asian traveller - november 2008
Post on 31-Mar-2016
224 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
34AS I TRAVELV Duraikkannan
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | NOVEMBER 2008
C O N T E N T
Travel Industry a Force to be
Reckoned WithWorld Travel Market has opened its doors tonearly 50,000 senior industry management andover 5,500 exhibitors from over 200 countriesand regions put on a spectacular show ofcolourful and eye-catching stands.
6Managing Editor : G. Biju Krishnan
Group Editor : G. Gopakumar*
Vice President & CEO : M. P. Sreekumar
Executive Editor : Lerbin T. K.
Consultant Editor : Dr. Madhav Manoj
Photo Editor : Retheesh Kariyam
Art Editor : Amal Prasad
Editorial Team : R. ParameswaranSmitha R.
Director (Finance) : K. Harikrishnan
Legal Advisor : V. N.Gopalakrishnan Nair
Financial Advisor : B. Prasad
G.M-North : Wg. Cdr. V. K. Gangal
Sr.Mgr. Tamilnadu : P. Deenadayalu
AUSTRALIA : Bandana K. Prasad0061-892757447
BULGARIA : Vladimir Harizanov00359-36186565
KSA : Sam Mathew00966-505150513
LONDON : Abdul Najeeb0044-7769940391
MALDIVES : Bob A. Rex00960 7776212
UAE : Sanjeev S. L.00971-501640549
KUWAIT : Mariam Titus00965-6236120
NEW DELHI : V. K. Gangal09871180498
MUMBAI : Mahesh Nair022 32499989
BANGALORE : Rohil Kumar A. B.09844001625
CHENNAI : Nisha J.09841008588
HYDERABAD : K.S. Johnson09441236010
DEHRADUN : P. Mohandas09719055472
MADURAI : P. Deenadayalu09843129535
ERNAKULAM : M. P. Sreekumar09447118694
KOLKATA : Anurag Sinha09830015667
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A. R. Azeem09745444133
Circulation : M. Sreekumar
Administration : Sheeba S.Jaya RajeshwariVidhu Krishna
All communications to:Media Steps India,TC-27/1741, PERA-66, Vanchiyoor PO,Thiruvananthapuram–695 035, Kerala State, South India.Tel: +91-471-6540888, 2574411, 09447 555 222info@mediastepsindia.com,www.mediastepsindia.com
Regd. Office:Media Steps India,TC-27/1915, MBRRA 70, Mathrubhoomi Rd.,Thiruvananthapuram–695 001, Kerala State, South India.
Mumbai Office:Media Steps India,Unit 9 & 10, Sardar Pratap Singh Industrial Estate No. 2, LBSMarg, Bhandup West, Mumbai-400078, IndiaTel.: +91 22 32499989
Hyderabad Office:Media Steps India,# B-305 & 309, Vasudha Apartments, Quthbullapur Road,New Jeedimetla, Hyderabad-500 055, Andhra Pradesh, IndiaTel.: +91 40 23080750, +91 40 23176966,+91 40 23176996, Fax: +91 40 27535260
Chennai Office:Media Steps India,6/4, Sangeetha Gardens, 19th Street Ext, Jai Nagar,Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 106. Tel: +91 44 42640531
EDITED, PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY
G. Biju Krishnan and Printed at M/s. Safire Offset Printers,Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu for Cristal Printers,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, South India.
Reg No.: KERENG 01910/11/1/2006-TC
EDITOR: G. Biju KrishnanThe news items and Advertisements published herein have beencollected from various source, which are considered to be reliable.Readers are however requested to verify the facts before making businessdecisions using the same. No part of this magazine may be reproducedwithout the written permission from the Publisher.All rights reserved. Copyright © 2008
*Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
A Publication
Business Tourism to Boom in AsiaAccording to prediction comes from EuromonitorInternational in the World Travel Market GlobalTrends Report 2008, Asia is expected to profitfrom a boom in business travel.
8
Photo Courtesy: Thailand Tourism
Peter Rohan MalikRepresentative in India,Macau GovernmentTourist Office
Rick MatkowskiManager, Eastern HemisphereTourism Australia
10
Questions
Page 10
Rica Bueno,Head Team Asia Pacific,Department of Tourism,Philippines
9 9 15
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER4
YUNNAN TOURISM, WB TOURISM
SIGNS MOU
MOT ASKS TOUR OPERATORS TO
PROMOTE NEW TOURISM CIRCUITS
INCREDIBLE INDIA OUTDOOR
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN TOKYO
PARAMOUNT EXPANDS FURTHER INTO
THE WESTERN REGION
WELCOMHERITAGE SIGNS SIX MORE
HERITAGE PROPERTIES
SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR
ASIAN DESTINATIONS POPULAR
AMONG INDIAN TRAVELLERS
KERALA TRAVELLER
12
14
14
24
28
29
30
31
The economic crisis through which the world is passing through is getting murkier by day
and if the experts are to be believed the situation will get worse before recovering.
Although there are many uncertainties as to how long the current crisis will continue,
and how deep its impact will be on disposable incomes and business and consumer confidence
in different markets, the travel and tourism industry is optimistic. Past experience has shown
that travel & tourism always rebounds from cyclical downturns - sometimes even stronger than
before. But one should acknowledge the fact that the current crisis is far more serious than a
terrorist attack or a war or an outbreak of a disease. As Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President &
CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council has pointed out during the recently held World Travel
Market in London, “it's going to be a very different world out there when we do see the end of
the current crisis.” He has rightly observed that it is more critical than ever before and the
public and private sectors should work together in partnership to address the challenges and
try to find solutions. The governments should provide a supportive policy framework to help
stimulate demand and ensure that travel and tourism industry continues to generate
employment and alleviate poverty in emerging markets, as tourism remains an undisputed
economic growth engine for rich and poor nations alike. In the opinion of the industry watchers
once the crisis moves from the financial economy to the 'real' economy it will present various
consequences to the travel and tourism sector. At the same time the industry is not at a stand
still. International arrivals up to the end of August this year has registered a steady increase of
3.8 per cent on an annual basis. As far as individuals are concerned, it is clear that those who
have suffered a sharp downgrading of assets will be inclined to reduce consumption, including
their spending on transport and leisure. But people are still travelling, though they may have
cut short on their vacation plans from a couple of weeks to a couple of days. The need to travel,
to engage in leisure, to go on holidays, is so deeply ingrained in the minds of people that
consumers do whatever they can to continue to do so. Hence once the recovery starts, there is
likely to be a huge pent-up demand. As Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General, World
Tourism Organization, said “When the time comes, tourism will contribute to the revival of the
economy as a whole.” The governments world over should realise this and take appropriate
steps to support the travel and tourism industry-which is the biggest generator of wealth and
employment - at this hour of crisis.
G. Biju Krishnan
Editor & Publisher
E D I T O R ’ S N O T E
Recession and shutdowns are
a bit like heart attacks.
Shocking and unwanted.
Worrying for you – and for the
family. But they are curable.
Grit your teeth, take appropri-
ate government action and the
chances are that long term
you’ll come out the other side
in good shape for the future.
Verbatim
Francesco Frangialli
Secretary-General
World Tourism Organization
“
”
The global travel and tourism industry is an incredible force to
be reckoned with – regardless of what the financial tsunami
decides to throw at it, said Fiona Jeffery, chairman of World Travel
Market. Speaking at the opening ceremony of WTM 2008 at ExCel
in London, she told Government Ministers, Ambassadors, trade
association and tourism chiefs that the global industry is robust,
diversified, innovative, entrepreneurial, and, in most cases, finan-
cially sound. “We have to face the fact that in some parts of the
world in 2009 - certainly here in Western Europe – less package
holidays will be sold and those that are, will undoubtedly increase
in price,” she added.
“It’s vital that these economic headaches do not mean the
industry loses sight of other major industry challenges such as
sustainable development, global warming and poverty reduction.
They cannot, nor should not, take a back seat - regardless of the
current situation. By anyone’s standards this has not been a nor-
mal run-of-the-mill year for the industry or, for that matter, the
world”, continued Jeffery. “But to address these problems, I be-
lieve we should look to the remedy that most governments have
signed up to in order to restore order in the financial sector. Just
as they have agreed a global approach to address the meltdown,
this is a time - perhaps more than ever before - for the interna-
tional travel industry to seek a global approach, and demonstrate
co-operative leadership,” she said.
Tough Year Ahead forGlobal Industry: Fiona Jeffrey
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 5
World Travel Market
has opened its
doors to nearly
50,000 senior industry
management and over 5,500
exhibitors from over 200
countries and regions put on a
spectacular show of colourful
and eye-catching stands.
Fiona Jeffery, chairman of
World Travel Market, said:
"The global industry is
showing itself to be robust,
diversified, innovative and
resilient. We feel that World
Travel Market can make a
positive contribution to
helping businesses plan ahead
and identify new markets and
revenue streams."
The World Travel Market
Global Trends Report,
released on the opening day,
highlights some of the new
developments that are
succeeding in today's market,
such as hospital tourism and
home exchange and other new
pricing models that offer
Responsible Tourism
programme and exhibitor to
exhibitor networking
initiatives.
In 2008 World Travel
Market has attracted more
travel technology exhibitors
than ever and produced the
most comprehensive
programme of conferences and
seminars to help businesses
get to grips with the latest
from the digital world.
Staging an industry first
with its EyeforTravel @ WTM
Conference on mobile
technology, World Travel
Market held two additional
technology conferences about
future trends and online
content and conversion.
In addition there was a
two-day Travel Technology @
WTM seminar programme
from Genesys about making
the most of the web, which
included a presentation from
the Google travel team.
Travel Industry a Force to be Reckoned Withfreebies to lure traffic onto the
latest travel websites. It also
identifies new buoyant sectors
such as Latin American long
haul travel, backpacking in the
Middle East and business
travel.
This year these included
the WTM Global Trends
Report launched at the
Forecast Forum, the UNWTO
Minister's Summit, WTM
World Responsible Tourism
Day (WTM WRTD), a live
interview with Ed Fuller, CEO
Marriott Hotels and the BBC's
Stephen Sackur, the WTM
Global Economic Forum with
keynote speaker, Prof Dr
Norbert Walter, Chief
Economist Deutsche Bank
Group, an extended
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER6
W O R L D V I E W
Travel and tourism in Asia Pacific must be creative and
innovative in the fight to overcome the global
economic downturn. That's the hard hitting message
given to 450 delegates at a conference on the 'Revitalization of
Tourism and Confronting Crisis' in Chengdu, China (PRC)
recently. Dr Taleb Rifai, Deputy Secretary-General of the
UNWTO, told delegates that it was 'not a time to shrink or
retreat but rather a time to invest'. "We must be innovative,
creative and flexible and recognise that the
industry has a proven resilience to major
disasters," he said. CNTA Chief Shao Qiwei told
the conference that improved risk management
policies will help the industry to better overcome
crises and challenges. Referring to the devastating earthquake
in Sichuan province last May, he said that investment in
infrastructure, accelerated recovery programmes and greater
private sector engagement will all benefit the region's tourism
industry. The PATA-supported conference was organised
jointly by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation,
China National Tourism Administration and Sichuan
Provincial People's Government. Speakers included Hong
Kong Tourism Commission King-chi Au, Caroline Beteta, CEO
of the California Travel and Tourism Commission and
Professor Dai Bin from the China Tourism Academy.
UNWTO launches its new long-term research
programme UNWTO Future Vision: Tourism
Towards 2030. The study will forecast international
tourism growth through the year 2030 and identify key actual
and future trends and their impact on tourism development.
It will combine industry data with the views of UNWTO
members, tourism practitioners, trends experts and
academics around the world. This initiative will update the
previous Tourism 2020 Vision, which has
become the definitive global reference on the
future of tourism. Tourism Towards 2030 will
provide a comprehensive view on the global and
regional future tourism scenarios which will
assist UNWTO members and other stakeholders in the
formulation of their tourism development and marketing
strategies. The study will be officially presented at the
upcoming UNWTO General Assembly in October 2009.
"Tourism Towards 2030 is a cornerstone of our view of the
future", said UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey
Lipman. During this time of global economic uncertainty it is
easy to take your eye off the longer term future. To do that
would be a mistake in a sector that requires global
cooperation and forward planning on a uniquely large scale",
he added.
Travel Industry Urged to be
Creative and Innovative
UNWTO Launches
Tourism Towards 2030
According to prediction comes
from Euromonitor International
in the World Travel Market
Global Trends Report 2008, Asia is
expected to profit from a boom in
business travel. With a forecast
compound annual growth rate of nine per
cent over 2007-2012 business tourism to
Asian destinations is expected to welcome
80 million business visitors by 2012.
According to a Travel Mole report, the
shift in Business Tourism to Asia is
expected to further increase demand for
Business Class seats on flights between
Asia and US/European business hubs.
Major established airlines, such as
British Airways, are considering
introducing long-haul Business Class only
flights to tap into the burgeoning market
for corporate travellers between Asia and
US/European cities, according to
the Euromonitor International in
the World Travel Market Global
Trends Report 2008. "If such
flights prove popular enough,
airports that service Business
Class only could be set up in key
Asian cities, reducing the time
required for business travellers to
clear immigration and customs,"
says the report.
The report says the ongoing US
sub-prime crisis has hurt many
Sujit Banerjee, Secretary- Tourism, Government of India formally inaugurates the IncredibleIndia stand at World Travel Market (WTM) 2008. Malladi Krishna Rao, Minister for Tourism,Puduchery and Leena Nandan, Jt. Secretary - Tourism are also seen.
India Pavilion at WTM 2008
investment banks and financial
institutions badly, notably Citigroup and
UBS, forcing these companies and others
to look towards Asia for growth. "Asia
accounted for an estimated 80 per cent of
global growth in key financial institutions
in Quarter One of 2008, and offers an
alternative source of revenue as liquidity
and investor confidence dries up," said
the report.
As a result, key financial executives
are undertaking more frequent business
trips to major Asian destinations,
especially business hubs such as Hong
Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and
Mumbai. "During these trips, business
travellers attempt to build upon and
court investment from the cash-rich
region, which has taken on a more critical
role in the face of financial turmoil across
the globe. As executives and management
from Western Europe and North America
travel to Asia in greater numbers,
opportunities to cater to this group of
top-end business travellers and meetings
and incentive travel activities will
increase," the report predicts.
Business Tourism to Boom in Asia
India Tourism has won the
prestigious World Travel Award
2008 for its role in developing
and promotion of 'Responsible
Tourism'. Sujit Banerjee, Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism, received the
Award. Earlier The Incredible India
stand at WTM 2008 was
inaugurated by Sujit Bajernee,
Secretary, Union Ministry of
Tourism. The inauguration was also
attended by Malladi Krishna Rao,
Minister for Tourism, Puducherry,
Leena Nandan, Jt. Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism, along with
various trade partners, media and
visitors.
The Ministry of Tourism, India
has been regularly participating in
WTM by setting up an India
Pavilion, with participation of State
Governments and the Travel
Industry as co-exhibitors. This year
too, an area of 756 sq. mtrs. was
been taken for the India Pavilion
and 77 co exhibitors including 16
State Governments and 61 Travel
Agents / Tour Operators / Hotels /
Airlines set up stalls there.
Coinciding with the World Travel
Market 2008, The Ministry of
Tourism also undertook a major
Incredible India campaign in Print
and Outdoor Media like Cabsand
the Metro in London. The Custom
House Tube station which leads to
the Excel for the
World Travel
Market boasted
with prominent
Incredible India
branding with a
very large banner
and other smaller
ones thereby filling
the station with
Incredible India.
An Incredible
India Eve on the
November 11, at
The Guoman
Tower Hotel was
the icing of the
cake when an
ideal opportunity
was given for the
Tour Operators of UK and other
Travel and Media partners to
interact with the movers and
shakers of the Travel Industry from
both the Government and the
Private sector. This evening was a
fun-filled eve with an excellent
cultural Bhangra experience
followed by a gastronomic journey
through India. Jagdish Chander,
Director India Tourism, London said
the high standards of visitors, the
exhibitors had some excellent
networking opportunities during
these difficult days of Credit crunch
and economic showdown.
India Tourism Wins Award at WTM 2008
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER8
W T M
On Main Markets
The main markets for Macau
Tourism include the mainland China
and the others from the Southeast
Asian countries. If we look at India
as a whole we are doing about 30 -
40 per cent more than the last year.
This year from January to June itself
we have recorded an increase of 110
to 112 per cent. In the last month
we had a steady growth of 88 to 90
per cent. So if we talk about the In-
dian market the crowd is really rock-
ing and that's why we are here. The
primary objective is to make India
know about Macau as a MICE desti-
nation which is a thrilling, captivat-
ing destination which also has an
amazing nightlife along with the likes
of casinos.
On marketing strategies
We have a few, but we are look-
ing for more markets. We have two
offices in India - one in Delhi and
another in Mumbai. We are also look-
ing at various other smaller markets
like Ahmedabad, Bangalore,
Chandigarh, Jaipur etc. We have
been conducting workshops in Delhi
and Mumbai. In every new market we
let the agents there grow with us and
have them facilitated with all the in-
formation they basically need for
Macau. There are various things we
do. We have done car rallies this year
along with movie promotions,
brandings, magazine advertise-
ments, agency branding. We have
started the radio taxi promotion for
Delhi and Mumbai which has been
found good. We just finished the
Macanese food festival in Delhi. It
was a ten-day long festival for which
we had three chefs flown down from
Macau and organised a Macau food
fest at the Le Meriden, New Delhi. It
was a joint effort by the Le Meriden
and the Macau Government Tourism
staff which was a hit.
On the challenges
With regard to the new markets,
most of them are growing, with the
media and the people spreading the
word of Macau as a destination. A
couple of years ago most of the peo-
ple were not aware of the destina-
tion. With billions of dollars pumped
into the place for the hotels and oth-
ers, it is becoming the Las Vegas of
Southeast Asia. I can't think about
the numbers because last year we
had about 27 million people coming
to Macau. Now sky is our limit.
Macau tourist office also has various
other facilities for the events which
are the other options. There are also
various other hotels which has very
good MICE facilities to offer.
On special plans
We are working closely with air-
lines, tour operators and travel
agents. We come out with advertise-
ments in newspapers and maga-
zines. We try and make thematic
advertisements whereby we can look
at all the events that are happening
around the year like the fireworks
display festivals held recently. It is a
year round destination although we
had some typhoons and rains in May,
June and July.
Macau Plans More Promotional ActivitiesMacau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of
China and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of "one country,
two systems". Macau is a unique destination or that preserves a multi-
cultural heritage alongside state-of the art tourist facilities and a full
calendar of festivals, sports competitions and special events all year
around. Peter Rohan Malik, Representative in India, Macau
Government Tourist Office, spoke to Asian Traveller about the
marketing strategies of Macau. Excerpts from the interview:
Which are the main markets for the
Philippines?
For the Philippines the first mar-
ket is Korea followed by North
America, Japan, China, Australia and
from Europe it would be from the UK
and Germany. We are getting good
tourist traffic from Russia too. India
is our new market.
How important is the contribution
of tourism to the economy of
Philippines?
It was not one of the major indus-
tries in the country till recent times
and now the tourism and leisure has
really grown. And for the last three
years we have been getting a lot of
tourists and correspondingly the rev-
enue has also increased. In fact the
contribution for the country's
economy has doubled.
What is you marketing strategy for
India?
We have appointed a marketing
representative in India after
identifying India as a potential
market for the Philippines. We are
organizing fam tours for the media
in India along with the agents and
the Bollywood producers to look at
the Philippines as potential location
for film shooting.
What are your plans to attract
Indian travellers?
We are working very closely with
the Indian travel industry as one of
the main challenges that we are fac-
ing is the lack of awareness. People
have heard about the Philippines, but
they do not know what to watch there
and do for a holiday. They don't know
more than the capital Manila. We are
trying to create a lot of awareness
among the consumers and making
sure that a lot of media activities,
more and more publications carry
news and write-ups that highlights
Philippines as an attractive tourism
destination. Because it is a beauti-
ful, unexplored, untouched destina-
tion with some of the best beaches
in the world. The people there are
very friendly and the biggest advan-
tage is that they are English speak-
ing which makes it very comfortable
for Indian tourists.
In Philippines we have casinos,
beaches, good shopping options,
great nightlife, and all the Indian con-
sumers consider important. We work
closely with tour operator and make
sure that they include Philippine itin-
eraries and we support a lot of joint
advertising programs, so that they
carry out more and more packages.
We are also working closely with
Bollywood so that we would like
some Indian films to be shot at the
Philippine lands so that the destina-
tion attains some exposure.
What is your message to Indian
tourists?
Please come to Philippines. It is
beautiful, easy to access, unexplored
and very well priced. A lot of people
come over there for long stays as we
have a lot of adventure. The place
has one of the best snorkeling and
diving sites, beautiful marine life.
People with special interest also
come here.
Philippines Beckons Indian Travellers
Rica Bueno, Head Team Asia Pacific, Department of Tourism,
Philippines spoke to Asian Traveller about the tourism scene in
Philippines, its marketing strategies and various related aspects.
Excerpts from the interview:
F A C E T O F A C E
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 9
Rica BuenoRica Bueno
Peter Rohan MalikPeter Rohan Malik
RAINER STAMPFERREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT
AND GENERAL MANAGER
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Q & A
Tell us about your hotel and its USPs.
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is located in the
heart of the shopping, entertainment and
business district. With its hand painted silk
murals, ceilings, wall panels and carefully
selected antiques, the hotel provides a strong
sense of place. Thai, Japanese and Italian
restaurants are complemented by an elegant
Steak House as well as Aqua, a patio lounge to
see and be seen. The lap pool on the second
floor is the largest in the city.
How do you position the Hotel in the market?
What is your marketing strategy?
As any Four Seasons Hotel around the globe, we
always emphasize on the service quality over
anything else. Having been operating for over
25 years, we are well established
with the leisure and corporate
traveller alike. Our privileged
location, spacious guestrooms and
a wonderful array of restaurants
give us a competitive advantage.
Our hotel features the only ball-
room with daylight, "garden views"
and an outdoor terrace in Bang-
kok.
How important is a Hotel in
developing a destination? What
has Four Seasons done in this
regard?
Hotels can undoubtedly play a
crucial role in the development of
up- and coming locations. When
we opened our Four Seasons Hotel
on the island of Nevis, we added
this Caribbean get away to the
traveller's map. We built a school
and touched most people's life on
Nevis. We are by far the largest
employer.
When we opened our property in
Chiang Mai nearly 15 years ago,
visitors from all over the world
came to experience the cultural
North of Thailand for the first time.
Our Tented Camp in the Golden
Triangle was just voted "Best Hotel
in the World" by the readers of
Conde Nast Traveller; recognition which brings
great attention to this region.
Could you tell us about your background and
how did you come to the industry?
From relatively young age, I was fascinated by
the idea to be able to "travel the world" and to
get exposed to different cultures, languages
and people. My initial interest in the hospitality
industry was likely a little naive but after
gathering some first experience at a hotel in
Southern Bavaria, I knew quickly that I'd enjoy
this line of business. So, once I had graduated
from business school in Munich I decided to
pursue a "hotel career". I applied for an entry
position with Hyatt International and received
my first posting in Hong Kong. I was incredibly
excited!
Tell us about your experience so far? Is there an
unforgettable moment in your career which you
can share with us?
I consider myself blessed having had a chance
to work with very inspiring individuals in most
attractive and fun places around the globe.
There are many unforgettable experiences -
"Hosting" the negotiations resolving the wartime
claims against the German industry with
Madeleine Albright at our hotel in Berlin.
Spending two days with the then German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl during his state visit to
Jakarta. The Academy Awards with a large
number of nominees and winners making the
Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles their home.
What plans - immediate and long term - do you
have?
I anticipate for my family and me to stay in
Bangkok for many years to come. We are
tremendously enjoying this vibrant city with its
kind and hospitable people. We have four
beautiful properties in Thailand and it is truly
rewarding to work with our teams in the various
hotels and resorts.
Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10
years from now?
I have come to learn that life provides you with
plenty of surprises. But, to dream for a moment
-somewhere by a lake in Northern Italy, enjoying
the rich life style that region has to offer. With
by then likely more than 20 years in Asia and
the US, it would also feel nice to be closer to my
family in Germany again.
Tell us about your family?
I am the proud father of three most beautiful
and charming girls. My wife and I met 12 years
ago while I was living in Jakarta. In Boston, our
first daughter was born. Her sister joined us in
Los Angeles. And, our baby girl was born in
Singapore; just half a year ago. I suppose I
should be well entertained for the coming
twenty years and beyond...
What are your hobbies and other interests?
Spending as much time as possible with my
family is a priority. Otherwise - having a quiet
Sunday morning reading a few papers and a
good book is great joy. I am passionate about
sports - Golf, Tennis, Skiing. My wife and I have
been collecting art for many, many years - on a
modest scale but with much enthusiasm.
Which is your favorite destination ?
Impossible to just name one. The Amalfi coast,
particularly, Ravello is hard to beat for its
incredible beauty, fabulous food - Italy for its
style. In Asia, Koh Samui and the Japanese
countryside to relax; Hong Kong and Bangkok
for their vibrant and colorful city life. Los
Angeles is MY west coast destination - blue
skies all year round. And, naturally, the gentle
hills around the Lake of Constance in Southern
Germany where I grew up.
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER10
I N D I A N P A N O R A M A
Yunnan Provincial Tourism
Administration (Yunnan
Tourism) has signed a Memoran-
dum of Understanding with West
Bengal on tourism exchange. The
MoU is aimed at building a mutual
bond on tourism practices, ex-
change and understanding. Yunnan
Tourism plans to cash in on tourism
opportunities in Kolkata and East
India considering the short dis-
tance, newly launched air link and
Madhya Pradesh
Tourism
Development Corporation
(MPTDC) has undertaken
two development projects
at Pachmarhi and Bhopal.
At Tava Dam near
Pachmarhi MPTDC plans
to deploy two new
houseboats, one
motorboat and operate a
cruise. A resort at Dela
Wadhi near Bhopal,
comprising of a total of 30
rooms including Swiss
Cottages, will be promoted
as an Ecotourism product.
Both projects are funded
by MPTDC and expected to
be completed soon and are
aimed at increasing the
flow of international and
domestic tourist to the
destinations.
With an eye on the high-spending adventure tourists the
Himachal Pradesh government is planning heli-taxi
services in tribal areas of the state. The decision was taken at
a cabinet meeting recently. "The tourism department will
invite technical and financial bids for the introduction of
tourist helicopter services in various tourist resorts," said
Manisha Nanda, Tourism Secretary, Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh attracts tourists from around the world,
especially from Israel,
Germany, Britain and
several other European
countries, not only for
nature-based activities
but also for exploring
historic and ancient
monasteries. Last year,
more than 8.8 million
tourists, including
339,000 foreigners,
visited the state. Kullu-
Manali has emerged as a
favourite tourist
destination. Last year,
around 100,000 foreign
tourists visited that
area.
The century old Kalka - Shimla rail section has been
formally dedicated as world heritage site to the nation. In
a ceremony held at Shimla recently R Velu, Minister of State
for Railways and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem
Kumar Dhumal accepted the inscription certificate from the
UNESCO. The century-
old rail route was
accorded the World
Heritage status by the
UNESCO in July this
year. Velu unveiled the
inscription plaque at
Kalka railway station and
a postal cover was also
released on the occasion.
The minister laid the
foundation stone of a rail
museum to be built in
the memory of Baba Bhalku who guided the then British
engineer to survey the rail route which became operational in
1903. The 96-km-long rail line passes through 102 tunnels,
988 bridges and 917 curves, many of them are as sharp as 48
degrees. The longest tunnel near Barog is 1143 metre. The four
storey stone arch gallery Bridge No 541 near Kanoh is an
engineering marvel and a photographer's delight.
the similarities in culture and
ethnicity. As part of the MoU, West
Bengal Tourism Directorate and
WBTDC have also planned to make
the state more available for
Chinese tourists.
Manabendra Mukherjee,
Minister for Tourism, West Bengal
said that the state would develop
the China Town area of Kolkata and
include it under the Destination
Development Scheme. Yunnan has
the largest ethnic diversities in
China and that will be one of our
highest selling points. With large
golf courses and natural hot
springs, Yunnan focus on tourism
products like Lifestyle Tourism,
Leisure Tourism, Sports Tourism
and Experiential Tourism.
"Targeting these products at
leisure tourists, Yunnan Tourism
also sees potential of MICE
segment when it comes to tourism
exchange with India, especially
Eastern India," said Yu Dingcheng,
Director General, Yunnan Provin-
cial Tourism Administration. China
Eastern Airways, which re-started
its operation from Kolkata last
month, currently operates with
four flights a week to Kunming.
According to a China Eastern
Airways official, depending on the
growth in traffic, the airline may
increase the flights to seven per
week.
Yunnan, West Bengal Signs Tourism MoU MPTDC Undertakes
Projects at
Pachmarhi and
Bhopal
Kalka-Shimla Rail Line Dedicatedas World Heritage Site
HP to Introduce Helicopter Taxis
The four storey stone archgallery Bridge No 541
West Bengal
Yunnan
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER12
I N C R E D I B L E I N D I A
In continuation with its
dialogue with the stake
holders in the tourism
sector in India to assess the
impact of global meltdown, the
Ministry of Tourism has held a
meeting with Indian
Association of Tour Operators
(IATO) and Hotel Association
of India (HAI). The seven
member IATO delegation was
led by its President, Vijay
Thakur. During their meeting
with the Secretary, Tourism
Sujit Banerjee, the members of
the delegation expressed their
concern on the ongoing global
financial crisis and assured the
Ministry that they wouldl work
in close cooperation with the
Government to meet the
challenges in the coming
months. The Tour Operators
welcomed the suggestion given
by the Tourism Secretary to
the hoteliers of slashing room
tariffs. They said reduced
room tariffs will send a right
signal to the traveller coming
to India from across the globe.
Sujit Banerjee urged the tour
operators to promote
international as well as
domestic tourism in a big way
and focus on new circuits such
as Puri - Bhubaneswar -
Konark, Amritsar -
Kurukshetra - Haridwar, Nasik
- Aurangabad - Nanded and
Dwarka - Gir - Diu at par with
Golden Triangle circuit of
Delhi - Agra - Jaipur.
In his meeting with Hotel
Association of India (HAI),
Banerjee reiterated his
suggestion to slash room
tariffs by 10 to 15 per cent to
meet the challenges posed by
the global economic
meltdown. The suggestion was
conveyed to the President of
HAI Priya Paul when she
called on him. The HAI
delegation urged the Tourism
Secretary to pursue the matter
of delinking of hotels from real
estate and taking steps to
boost liquidity of hotel
construction activity in the
country.
The Government of India has
suggested hoteliers to slash
room tariffs by 10 to 15 per
cent to meet the challenges posed
by the global economic meltdown in
the tourism sector in India. The sug-
gestion was conveyed by the Secre-
tary Union Ministry of Tourism Sujit
Banerjee to the members of the Fed-
eration of Hotels & Restaurants As-
sociation of India (FHRAI) when they
called on him recently.
The meeting was organised to
assess the impact of global
meltdown in the tourism sector in
India. The five member FHRAI del-
egation comprised of Vivek Nair, Vice
Chairman, Leela Group; Rajindra
Kumar, Hotel Taj Ambassador, Delhi;
Salim Sherwani, Sherwani
Hospitalities Ltd; Dr. Sunil Gulati,
Uttarakhand Hospitality and Major
Harish Sud, Secretary General,
FHRAI. The Secretary, Ministry of
Tourism assured the delegation that
the ministry wouldl extend all possi-
ble assistance to the hotel industry
for safeguarding its interest and its
growth in the country.
The second phase of the Incredible India
outdoor advertising campaign in Tokyo
has been launched by H. K. Singh,
Ambassador of India to Japan launched
recently by flagging off the first public bus
wrapped in Incredible India images. This
public bus will ply for
two months in the
fashionable and trendy
quarters of Tokyo from
Shibuya to Roppongi.
This launch was
followed by an India
Evening attended by
major opinion makers,
media personalities and
a cross section from the
tourism and travel
industry. A Yoga
performance by
Japanese artists from
the Indian Cultural
Center provided another
vignette of tourist attractions in India.
The impact of the Outdoor Advertising
campaign already yielded significant increase
in bookings received by the travel industry
from this market. Japan is prime tourist
generating market for India and in 2007 we
MoT Asks Tour Operators to Promote
New Tourism Circuits
Tourism Ministry
Suggests Tariff
Reduction
Incredible India Outdoor AdvertisingCampaign Launched in Tokyo
received 1, 46,000 tourists, including repeat
visitors from this market. It is expected that in
the coming months this figure will increase
further.
Outdoor advertising as well as organizing of
mega promotional events is the strategy
adopted for East Asian Markets. On 15th
December 2008 an Incredible India Golf
Tournament is being organized in Tokyo
followed by launching of a subway train
wrapped in Incredible India images in Seoul,
South Korea.
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER14
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 15
Indian Ministry of Tourism has
sanctioned integrated develop
ment of four mega destina-
tions/circuits in the country as part
of its development plans during the
second quarter of 2008-09. They in-
clude (1) Hampi World Heritage Site,
Karnataka (2) Heritage Tourist Circuit
in Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh
(3) Ganga Heritage River Cruise Cir-
cuit, West Bengal (4) Gangtok Mega
Destination, Sikkim. These projects
to be completed within 2 to 3 years
will greatly enhance visitors' experi-
ence in the mega destinations and
circuits.
Hampi world heritage site has
immense potential as a cultural des-
tination. The project of Rs.3283.58
lakh sanctioned by the ministry in-
cludes improvement of surroundings
of the destination, illumination of his-
torical buildings, sound and light
show, solid waste management,
creation of public conveniences, im-
provement of last mile connectivity,
construction of rural haat and con-
struction of stage/arena for cultural
performances/music festivals.
Kadapa which has historical links
with Hampi also has several histori-
cal and cultural sites. The project
sanctioned for development of her-
itage tourist circuit in Kadapa district
at a cost of Rs. 3692.89 lakh in-
cludes creation of tourist facilities
around important temples, dams/
reservoirs and forts.
The Ganga Heritage Cruise circuit
offers a unique experience of river
cruise and visits to historical settle-
ments along the banks of Ganga in
West Bengal. This project of
Rs.2042.35 lakh includes creation of
jetties, beautification of river fronts,
illumination of monuments, develop-
ment of parking areas and construc-
tion of tourist reception centres at
Belur, Barrackpore, Serampore,
Chandannagar, Hooghly, Nabadwip,
Mayapur, Plassey, Behrampur,
Murshidabad-Lalbagh and Ajimganj-
Baranagar. Sikkim, as one of the
emerging major tourist destination
The project of Rs.2390.70 lakh sanc-
tioned for creation of tourist facilities
at taxi stand, development of view
point, beautification of ridge road,
development of millennium park and
construction of tourist facilitation
centres at Gangtok will meet the
growing demand for better tourist
facilities in this hilly state.
MoT Initiates Development of Four Mega Destinations
F A C E T O F A C E
earner to the Australian economy. It
is the second highest export revenue
earner after mining.
On the Main Products and
Attractions
For the Indian market the first
one is the Experience of Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef, the Ayers
Rock, the gold coasts, the non
crowded beaches etc. We don't have
masses of people because we are a
big country with a small population.
The Indians can also
go to the different
cricket grounds
which they see only
in television. There
is quite a diversity
from the natural ex-
periences which is
mostly sought by the
families from India
travelling to Australia. They love to go
to the barrier reef and to see tradi-
tional things. The natural experi-
ences and the icons are the sort of
things that attract the Indian travel-
ler. They like a soft drive, go to the
theme parks whereas the honey-
mooners get into the islands and opt
for more luxury.
On the Marketing Strategy
As because Indian market is a
growing one, we are working with the
industry in India and we are conduct-
ing a programme - Aussies Special
Programme - which is educating the
travel agents and tour operators on
what the Australia has to offer. It pro-
vides a training platform for the travel
agents to educate themselves. At the
same time we are working with the
airlines like Qantas, Singapore Air-
lines etc. who operate services to
Australia to provide consumer cam-
paigns in the market place selling
great honeymoon or family holiday
packages.
On Indian Tourists
The Indian tourists are very wel-
come in Australia. They can feel at
home because both the people have
an affinity towards each other. We
have a multi cultural population and
the Indian food has been in the Aus-
tralian palette for a long time. Now it
has become a second nature to the
Australians to have the Indian food.
The friendliness and the passion of
cricket as well along with many other
factors are bringing the countries
closer in the travel pitch.
Down Under Eyes Indian TravellersTourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Australian Government,
which promotes Australia as a tourism destination internationally and
domestically and delivers research and forecasts for the sector.
Tourism Australia brings together the collective skills and knowledge of
four separate organisations: the Australian Tourist Commission; See
Australia; the Bureau of Tourism Research and Tourism Forecasting
Council. The main objectives of Tourism Australia include influence
people to travel to Australia and persuade them to travel throughout
Australia. Rick Matkowski, Manager, Eastern Hemisphere, Tourism
Australia spoke to Asian Traveller about the various plans and strate-
gies Tourism Australia is planning. Excerpts:
On the main markets
In this part of the world, India and
China are the two markets for Aus-
tralia Tourism. China is a larger base
and India a comparatively smaller
one but with very good quality. In a
global perspective the UK, Europe,
America, New Zealand and Japan are
very good markets with a half a mil-
lion people and a major marketing
hub. India has a good place among
the markets coming up. The style of
the Indian traveller is a much ma-
tured one as well as demanding.
On Contribution of Tourism to the
Economy
It is a very important one. Tour-
ism creates jobs. It is a great export
Rick MatkowskiRick Matkowski
C O L U M N
V DURAIKKANNAN
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER16
Former President of Coca-
Cola, Donald R. Keough
has authored an
excellent book titled 'The Ten
Commandments for Business
Failure'. It is a remarkable
'How Not To' manual among
thousands of 'How To' series
on business success,
management, and leadership.
The Ten Commandments
are: 1. Quit Taking Risks 2. Be
Inflexible 3. Isolate Yourself 4.
Assume Infallibility 5. Play the
Game Close to the Foul Line 6.
Don't Take Time to Think 7.
Put All Your Faith in Experts
and Outside Consultants 8.
Love Your Bureaucracy 9.
Send Mixed Messages 10. Be
Afraid of the Future
Keough adds one more
commandment as bonus at the
end of these ten: 'Lose Your
Passion for Work - for Life'.
Just add the following two
more to this list and your
'Package for Failure' is now
total and failure-proof!
Use Wrong People. Use
People Wrongly.
The renowned French
mathematician Andre Weil
pointed out the logarithmic
Law of Hiring at work: "First
rate people hire other first rate
people. Second rate people
hire third rate people. Third
rate people hire fifth rate
people." This is mostly true.
While a section of bosses
dread people more
knowledgeable than they
are, there is another
section of bosses that
nurture and bask in
the coterie of yes-
men keeping them
as their
lieutenants.
This reminds me
of a cute story. Once
King Akbar imported
a horse from Arabia
at a huge price. The
price was
ridiculously high
for the steed.
However, when the
king lauded the
supremacy of the
horse to his minister
Birbal, Birbal also
chanted its praise. He said it
was a great horse. But the very
next day when Akbar realized
that the horse was not worth
its price, he cursed that it was
a useless horse. He consulted
Birbal as to what he felt. Birbal
vehemently denounced that it
was an old, no-good hack. His
remark made the king think
twice. A flummoxed king
asked how come he had
changed his assessment
overnight. Birbal answered:
'Oh, mighty king! My salary is
paid by you and not by the
horse!'
It really will feel glorious to
have yes-men around. But
beware of them! They are not
worried about you. They are
just worried about them. And
you are keeping such wrong
people next to you and around
you. That is nothing but
disaster in the waiting.
As to using people wrongly,
I can very immediately think
of one of my previous airline
companies I worked for. They
had this weird wisdom of
suddenly switching and
upgrading their airport
managers into sales managers.
In the bargain, they would
very effectively lose a good
airport manager and get a very
bad sales manager. Perhaps
that explains the doddering
state of the company apart
from the spiraling cost of
aviation fuel and other
variables.
Dick Cavett rightly said
that it is a rare person who
wants to hear what he does not
want to hear. People look over
the need and the necessity of a
devil's advocate. They fail to
remember the fact that in a
regatta or the boat race the
coxswain or the helmsman
always sits opposite the rest of
the rowing members.
The very opening line in the
foreword to the 'Ten
Commandments' by Warren
Buffet, the legendary investor
who happens to be a longtime
friend and neighbor of Keough
in Omaha should serve as a
constant reminder to every
man who aims forsuccess in
his business and life: 'It has
been an article of faith for me
that I should always try to
hang out with people who are
better than I.' The same
thoughts are echoed elsewhere
in the book by Keough that the
decisions in any organisation
should be always taken by the
person with the best
information rather than by the
person with the most power!Dick Cavett
Donald R. Keough Warren Buffet
Andre Weil
After the successful discussions in
the conference organized in
Shanghai in January, the World
Travel and Tourism Council, in association
with the WTTC India Initiative, brought
together leaders in the field of human
resources on recently to discuss employment
issues facing India in the coming years.
Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president of
WTTC, and Radha Bhatia, Chairperson of
WTTC's India Initiative, presided over the
gathering of public and private sector
leaders in the fields of Hospitality and
Travel, Technology and Research,
Government, Education and Business
Consulting.
Contributions were made by the director
general of the Ministry of Tourism -
Government of India, Ernst and Young,
Emirates, Oberoi Hotels, Mandarin
Oriental, Unisys, Six Senses Resorts and
Spas, Jet Airways, Taj Hotels, UEI Global
and the Indian School of Business.
Recommendations from the Symposium
were presented to a selected group of
business leaders, members of the Indian
Government, MPs and Senior Civil Servants
at the WTTC's India Initiative Retreat in
Khajuraho from September 5 to 7. Following
these discussions, more detailed
recommendations will be made to the
Government of India.
Jean-Claude Baumgarten stated that,
"There needs to be a transformational
change in the way that government and
businesses promoted employment in the
Travel and Tourism industry. The campaign
to market employment opportunities has
to be as passionate and imaginative as the
Incredible India campaign has been in
marketing the country on an international
scale.
The seniority and professionalism of the
HR function inside organizations has to be
substantially improved, and there needs to
be a coherent and long-term campaign to
improve the quality of education in the
hospitality industry." Without real
leadership from government and businesses,
he declared that, "growth in the industry
would be compromised, with damaging
consequences for job creation and the
economic development of the country."
John Guthrie, who organized both the
Shanghai and Delhi events for WTTC, also
emphasised the importance of employees
having sufficient levels of fluency in the
English language. For administrative,
supervisory and managerial roles it was
essential, as well as for front line positions.
With regards to growing numbers of
international visitors, basic comprehension
of the language gives employees more
confidence and more opportunity to
progress their careers, developing important
life skills and, over time, helping to ensure
that managerial roles will be filled by Indian
nationals rather than expatriates.
WTTC hosts Human Resources Symposium in Delhi
Jean-ClaudeBaumgarten
Radha Bhatia
Travelport Ltd., the parent company of the Travelport group
of companies announced that it will co-sponsor The World
Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2009 Tourism for
Tomorrow Awards (www.tourismfortomorrow.com). The awards,
under the stewardship of the WTTC, are presented annually and
are aimed at recognizing best practices in responsible and
sustainable tourism demonstrated by organizations and
companies within the global Travel & Tourism industry.
The winners and finalists will be honored at a special
recognition ceremony at the WTTC 2009 Global Travel & Tourism
Summit. Travelport CEO and President, Jeff Clarke will be in
attendance to honor and address the winners and finalists in
the award categories, which include Destination Stewardship,
Conservation, Community Benefit, and the Global Tourism
Business Award focusing exclusively on sustainable tourism at
the larger corporate level to further demonstrate that best
practices can encompass businesses of any scale.
An independent panel of judges, including some of the world's
most authoritative experts of sustainable development and a
stringent application process involving on-site verification visits
by these experts, has earned the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
growing levels of respect among the travel industry, governments
and the international media.
Travelport to Co-sponsor WTTC
Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
In a significant decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs (CCEA), Government of India has approved the
proposals of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) seeking to enlarge
the scope of its scheme that provides for creation of institutional
infrastructure necessary for hospitality and tourism specific
education. This revision of the scheme had become necessary
to meet the growing demand of the industry of trained
manpower. As per the assessment of the MoT, the industry
requires about 2.03 lakh trained persons annually. The supply
as against this is fractional of about 12,000 persons from all
the institutes in the country. The introduction of the hospitality
education will be through ITIs, polytechnic institutes,
government colleges, universities, Public Sector Undertaking
(PSUs) and vocational schools, provided for in the scheme
currently will be an important step ahead to bridge the gap in
demand and supply of manpower. This approved scheme
provides for the setting up of 19 new state IHMs and 25 state
Food Craft Institutes during the 11th Plan. To overcome the acute
shortage of trained personnel at skill level, it has been stipulated
that, the state IHMs will also conduct craft courses alongside
the three-year degree course.
CCEA Clears Creation of
Institutional Infrastructure for
Tourism Education
W T T C
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 17
A Novel Hospitality Junction
Novotel Hyderabad has becomes the first property in Hyderabad to get Green Globe
certification under the global Certification programme. The global programme recognises
Novotel Hyderabad's commitment to operating at the world's highest environmental standard.
Green Globe is the global benchmarking and certification programme for sustainable Travel
and Tourism. The Novotel Hyderabad was assessed according to eight performance criteria
that will guarantee, among other things, better waste management, less pollution, and energy
and water consumption control. After a benchmarking phase of six months, the Novotel Hyderabad
was audited in order to obtain Green Globe certification, and will undergo the same process
every year in order to guarantee that the criteria are maintained.
Novotel Hyderabad lo
cated in Hyderabad's
IT and Business district is
connected to the Hyderabad Interna-
tional Convention Centre; one of
South Asia’s finest convention cen-
tre having state of the art exhibition,
meeting and convention services.
Hyderabad is also one of the major
centres for business, information
technology, biotechnology as well as
a fascinating tourist destination.
Novotel Hyderabad has 288 spa-
cious rooms with all modern com-
forts for business and leisure travel.
The hotel, spread over 15 acres is
30 minutes
drive from the
Rajiv Gandhi In-
ternational Air-
port.
The differ-
ent options for accommodation here
are superior rooms, premier floor and
suites including junior, executive and
deluxe suites.
The rooms have contemporary
décor with flexible work areas in
every room. Each room comes
equipped with an electronic safe, au-
dible smoke alarms, LCD TV screens,
sprinkler in room, safe deposit box
in room, Minibar, 4 Mbps WiFi and
cabled internet access, IDD tel-
ephone and satellite cable TV. The
premier floor rooms overlooking pool
spans twenty six square meters
comes with a host of amenities
suited for the business traveler in-
cluding many complimentary serv-
ices.
The Hotel which is connected to
Hyderabad International Convention
Center is a world class, state-of-the-
art venue - the first of its kind in
South Asia. It has been conceived,
designed and created to handle
small meetings of 50 people to large
scale eventsfor 5000 . Novotel
Hyderabad also provides facilities for
small luncheon meetings to training
sessions and large conferences. The
Granite, the Sunset Room and the
Boardroom can hold 276, 80, 8
guests respectively. The hotel restau-
rants provide excellent options for
dining. The Square offers fine dining,
with an international a la carte se-
lection and a multi-cuisine buffet,
along with fine wines and beverages.
The Deli shop is a self service
take away outlet which offers home
made snacks. La Cantina, the
Mexican specialty restaurant serving
Mexican delicacies in a perfect
ambience is another specialty of the
property. The Elaborate beverage
menu, comprises selection of quality
wines, spirits,liquours, aerated
waters, internationally acclaimed
cocktails and a range on non
alcoholic beverages.The daily
buffets, Saturday barbeques and the
Sunday brunch are the other
specialities.
Novotel Hyderabad Green Globe Certified
Indonesia's tourism industry remains confident, according to I. Gede Pitana, Director of Interna
tional Promotion at the Indonesia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He told a ITB Asia press con
ference in Singapore: "The [global financial] crisis will probably affect our target of seven million
international travellers this year. However, we should still be able to achieve a growth of over 20 per cent
with 6.5 to 6.7 million tourists."
Pitana said that Indonesia had invested a lot in new infrastructure and these efforts
were starting to pay off. He cited close to 11,500 classified hotels with over 255,000
rooms, 10 world-class convention centres each able to receive up to 5,000 del-
egates, and 450 first-class shopping centres, which make the country an
attractive destination for Singaporeans, Chinese or Malaysians.
The Indonesian government will extend its Visit Indonesia Year 2008
campaign into 2009. However, new promotions will be more centred on
marine and MICE tourism. "We have a unique natural and historical herit-
age. We have over the years gained recognition from the scuba dive
market for our exceptional coral reefs. We also have over 50 national
parks and nine UNESCO listed-world heritage sites," said Pitana. The
tourism director also said that Indonesia is not only Bali. He beseeched
the tourism industry: "Look beyond Bali please. And discover the
amazing diversity of our land."
Indonesia's New Focus on Marine and MICE TourismIndonesia's New Focus on Marine and MICE Tourism
H O S P I T A L I T Y
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER20
Hindustan Beach Retreat, a
beach hotel in Kerala’s emerging
beach tourism circuit, Varkala, is
perhaps the only resort to enjoy so much
proximity to the sea. With 27 well appointed
rooms, each one with a spectacular sea view, it
lets you experience the sea at its best. An exotic
seafood restaurant on the roof top, a multi
cuisine restaurant overlooking the pool, a pool
side barbecue and a roof
top conference hall with
sea view are an offer.
Ayurvedic treatments,
backwater cruises, heritage
tours and ‘Shraadh’ pujas for departed souls on
the legendary Papanasam Beach (believed to
absolves one of sins) and vast pristine beaches
make it an enjoyable holiday that lets you
experience the art of slowing down. Varkala is
also renowned for its 2000 year old Janardhna
Temple, the Sivagiri Mutt – the final resting
place of Sri Narayana Guru, a great social
reformer of Kerala, the Nature Cure Centre, the
mineral water springs on the beach and the
legendary Papanasam beach where lakhs of
people conduct shraadh for departed souls
every year are close to the resort.
www.hindustanbeachretreat.com
Leisure by the Reefs
H O S P I T A L I T Y
K.P. Anil KumarManaging Director
Ajith NairGeneral Manager
Hindustan Beach Retreat
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 23
Paramount Airways has launched daily
flights Kochi to Pune via Chennai and
from Chennai to Goa. The inagural
flight from Chennai took off on October 22
and the Kochi Pune flight was launched on
November 12.
Commenting on the launches
Thiagarajan, MD, Paramount Airways said,
"I am sure this direct connectivity to Goa
will be met with great reception as we are
offering business class comforts to this
holiday destination. As part of our expansion
strategy we have launched the Cochin - Pune
sector which we believe will help our foray
into the western region and we hope to
replicate the success that we have achieved
in the Southern market".
The Paramount Airways offering of
brand e-jets along with all the trappings of
luxurious seat recline, ample leg space
between seats and an ethnic signature
cuisine will ensure that the airline is
competitive and attracts discerning
passengers. This pampering experience has
enabled the airline to notch up 26 per cent
market share in the Southern skies, which
it hopes to replicate in the Western sector.
The airline has recently launched daily
flights from Cochin to Ahmedabad & Goa
through the Chennai hub providing
connectivity to these key markets. The
airline has also launched its frequent flyer
programme "Paramount Royale" which is
designed to offer
myriad benefits to
passengers. Besides
routine upgradation
and mileage
redemption facilities,
the program would also
offer golf memberships,
spa experiences and
invitations for major
cultural programmes
for its members.
Frequent flyers can now
enroll themselves with
the newly launched
frequent flyer program
"Paramount Royale" by registering online
with www.paramountairways.com. All
mileage earnings as per eligibility will be
automatically logged to the passenger's
account.
Paramount also has an in-flight shopping
of branded products "Paramount Botique"
with prices lower than market rates. A lucky
dip scratch card has also been introduced
for passengers to win products including
televisions & refrigerators.
Passengers can book their tickets on the
website by selecting their seat and menu
while requesting any other special
requirements. Or they can contact their
travel agent.
Paramount Expands Further Into Western Region
Viva Macau Airlines, Macau's only international low-fares airline
joined hands with Asia's largest integrated resort Venetian
Macao Resort and world-famous Cirque du Soleil to launch at-
tractive air-hotel-show packages for Australian travelers. The special VIVA/
Venetian/ZAiA packages are available at Macau's only travel portal
Macau.com till January 15, 2009. Four packages are offered from 2-
nights-3-days to 5-nights-6-days for travel period between February 1 and
June 30, 2009. Each package includes: Roundtrip airfares, inclusive of
airport taxes and surcharges, between Sydney and Macau on economy
class with Viva Macau Airlines, accommodation at The Venetian Macao
Resort Hotel, with choice of Royale Suite or Bella Suite, ZAiA by Cirque du
Soleil B Reserve ticket with an option to upgrade. Viva Macau's Austral-
ian CEO Con Korfiatis said, "We are excited about these packages that
offer a brand new experience for Australians to visit the new Macau, Asia's
newest and most exciting destination for leisure, entertainment, cultural
experience, shopping, and international shows and events."
"Travellers on these packages are going to experience the best in
Asia by staying in a five-star suite at Asia's largest integrated resort The
Venetian Macao and watching the world famous and newest Cirque du
Soleil show in its first permanent 1800-seat showroom created only for
Macau. Combined with the comfort and friendly service of Viva Macau
Airlines, Macau's only international low fares airline offering the only di-
rect flights between Sydney and Macau, this is an incomparable travel
experience and incredible value," Korfiatis added.
For package details and reservations
visit www.macau.com.
Viva Macau Joins Hands with
Venetian Macao Resort
Sarovar Hotels and IndiGo Airlines, a low-cost domestic airline, re
cently announced a marketing tie-up to offer customers the ben
efit of hassle free travel and stay. Through this tie up, Sarovar Ho-
tels will sell combined holiday packages, which will include airfare, room,
sightseeing, all meals, cruise and transfers. Economy category travellers
will be targeted.
The inaugural package for Goa is Rs 5999 (from Delhi) and Rs 4799
(from Mumbai) per person, per day. This package is valid till March 31,
2009. Sarovar Hotels, which has 35 properties across India, will also
extend special room and F&B (excluding alcohol) rates for all IndiGo pas-
sengers that can be availed upon production of boarding pass. These
offers are all valid from November
15, 2008 to September 30, 2009.
According to Faisal Rahman,
Group Marketing Manager, Sarovar
Hotels and Resorts, "We have en-
tered into a multi-dimensional tie-
up with IndiGo Airlines, which will
be mutually rewarding. This joining
of hands is to offer tourists a com-
plete solution, with a judicious mix of everything. The tie-up will benefit
tourists as they will now be saved the hassle of finding a good place to
stay at a convenient price." As part of the alliance, Sarovar and IndiGo
will cross-sell and cross market their services with the objective to achieve
maximum impact.
Lazylagoon Sarovar Portico Suites in Baga, Arpora, Goa will provide a
special holiday offer.
Sarovar Hotels, IndiGo Airlines
Announce Marketing Tie-up
A V I A T I O N
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER24
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER26
Album
W T M 2 0 0 8 A L B U M
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 27
W T M 2 0 0 8 A L B U M
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER28
India’s fastest growing chain of heritage hotels & Resorts,
WelcomHeritage, a joint venture between ITC and Marudhar Hotels
of HH Jodhpur, has announced six new additions to the chain. With
these additions, the WelcomHeritage chain goes up to 60 properties, spread
across 19 states in India.
In Uttarakhand is WelcomHeritage Bob’s Place located at Nathuakhan
in Nainital District. In Rajasthan there are three properties, WelcomHeritage
Singhasan Haveli at Mandawa, WelcomHeritage Lallgarh Palace at Bikaner
and WelcomHeritage Koolwal Kothi at Nawalgarh. The fifth property is
WelcomHeritage Camellia Resorts at Santiniketan in West Bengal and the
sixth, WelcomHeritage Raobagh Palace Charkhari, Bundelkhand.
According to Rakesh Mathur, President, WelcomHeritage, “Our selec-
tion of properties is based primarily on location since a property must ei-
ther be in a tourist destination or must form part of a travel circuit. The
growing interest and curiosity about Indian traditions among foreign tour-
Welcomheritage Signs Six More Heritage Properties
Rakesh Mathur, President, WelcomHeritage, Pawan Verma, Senior ExecutiveVice President, ITC Hotels, H.H. Gaj Singh Ji, Maharaja of Jodhpur, SunilSikka, Marketing Head & Business Development, WelcomHeritage and N.R.Datta, Chairman, Camellia Group with Tapasi Datta
H O S P I T A L I T Y
ists continues unabated, and yoga, meditation, topography, cuisine and
craft, all continue to amaze guests with their diversity.”
However, heritage hotels also have to face great challenges. They are
leisure driven and seasonal in nature and being located in rural areas,
there are problems of infrastructure, connectivity and skilled staff. The way
ahead is for owners to update their properties to suit the requirements and
needs of today’s modern customers.
“Our Marketing Mantra is ‘Circuit Tourism’ of a defined circuit, which
offers a better and more varied experience in a limited time frame. Thus
better cars, better roads, better connectivity and communication, will all
help to boost Heritage Tourism - which is not just about a hotel or a desti-
nation, but about a Total Experience,” added Rakesh Mathur.
S O U T H E R N S P L E N D O U R
Karnataka State Tourism
Development Corpora
tion (KSTDC) plans to target
all segments of tourists, including
those from the high-end, instead of
confining to the budget tourists. With
this in mind the state has allocated
Rs 15 crore - Rs ten crore for hotel
upgradation and Rs five crore on
adding new tourist coaches - to
improve the infrastructure. According
to an agency report Vinay Luthra,
Managing Director, KSTDC said, "the
focus is going to be all encompassing
now, taking all tourist segments
including the middle-income and
high-end instead of confining
ourselves to just budget tourists."
The bus tours organised by the
KSTDC will now target the budget,
the middle-income and also the
premium tourists providing choice to
the tourists. To make travel "most
comfortable" for the tourists, the
KSTDC will be buying four new volvo
buses and a fleet of 12 other hi-tech
coaches, both air conditioned and
non air conditioned. For those who
want to tour and move
around in the garden
city, 100 KSTDC
affiliated taxis will
operate from Bengaluru
International Airport by
the end of this month.
These luxury AC taxis
will be electronically
metered and will have
all the hi-tech facilities including the
Geo Positioning System (GPS) and
call centre facilities to ensure
complete safety and security of the
passengers, said Luthra. Out of the
16 hotels run by the KSTDC in the
state, at least 12 hotels in important
tourist places will be upgraded and
refurbished with additional facilities
Karnataka Eyes High-end Touristsby the end of this financial year. The
hotels which have already been
upgraded are those in Nandi Hills
(near Bangalore), Kamalapur (near
Hampi), Bhagamandala and
Madikeri in Kodagu district and also
the hotels in Mysore which are
housed in heritage buildingsadded
Luthra.
AP to Focus on
Adventure, Eco tourism
AP to Focus on
Adventure, Eco tourism
If there is one place in the country which seems to be
unaffected by the current global economic meltdown it
is Tamil Nadu. The tourist season has just started and the
arrival of foreign visitors has shown an upward trend already.
According to statistics made available by Tamil Nadu Tourism
Development Corporation, 5.25 lakh foreign tourists have
landed in the city in the last three months against 3.72 lakh
during the same period last year. This is a 20 per cent increase.
In terms of numbers, between August and October the number
has gone up by 1.53 lakh, though the peak season for south
Boom Time for Tamil Nadu TourismIndia, particularly Tamil
Nadu, has just started and will
go on till mid-January. A
majority of foreign tourists are
from the US, the UK, Italy,
Singapore and Malaysia.
On an average, they spend 21 days visiting various places of
interest. Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur and Kanyakumari top the
list. TTDC has organised tour-guiding training programmes for
youth. It has also developed a 'tourist-friendly' autorickshaw
system with a view to attracting more foreigners to
the state.
Even the number of domestic tourists visting the
state has gone up from 30.93 lakh (both local and
international) in October last to over 59 lakh last
month alone. Likewise, the revenue generated from
the 25 hotels run by TTDC has also gone up with
the revenue touching Rs. 31.35 crore in the last 10
months, while it was only Rs.24.75 crore in the
same period in 2007.
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 29
Andhra Pradesh plans to rely on inno
vative products such as adventure
and eco tourism, while focussing on its core
strengths of temple and Buddhist circuits.
The State has also decided to set up the
MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences
and events) and medical tourism opportu-
nities in a big way by setting up two bureaux.
These bureaux would consist of
stakeholders from the respective industries.
Making a presentation to the media at
the recently held Pacific Asia Travel Asso-
ciation (PATA) conference in Hyderabad,
Lakshmi Parthasarathy, Principal Secretary
(Tourism), Andhra Pradesh, said the Govern-
ment was taking up a major adventure tour-
ism project near Vikarabad. It is also utilis-
ing the Eastern Ghats and Horsley Hills to
promote adventure and eco tourism. Jayesh
Ranjan, Managing Director, AP Tourism De-
velopment Corporation, said the corporation
would turn the Kolleru Lake into a bird-
watcher's paradise. The State is also final-
ising a proposal to develop infrastructure on
the lakh site to attract bird-watchers, he
added.
With growing
d i s p o s a b l e
i n c o m e s ,
increasing numbers of Indians
are travelling abroad for leisure
and business. Asian countries
are their most popular
destinations according to the
Nielsen India Outbound Travel
Monitor 2008, conducted in
partnership with the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA).
“A consumption-driven
economy coupled with a
population keen to explore the
world, India is well positioned
for a booming travel and
tourism industry,” said Vatsala
Pant, Associate Director, The
Nielsen Company. “As our
survey reveals, most of India's
outbound travellers hail from
urban centres, they are well
educated and well informed
about the world and are eager
to learn more through
international travel.”
Sightseeing tops the list for
nearly two thirds (64 per cent)
as the main reason for Indians
travelling abroad, followed by
exploring a new country for
close to one half (47 per cent).
About a quarter travels overseas
for a change from their daily
routine or to de-stress, to have
a good time, and for visiting
family and friends.
According to Oliver Martin,
Associate Director - Strategic
Intelligence Centre, PATA, “As
one of the world's most
populated nations and with a
rapidly expanding middle class,
India offers huge potential as
an outbound market supplying
millions of potential travellers,
PATA is projecting a relatively
strong growth rate for India's
outbound travel in the coming
two years.”
Accounting for 72 per cent
of the most recent leisure trips
and 63 percent of business trips,
Asia is the most popular
destination for Indians when
heading overseas. Other regions
such as Europe attract a greater
percentage (18 per cent) of
Indian travellers for business
rather than pleasure (14 per
cent). Nature and the
environment (62 per cent),
culture and art (53 per cent),
safety (50 per cent) and hygiene
(48 per cent) are the most
important considerations for
travellers when selecting their
next travel destination.
According to the Nielsen
Outbound Travel Monitor,
Singapore will be the most
common travel destination for
Indians (24 per cent) in the next
12 months, followed by Dubai,
Australia, and Malaysia, each
at 17 percent.
On an average, Indians
spend nearly USD 1,789 per
person per leisure trip. Other
than travel and
accommodation, Indians spend
mostly on global branded
goods. Accessories, electronics,
local souvenirs, fine gifts,
fragrances and fashion also
rank high on Indian travellers'
shopping list.
With its growing popularity
and penetration in India, the
Internet has fast become one of
the most popular sources of
information on destinations for
close to half (48 per cent) of
those surveyed, behind travel
agents and tour operators (56
per cent). Other popular
sources are newspapers/
magazines (38 per cent) and
recommendation from others
(23 per cent).
However, conventional
channels remain popular when
it comes to making actual
holiday bookings. While 12
percent of Indians make their
bookings through online travel
agents, a majority go through
regular travel agents or tour
operators. One fifth of travellers
would also book directly
through friends/relatives at the
destination country.
"While booking over the
Internet is becoming more
popular, visiting a travel agent
for direct and personal
interaction is still important
and preferred by many Indian
consumers," said Pant.
The 'Nielsen Indian
Outbound Travel Monitor'
conducted face-to-face
interviews with 2,000 males
and females aged 18 and above,
who had travelled outside of
India in the last twelve months
and who had stayed at least two
nights away from home.
Asian DestinationsPopular Among Indian Travellers
T R E N D S
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER30
Dr. V. Venu IASSecretary, Kerala Tourism
K E R A L A T R A V E L L E R
Tourism is an industry that is extremely vulnerable to economic
uncertainty- for the simple reason that most travel and tourism
involves discretionary expense. The current economic slowdown in
US and Europe, experts say, will take its toll on tourism destinations
worldwide, and initial feedback from the trade signal a 20 per cent dip in
arrivals to Kerala, as people around the world are putting their travel plans
on the back burner.
However, Kerala Tourism is bracing up for this fall. A tactical plan is in
place and we are continuing with our relationship building and marketing
exercise in association with the industry. We are also keeping our
communication channels open. An important part of our strategy is to
concentrate more on domestic tourism. We have already kicked off road
shows in the Indian metros and are all set to move to Tier II cities. This
apart, we are also spreading our reach to newer markets like Australia,
Sweden and Singapore. Last month, Kerala Tourism conducted road shows
at Stockholm in Sweden as well as at Sydney and Melbourne in Australia - all
of which were marked by an impressive trade turnout from the region.
Kerala Tourism also participated in the first-ever ITB Asia held at Singapore
and consolidated its presence in Italy at the TTG, Rimini.
From 9/11 to SARS and tsunami, Kerala Tourism has proved its resilience
during crisis situations in the past and I am sure that our timely strategies
and Kerala's strong brand equity will see us through this one as well.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan
has demanded more Central aid for the
tourism sector in the State while saying
that Kerala had emerged as one of the best
tourism destinations in the world. According to
him, as per the latest report
of the World Tourism
Organisation, Kerala has
beaten Turkey which was
considered to be a paradise
for tourists, in attracting
tourists. He was speaking
at the foundation-stone
laying ceremony of the
Pathiramanal Eco-Tourism
Project at a public function
at Muhamma in Alappuzha.
Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Kerala
Agriculture University Vice- Chancellor K R
Vishwabharan, District Collector V K
Balakrishnan, Tourism Secretary V Venu and
District Panchayat President R Nazar were also
present at the function.
Kerala CM Demands
More Central Aid
V S AchuthanandanKerala Chief Minister
ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008 31
Usually it is Kerala - the God's Own Country - is the toast of any
Incredible India pavilion in any travel fair. But this year at WTM
2008 the Kerala pavilion simply failed to attract visitors. "It was a dis-
aster" said Sanjay Sharma, General Manager, Le Meridien, Kochi, who
had set up a stall at the Kerala pavilion, while speaking at a trade meet
organised by the Kerala Government recently. Almost all participants
who attended WTM agreed with this. People who paid a hefty sum to
get a space in the pavilion got no return for the amount they had spent.
The main reason for the pavilion not getting visitors, according to the
participants, was that Kerala section was tucked away at a far corner
of the India pavilion. Many industry people are of the opinion that from
next year Kerala should go for a separate pavilion of its own.
Kerala Pavilion Failsto Attract Visitors at WTM
A Kerala Tourism Department owned air-
conditioned bus which was used by KTDC
to take tourists for city rides lays neglected
at the KITTS premises at Thycaud in
Thiruvanathapuram. Now KTDC is using
hired vehicles to take visitors for sight
seeing in and around the city, as this AC
bus is getting crumbled away.
A Picture of Neglect
K E R A L A T R A V E L L E R
Sanjay Kaul IAS, District Collector, Trivandrum inaugurates
the new corporate office of Cosmos Tours and Travels.
P.S. Chandrasenan, Managing Director, Cosmos Tours and
Travels is also present.
Kerala Sets Up Working Groupto Study the Impact of Global Recession
Kerala Government has set up
a working group to study the
impact caused by the global fi-
nancial crisis on Kerala tourism. The
committee comprises four representa-
tives of resorts in the State, three rep-
resentatives of tour operators, one each
from the travel media, houseboat and
home-stay sectors. The Director, Tour-
ism; Managing Director, Kerala Tourism
Development Corporation; Director,
Ecotourism; and Managing Director,
TRKL have also been included in the
working group. The working group will
meet in the first week of December and
submit its report to the government.
Speaking to the media at
Thiruvananthapuram, Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism,
Kerala said that certain sections of the
tourism industry in the State have been
hit. These sections are those which are
depending on tourist arrivals from coun-
tries affected by the financial meltdown.
“The tourist flow from Scandinavian
countries has increased while number
of tourists from certain other countries
has decreased. So, the Government has
decided to appoint a working group com-
prising representatives from various
tourism sectors including tour operators,
travel agents, restaurants and so on, to
study the issue,’’ the Minister said.
The Minister said that in order to
attract more domestic tourists to the
state, effective promotional campaign
would be held across the nation. For
this, brochures portraying Kerala tour-
ism’s high-
lights will be
brought out in
different lan-
guages. The
State Government and the tourism in-
dustry would jointly give advertisements
on Kerala tourism if required. “Though
the prices of petroleum products have
decreased, the airline companies have
not reduced the ticket rates yet. This has
led to a decrease in the chartered flights
coming to the state. So the State Gov-
ernment would ask the Central Govern-
ment to take immediate steps to tackle
this problem,’’ the Minister said. “Be-
sides, the State Government would ask
the Railway Ministry to allot special bo-
gies for tourists in trains,” he added.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan,Minister for Tourism,
Kerala
@ Leela Kovalam
With Christmas and New Year just a few weeks away,
preparations are in full swing in all hotels. Cake - Mixing
has become an 'annual ritual' in all high-end hotels in
which the hotel staff, guests in the hotels and invitees take part. At
Leela Kempinski, Kovalam Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager,
led the team. At Taj Green Cove, Kovalam, Surinder Singh the
General Manager of the hotel and Sarath Sasi, Dy. Sales Manager,
Taj Green Cove, Kovalam along with special invitees including
Praveena, film and television actress and G. Biju Krishnan,
Managing Editor, Asian Traveller took part in the ceremony.
Getting Ready for Christmas and New Year
@ Taj Green Cove, Kovalam
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER32
I N D U S T R Y W I N D O W S
V A R I E T Y
Send in your answers to info@mediastepsindia.com
with TYKC 14 in the the subject line.
Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month.
One all-correct entry will getFree Stay at Le-Meridien, Kochi
[ 2 nights and 3 days for two ]*Nestled amongst 25 acres of coconut groves andbackwater rivers, Le Méridien Cochin Resort &Convention Centre sits at the heart of one of In-dia's most naturally beautiful cities, Kochi. Thisprestigious landmark houses 5 floors of luxuri-ous accommodation for international businessand leisure travelers. The 151 spacious rooms andsuites, most with breathtaking views over themanicured gardens and the backwaters.* Conditions apply
Kristof Kauffmann
Lange Strasse
Stuttgart, Germany
TYKC 13 - Winner
Compiled by DEEKAY
1. Who is an open-collar worker?
2. What is the meaning of the name
Penang, the Malaysian state?
3. Which airline does not fly on
Saturdays as a religious rule?
4. What does the name Roosevelt
mean?
Answers of TYKC - 13
1. Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, 2. Irish for 'knowledge', 3.
The folds of elevations and grooves in our brain, 4. Pegasus clipped to
Asus (to move up to the top-end of any alphabetical listing , from P to A),
5. Japanese for 'Rising Sun', 6. Nike, 7. Bartender, 8. Mohammad Hatta
was the first vice president, 9. Echo from Echo Bay Technology Group,
10. Whirlpool
5. Which is the longest word with just
one vowel in it?
6. What is the largest lake in
England?
7. How many constellations are there
in the sky?
8. What is the chemical name of the
'truth serum'?
9. How many trains do run on an
average in India in a day?
10. Mabuhay (Welcome) is the in-flight
magazine of which airline?
Penang City, Malaysia
Constellations
Indian Railway
International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM 2008),
France December 13 - 14
DECEMBER 2008
ASEAN Tourism Forum, Hanoi, Vietnam January 5-12
India Outbound, Mumbai January 8-10
Monte Carlo travel Market, TBA Monaco January 9-11
Camel Fair, Bikaner, Rajasthan January 10-11
Kite Festival, Jaipur, Rajasthan January 14
TTF OTM, Bangalore January 16-18
Holiday World Dublin, Dublin, Ireland January 23-25
FITUR Madrid January 30 - February 03
Austrian and Central European Travel Business
(ACTB), Austria January 25-27, 2009
JANUARY 2009
Destination London, England February 5-8
TTF OTM, Mumbai February 7-9
TTF OTM, New Delhi February 12-4
AIME, Australia February 17-18
Taj Mahotsav, Agra, India February 18-27
BIT Milan February 19-22
IITM, Cochin February 20-22
FEBRUARY 2009
ITB BERLIN, Berlin, Germany March 11-15
MARCH 2009
Ghulam Samdani, General Manager, Hotel
Muthoot Plaza has been promoted as Regional
Director (South) of the Sarovar Group of Hotels.
As the Regional Director, he will be in charge of
seven existing properties in three states
(Karnataka, Pondicherry and Kerala). In
addition, he will also be supervising eight
upcoming hotel projects in these states.
Dr. J. Prem Chand, Sr. Faculty Member of
Institute of Hotel Management and Catering
Technology, Kovalam, Trivandrum, Kerala has
been awarded the Certification Accredited
Management Teacher in the area of Hotel and
Tourism Management by Centre for
Management services of All India Management
Association, New Delhi.
NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER34
top related