrican Tourism said, “India isan important source marketfor us, and interestingly, SouthIndia is coming up as a poten-tial market for us. We have included

Chennai thistime.”

NewZealandtourism’s ‘KiwiLink’ roadshowonly touchesMumbai andNew Delhi, butfor the first time

this year, it was organised inBangalore and Kolkata aswell. Mischa Mannix-Opie,South & South East AsiaRegional Manager, TourismNew Zealand said, “With 26suppliers from New Zealand,we extended Kiwi Link forthe first time in Bangalore,because our suppliers gotmany queries from SouthIndia in last few years.

With the growing poten-tial of South India, we finallydecided to tap this region andmeet the travel trade. We arepositive to receive extensiveresponse from this market, and are going to continue to focus onBangalore, Chennai,Hyderabad and Kochi throughour sales team in India.”

The potential in South India is immense. All that is needed to tap this region is the right focus, right marketing andbusiness strategies.

Centrally located in theheart of Delhi, The Hans

offers sweeping views of thecityscape. It is ideal for bothbusiness and leisure trav-ellers visiting the capital or using the capital as a transit point. Over the years,the hotel has earned someloyal customers and they continue to patronise theproperty despite the openingof new hotels offering com-petitive rates.

According to Rita Shah,Chief Operating Officer, HansHotels, the hotel is also keep-ing itself updated with newamenities. “The hotel hadadded a club floor at the rooftop last year. Here, all therooms are 350 square feeteach, with large bathroomsand are modern and mini-malistic in design. In addi-tion, you have the mostbreathtaking view of bothold and new Delhi.”

Going forward, thehotel is looking at tappingthe leisure and MICE seg-ment aggressively to

increase its occupancy lev-els. “Last year, The Hanswitnessed a drop of 15 percent in the ARRs and theoccupancy had also suffereddue to the fall in the leisuremarket. We were now hop-ing to tap more of thedomestic leisure market asdomestic tourism is the wayforward. We also expect thatMICE will pick up. Beinglocated in central Delhialways works to our advan-tage for hosting MICE andother corporate events,” sheadds. Talking about the per-formance in the MICE seg-ment, Shah affirms, “Thecorporate meetings in ourhotel are very good and mostof the year we are booked.We have four meeting roomsranging from 200 persons to10 persons. In addition wehave a 10,000, sq ft of ter-race garden right in the cen-tre of Connaught Place,which is a great venue fordinners, cocktails and otherwedding functions.”

The Hans Hotel added a club floor at the roof top last year.It is tapping 3 segments namely, domestic, leisure & MICE.

Domestic, Leisure & MICE

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We also expectthat MICE willpick up. Beinglocated incentral Delhialways works toour advantage

Rita ShahChief Operating OfficerHans Hotels

Hanneli SlabberCountry Manager – India, South African Tourism

Mischa Mannix-OpieSouth & South East Asia RegionalManager, Tourism New Zealand

Contd. from page 2

World looks at South India

HOTELS

Japan to conduct two day tourism expo in Jan 2014Japan Tourism is organising a two-day India-Japan Tourism Expo in New Delhi from 13-17

January, 2014. In fact, the event can also witness a business delegation that will be keen to investin the mid-segment hotel projects in India.Japan and India have also resolved to strength-en cooperation in the tourism sector. This wasdecided at a meeting in Delhi between KChiranjeevi, Union Minister for Tourism, Govtof India and Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japanese SeniorVice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transportand Tourism. Chiranjeevi informed hisJapanese counterpart about the various measures being taken to improve golf tourismand MICE tourism in India.

IATO introduced ‘Run forResponsible Tourism’ as an

awareness initiative exerciseamong its various stakehold-ers last year. The run, whichbecame extremely popularlast year, has now become aregular feature of this con-vention. The idea is to createawareness about responsibletourism through this initia-tive. In its second year, theRun for Responsible Tourismwill cover a 4-km stretch.

Giving more detailsabout the run, AmareshTiwari, ExecutiveCommittee Member, IATOand co-ordinator for theIATO Run for ResponsibleTourism says, “This time,people can participate for the4-km run in four categories.There will be a run, a walk,senior citizen and children’scategory as well. They willcover the same path, butwith separate race bibsbelonging to the four differ-ent categories. The cate-gories have been formed tosuit everybody’s interest andencourage more people tojoin the cause. The run willstart from Le Meridien, Kochi

at 6.30 am (while the regis-trations will be on from 6am) and will finish atWellington Island Road.”There are around 15 volun-teers and 15 hotel supportstaff, who will oversee thesmooth functioning of the

entire exercise. Also, therewill be volunteers stationedafter every 250 metres.After two kms, there will bea water station, he adds.

Witnessing huge regis-trations already, the event isexpected to be a huge suc-cess. According to Tiwari,there were only two sponsorsfor the IATO Run last year.“This year, we have sevensponsors. We had to regret-

fully decline over four spon-sors due to the lack of space.Also, I have already received200 registrations, and theIATO office has got another150 registrations. We areexpecting on-the-spot regis-trations as well. So, at least500 people are expected toparticipate in this second yearof the run,” he confirms.

Apart from IATO’sSilent Auction in aid of achosen cause, the associa-tion is betting big on newcharity events. Another newfeature which is being addedto the IATO Run this year isthe new charity programme.Throwing more light on thenew venture, he elaborates,“Check Out for Children isan existing alliance betweenStarwood Hotels & Resortsand UNICEF. The UNICEFCheck Out for ChildrenChallenge is a fundraisingevent between StarwoodHotels which began in 2003.This year they have organ-ised an association withZeus, a self-employed groupof youngsters and collegestudents who do instant car-icatures on T-shirts forguests. The group does thecaricatures on a jeep andtakes approximately 20 min-utes per T-shirt.” This time,IATO Run has tied up withthe initiative with LeMeridien Kochi. People canget a caricature printed ontheir T-shirt for Rs 600. Apart of this money will go tothe Zeus Group, and theremainder will go to UNICEFfund, he adds.

This time, people can participate in the 4-km run in fourcategories. There will be a run, walk, senior citizen andchildren categories as well. The run will start from LeMeridien, Kochi till Wellington Island Road.

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Kick starting 2nd IATO run

There were only twosponsors for the IATO Runlast year. Thistime, we haveseven sponsors

Amaresh TiwariExecutive Committee Member, IATO

� Apart from IATO’s SilentAuction in aid of a chosencause, the association isbetting big on new charityevents. Another new featurewhich is being added to theIATO Run this year is thenew charity programme

Highlights

ASSOCIATIONS

STATISTICS

Leisure draws FTAs toIncredible India

Youth-ConnectThe above table gives the per-centage distribution of FTAs inIndia according to age groupsduring 1996-2011. It is to benoted that the proportion ofFTAs aged 55 or above hasincreased from 11.5% in 1996to about 24.2% in 2011.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (2010-2012)

FTAs during December 2012 were 7.50 lakh, as compared to FTAs of 7.37 lakh during December 2011, and6.80 lakh in December 2010.

FTAs were 57,75,692 in 2010, rising to 63,09,222 next year, and 66,48,318 in 2012 (provisional estimates).

The 9.2% rise in the number of FTAs in 2011 over 2010 weakened to a rise of 5.4% in 2012.

Top 5 areas where India Lags Behind

Top 5 areas where India is Ahead

FTAs in India: Purpose of visit (2009-2011)

This data was compiled for the first time in2009. The table gives the percentage distri-bution of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)according to their purpose of visit. About 26%of the FTAs in India during 2011 were for thepurpose of leisure, holidays and recreation,

followed by the purpose of visiting friends &relatives (24.9%), followed by business andprofessional (22.5%). The highest proportionof visitors in the business & professional cat-egory were from China (66.5%) followed byJapan (63.4%).

Leisure Rules

Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India (Age-wise) 2011

Cleanliness

Infrastructure

Polluted Areas

Road Setup

Poverty

Culture

Food

Friendly People

Monuments

Hospitality

Centrally located in thecapital of Goa, the

Country Inn & Suites ByCarlson Goa Panjim Hotel isfocussing on corporatemovements in the state. Theproperty features 64 roomsand suites and is located inthe heart of Panjim’s busi-ness hub and just few min-utes away from touristattractions like Dona Paula,Calangute, Fort Aguada,Jama Masjid and MandoviRiver’s Casinos. Accordingto Manveer Kapoor, GeneralManager, Country Inn &Suites; business travellersopt for the property for its

convenient locationand on-site hotelamenities like free highspeed wireless Internetaccess, complimentarybreakfast, banquetfacilities and a businesscentre.

Kapoor said, “Weare leveraging on ourcentral location which isperfect for corporatetravellers and casino-lovers. We are also anexcellent destination forfamilies and FITs, whoare looking for greatvacations, warm hospi-tality and value-for-money services. Each

of ourroom isequippedwith 24-hour in-room diningfacility, elec-tronic safe, hairdryer, free wirelessInternet access,

individual climate control,international direct dialing,LED TV with cable connec-tion, mini bar, newspaper,packaged drinking water andtea/coffee maker.” The prop-erty also houses a rooftop

BBQ restaurant whichis perfect for dinnerfor groups, familiesand honeymooners.

The propertyreceives 30 per centof their bookingsfrom their globalwebsite and salesteam across theworld. According toKapoor, global OTAslike Agoda,Booking.com, etc areacting as a perfectdistribution channelfor their internation-al and domesticguests. “However,considering the pop-ularity and increas-ing consumer base ofour domestic OTAs,we have startedworking closely with

them as well,” adds Kapoor.The property already has a monsoon package in offer and will soon introducewinter package and casino package.

Business travellers opt for the property for its convenient location andon-site hotel amenities like free high speed wireless Internet access, complimentary breakfast, banquet facilities and a business centre.

Drawing corporate traffic to Goa

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HOTELS1 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

India is a unique destina-tion with immense potential.Its domestic tourist visitsequal the number of globaltourist visits all over theworld. In other words, whenthe world was celebratingone billion tourists interna-tionally, Indian domestictourists also crossed one bil-lion mark. In fact, India hasalso managed to grow itsinbound segment wellahead of the global averagein recent time.

Sending a clear mes-sage to all stakeholders to do more while chairing the National TourismAdvisory Council (NTAC), K Chiranjeevi, Minister forTourism said, “Tourism sec-tor in India has witnessed asubstantial growth in thelast decade. During 2012,the Foreign Tourist Arrivals(FTAs) in India have reached6.58 million. The estimatednumber of domestic touristvisits in 2012 was 1,027million. Although thegrowth of inbound tourismin India has been higherthan the overall growth inthe world, the share of Indiaat 0.64% continues to below. We have to strive hard-er to increase this share”.“The huge size of domestic

tourism helps to sustain theIndian tourism industry,even when there is negativeor low growth in inboundtourism,” he added.

Further referring to the role of private sector, Chiranjeevi said, “We needactive involvement of the corporate sector to adoptimportant tourist sites andmonuments under CorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR).To set a precedent, the ITDChas come forward and adopt-ed the Qutub Minar. Now,ONGC has come forward toadopt six monuments, name-ly the Taj Mahal, Red Fort,Elephanta Caves, ElloraCaves, Mahabalipuram, andthe Golconda Fort. Steps arebeing taken for formalisingthese arrangements. Of now, we have identifiedabout 120 monumentsacross India that can be givenfor adoption.”

Domestic visits cross 1 bn mark

K ChiranjeeviMinister for Tourism

Located in the foothills ofKumaon in Uttarakhand,

the Radisson Blu HotelRudrapur is keen on tappingthe MICE segment. ArunKumar Manikonda, HotelManager, Radisson BluHotel, Rudrapur said,“Besides being in very closeproximity to key businessdistricts and industries inthe city, the hotel with its

large room inventory, ban-queting and conference facil-ities makes Radisson BluRudrapur an ideal locationfor corporate and MICE trav-ellers. Additionally, we have

two boardrooms equippedwith all modern facilities andhi-tech audio visual equip-ment, for small meetings upto 8 to 25 delegates. Ourconference hall is perfect tohold an event of up to 900people and also can be divid-ed in to 3 equal parts forsmaller events. The hotel

also has a lush green openterrace lawn to organisebanquet functions.”

Currently, the hotelaverage organises 50 to 60MICE events every year onaverage and is targetting afigure of 80 events minimuma year. Commenting on themarketing and promotional

strategy, Manikonda said, “Topromote MICE activities, our strategies arecreating/spreading aware-ness about hotel productsand facilities to all marketsegments through variousmarketing channels, tap-ping/finding the upcomingpotential corporate clients in

and around the city, creatingattractive packages for wed-dings and other banquet/con-ference events to attract localmasses in the city and nearbyplaces, making the hotelavailable on social media andother online distributionchannels to drive productiv-ity as well as consistently

leading the market and set-ting the benchmark to inter-national hospitality levels. Asfar as working with the traveltrade goes, we completelyunderstand the importanceof travel companies and havean attractive commission andincentive policy for travelagents.”

Currently, Radisson Blu Hotel Rudrapur on an average organises 50 to 60 MICE events every year and istargetting a minimum of 80 events a year. finds out more about how the property is wooing MICE.

Radisson Blu targetting MICE segmentHOTELS I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 1 9

We completelyunderstand theimportance oftravel companiesand have an attractivecommission andincentive policy fortravel agents

Arun Kumar ManikondaHotel ManagerRadisson Blu Hotel, Rudrapur

� The hotel has 2 boardroomsequipped with modernfacilities for small meetingsup to 8 to 25 delegates

� The conference hall is ableto hold an event of up to 900 people

MICE-Equipped

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

RKalathinathan, GeneralManager, Ambica Group

of Hotels said, “The promot-ers have studied and incorpo-

rated the best of the facilitiesand services observed fromtheir globetrotting. This hotelis truly at par with any luxuryhotel in any part of the worldand it is our constant endeav-our to ensure that we providevisitors with world class serv-ices and facilities.

We are at the forefront of creating new hospitality experiences forguests in a tranquilhaven where they will be able tofeel completely at ease.”

Located in Chennai, thehotel is in close proximity tothe city centre as well as

nodes of transport and busi-ness, shopping and entertain-ment options. Alongside 90

rooms, the hotel also has fivebanquet halls seating up to500 people, a multi-cuisinerestaurant, a coffee shop anda pub and spa. The hotel alsooffers a range of services forbusiness and luxury trav-ellers.

Kalathinanan addedthat the Hotel AmbicaEmpire had already beenrecognised for its F&B, hos-pitality and service withthree awards - PremiumBusiness Hotel of the year2010-11, issued by GoldenStar awards, The BestThree Star Hotel of the year2012 in Tamil Nadu, issuedby South Indian HospitalityAward and the Best ValuedBusiness Hotel of the year

2012 by Travel and TourismAwards.Late last year, theAmbica Group also launcheda 34-room three star propertyin Vishakhapatnam calledHotel Ambica Sea Green.Kalathinathan informed,“One of the key features inthis hotel are the Aquariumrooms, which have aquari-ums at the entrance of theroom. Additionally, the hotelis designed in such a way asto take advantage of theserene sea views.”

Ambica Group of Hotelsis on a major expansion spreeat the moment with 10 hotelscoming up in different states,with the latest being a threestar property coming up inHyderabad shortly.

Hotel Ambica Empire, part of the Ambica Group, is currently focussing its efforts on providing the best offacilities and services and amenities to its visitors.

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Providing world-class services to travellers

R KalathinathanGeneral ManagerAmbica Group of Hotels

have seen an addition insupply of new hotels, he added. Throwing light onthe sluggish growth in thesector, Raymond Bickson,Managing Director, IndianHotels Company opined,“With rising operating costs,it has become imperative forcompanies to manage base-lines. The market is chang-ing, but we also have fixedperational costs. The legacyof the hotel is difficult tochange in these changingtimes.” Most hoteliers, how-ever, do believe that supplywould create demand. “Tokeep up with the challengingtimes, we ought to chooseour locations carefully. TheOberoi group’s RevPAR hasincreased 14 per cent insouth Mumbai. To boostdemand, we are also tryingto have a good marketingmix,” Kapil Chopra,President, Oberoi Group con-firmed. The luxury hotelchain has announced specialoffers such as a complimen-

tary third-night stay with abooking for two nights, anadditional room for two chil-

dren and a complimentarythird room with a bookingfor two rooms.

Contd. from page 8

The Oberoigroup’sRevPAR has increased 14 per cent in SouthMumbai

Our strategywill be tomaintain themarket shareand look at sub-segmentscarefully

Rajeev KaulPresident Leela Hotels and Resorts

Kapil ChopraPresidentOberoi Group

Changing price with timeFrom papers to place of

stay, speakers to delegates,press to PowerPoint presen-tations; the IATO secretariatpitches in to meet any tasksas per the directives of theConvention Committee,Chairman of IATOConvention, President and

other officials. “It is really amoment of great pride forme to have worked behindthe scene with my devotedteam of colleagues in theIATO secretariat. It is their

expertise,quality, andcommitmentthat gives mecourage andconfidence.Together, wedeliver thebest to IATO,”said GourKanjilal,

Executive Director, IATO.“Our main job is to ensuresponsorship from States,Ministry of Tourism, privatepromotions and ensure IATOstands financially strong.The Convention gets maxi-mum presence of delegatesthrough follow-up, so that itbecomes the members’ ownshow and they participateactively. We do not expectany accolade or people to gogaga over our work. Whatwe do is part of our job andwe get satisfaction doingthat,” he added.

IATO Secretariat works Behind-The-Scene

Gour KanjilalExecutive DirectorIATO

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

This fiscal year has begunon a good note for the

convention industry. “Indiahas been ranked 25th in thebest convention destinationsof the world. This ranking

was given by ICCA in its last AMEX meet in May. Last year, India ranked at 33rd position. Hence, this isa big gain,” Mansharamanirevealed in an exclusiveinterview with .

Also, ICPB recently hada meeting with the AdditionalSecretary, Ministry ofCommerce in June. “Theyhave agreed to give the con-vention industry an 'exportindustry' status soon. Thiswill be a game changer forthe industry,” he added.

ICPB has geared up forits 25th year of existence witha slew of initiatives that willbe rolled out in the next few months. “

We have already done aresearch on the economic impact ona particular citywhen it hosts a convention.

Post this, we will doregional workshops during the 25th year of ICPBin most state capitals. Theidea is to involve the stategovernments and privatestakeholders for these workshops. Earlier, people

were talking about the use-fulness of conventions, butnobody really hadapproached the states toeducate them on the eco-nomic benefits of the same,”the Vice Chairman said.

Along with the region-al workshops, ICPB will hostroadshows in many cities.“We will invite local buyersand enlighten them on howthey should bid for interna-tional exhibitions and how

ICPB can help them inpreparing such bidding doc-uments,” he informed. Theroadshows will be conduct-ed in six cities starting withMumbai in August. This will be followed by Chennai,Hyderabad, Kolkata,Chandigarh and Jaipur inthe coming months. Theorder in which ICPB willhost the roadshows will alsodepend on the availability ofthe state governments, but

the idea is to finishthe roadshows by theend of March 2014.Anand Kumar, ICPBChairman and JointSecretary, Ministry ofTourism, Governmentof India, is in touchwith the state officialsfor the same,” he con-firmed.

Most of the for-eign organisationsfeel there are tworoadblocks to bringinternational confer-ences to India. Firstly,there are many

permissions required andsecondly, the visa rules needto be made less stringent.Regarding this, ICPB had a meetingwith the ChiefSecretary,Govt. ofMaharashtraand PrincipalSecretary-Tourism, Govt. of Maharashtraand

decided that a nodal agency for one-windowclearance is needed to grant all these permissionsIn principle, MaharashtraGovt. has agreed they willappoint MaharashtraTourism DevelopmentCorporation (MTDC) as anodal agency for getting all the permissions, he elaborated. “In Delhi, we are requesting the Ministryof Home Affairs to appoint ICPB as nodalagency for visa purposes,”he added. Regarding manpower training,Mansharamani opined, “Tobid for international MICE, international stan-dards for training is imperative.”

Chander Mansharamani, Vice Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) talks about the recentinitiatives taken for boosting MICE, and how the convention industry will be given export status.

A big year for India’s convention industryTT BUREAU

Chander MansharamaniVice Chairman ICPB

BRYS Hotels, a RahulGaur enterprise, has

taken leisure and businesstravel to a new level. Thenew BRYS caves, situatednear Jim Corbett NationalPark is well poised to emergeas a serene getaway fromthe hectic city life.Encapsulating the typicaljungle experience, the BRYScaves combine raw nature inthe form of caves and mod-ern aesthetics to offer a dis-tinctive holiday that is bothwild and luxurious at thesame time.

The other offerings atBRYS caves include, Czar–Bar & Discotheque with awide selection of wines andbeverages. Timberland - TheRestaurant, offers a variedrange of cuisines.

For the uninitiated,BRYS GROUP has businessinterests in five distinct areasincluding real estate, hospi-tality, medicare, advertisingand hotels. Its other proper-ties include massive BRYSFORT in Jaisalmer. WhileBRYS FORT encapsulates thelegendry medieval Rajputanagrandeur, BRYS CAVES is anultra-luxurious resort with

soul of the wild.Its third proper-ty, a boutiqueBusiness Hotel,BRYS ELAN isonly few min-utes away fromDelhi’s borderand is slated forits inaugurationshortly.

BRYS Fort has createdseveral theme evenings andfun activities for its corporate

clients. These include camelrides and fun-filled eveningswith folk performers withJaisalmer’s breathtakingsand dunes serving as a back-drop. The BRYS Haveli is atwo-storeyed luxurious bun-galow, with services to matchits ostentatious décor.Hindola Mahal and Ras Mahalare two premium suites on

the property. The hotel alsohas 36 Deluxe Rooms and alarge corporate group canbook all when checking intoBRYS Fort for its MICE activ-ities. There are plans to add42 more rooms to this inven-tory by February 2013.Groups coming to the hotelcan also choose to stay intents under the clear, pollu-

tion-free Jaisalmer sky. BRYSFort also has vintage carsavailable for drives aroundthe hotel’s premises.

It combines raw nature in the form of caves and modern aesthetics to offer a distinctive holiday that is both wild and luxurious at the same time. Its 37 ‘wildly’ designed caves include Shivalik Cave, King Cave, Queen Cave and a Grand Tree House.

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BRYS offers unique jungle-like experience

The BRYS Haveliis a two-storeyedluxuriousbungalow, withservices to matchits ostentatiousdécor

Navneet Kaur BhadlaDirector, BRYS

� BRYS Fort has created severaltheme evenings and funactivities for its corporate clients

Tapping MICE

Swagatam Tours hadalways exceeded the

traveler’s expectation and inreturn had grown faster thenthe industry average. Today,when the travel and hospi-tality players had been leftin a lurch due to dwindlingprofitability, Swagatam con-tinues to perform betterthen its peers.

“Swagatam Tours hadcompleted 27 years of suc-cessful operations. We havebeen doing modest businesssince our inception, grownmore than our expectations.The present economic sce-nario in tourism has not beenso far a good ride and for thepast few years growth isstand still. However, we arestill in a position to generatea positive balance sheet, saidPronab Sarkar, ManagingDirector, Swagatam Tours.“Most of our inbound origi-nate from Europe, MiddleEast, Far East and Americas.We are now trying to get intothe South American market,which is emerging as a newsource market,” he added.

In fact, staying in linewith the growing onlineappeal, Swagatam Tours has

created launched an onlineplatform to leverage its nichein the B2B space.

“The new generation ofinternet business B2B andB2C is the current threat ofbusiness for inbound touroperators. Cut throat compe-tition in hotel rates by thebig portal companies anddirect marketing by hotels

on internet - rates and avail-ability on internet hasreduced the hotel segmentof our business drastically. Inview of the new businesspattern we have alsolaunched www.swagatamon-line.com- a B2B model ofbusiness to remain in com-petition,” said Sarkar.

Sarkar also has someimportant suggestions for thepolicymakers. “I wouldemphasis on vigorous mar-keting of our products abroadto attract foreign tourists, bet-ter infrastructure - road, railand air connectivity, easy visapolicy for foreign tourists,lower Government taxes ontourism product shall helpboost tourism to India.”

“To double the employ-ment and investment in theTourism sector, The StateGovernment should declareTourism as an Industry andinbound tourism should alsobe treated as ‘Export ofServices’ to boost foreignexchange earnings for thecountry and get the benefitsof Industry and exemptionsas exporters. We shallachieve double the touristsvisiting our country withinnext few years,” he added.

Swagatam Tours launched www.swagatamonline.com, a B2Bmodel to make most of online business opportunities.

Eyeing South America

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We are nowgetting into theSouth Americanmarket, which isemerging as anew sourcemarket

Pronab SarkarManaging DirectorSwagatam Tours

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

Along with many travelagencies, Thomas Cook

India has recently announcedits senior citizen holidays cre-

ated especially for those intheir 60s and above. Top-sell-ing destinations include

short-hauls like Mauritius, SriLanka, Far East and Dubai.“At Thomas Cook India, sen-ior citizens form a key andgrowing segment,” saysMadhav Pai, Former Director

- Leisure Travel (Outbound),Thomas Cook India, “Thepackages have been designed

to suit therequirementsof the seniortraveller.”

Speakingon the initia-tive, Pai says,“We haveobserved thattoday’s seniorcitizens have a

youthful outlook towardstravel and are happy toexperiment with group tours,with their family members aswell as just themselves. Our

luxury brand ‘Indulgence’has seen strong growth viaanniversary trips for this seg-ment, to exotic destinationssuch as Hong Kong,Philippines, Bali and Japan.”

Thomas Cook India’s‘personalised holidays’ createspecial tailor-made itinerariesensuring focus on easy-pacedsight-seeing, adequate stopsfor rest and comfort breaks.Typically, half day sight-see-ing tours are included ratherthan full-day tours. Also, spe-cial meals are served as pertheir health and dietaryrequirements.

According to Pai, “Thecombination of early retire-ment, high disposable incomeand healthy lifestyle has cre-ated room for more leisuretime, which has createdstrong demand for travel. Ourtrend analysis has revealedthat approximately 15% of ourindividual traveller segmentwill comprise senior citizens.”

When Cox and Kingsdesigns tours for senior citi-zens, they look at manyaspects. “We offer them flightsthat take off late in theevening, with minimum stop-overs. Otherwise, they end upspending time in the airportat night. Accommodation isprovided on lower floors andhotels in the city centre arebooked. We have dedicated

staff on call, in case of anyemergencies,” says KaranAnand, Head, Relationships,Cox and Kings, adding,“Dietary requirements aretaken care of. We ensure thatthey walk less and provide

them transport to the nearestentry point at monumentsetc.” In the domestic sector,Minar Travels specialises inselling destinations likeHimachal, Kashmir, Ooty andDarjeeling to silver travellers.“They love relaxing holidayswith a bit of sightseeingthrown in. A shikara ride onDal Lake for three hours anda flask of tea/coffee with lightsnacks, is the kind of optionwe offer to senior citizens,”

says Madan Kak, COO-Tours,Minar Travels.

“Then there are thosewho prefer to combine holi-days with religious activities.We offer them a Golden

Triangle tour with a pit-stopat Varanasi to visit templesand watch the evening aartiby the Ganges. For those whowant an extended holiday, anhour-long flight takes themto the Himalayan Kingdom ofNepal. A temple tour of CharDhams is for those who canwithstand strenuous jour-neys. A five-night tour ofVaishno Devi and DurbarSahib in Amritsar is also pop-ular,” says Kak.

With most travel agencies offering customised packages for elderly travellers, ‘silver citizens' in India have a reasonto cheer this holiday season despite the gloomy outlook. finds out...

Silver lining for senior citizen holidays

We offer themflights that takeoff late in theevening, withminimum stop-overs

At ThomasCook India,senior citizensform a key and agrowingsegment

Madhav PaiDirector - Leisure Travel(Outbound), Thomas Cook India

Karan AnandHead, RelationshipsCox and Kings

Offering adiscountedpackage to this age-group is achallenge

They loverelaxingholidays with a bit ofsightseeingthrown in

Madan KakCOO-ToursMinar Travels

Rajesh SethiManaging DirectorCarnation Travel Services

ANALYSIS2 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

A large number of seniors prefer to travel in groups as they likethe company of fellow travellers who are young and can give themcompany, claims Anand. Sethi agrees, “They are nervous about travelling alone and need to travel in a group, properly escorted.Many of them avoid fixed departures and opt for customised pack-ages, which are not very hectic. We organise group departures forthem for Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, China, Egypt and Europe.”

Group Show

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Most travel agents agree that catering to silver travellers isa challenge. Pai’s team has to carefully screen hotels and offeraccommodation choices that have wheel chair and doctor-on-callfacilities. Also, rooms need to be allocated close to elevators orat the ground level. For Kak, the most important challenge isrelated to his clients’ medical needs. “Even though we do nottake any customers without a valid insurance, at times, customersneed medical attention when the policy is less than two years old.Diet, too, is crucial. We have an option of Indian vegetarian mealsand even Jain meals on all our trips abroad. Also, it is a standardpractice to provide a tour manager who speaks a regional lan-guage in addition to English,” says Kak.

For Rajesh Sethi, Managing Director, Carnation TravelServices, offering a discounted package to this age-group is achallenge. “The cost goes up since all transfers have to be escort-ed. But this client is also price-sensitive, who often ends up withan inferior package on the basis of false premises.”

Tough Calls

Asia's hotel transaction volumes skyrocket 85%Hotel transaction volumes within Asia reached US$1.3 billion in this year, representing an 85 percent year-on-year increase over 2012. Strong investment in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Thailandand Maldives markets were the main engines for growth in the first half of the year.

Kanatal, a quaint littlehamlet in Uttaranchal

state, located just 300 kilo-meters, or 6-7 hours journeyby road from Delhi isperched at an altitude ofover 8,500 feet. Kanataloffers a spectacular view ofthe snow-clad GarhwalHimalayas and lush greenforests. The Terraces,Kanatal has been operationalsince the last nine years andhas even won accoladesfrom Trip Advisor’s - 2013Certificate of Excellence 2ndtime in row.

Occupying prime loca-tion on the ChambaMussoorie highway, the highpoint of the year at Kanataloccurs between Decemberand February, when over 50inches of powder snow car-pets its areas, creating aspectacular CottonwoodCanyon and transforms thelandscape into a ravishingwhite wonderland. TheTerraces offers the mostbreath taking views of thehighest mountains, a sereneand mesmerizing environ-ment accompanied withendearing hospitality and anextra ordinarily privatespace are the main high-lights of the property. Theproperty not only offers abillion dollar view, snowclad Himalayas can beviewed from every nook andcorner of The Place, not theleast, nearest snow destina-tion from Delhi. And ofcourse, best of services - thepersonal touch.

The Terraces comprises8 deluxe rooms, 12 super-deluxe rooms and a luxurysuite, each of which offertourists a pleasant view ofdazzling white snow-cladpeaks. Besides, usuals likeOutdoor Bar, Multi CuisineF&B outlets, Best ofRejuvenating Therapies, TheTerraces believes in provid-ing lots of 'Out of Box' recre-ations instantly; to name afew; Night Treks, NightSafaris along with picnics,

creating theme parties,Outdoor Dry Massages etc.They also provide a widechoice of team-building exer-cises for both business trav-ellers, such as trekking,camping, paragliding, raft-ing, and night picnics in sev-

eral forests as well as placesof tourist interest located inthe vicinity of the resort.

Promoting themselvesaggressively as a weekenddestination with strong con-nections within the TravelTrade all over India and

abroad, good wishes ofguests, associate promotersand their support has takenthem to heights. They believestaunchly that they need tobe innovative at all times.Room revenues are notenough to maintain highs.

It has launched ‘short-breaks’ tours for foreign nationals and NRIs. Theirinbound division has chalked out a varied number of tours to suit a traveller’s choice of destination, budget and dates.

Terraces, Kanatal woos weekend crowd

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

With an aim to improvedestination awareness

in domestic and global markets, Andhra PradeshTourism is undertaking vari-ous initiatives on both PPPand government’s modes. AP Tourism DevelopmentCorporation (APTDC) hasearmarked ` 1,000 croreinvestment in the public-pri-vate-partnership (PPP) mode for developing tourism infrastructure in the state.The state government isfocussing on the develop-ment of new and unexploreddestinations, and seeks toattract tourists from the

already popular destinationssuch as Tirupati andHyderabad. Besides upgrad-

ing infrastruc-ture, the corpo-ration is alsopromotingawarenessabout its attrac-tive tourist loca-tions by market-ing and promo-tional activities within

the State and at the national level. A sum of close to ` 40 croreis likely to be spent on marketing in this fiscal.

The corporation plans tooffer promotional packagesthat are woven aroundthemes such as culture, art,cuisine, dance, rural, watersports, textiles, etc, informedChandana Khan, Chairperson& MD, Andhra PradeshTourism Development

Corporation. AP’s tourismdevelopment plans are beingsupported by the UnionTourism Ministry which hasalready sanctioned ` 221crore towards it. Besides, thestate is also expecting invest-ment to the tune of ̀ 58 crorefor new projects. The APTDCis also developing a TirupatiConvention Centre at a costof ` 70 crore. The domestictourist footfall in the state for2012-13 was 15.31 crorewith the state also receiving2.9 lakh foreign visitors in thesame period. The StateGovernment plans to buildcoastal corridors along theVizag-Bheemunipatnam seafront and the Vizag-Vizianagaram-SrikakulamRegional circuit with aninvestment of ` 175 crore.Also to be developed are eightnew beach properties in theSrikakulam, Vizianagaram,east Godavari, west Godavari,Prakasam and Nellore districtsof Andhra Pradesh.

This year, APTDC hasdecided to focus on the unex-

plored destinations like Araku,Horsely Hills, Nagarjunasagarand Dindi, etc. besides specialdestinations like Tirupati andHyderabad. Khan said, “Weare running campaigns in dif-ferent media for awarenessand to attract more visitorsand induce them to explorenew tourist locations. We haverevamped and relaunched ourwebsite which is now moreuser-friendly and providesonline guidance to touristsand facilitates online booking.Considering the exponentialgrowth in the use of internet,we plan to tap various socialnetworking sites to promotethese destinations across gen-erations.” According to Khan,Andhra Pradesh has good

infrastructure and well-con-nected transport system. The state has got the highest number of commer-cial airports with as many as five airports, where regular passenger flights are being operated(Hyderabad, Visakahpatnam,Rajahmundry, Vijaywada andTirupati). Besides, there arenew airports expected to beready at Cuddapah, Warangaland Guntur soon. APTDC hasalso been running varioustourist properties across thestate under the brand name– Haritha. It is looking atopening more resorts underthe brand at virgin locationswith less or no options forlodging to boost tourism.

The state body is introducing new airports and hotels to enhance tourist accessibility and promote new destinations. It further plans to work closely with travel agents as partners. reports.

AP invests in tourism and connectivity

We at AP Tourism understandthe pivotal role that agents playas travel intermediaries inextending the tourist season of astate/ destination. They hold a fargreater influence to create a newdemand or to expand the presentdemand. We intend to work inclose partnership with the travelagents and tour operators bothnationally and internationally inorder to promote virgin locations.

That is why we have been organising fam and tours for notonly travel and tour operators, but also travel agents.

Chandana KhanChairperson & MD, Andhra Pradesh TourismDevelopment Corporation

The state tourism board recently tied up withMaharashtra to jointly promote and develop tourist circuitsin the states. According to Khan, there are several commontourism features such as Buddhism and films among the twoneighbouring states which their governments can jointlyexplore. APTDC has also announced certain exclusive packages for travellers from Maharashtra

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STATES2 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

The tents are spacious andare provided with round-

the-clock services, makingdesert holidays in Jaisalmerto be a truly rewarding expe-rience. All the tents haveattached toilets with runningwater and hand showers.Running water is providednot only at base camp, butalso on the mobile campswhile on a camel safari,enabling the guests to have agood shower after a dustysafari. Besides catering to thebasic comfort for travellers,it also expends great effort tomake the experience com-plete. As far as innovative

outdoor recre-ation is con-cerned, few canmatch the RoyalDesert Campsrepertoire ofrecreationalavenues. Everyevening a bon-fire is lit up around whichguests are seated and enjoythe enchanting folk danceand music of Rajasthan.Puppet shows are an outrighthit with the young crowd.The dining tent caters tolarge groups and has a seat-ing capacity of 80 to 90guests. The camp offers aunique and distinguishedexperience to enjoy anevening while on a safari –

camp fire withlive entertain-ment by the‘kalbeliya’dancers.

Trips tothe nearby wilddesert nationalpark (Subject toadministration

Permission) are also conduct-ed by camps / jeep safari.Exclusive camel safaris tooare operated. The safarisoften bypass intriguingRajasthani villages andguests are provided with afabulous opportunity to comeface to face with the nomadicfolks of the desert who leadan enchanting lifestyle. Theperfect time to visit the gold-en city is during the DesertFestival held in Jan/Feb everyyear. There are folk dances,exciting competitions and contests, especially the turban-tying contest.Desert contest and camelraces enliven the festivalscolourful craft bazaars are setup for the occasion and asound and light spectacle is organised.

The Royal Desert Camp is located 42 km from Jaisalmer. It has 30 Deluxe tents, 8 Super Deluxe tents and 1 Cottagewith all modern amenities.

For a desert experience

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AGENTS

With the rupee volatilityimpacting the Indian

travel industry, Mumbai-based Abia Tours is focussedon domestic and inboundtourism. With branches inNew Delhi, Cochin, Chennaiand Bengaluru (soon to haveoffices in Malaysia, MiddleEast, Far East and Europe);the company intends to con-solidate domestic market andoffer unique packages withexcellent price range to everysegment of traveller. Thecompany specialises in Northand South India, especiallyKerala and Leh-Ladakh andhave fixed-departure pack-ages for multiple Indian des-tinations. It also manages FITand group packages, corpo-rate conferences, incentivetours, theme-based parties,off site meets and many moreservices in India.

Talking about the fluc-tuating rupee and impact onIndian tourism, ShashidharanU, Director, Abia Tours said,“The domestic market isshowing signs of slowdown,but I’m sure our industry will

sail through this period. Weare anticipating that the mar-ket will get back to normalwith excellent growth signsin coming months. With

depreciating rupee, theinbound tourism season islooking excellent and weintend to tap this marketthrough unique deals andpackages. Our mission is toprovide the very best dealsfor outstation tour operatorsby offering them very com-petitive hotel rates in Indiaand abroad to make their hol-iday packages more attractiveand cost-effective.”

The group company –Ullatil Hospitality and Projectsis in process of developing adeluxe five-star property inCochin by end of 2014. For thesame, it is also contemplatinga hotel management firm tooperate and run the property.Shashidharan informed thatthe 120-key property wouldact as an excellent gateway fortravellers looking out for purebackwaters and luxury experience in Kerala. He said,“The property will showcasethe real Kerala experience. Itwill have 16 cottages whilethe rooms would also be big enough as compared to astandard five-star deluxe hotel room. The smallest room size would be around500 sq ft.”

To introduce its first property by end of 2014 in Cochin; Abia Tours is hunting for the right hospitalitymanagement partner for the same.

Focus on domestic tourism

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The domesticmarket isshowing signs ofslowdown, butI’m sure ourindustry will sailthrough thisperiod

Shashidharan UDirector Abia Tours

ATTRACTIONS2 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

The tourism industry hasrealised that students are

a powerful long-term invest-ment for destinations. A largenumber of travel agents andtour operators are, thus cash-ing in on this opportunity.

The money churnersegment

According to KaranAnand, Head-Relationships,Cox & Kings, the educationtour segment market in Indiacan be pegged to be overworth `1,000 crore and is seeing a double-digit growth.Nearly 60 per cent of revenuecontribution for Cox & Kings

India comes from outboundtravel. Domestic travel con-tributes about 22 per cent andis growing fast while businesstravel accounts for 9-10 percent. The remainder comesfrom inbound travellers. Indiais the largest market for thegroup, and as it rolls out theeducation travel concept, thecompany believes it will seefaster growth.

The company acquiredHolidaybreak about 19months ago. “One reasonwhy we made this acquisitionwas because we wanted toroll out this concept in Indiaand Australia and otherSouth Asian regions. We hopethat by next financial year,

our first centrewill be up andrunning inIndia. The con-cept will beidentical towhat we do inthe UK. Weexpect to priceit in the rangeof ` 2,500 a night and do not

want this to be elitist,” hereveals. “We will start withthe Southern market, but theNorth will also be a hugesource. The only deviationwill be that we will offer sim-ilar programmes for adulteducation, which will focuson team and leadership-building experiences. Webelieve there is huge poten-tial in this segment, which iscurrently fragmented andmanaged by small operators.We are looking at threeregions to develop these cen-tres-Mumbai, Pune andGujarat, the Rishikesh regionand the Delhi NCR-Jaipurregion. The idea is to developthese centres within threehours of driving distancefrom the city,” he adds.

Regarding the challengesthe segment is witnessing,Anand reveals, “WithinEurope, education tours are anintegral part of the curriculumand students take these tripsand write reports at the end oftours. In India, such tours arenot part of the education policytill now. So, yes, there is achallenge in promoting educa-tional trips in India. But now,several schools in India aretaking a step forward andappreciating the point that itis essential to deliver an inte-grated learning and develop-ment experience to students.Obviously, there would besome challenges initially but we believe eventually boththe stakeholders (schools andparents) would emerge strongsupporters of such trips.”

For Thomas Cook(India), the student segmentis a strong emerging market.

“With a more hands-on andexperiential approach to edu-cation today, travel itself is adelightful tutor. At ThomasCook India, our ‘Travel &Learn’ vertical was launchedto harness this potential. Ourpackages offer as out ofschool experiential learningconcept—tours combiningeducation and fun to ensurethat young minds are chal-lenged and opened to newerideas. These tours cater toteachers and faculties as well,by helping them understanddifferent ways of impartingknowledge to young minds,”Madhavan Menon, ManagingDirector – Thomas Cook(India) informs.

Domestic trailsSays Capt. Swadesh

Kumar, Managing Director,Shikhar Travels, “There ishuge potential for educationaltours in India. It is an extreme-ly important market for the

company. Shikhar Travels hasbeen focussing on the schoolsegment for the domestic mar-ket mainly and we have han-dled over 8,000 students dur-ing 2011-12 for tours withinthe country. For the last year,there was a decline in thisbusiness. Many institutions arenow coming up with their owntravel division and thus, look-ing after these tours directly.”Currently, the company gar-ners 25 per cent of its businessfrom educational tours. “Mostpopular programmes whichare offered in North India areCorbett National Park for tigerviewing, Amritsar for WagahBorder and Golden Temple orvisiting Shimla, Dalhousie andother hill stations, etc. in the

summer months. Tours toSouth India are also popular,especially for Kerala. Anotherpopular destination isRajasthan and we also receiverequests for Maharashtra,” he adds.

From history toadventure

In the recent times,there has been a shift toadventure and experientialholidays from the conven-tional historical tours. “Eventhough visiting a new desti-nation itself is an educationalexperience for the students,they are more interested inparticipative trips ratherthan visiting historical sitesand monuments. In this con-text, the company has seen agrowing demand of trekkingtrips in the Himalayas, raft-ing trips on the Ganges, etc.As far as the overseas tripsare concerned, even thoughthere is a demand, it is not

very big. Whenever there issuch demand, it is mainlybased on places of historicaland scientific importance. Forexample- we had handled ateam of students who visitedEgypt to visit the pyramids.Similarly, there is a demandfor students to visit NASA orDubai,” Kumar confirms.

Seasonal yetqualitative

Amaresh Tiwari,Managing Director, A.TSeasons & Vacations Travelopines, “Education toursshould be made an integralpart of curriculum in India aswell. This gives exposure andconfidence to the children,”he adds.

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

With the education tour segment market in India to be worth ̀ 1,000 crore, the travel fraternity is increasinglylooking at this new avenue for business. speaks to industry veterans to know more...

For business, head back to school

With a morehands-on andexperientialapproach toeducationtoday, travelitself is adelightful tutor

We believethere is a hugepotential in thissegment, whichis currentlyfragmented andmanaged bysmall operators

Karan AnandHead-relationshipsCox & Kings

Madhavan MenonManaging DirectorThomas Cook (India)

The challengelies inpersuadingthe school asthis segmentof travel needsproactiveparticipation

We havehandled over 8,000studentsduring 2011-12 for tourswithin thecountry

Capt. Swadesh KumarManaging DirectorShikhar Travels

Amaresh TiwariManaging DirectorA.T Seasons & Vacations Travel

MEGHA PAUL

CLIPBOARD3 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 3 – D A Y 3

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With the guest count spiralling upwards of 450, the launch of TRAVTALK TV was most definitely a first in the history of travel trade journalism. Alongwith travel agents, there were dignitaries, path-breakers, chairmen and CEOs from travel, aviation, hospitality, tour operators, and governmentheavyweights to share the excitement of an event of this magnitude. A veritable list of who’s who, everybody who was anybody in the traveltrade industry was seen at the launch of TRAVTALK TV.

TRAVTALK TV heralds a new era