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HighlightsVol. 9 I No.8 I May 2016

6Prisons, because of its association with history by housing people both the respected and notorious, are now preserved and opened to the public.

16

14 Atlantis, The Palm launches unique summer campThe five fun filled camps aim to educate, inspire and challenge young minds with big ideas.

22

18

Tamilnadu travellerHot Spots in Velankanni

New Director for Kerala Tourism

Visit the prison museums of India

Kerala Hotel General Manager Club formed

4 ASIAN TRAVELLER | MAY 2016

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

CHEERFUL OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM

USA : Jiju K Thomas Tel : 00281 709 5433UK : Abdul Najeeb Tel : 0044 7769940391UAE : Santhosh Kumaar K Tel : 00971 556317912Qatar : Arun V S Tel : 00974 55287956Kuwait : Mariam Titus Tel : 00965 6236120Mumbai : Shikha Bhangadia Tel : +91 9867505490Kolkata : Sobha Joshi Tel : +91 9477406768Hyderabad : Uma Ram Tel : +91 9160006321Kochi : Anurag Baby Tel : +91 8589008071Madurai : P Deenadayalu Tel : +91 9843129535Trivandrum : Shalini Binu Tel : +91 8281406451

Editor & Publisher : Dr. G Biju Krishnan*

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The recent concerted efforts of the state tourism to attract more international visitors to the state are laudable. Organizing roadshows and showcasing the state in an eye-catching manner in travel fairs in target markets will succeed in luring more visitors to the state; let us hope! However, the good works done by the department and the industry players seem to have suffered a not-so-minor setback. A number of visitors from Saudi Arabia have cancelled their tours to India, thanks to the new biometric verification norms introduced by the Indian embassy in Riyadh for obtaining visa. The new rules will become effective from June 1. This will adversely affect tourism in Kerala as the industry was looking forward to an increase in arrivals from Saudi Arabia, especially during the otherwise lean monsoon season.

As per the new norms, a Saudi national visiting India needs to go to the embassy in Riyadh and submit himself to biometric and fingerprint scanning to get the visa. Following this, according to industry sources, the number of visas issued by the embassy every day has dropped from 200 to 20. The lack of facilities in the embassy for biometric and fingerprint scanning, and the need for people to come to Riyadh from all parts of the Kingdom to get the scanning done, are the main deterrents.

In 2014, as many as 48,346 Saudi tourists visited the state. In 2015, the figure nearly doubled. Going by that trend, the industry, which has done a lot of marketing campaigns and roadshows to attract the high-spending Saudi visitors to the state during the rainy season, was hoping to play host to around 1.5 lakh visitors this time. But the new visa norms seem to have played spoilsport. Now, the out bounders from Saudi Arabia would go to Sri Lanka or Maldives feel industry watchers. And they estimate this would result in a loss of around Rs 100 crore for the state and Rs 2,000 crore for the country.

If the norms can be changed so that the biometric and fingerprint scanning can be done once they reach India, the present predicament can be easily solved. Let us hope the government is listening.

The news items and Advertisements published herein have been collected from various source, which are considered to be reliable. Readers are however requested to verify the facts before making business decisions using the same. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the writ ten permission from the Publisher.

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2015 *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

Cover Story PriSon MuSeuMS

Prisons, because of its association with history by housing people both the respected and notorious, are now preserved and opened to the public. Here, we look at four of the famous prison turned museums in India.

Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Cellular Jail also known as Silver Jail and Kala Pani, was a colonial prison in the Andamans. Built in the year 1906, the prison was used by the British to hold exiled political prisoners. Today, this building serves as a national memorial monument. It is unique in its hub and spoke design. WHAT TO SEE: Netaji Gallery, Art

Gallery, Gallows, Library on freedom movement, sound and light show etc.

tIMING: 9:00 AM to 12:30PM; 1:30 PM to 4:45 PMHOW TO REACH

BY AIR: Port Blair, the gateway to A & N islands, is connected with Chennai and Kolkata by air. Air India, Indian Airlines, Jetlite & Kingfisher Airlines operate regular flights. Foreign charter flights are

also permitted to land at Port Blair after fulfilling the guidelines of the Director General of Civil Aviation.

By SeA: Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam and back. There are three to four sailings every month from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair and vice-versa. There is one sailing for Visakhapatnam in a month. The voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours and the ship

Prison MuseumsVisit the

of India

Cellular Jail


Freedom Park

Sangareddy jail Museum,


normally berths at Port Blair for about two to four days.

Tickets can be booked for any of the vessels in any scheduled sailing at the STARS (Ship Ticketing Advance Reservation System) Counters of the Directorate of Shipping Services, A&N Administration at Chennai, Port Blair, Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Havelock, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar, Nancowry and Campbell Bay.

At Kolkata, the STARS network is located in the Shipping Corporation of India office from where tickets could be purchased. As of now, Vizag-Port Blair sector is not under STARS network. As for voyage tickets from Vizag, SCI has a ticketing agent: M/s AV Bhanojirow Garuda, Pattabhiramayya & Co, Near Port Main Gate, PB.No:17, Vizag .Tel: 0891-256 5597, Fax: 0891 -256 6507.

Freedom Park, Bangalore

The Bangalore jail, which was built in 1867, is now converted into Freedom Park. This 16 acre theme park with multiple uses was opened to public in 2009 and includes a jail museum, art galleries, play areas, a jogging track, book museum, tree museum, light and sound shows etc.

The Freedom Wall stretch of the old jail will house a permanent multimedia art sculpture court, pathway junctions, designer souvenir shops, book shop, traditional craft stalls, 150-seater amphitheatre, 50-seater enclosed theatre space and an open plaza for gathering.

SHoPPING AreAS: You can purchase traditional crafts at stalls put up at Craft Zone at Freedom Park, Bangalore. There is also a designer souvenir shop in the Jail Museum.

AttrACtIoNS For CHILDreN: The Freedom Park is a fun place for adults and children alike. There is a beautifully designed

amphitheater where children can watch magic shows. And, even more exciting, is the modern fountain in the open area of the Freedom Court plaza. It unexpectedly changes heights!

You can also climb up the old watch tower to get a superb bird’s eye-view of the entire park. At one time, this tower housed the office of the Chief Warden.

HOW TO REACH

By roAD: The Freedom Park is located at Sheshadri Road in the Gandhi Nagar area of Bangalore.

1. You can take a bus going towards Sheshadri road from the Majestic bus station, Bangalore

and get down from the bus at the turning besides Freedom Park. The SJR College Bus Stop is the nearest bus stop to Freedom Park.

2. Route from KR Circle: From the Vidhana Soudha side, on reaching the KR Circle, take a right turn. You will reach the main Sheshadri Road. Now keep a watch on your left where a few meters further down the road you will see a big curved blue wall. This wall has an entrance gate to Freedom Park, Bangalore.

3. Freedom Park can also be approached via Race Course road also.

Cellular Jail

Sangareddy jail Museum,



There are 2 entry gates to Freedom Park:

1. You can enter via the blue Freedom Wall’s entry gate at Sheshadri Road

2. Another entrance is via the entry gate of Freedom Park at Ramchandra Road.

By AIr: The nearest airport is Bangalore International Airport, which is away by 32 kms.

tIMINGS: 5:00 AM - 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sangareddy jail Museum, Telangana

The Sangareddy Jail, which was constructed in 1796 by the Nizams, was originally a cavalry barrack, and was later converted into a jail. Spread over 3 acres, the historic building was built in stone, sand, wood and lime mortar. It features 9 barracks including a separate female barrack, punishment cell, staff quarters, kitchen, toilets and a watch tower.

The prison which has housed both the famous and the notorious was in use till 2012, when the

inmates were shifted to a new one. Because of its heritage value it was turned into a museum. It now promotes local culture, history, art and language.

Among the items displayed includes: old handcuffs, weaving machines, telephones, photographs and other available artifacts. A sum of 20 lakhs was spent on transforming the heritage prison into a museum. It will soon have an outlet to sell products made by jail inmates so as to generate revenue for maintenance.

How to reachBy roAD: Since Sangareddy is near Hyderabad, it is well connected to other areas like Hitech city, DLF Gachibowli (appx 35 km away), Panjagutta and Secunderabad. The NH-9 passes through the city. Sangareddy has two Bus Stations, the Old for ordinary service and the new for luxury and other services.

About 15km away from Sangareddy, there is an outer ring road which connects to Shamshabad Airport- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad and to Gachibowli and Medchal.

By rAIL: The nearest railway stations are Lingampally which is about 30km, Secunderabad about 50km and Nampally Station around 55km.By AIr: Nearest Airport is Hyderabad International Airport which is 40km afar.

DAGSHAI JAIL, HIMACHAL PRADESH

The DAGSHAI JAIL MUSEUM is another important jail museum in India. Originally built in 1849 by the British, it was converted to a museum in 2011. Dagshai is also one of the oldest army cantonments in India. This small hill station situated at a height of 2000 meters is situated on a strategic hill along the Kalka-Shimla highway (NH-22).

The name, according to a popular legend, is derived from ‘Daag e Shahi,’ meaning: a ‘Royal Mark,’ which was supposedly branded by the Mughals, on the forehead of criminals and then sent here. The jail was famous for the imprisonment of Irish soldiers in the British army, Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, Sikh soldiers of the Komagata Maru incident and so on.

WHAt to See: The museum exhibits a nice collection of photographs, some artifacts— mostly artillery equipment. The prison cells are also noteworthy with every little detail neatly laid out on the title boards.How to Reach:By road: Take the National Highway 22 via the new bye-pass for Pinjore-Kalka-Parwanoo to Dharampur. After 2 km from Dharampur on the NH 22, the road branches— take the right. A steep climb leads you to the cantonment town of Dagshai. Once you enter the town, take the left turn at the T-junction, through the Army Public School gate. Driving along this road brings you to the jail museum.

One can take bus from ISBT Shimla and ISBT Chandigarh after every half an hour.

By rail and flight: Dagshai is connected with Rail track, Nearest Railway Station is at Kumarhatti (Dagshai) on Chandigarh-Shimla rail track and air connectivity is provided by Chandigarh Airport.

Dagshai Jail

Dagshai JailDagshai Jail


You have been in the hospitality industry for the past several years. Could you tell us about your early days? What made you enter the hospitality sector?

I started with the Oberoi Hotels – Rajvilas in Jaipur. I grew up wanting to do Medicine and eventually at a very early stage was fortunate to have had a self realisation with the help of some of my best mentors only to realise that: “When your passion becomes your career, working and achieving greater heights at every stage becomes enjoyable and a pleasure. It becomes an addiction.” I love travelling and I am a foodie and what better industry than hospitality and hotels and chose to go for it.

What plans do you have for the hotel? Over the years Courtyard

Kochi has established itself as a landmark in the Airport district and we aim to provide continued rewarding results to all our stake holders namely our Owners, Partners, Guests and Associates. Our USP is our services and we will continue to position ourselves as the preferred hotel in Kochi Airport district.

How do you see the role of a hotel in developing a destination? What all things

can hospitality sector do in this regard? Hotels are an essential part

of infrastructure development. Hotels are very important in developing a destination to make it available for business, and leisure purposes. Being part of a global brand also helps in driving demand and to divert businesses to the destination which also comes along with the feel safe & secure aspect. Also, with the globally known brand name such as Marriott, it becomes easy to promote the destination given the quality of services that will be available in the destination for travellers. It also becomes a factor to encourage returning loyal travellers to your destination. In addition to this it also provides for more employment to the locals and expose them to international brands.Would you please share with us the proudest and some of the unforgettable moments in your professional life?

I have grown through the ranks to reach where I am today and I am very thankful to all my mentors along the way and proud to have reached where I am today. Having started my career as a Housekeeping Associate and

INtervIeW LaKSHManan raManaTHan

Lakshmanan Ramanathan, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Kochi Airport, is a young, dynamic, and also a thorough outdoor person. He has been in the in-dustry for over 15 years and values guidance by men-tors, as well as on the job experience. Know more about him through these 10 questions.

Marriot, Kochi


moving on to different departments at every stage itself was very challenging and a tough one, and now when I look back it feels very rewarding since the amount of learning that I have gone through is immense. Marriott particularly has given me the opportunity to try out my hands in different operational areas of the hotel and that I feel is the greatest advantage I have had and are the most unforgettable moments for me.in your career, have you ever worked abroad? What according to you are the advantages of working overseas?

I haven’t done a longer tenure, but having been part of Marriott for almost 15 years now, I have had the pleasure and opportunity of being part of various working environments in different countries and cultures. For that matter working in India too—within its length and breadth—

is almost like working abroad and every assignment whether it is in a different city within India or outside— it is all about People. If one is able to understand and imbibe the local culture and people, then you are a winner for sure!Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10 years from now?

Benchmark for myself is usually my own job satisfaction and in whatever I do along the day, If I am able to tell myself that I have done justice, then that’s all that matters. I would like to be seen as a legend in the industry and leave some lasting impressions. All through my journey as mentioned earlier, I have been fortunate to have had some exceptional mentors guide me and shape my career and I look forward to do that to the next generation as I continue to learn and grow further.

about your Family? Coming from the south, my roots

are still in south. Immediate family is sweet and simple. Me, and my wife, and a soon to arrive prince or princess.Please tell us about your hobbies and other interests?

Love being outdoors. What better place than Kerala to enjoy outdoors and I am thoroughly enjoying my time here. I love travelling, biking, running, adventure trips, etc.Which is your favourite destination? Why?

India – as I said I love travelling and every time as I venture out to a new destination in India only to realise that there is so much more to see here. Otherwise outside India Thailand, Bali, are some of the favourite holiday destinations!Where did you go on your last holiday?

Bali

13MAY 2016 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

BeACHeS

The five fun filled camps aim to educate, inspire and challenge young minds with big ideas.

Summer in the sandpit can be quite difficult at times; then, how do you

entertain energetic kids over the holidays and deliver activities that are both exciting and educational? Atlantis, The Palm has the answer with five fabulous

summer camp programmes for children aged 3 to 12 years old.

Taking place from 26th June to 25th September 2016, 9:00am to 5:00pm, the five programmes deliver activities to suit everyone from little pirates to promising Olympians

and budding chefs to the intrepid explorers. Whatever their talent, passion or idea of fun, Atlantis, The Palm has the programme to suit.

SUMMER SURVIVOR (for ages 3 – 7): Perfect for smaller children

Atlantis, The Palm launches a unique Summer Camp Programme !

Atlantis, The Palm


with big ideas, the Summer Survivor camp is designed to challenge, inspire and excite from the moment it begins. From joining the Atlantis Pirate crew to becoming a Candy Olympian, to obstacle courses, treasure hunts and lots of fun in the sun at Aquaventure, this camp provides endless ways to beat the heat!AED 1,700Sunday - Thursday

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

3rd -7th July/17th- 21st July/31st - 4th August/14th - 18th August

KIDZART (for ages 3 – 7): Children will explore a different art challenge each day with a selection of fun and innovative arts and crafts activities, from making their very own Playdough, getting colorful with paints, to transforming into a superhero or fairy princess for the day. Budding artists can create their own unique masterpiece whilst challenging their imagination and making new friends. KidzArt camp has something creative for everyone!AED 1,850Sunday - Thursday

9:00am - 5:00pm

10th - 14th July I 24th - 28th July I 7th - 11th August I 21st - 25th August

ADVENTURE SEEKER (for ages 8 – 12): This

action-packed camp is filled with challenges to test little adventurers’ strength, courage and imagination. Whether they are brave enough to take on the Leap of Faith, slide through shark infested water at Aquaventure, experience the exhilaration of indoor rock climbing or trek through the mysterious lost city of Atlantis, the Adventure Seeker camp guarantees non-stop thrills!AED 1,850Sunday - Thursday

9:00am 5:00pm

26th - 30th June I 3rd - 7th July I 10th - 14th July I 17th - 21st July I 24th - 28th July I 31st - 4th August I 7th - 11th August I14th - 18th August I 21st - 25th August

JUNIOR MASTERCHEF (for ages 8 – 12): Little chefs will embark on a delicious journey through the culinary world of Atlantis whilst the resort’s very own culinary team will guide them in mastering the art of Sushi making, decorating cupcakes, creating mouthwatering Pizza creations and a range of sweet treats. This is the perfect camp for food lovers!AED 1,950Sunday – Thursday

9:00am - 5:00pm

10th - 14th July I 24th - 28th July I 7th - 11th August I 21st - 25th August

AQUAMANIA (for ages 8– 12): This camp will take children behind the scenes and into the wonderful world of water! Whether it’s learning to scuba dive with the PADI Seal Team, shark feeding at the Ambassador Lagoon or getting wet with Atlantis’ marine mammal friends at Dolphin Bay and Sea Lion Point, this is one camp not to miss!AED 2,950Sunday - Thursday

9:00am - 5:00pm

3rd - 7th July I 17th - 21st July I 31st - 4th August I 14th - 18th August

Guests who book by the 5th June 2016 will receive a complimentary evening adventure (Candy Olympics/Pirates on the Palm) valued at AED 200 and valid until 16th December 2016. For more information or to book call 04 426 1387 or [email protected] . Pre-booking and payment required. Summer Camp programmes are inclusive of daily lunch and healthy snacks.

Atlantis


With the sole aim to protect the specific professional and personal needs of general managers in the hospitality sector of Kerala, the state-based hotel general managers have formed a society – Kerala Hotel General Manager Club (KHGMC).

The club was officially launched by Dr. Babu Paul IAS (Retired), Former Chief Secretary of Kerala along with Jose Domenic, Chairman, CGH Earth Group, and Dr. G Biju Krishnan, Founder & CEO of KHGMC, at a function held at a prominent hotel in Kochi recently. The club also honoured 12 senior general managers who have completed 25 years in the hospitality industry with Life Time Achievement Award at the function.

KHGMC – India’s first organisation dedicated exclusively to the hotel general management fraternity, also aims to provide social and technical assistance to its members.

Kerala Hotel General Manager Club formed

KerALA HoteL


NeW DIreCtor

Prior to this, he was serving as the District Collector of Kottayam. He has also served

as the Director of Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies, Director of Grand Kerala Shopping Festival and Director of Kerala State Urban Development project.

Mr. U.V. Jose is a Civil Engineer with MBA and a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and has done the Executive Development Institute in Tourism (EDIT) course at the University of Hawaii, USA.

Mr. Jose has over 15 years of experience in tourism planning and development and has led the Planning and Development Division of the Department of Tourism,

Government of Kerala for about 10 years as Planning Officer and Additional Director (Planning and Projects). Through innovative development strategies, he has contributed significantly in positioning Kerala as a leading tourist destination in the country.

He is one of the major forces behind the conceptualization and implementation of Rural Tourism and Responsible Tourism initiatives in Kerala and framing the new tourism policy for the state. Mr. Jose was one of the panelists for two panel discussions in the World Responsible Day celebration held at London on November 8, 2011 on ‘Role of Government in Making Tourism More Sustainable’ and ‘Making Destinations More Sustainable’. Another

feather in his cap was the phenomenal success of the novel venture, Suchitwa Kottayam (Clean Kottayam) that he launched during his tenure as the Kottayam Collector. This programme was widely received as it was the first of its kind that witnessed widespread public participation. The initiative addressed the biggest issue Kottayam faced at the time by dealing with waste management at all levels.

He has also worked in CWRDM, Kozhikode; NIO Goa; Department of Town Planning and Kerala State IT Mission in various positions and has received many awards/ recognitions including the National Award for best paper in Engineering. He has also published many papers in international journals.

www.iitmindia.com

Visit our Websitefor more Details

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,#245, 7th Main, Amar Jyothi Layout DomlurBangalore - 560 071, India

Phone : 080-4083 4100Fax : 080-4083 4101Email : [email protected]

IITM EVENT 2016Chennai

29, 30, 31 July 2016

Bangalore05, 06, 07 August 2016

Mumbai23, 24, 25 September 2016

(Delhi) Gurgaon 30 Sep, 1,2 Oct 2016

Pune25, 26, 27 November 2016

Hyderabad02, 03, 04 December 2016

Kochi12, 13, 14 January 2017

Kolkata24, 25, 26 February 2017

Supported By MemberMedia Partner

New Director for Kerala Tourism

Mr. U.V. Jose IAS has joined as the New Director of Kerala Tourism. He also holds the additional charge of the Director of Department of Social

Justice, Kerala.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | MAY 201618

www.iitmindia.com

Visit our Websitefor more Details

Organised By SPHERE TRAVELMEDIA & EXHIBITIONS PRIVATE LIMITED

,#245, 7th Main, Amar Jyothi Layout DomlurBangalore - 560 071, India

Phone : 080-4083 4100Fax : 080-4083 4101Email : [email protected]

IITM EVENT 2016Chennai

29, 30, 31 July 2016

Bangalore05, 06, 07 August 2016

Mumbai23, 24, 25 September 2016

(Delhi) Gurgaon 30 Sep, 1,2 Oct 2016

Pune25, 26, 27 November 2016

Hyderabad02, 03, 04 December 2016

Kochi12, 13, 14 January 2017

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Supported By MemberMedia Partner

NeWSLINe

Trivik Chikmagalur is located at the highest peak in Karnataka called Mullayanagiri, which is one of the most visited tourist point by leisure travellers. Mullayanagiri is at 1926 meters above the sea level.

Chikmagalur is known to be the birth place for coffee plantation. The destination also boasts about its culture, heritage and temples for which it is well known. It is 250 Kms away from Bangalore.

Trivik resort is spread out in 38 acres of coffee plantations and boasts about its undoubted landscape on a hill slope that offers the suite cottage, a view of Mullayanagiri hills. Suite cottages have undergone good thought process, not compromising on anything with regard to giving the best luxury to the leisure segment traveller as well as the corporate traveller. A

total inventory of 23 suite cottages as on date, each block having two suite cottages, one on top and the other below is located at various points of the resort offering view and privacy at its best.

Trivik hotels and resorts are headed by three self motivated,

dynamic young leaders belonging to a family namely Mr. Chaithanya, Mr. Harsha and Mr. Ramesh Raju.

Entrepreneurs themselves have contributed their knowledge to the construction, education, and now the hospitality sector based out of Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Trivik’s new venture in Chikmagalur

20

Velankanni apart from known for the famous Basilica, has several other places of interest. In this issue, lets look at some of the lesser known landmarks in this coastal city.

Dr. S. Bakthavatchalamadditional Director, Tamil nadu Tourism

VelankanniHot Spots in

Velankanni Church

Velankanni is one of the most sacred Christian pilgrimage places in India. The Velankanni town,

which is situated on the sandy shores of the Bay of Bengal, is just 12 km from the coast of Coromandel. It is famous for the shrine Basilica that is dedicated to the ‘Lady of Health.’

Velankanni has also been declared a holy city by the Pope. This shrine is considered as the divine city and has been proved for centuries.

Popularly known as the ‘Lourdes of the East,’ the shrine is a great combination of international, multicultural, and religious harmony. An interesting practice here is: devotees offer to Our Lady of Health, candles in various forms in days of ailments. The tradition is that in case of cardiac complications, a heart size candle is offered; in case of jaundice, liver shaped candles; lungs problem, then a lung shaped candle, and many others. After being cured of the disease, many bring as offering, small golden or silver replica of the organ that has been cured.

Velankanni was a part of the parish of Nagapattinam, but as pilgrims began to pour into Velankanni, it was raised to the status of an independent Parish in 1771, and Fr. Antonio de Rozario, the last Parish priest of Sikkal Singaravelan Temple

tAMILNADU trAveLLer


the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Nagapattinam, was appointed the first Parish priest of Velankanni.

The greatest honour that can be conferred to a church is to elevate it to the status of Basilica. The word ‘Basilica’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Basilike’ and it originally signified a Royal Hall. In course of time, this word has come to mean a large and beautiful hall. In ancient times, kings from all over the world in general, and from Rome in particular, constructed a large hall for administrative purposes. The first hall bearing the name of Basilica existed in Athens.

Jesus Christ, being the King of Kings, and his churches being his audience halls, the larger Christian churches in Rome came to be called ‘Basilicas’. Today, a Basilica is a consecrated church usually built with the front facing the East, and generally constructed in one of the classical styles of architecture. It is oblong in shape with a broad nave ending in an apse. It is now stipulated that a church, in order to be called a Basilica, should contain some work of art or it should house the body of a saint or a celebrated image much venerated in the land, or be a pre-eminent place of pilgrimage.

Church MuseumSituated opposite the

Basilica, is the church museum which has diverse exhibits, with biblical incidents depicted on both sidewalls.

Also, the precious offerings made by the devotees are displayed as well.

Velankanni BeachVelankanni Beach is an

outstanding place to visit in Velankanni town. The beach lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and was once the most important port, which later lost importance. The beach offers various activities like swimming, dining and shopping.

There are many local vendors who offer different local artifacts for selling like handloom products, silk fabrics, artifacts, etc. Seafood items are prepared on the beach itself and visitors can enjoy them there, enjoying the view. Local cuisines, tea and many food joints can be found. Accommodation is also not a problem as many options are available here.

Sikkal Singaravelan Temple

Sikkal Temple counts among the most popular Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Muruga and is a contender for the unofficial seventh Padaiveedu of Muruga, along with the popular Arupadaiveedu (six abodes of Lord Muruga). It is one of those rare traditional Hindu temples which have both Shiva and Vishnu deities in the same complex.

The temple is located in the village of Sikkal, near Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. It is 5 kilometers in the West from Nagapattinam and 18 kilometers in the East from Thiruvarur on the way to Nagapattinam.

Nagore DargahThe Dargah which is also known

as Nagoor Dargah or Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed Dargah is built over the tomb of the Sufi Saint Hazrath Nagore Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE). Located in Nagore: a coastal town; it is at a distance of 18 kms from Velankanni.

Velankanni Beach

Nagore Dargah


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Amazing Thailand Grand Sale returns for 2016

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) much anticipated annual Amazing Thailand Grand Sale (ATGS) campaign is back for its 18th successful year and will be held from June 15 to August 15 in cities nationwide. This year, there will be a special focus on female customers to celebrate the TAT’s Women’s Journey Month being held in August.

Zambia conducts maiden roadshow in India

With a view to increase tourist footfalls from India, Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) recently conducted its maiden roadshow in Mumbai and Delhi. The Zambia delegation included representation from companies like Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro, Luciano Tours and Travel, Mambo Tourism Creation and Consultancy, Maxmus Travel and Tours, Sigo Adventures and Tours, Taj Pamodzi and Winning Travel Tours.

TBC to be held on June 7

The much anticipated Cinnamon Travel Bloggers’ Conference (TBC) will be held on June 7 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. Global experts will deliver presentations on topics ranging from developing corporate content and how bloggers can help, the takeover of video blogging, effectively reaching out to the Asian millennials, etc.

WTTC Report: Tourism as a Driver for Peace

With terror and security scares against tourists filling many headlines in the past few months, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has

brought out a new research report, measuring the links between tourism and peace for the first time.

While Travel & Tourism has often been recognized for its ability to ensure peace, security, and understanding; to date, there has been no empirical evidence to support this link. The report, ‘Tourism as a Driver for Peace,’ conducted with the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), the world’s pre-eminent think tank measuring peace, reveals how important an open and sustainable tourism sector can be for the levels of peace in a country.

Countries with an open and sustainable tourism sectors have higher levels of peace and lower levels of conflict and violence. Increase in sustainable tourism can lead to improvements in the functioning of governments. As governments respond to tourism demand and create a welcoming environment for further tourism expansion, future peace also increase; the report states. In the last decade, the world has become more unequal in terms of its levels of peacefulness, with the most peaceful countries enjoying higher levels of peace and prosperity, while the least peaceful countries are facing greater levels of violence and conflict. This research shows that the more sustainable and open a country’s tourism sector; the higher its peace levels. Even in conflict affected countries, all of which saw their levels of peace drop in the period between 2008 and 2015, those that had more open and sustainable tourism saw a significant lower drop in peace than countries having less sustainable tourism sectors.

Hahn Air Systems marks significant milestone with SpiceJet

Hahn Air Systems, the global consolidation service connecting small, medium and low-cost airlines to all major GDSs worldwide has reached 50 H1-Air partners, nearly doubling its network of regional, low-cost airlines and tour operators since the beginning of 2015. The 50th carrier to take advantage of Hahn Air System’s indirect distribution capabilities is India’s low-cost carrier, ‘SpiceJet’. Established in 2012, Hahn Air Systems, the sister company of airline and distribution specialist Hahn Air offers its H1-Air product to non-GDS airlines enabling them to be booked through over 95,000 travel agencies in 190 markets. These non-GDS airlines can benefit from Hahn Air’s economies of scale and have the potential to increase their revenue streams by being able to penetrate new markets and expand their reach to even more travel agencies. The H1-Air network is an innovative distribution solution with the potential to accelerate SpiceJet’s sales by linking it to the global markets. As a result, SpiceJet’s domestic and international services will be available in all GDSs and will be issuable on the Hahn Air HR-169 document.

Travel Apps overtake mobile webCriteo’s latest mobile commerce report claims that

mobile apps are accounting for more travel purchases than mobile web. In the last quarter of 2015 for the first time, apps have outperformed mobile web as travel purchases made from a mobile device via an app were 58%.

e-Tourist Visa witnesses 266 % growth in April

A total of 70,045 tourists arrived in April 2016 on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 19,139 during the April 2015, registering a growth of 266%. During January-April 2016, a total of 3,91,094 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 94,998 during the same period last year, registering a growth of 311.7%. This high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-Tourist Visa for 150 countries as

against the earlier coverage of 43 countries. The percentage shares of top 10 source countries availing e-Tourist Visa facilities during April, 2016 were; UK (18.82%), USA (14.08%), Russia (8.16%), France (7.12%), China (6.31%), Australia (4.67%), Germany (4.32%), Canada (3.70%), Thailand (2.09%) and Netherlands (1.93%). The percentage shares of top 10 ports in arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during April, 2016 were; New Delhi Airport (46.48%), Mumbai Airport (19.09%), Goa Airport (9.96%), Bengaluru Airport (6.48%),Chennai Airport (5.55%), Kochi Airport (3.02%), Kolkata Airport (2.50%), Hyderabad Airport (2.23%), Trivandrum Airport (1.44%) and Amritsar Airport (1.37%).


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South Africa bags ‘Best International Wildlife Destination Award’

South Africa was awarded the Best International Destination for Wildlife at The Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2016, a people’s choice award where readers vote for their favourite travel experiences based on nominations shortlisted by a panel of travel experts. This is the fifth consecutive year that South Africa has received this distinction.

Tirupati to Dubai, US: Air India eyes golden routes

Tirupati, which attracts a large number of pilgrims to the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, will get directly connected by

air to the United States and to Dubai from June.

‘‘Air India will operate flights to these locations, and the US cities to be served are to be announced shortly. Initially, there would be one flight a day, and the services could be scaled up based on demand,’’ said Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary, Energy, Infrastructure and Investments. Immigration and Customs facilities will be opened at Tirupati airport. ‘‘International stopover flights are expected to help pilgrims coming to Tirumala hills, avoiding the need to go via Chennai. It will be possible to go through travel formalities at Tirupati and take a stopover flight originating from Chennai or other cities. Work on opening of airports at Dagadarthi, Orvakallu, Donakonda, Nagarjuna Sagar and Bhogapuram is progressing well,” he added.

Jet Airways doubles frequency to Dammam

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will launch additional daily services to Dammam from Mumbai and Delhi, further boosting its operations to the key Saudi Arabian port city.

The airline will introduce the new services, one each from Delhi and Mumbai, starting June 09 , 2016, adding to the single daily flights it already operates on those routes and from the South Indian city of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Dammam is among the largest ports in the Gulf. With trade booming, it is home to a large population of Indian expatriates. Recognizing its economic potential, Jet Airways has been steadily adding new destinations or increasing frequencies to existing destinations in the Gulf region. The launch of additional daily services strengthens Jet Airways’ already extensive network of routes serving the region and cements its place as the largest operator connecting India and the Gulf. Jet Airways currently operates flights from 12 cities across India to 10 in the Gulf.

Florida Tourism breaks another record

Florida welcomed the highest number of visitors during the first quarter of the year with 29.8 million tourists who came to Florida.

This is an increase of 4.8% over the same period last year and exceeds the previous high of 28.5 million in the first quarter of 2015.

Air India starts two new routes from Bhopal

Air India is all set to give more wings to its ‘Connect India’ programme by launching its services on the two new routes. Air India’s wholly owned subsidiary, Alliance Air will start flights on Bhopal-Jabalpur-Hyderabad and Bhopal-Raipur-Pune sectors from May 23, 2016.

China dominates outbound tourist arrivals in Asia Pacific

Arrivals from China to Asia Pacific destinations will climb from an estimated 102 million in 2015 to more than 150 million by 2020. China generates close to 23 percent of all arrivals to Asia Pacific destinations by the close of this decade.

In order to discuss some of the issues faced by tour operators and hoteliers, Hospitality Professionals Group had organized a meet recently at hotel Abad Plaza, Kochi. A group discussion was held on the theme: ‘Changing accommodation booking trends—Arriving at a win-win for hotels and tour operators.’

Various concerns of tour operators and hoteliers such as Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) being preferred over offline/traditional tour operators, rate parity, loss of loyal and regular clients, bad credits and payment issues from agents, quality of clients mismatching with hotel standards, ad hoc rate pushing and bargaining

by operators and lack of control on OTA’s pricing strategies were brought to the limelight in the discussion. Eminent personalities gave their suggestions regarding how to tackle the domination of OTA’s and finding out possible ways to work with them in a win-win situation. “Tour operators need not worry about rates provided by OTA’s as they can avail same rate which OTA’s publicize to the market and still take home a commission,” said Sejoe Jose, Managing Director, Marvel Group. “Nowadays everyone is relying upon offline tour operators. A major flaw from the side of tour operators is that they haven’t developed their website. They should update their websites with many attractive photos.

OTA’s are also playing a vital role. However, if customers want to create unique tailor-made experiences it will be possible only through tour operators,” said Sajan Joseph, Director and CEO, Break Out Boutique Hotels and Resorts.

“Technology should be used for healthy business. If unethical business is run it will affect the industry negatively in the long run. Hoteliers and tour operators should join hands together and strengthen their relationship in order to resist OTA’s influence upon customers,” said Abraham George, President, KTM Society and Chairman, Social Responsibility Committee.

Hoteliers and Tour operators meet held


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Travellers can save big with BookMyForex’s Zero Margin Campaign

BookMyForex, the world’s largest marketplace for retail foreign exchange and private remittances has launched the Zero Margin Campaign. With this initiative, the company is enabling customers to buy forex at exact Interbank rates with zero exchange margin.

Cheer with Boats & Beers at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival !

The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival starting from 10-12 June, 2016 is going to be another jaw dropping festival and cheer visitors at Victoria Harbour. Boats, Beers and the ovation of hundreds of thousands of spectators are the key highlights of Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival.

PAtA shows leadership in sustainability practices

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), located in Bangkok, Thailand has achieved Silver-level Sustainability Certification by EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for the travel and tourism industry.

The official certificate handover

ceremony took place recently during the PATA Annual Summit 2016. The team at PATA worked with guidance from EarthCheck to collect and collate operational data and information on its practices in order to be benchmarked against EarthCheck’s global sustainability standard. This important milestone follows PATA’s previous achievement of Bronze Benchmarked Sustainability Certification in 2015. The benchmarking data addressed a wide range of issues including water, waste, and energy use, risk management, community contributions and the use of paper, chemicals, and cleaning products.

Radisson Red is set to target core markets in the Middle East, with its first hotels in the region to open in 2018.

The Rezidor Hotel Group Senior Director, Business Development, Middle East and Africa, Ramsay Rankoussi, said: ‘‘Radisson Red was established to capture the trend of something new, something innovative. We speak about integration of technology, a social space and hub dedicated to the millennials.’’

‘‘We opened the first one recently in Brussels. We have signed one in Dubai, which is due to open within the innovation hub in the smart city in Dubai Silicon Oasis. We have another one coming up in Jeddah, and we have a pipeline of 15-20 properties worldwide – US, Europe and Asia Pacific,’’ he said. The Jeddah property will open around the same time as Dubai, and will have more than 280 keys compared to Dubai’s 171. ‘‘The brand would probably be a four-star hotel in this market as it sits above mid-scale but just under upper upscale. We are targeting Radisson Red in major cities in the region; you will see growth coming up with additional properties in Dubai as a main focus, probably one in Abu Dhabi, one in Doha and another in Riyadh,’’ he added.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has certified the Ethiopian Aviation Academy as the ICAO Regional Training Center of Excellence recently. Ethiopian Aviation Academy gained this recognition at the ICAO’s Global Aviation Training and Train Air Plus symposium in Seoul, Korea. It attained the recognition following a rigorous assessment of the training organization, training and procedures manuals, facilities, training processes, qualification of staff and quality

system.

The recognition allows Ethiopia

to develop and host ICAO training Packages (ITPs) in addition to ICAO recognized Standardized Training Packages (STPs) on its own. Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA) has recently been awarded “Airline Service Provider of the Year” award by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) for its excellence in service delivery, innovation and competitiveness in best service providers to the African aviation industry. The academy is also a full member of ICAO Train Air Plus.

Bawadi Mall summer preparations in full swing

Bawadi Mall, the largest in Al Ain, unveiled its summer preparations programme for this year. Bassam Saleh, Marketing Manager of Bawadi Mall said it will include back-to- back entertainment shows, and a shopping bonanza over the summer period.

ICICI Bank launches contactless credit card with Jet Airways

ICICI Bank announced the launch of the country’s first contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways, for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their employees. Named ‘Jet Airways ICICI Bank Business Advantage Card’, it will help customers to save on their business expenses.

Stewart Moore, CEO and Founder, EarthCheck and Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA at the PATA Annual Summit 2016 in Guam, USA.

Ramsay Rankoussi and Elie Milky, photographed at AHIC 2016.

Radisson Red growth projected for the Middle East

ICAO certifies Ethiopian Aviation Academy as Regional Training Center of Excellence


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A new company under the name of Rakjet has been launched in the UAE, catering to all aspects of private aircraft management, aircraft sales and acquisitions.

Based in the UAE, Rakjet will address the skyrocketing demand among Gulf aircraft owners for feasible deals. The new company has been promoted by Private Jet Charter (PJC), one of the world’s largest independent private jet charter brokers and Jet Connections, a UK based international company specialising in private aircraft management, sales and acquisition.

“Leveraging decades-old experience in leadership in the executive jet industry, Rakjet will offer complete private aviation solutions, guaranteed to ensure clients’ comfort and safety,” said Hugh

Courtenay, Founder of Rakjet. “From sales and acquisition to management, Rakjet will take care of all our clients’ private jet requirements, no matter their operations or destinations.”

Rakjet will offer the owners of their managed aircraft the chance to offset their aircraft operating cost by putting their aircraft out for charter during ideal times and while the aircraft is not being used by the owner.

Jet owners would be able to benefit from Rakjet competitive rates whether they are purchasing or selling their jets, jet fuel, crew recruitment, aircraft insurance, catering on board, as well as obtain the necessary flight clearance and landing permits to the most challenging airports in record time.

Rakjet offers aircraft management services to Middle East’s business jets

Hugh Courtenay

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE CONTEST - 99

Send in your answers to [email protected] with TYKC 99 in the subject line.

Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month.

1. Which singer joined Mel Gibson in the movie Mad Max: Beyond The Thunderdome?

2. Vodka, Galliano and orange juice are used to make which classic cocktail?

3. Which American state is nearest to the former Soviet Union?

4. In which year did Foinavon win the Grand National?

5. At which battle of 1314 did Robert The Bruce defeat the English forces?

6. Consecrated in 1962, where is the Cathedral Church of St Michael?

7. On TV, who did the character Lurch work for?

8. Which children’s classic book was written by Anna Sewell?

9. How many arms/tentacles/limbs does a squid have?

10. Which reggae singing star died 11th May 1981?

Answers to TYKC - 98

1. Iceland

2. Philippines

3. DCB bank

4. Booker prize

5. International Court of Justice

6. 1994

7. SBI

8. Kanpur

9. International Labour Organisation

10. Hockey


asian traveller may 2016

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