family album

92 Pages·2016·12.79 MB·English

Vol. XXVIII Issue 21; November 1st fortnight i ssue 2016 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 92 ` 50/-
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FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 2 07-11-2016 12:02:09
Maya returns to enthral North India
Award Pix
The 3rd edition of North India Travel Awards
honoured excellence in the travel and tourism
industry on October 21, 2016, at Hyatt Regency
Gurgaon. The star-studded event was attended
by the who’s who of the industry including Om
Prakash Singh, Tourism Minister, Government of
Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Guest for the evening, along
with Parvez Dewan, Advisor to the Governor of J&K;
Dr. Jyotsna Suri, CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality
Group; Keshav Suri, Executive Director, The Lalit
Suri Hospitality Group; Sham Nijhawan, Chairman,
Nijhawan Group; Ajay Singh, Chairman and
Managing Director, SpiceJet; Guldeep Singh Sahni,
Chairman of Weldon Group of Companies and
President, OTOAI; Sarab Jit Singh, MD, Travellite,
and Gladrags Mrs. India Dr. Tanushree Pandey.
Speaking on the occasion, SanJeet, Mentor,
India Travel Awards, said, “The awards are a true
specimen of the contribution of various companies/
individuals to take the travel industry to greater
heights. India Travel Awards will make a difference
to the industry through recognition of regional talent
and thereby raising the bar for the industry players.”
MICE on MOT radar Vision for the industry
To leverage MICE in India, the Ministry of Tourism With the Tourism Policy at a fairly advanced stage,
has constituted an exclusive advisory body and Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism,
will also appoint professional consultants to study Government of India, says the ministry is also
the market and chart out an action plan. forming an advisory committee.
TT BUREAU PEDEN DOMA BHUTIA initiatives. While the initiatives
We are going to have a beautiful pavilion, buzzing are being undertaken and the
MICE segment of travel The Ministry of Tourism, MOT has been aggressively
with different events anndd mmaannyy ssttaatteess
is the fastest grow- Government of India, promoting the country, every-
ing and high yielding which will be joining uss.. BBeeiinngg tthhee has been working re- one in the industry is waiting
segment of tourism which lentlessly to focus on improv- patiently for the Tourism Policy.
partner country, we haavvee cceerrttaaiinn
can act as a means to tide ing the inbound figures for
over the seasonality of the additional facilities and eevveennttss the country. Recently on the When asked about the status
tourism industry, feels Vinod sidelines of Kerala Travel Mart, of the policy, Billa says, “The
allotted to us. We are trryyiinngg ttoo
Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Tourism Policy is at a fairly
Tourism, Government of India. make the best use of itt.. Ministry of Tourism, talked advanced stage, it has been
“India’s efforts in attracting big about the ministry’s various concurred to by all the min-
conventions to its shores need
Vinod Zuuttsshhii
to be re-imagined, moving
Secretary, Ministry of Touriissmm,, MOT’s plan for WTM
away from the current model Suman Billa
Government of Innddiiaa Joint Secretary
of supporting integrated Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
operators to generate busi- (cid:89)(cid:3)(cid:3)Most of the states are participating and some of the states
ness to more reserved are sending very high-powered delegation to WTM, some istries. It's been to the Prime
oriented framework. In addi- of them being the chief ministers themselves. Minister's office and they've
tion, pre-and post-leisure ac- (cid:89)(cid:3)(cid:3)A hall – Indian Exhibition Centre at the Reed Exhibition approved it too, now we are
tivities need to be leveraged upcoming budget, MOT will crore in case of a project. It just waiting for the formal
Centre – is going to be dedicated to India and India-based
as a way of increasing the val- propose the constitution is unfortunate that not a sin- process of placing it before the
programmes for the three days of WTM. Some states will
ue of MICE tourism,” he says. of a corpus fund which would gle request was made for Cabinet for formal approval.
also be organising their events which will be supported by
help bring in big international this grant in my tenure of two It’s a process determined by
the Ministry of Tourism.
Initiatives conferences into India, in- years. The private stakehold- the cabinet it’s the preroga-
(cid:89)(cid:3)(cid:3)A cultural programmes is being organised where India will
The government offers formed Zutshi. “We have a Vi- ers have to realise that such tive of the Cabinet Secretary
be showcased along with a few other countries. In terms
various revenue generat- ability Gap Funding Scheme schemes can be availed,” on when he chooses to place
of branding, a huge amount of work is going on in the
ing schemes to help fund which allows us to grant 25 says Zutshi. it before them.”
Greater London area.
the bidding process for per cent of funding of the
large conventions. In the complete amount up to `50 Contd. on page 17 Contd. on page 17
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 3 07-11-2016 12:02:12
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 4 07-11-2016 12:02:13
BULLETIN
10 years of Responsible Tourism
This year’s World Responsible Tourism Day marks two significant
anniversaries for World Travel Market (WTM) and for the development
of responsible tourism across the industry as a whole.
TT BUREAU Vasudevan, Principal
Secretary, Kerala Tour-
November 8th will see the ism, and responsible
celebration of the 10th for the state’s develop-
anniversary of World Re- ment and promotion of
sponsible Tourism Day, held responsible tourism.
at WTM in London every year Dr. Auliana Poon,
since 2007. Over the last Managing Director of
decade this annual occasion Tourism Intelligence
has grown considerably, so International, and au-
that events now takes place thor of the original
not only at WTM in London, South African white
but also across WTM's glo- paper. Justin Francis,
bal portfolio in Africa, Latin founder of responsib-
America and the Middle East. letravel.com and of
the annual responsible
World Travel Market’s it is 20 years since South To mark this year’s multi- travel awards held at WTM.
Senior Director Simon Press Africa published its ground- ple anniversaries, 2016 will see Jane Ashton, Director of Sus-
will open the day, assessing breaking White Paper on the the spotlight turned onto some tainable Development at TUI
the impact of what has grown Development and Promotion of the pioneers of responsible Group. Adama Bah, Director
to become the world's largest of Tourism in South Africa, tourism themselves. of the Institute of Travel and
annual event dedicated to re- widely seen as a founding Tourism of Gambia. And Dr.
sponsible tourism. As well as document for the develop- WTM has assembled a Harold Goodwin, organiser
reflecting on WTM's decade ment of responsible tourism panel of leading figures from of WTM's responsible tour-
of commitment to promoting and the first time the principles around the world, all of whom ism programme and for many
responsible tourism, Press were committed to by a coun- have long been instrumental years a leading voice pro-
will look at the other major try for the development of in developing responsible moting responsible tourism
anniversary — the fact that its destination. tourism. They are: Dr. Venu around the world.
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 5 07-11-2016 12:02:17
GUEST COLUMN
Tapping domestic travel potential
In an uncertain environment, the Indian travel industry is coming to realise that
VIEWPOINT
domestic tourists are and will be their primary audience.
An old winter’s Holidaying is fast becoming figure on most of the pay- ing, medical and shopping been packaged as the ‘Dream
a priority with the Indian ing Indians’ touring list, often purpose, whereas 17.7 per Season’. There are other at-
traveller, revealed the 2015 seen as a budget destination. cent wants to travel outside tractions — yoga, Ayurveda,
travel trail Kuoni-SOTC Holiday Report. But in recent times, this trend their state. Maharashtra had wellness camps — thrown
As a result, domestic tourism has changed. maximum movement within in. Tourists prefer to travel to
has increased considerably the state followed by Uttar domestic spa resorts as op-
during the last couple of dec- Tourism boards have Pradesh. Considering visi- posed to overseas spas. With
Winter is finally here and the season ades. Larger income, longer started focusing on domestic tors from outside states, Uttar no visas required, the ease of
brings with it travellers from far and holidays coupled with lowered tourists. They have TV and Pradesh was the most visited travel domestically has also
room rates and discounts of- print campaigns for them state followed by Rajasthan. attributed to its appeal. The ru-
wide, all keen to experience Incredible India!
pee’s travails have also given
The onset of winter is perfectly complimented
This is by far the largest segment of market On the other hand, for an accidental push to domes-
with various activities that keep everyone on visitor-trips with leading pur- tic tourism.
with a potential of 20 crore local tourists
their toes, starting with the much-awaited poses business, social, reli-
travelling annually. Even if 10 per cent of the gious and pilgrimage, educa-
WTM London. This year at WTM, India is a (The views expressed
tion and training and others,
population travels outside the native state, it are solely of the author.
partner country and why not, after all, India Uttar Pradesh was the most
The publication may or may
is now prioritising tourism and is pulling out involves a massive movement of over 10 crore visited state followed by
not subscribe to the same.)
all stops to woo foreign tourists. Not just that, Andhra Pradesh and Telan-
gana combined. These two
Indians have also started to look at travel in a
fered by hotels, resorts and because ultimately, that’s states had also most visitor
different way, little wonder then that the Indian airlines are pushing up the where the volumes lie. This trips from outside states re-
outbound industry is a market waiting to be country's domestic tourism. is by far the largest segment vealed a survey conducted
tapped by various foreign destinations. Also, Indians are now considered of market with a potential of by NSSO in 2015.
as the world’s largest holiday 20 crore local tourists travel-
the increase in air routes is now fuelling both
bargain hunters. ling annually. Even if 10 per Destinations like Goa
inbound and outbound travel. MICE is also cent of the population travels and Kerala always had a sea-
a very sought-after sector in the travel world India's travel industry outside the native state, it in- son. Today, ‘Goa in the Rains’
is booming and throwing up volves a massive movement of is being sold as a domestic
and every country is trying their best to lure
many new trends. There were over 10 crore. package. The state is also
this crowd. As much as other countries are
quite a few surprises. A few rolling out other attractions
wooing the Indian MICE travellers, India, too, years ago, visiting a nearby About 82 per cent of the designed specifically for Indi-
is putting together infrastructure and facilities foreign country was seen as a population wanted to travel ans. Kerala, too, has a three- Amod Thatte
Head – Products & Innovation
trend, while India didn’t much within the state for holiday- month monsoon, which is now
to promote itself as a major MICE destination. SOTC
Shorter routes, greater volumes
Digital India
for smart agents
Low cost carriers in India have capitalised by flying on shorter routes to the
Middle East and Asia Pacific. Among the top 15 countries, accounting for 88
With the stepping up of facilities and per cent of India's international traffic, 12 are short-haul routes with India.
infrastructure, India is using technology
to usher in tourism opportunities. Travellers
today are increasingly using their mobile
devices to enrich their experiences. While
travel becomes more and more app
dependent, agents are also upping their
game and making sure that they do not miss
out on the technology boom. While digital
innovation becomes the name of the game
everyone is trying to grab a slice of the pie.
And while technology has given rise to more
and more DIY travellers, it has also provided
an opportunity for small businesses in the
travel sector. It’s not just travel, technology
has also entered hotel doors and is helping to
personalise one’s stay. But being a traditional
market the Indian traveller is still increasingly
dependent on the travel agent and trusted
word-of-mouth recommendations to set their
agenda. However, innovation is the buzzword
and travel companies have to get smarter and
adapt as consumers expectations rise.
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FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 6 07-11-2016 12:02:17
STATES 7
NOVEMBER 1ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2016 TRAVTALK
Goa aims at 60 lakh tourists by year end
With the introduction of amphibious buses in Goa, the state has added another feather to its cap. Nikhil Desai,
Managing Director, Goa Tourism Development Corporation, throws light on the special attractions of Goa and
informs about the new convention centres coming up in the state.
into a web portal. Very
TT BUREAU soon we will be sell- We have grown from a net arrival
Goa has seen a healthy ing all India packages
of 40 lakh tourists into the state in
growth in tourist arriv- which include Goa
als. With the launch of the as one of the destina- 2014 to almost 52 lakh tourists in
‘Duck Tour’ amphibious buses tions to the source
2015. This year we are all set to
among other initiatives, tourist markets outside India.
arrivals in the state is all set to We have also started cross the 60 lakh figure.
cross the 60 lakh figure. Desai AV tourism and bird
Nikhil Desai
says, “We had about six per tourism. To promote the
cent year-on-year growth in same, we are having Managing Director
foreign tourist arrivals and over a bird festival in Goa Tourism Development
25 per cent growth in domestic November.” Corporation
arrivals. We have grown from
a net arrival of 40 lakh tourists
into the state in 2014 to almost
52 lakh tourists in 2015. This
year we are all set to cross the
60 lakh figure. This growth I
am sure will be sustainable in
the years to come as we have
added a lot of new initiatives.”
Goa Tourism has in-
creased the room capacity and
added new products like heli
tourism, sea planes, adventure
tourism and AV tourism. De-
sai hopes that these initiatives
keep up the tourist flow into the
state in the years to come.
Projecting Goa as a
strong MICE destination, De-
sai noted that even though
national and international
meetings and conventions
take place in the state there
is an urgent need to expand
the infrastructure. “The Gov-
ernment has come up with
a tender to set up a big con-
vention and exhibition centre
at GTDC’s own land at Far-
magudi near Ponda. The state
government is also working on
building a 5000-plus seating
capacity convention centre at
Dona Paula on its own land,"
he added.
Goa is one the first states
in India to have promoted
various festivals. Talking about
the same, Desai said, “Our
festivals are very unique and
form an experiential tourism in
itself. Festival tourism is reap-
ing us rich dividends.”
Goa Tourism has also be-
come the first tourism board
in the country to not only sell
government hotels but also pri-
vate packages. Desai said, “Our
website has been converted
Susegad Verve
GTDC will soon be selling
all India packages which
include Goa as one of the
destinations to the source
markets outside India
A 5000+ seating capacity
convention centre will soon
come up at Dona Paula
Besides Goa Duck Tours,
there is heli tourism, sea
plane tourism, adventure
tourism & AV tourism
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 7 07-11-2016 12:02:19
8 QUICKBYTES
TRAVTALK NOVEMBER 1ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2016
Aggressive marketing is imperative
Along with innovation in existing tourism products of North India, there is an urgent need for aggressive and
focused marketing at international platforms in order to leverage tourism, say key industry players from the region.
TT BUREAU
Not just North India but the en- We need more support from the
tire country is a once-in-a-lifetime, government in order to promote the
The majority of sightseeing in
dream destination for travellers northern region especially a desti-
northern Indian itineraries is the
world over, and in spite of the abun- nation like Amritsar. Amritsar hap-
forts, palaces, wildlife products
dance of tourism products, the pens to be the 7th most visited city in
etc. and since the government
numbers are disheartening. This is the world and yet international and
has increased the entrance fee for
because, we as a destination need domestic air connectivity remains a
monuments, the entire cost of the
to be aggressive in tourism market- challenge for seamless accessibility.
packages has increased, making it
ing. It’s high time that the Incredible Various initiatives have been taken
very difficult to sell the product in
this competitive world. Multilingual S. N. Srivastava India campaign is revamped and re- Jitender Sohal to improve the experience of tourists
guides are also a problem and the President & Co-founder launched. India Tourism overseas General Manager at the Golden Temple, a War Memo-
Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, offices need to be more professional Radisson Blu Hotel rial has been made at Wagah Border,
Zia Siddiqui government’s point of view about India Travel Award winner and visible and as a destination we Amritsar, India Travel the Gobindgarh Fort is being restored
(cid:38)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:40)(cid:91)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:50)(cid:73)(cid:192)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3) monuments or regional and nation- need to send out a strong message to buyers at all these in- Award Winner and light and sound shows are being
Alliance Hotels, India Travel al guides is also not clear. Hence, it
Award winner ternational tourism exhibitions and also convince the global introduced etc. We offer various tourism products like herit-
is very difficult to sell the northern
travelling community on safety and security issues. Cleanli- age tourism, culture tourism, pilgrim tourism, patriotic circuit
Indian itineraries to tourists coming into India.
ness is also an imperative issue to be addressed. and food trails that are unique to the destination but aggres-
sive promotional campaigns are imperative.
I feel that the major problem that Not only the northern region but Indian market has seen a consid-
we face in selling the northern re- India as a destination has not been erable increase in FTAs and much of
gion is the lack of innovation in our marketed well enough. Product gap it can be attributed to eTV facility and
tourism products. We lack experien- in terms of seamless experience, ease of doing business in India. Many
tial holidays and in order to attract high taxation which makes India an new tourism products have been re-
foreign tourists and also encourage expensive destination, and less mar- cently launched in the northern re-
repeat visits, we need to introduce keting leads to loss of numbers. We gion. I foresee acceptance of these
newer experiences. New hotels have been marketing India based new products in our travel fraternity
have come up, infrastructure is be- on Taj Mahal, forts and palaces, and "investment tourism" is also get-
itanypg ips be auavill ata irnlaadpb ilvdeal yblu uaetn tadhd eed vpietironon dc.uo Tcnhtnsee rlcaetc iivksis -a CMShaaipnktha. agSrinw Tgraa dDveeirsleshc tKourmar toteoumurr pisnlemast,u, hreaetlcr i.t aaabgnuedn dwhaahnvicech en ,c ooat udelvxdep nhlotitru ertdhe e SMFaaarn nHjaaogyri inBzgoa nsD uTiroeucrtsor twcinoilgnl spibdorepinruignla gr b tihenet tI enfard ciatr .te hTsaoutul tmrsis amney si npin e2tce0ira1nl7lay,- SMExaainmndaieugesin pBg Bu Pshaianrttetnsesr, India
need for new ideas and good promo- nerve in various segments. However, tional tourism and investments bodies Travel Award winner
tional activities to market the region better. a new campaign is expected to address these issues. have allocated fresh and bigger budg-
ets for Indian market.
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 8 07-11-2016 12:02:22
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 9 07-11-2016 12:02:24
10 QUICKBYTES
TRAVTALK NOVEMBER 1ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2016
Singapore will East calls for connectivity & promotion
host ITB Asia
till 2019
A step-up in highways, infrastructure and campaigns to highlight the diversity of East and North
Singapore will continue to be
home to the next three editions
East India are the need of the hour to sell the region, inform industry players.
of ITB Asia. Messe Berlin, the
organisers of the event, have
announced the extension of its
partnership with the Singapore
AHANA GURUNG
Tourism Board (STB) from 2017
Things have certainly improved because of the
– 2019, as it looks to continue Airline connectivity is by far the biggest chal- reinvented branding campaigns. Most often, for-
supporting ITB Asia’s impact lenge we face while promoting East India. Europe eign tourists have a particular notion of India that
in the region. This also marks remains the single largest source market for in- rarely goes beyond the Golden Triangle, Kerala or
Singapore as the official part- bound tourists and unfortunately there is no direct Goa. This is all because of aggressive branding in
ner country for 2017. The next connectivity from Europe to East India ever since global markets. The East has so many things to
three editions of ITB Asia will British Airways and Lufthansa have withdrawn serv- offer that it is difficult to sell the region with just
take place from October 25–27, ices to Kolkata. Tourism infrastructure in the region one iconic quality. Additionally, we need to sell the
2017, October 17–19, 2018, is not at par with the rest of the country, but that is products, not the destination. For instance, not
aMnadr tiOn cBtoubcke,r S1e6n–i1o8r ,V i2c0e1 P9.r eDsir-. itmhep rfiorvsitn-cgl.a Tshse c aadtedgitoioryn aint tbhoet hin Kveonlktaotray oafn rdo oGmuws ain- DFaecbej iot fD tuhteta Future, India mkeaynwyo rpde hoeprlee iws ilHl ikmnaolway aasb o–u tth Kisa ilsim wphoantg n ebeudt st hteo
dent, Messe Berlin GmbH, said, Suresh Periwal hati are certainly a step in the right direction. Cruise Travel Awards & be promoted aggressively. Yes, there are other is-
“Next year, ITB Asia will be Gallery of Legends, India Tourism is expected to play a vital role in East India Director & CEO, Impression sues in terms of connectivity and infrastructure, but
momentous as we celebrate Travel Awards & for which cruises are already plying on the Ganges Tourism Services we need to use our limitations to our advantage.
the show’s 10th anniversary. Managing Director and Brahmaputra.
Clubside Tour and Travels
Visitors, delegates and partners
can expect a dedicated ‘Corpo-
rate Travel Day’ and ‘Hotel Day’,
lined up with an exciting full day It is sometimes difficult for us to sell the re-
of conference programmes ca- gion to tourists as most are unaware of this re-
There have been good efforts to promote desti-
tered to these fast-growing sec- gion. Travellers only hear about the political un-
nations in the East and the government has been
tors.” Melissa Ow, Deputy Chief rest and the natural calamities prevailing in this
very pro-active in this regard but there must be an
Executive of the Singapore region but the North East is much more than
increased focus on reaching out to the right mar-
Tourism Board, added, “ITB that – it has a distinctly different culture every
ket. More leeway for development of infrastructure
Asia has grown well since its in- 17 kms of your travel. You would find hills, snow-
is required along with the construction of hotels.
augural show in 2008, delivering clad Himalayas, beaches, dense mangroves,
East India has not achieved its tourism potential de-
strong content and memorable ethnic tribes, ancient Buddhist relics and many
spite its natural beauty, rich culture and heritage. A
experiences for delegates over more making it a whole platter of different desti-
robust module and an effective consultation body Prabir Sen
the past nine years. We look nations. Apart from that, the road conditions are
needs to be in place for tourism to flourish – tourism Managing Director
forward to working with Messe Deepak Gupta also not up to the mark and the connectivity be- Tibet Tours and Travels,
Berlin to further entrench it as requires all-year round, genuine effort to be able to CEO tween the states is not so smooth. However, the India Travel Award winner
reap its benefits. Heat Travels and Tours
the leading travel tradeshow in region is fairly well-connected by train and air.
the Asia-Pacific region.”
FINAL_TT_NOVEMBER-1ST_WTM-2016.indd 10 07-11-2016 12:02:26