asian traveller - november 2008

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

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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

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14

14

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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


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


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


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.


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


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.



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


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


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


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


K.P. Anil KumarManaging Director

Ajith NairGeneral Manager

Hindustan Beach Retreat


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



Album

W T M 2 0 0 8 A L B U M


W T M 2 0 0 8 A L B U M


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


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.


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


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


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


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 [email protected]

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.


asian traveller - november 2008

Documents

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