MICA (P) 232/07/2010

MacauKeeping the allure

PAGE 9

them to keep within their spend-ing limits”, while Najeeb is float-ing deals to add volume to his bookings.

Najeeb said: “If the passengers have to be motivated to travel, the first and foremost thing is to offer value-for-money holidays that provide great satisfac-tion to travellers. New locations and experi-ences have to be in-novated and

packaged for them.” As outbound pack-

ages become pricier, some Indian travellers are turning their atten-tion to domestic holi-days.

“Domestic destina-tions like Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are gaining in popularity as out-bound packages become more expensive, said Subhash Verma, president, Association of Do-mestic Tour Operators of India.

Ripples in outbound due to rupee slideBy Divya Kaul NEW DELHI A depreciating rupee, coupled by a steep rise in airfares, has hit India’s outbound market, driving up tour packages by as much as 25 per cent.

The Indian rupee has plunged by about 20 per cent against the US dol-lar in recent months.

“Even though que-ries have not dropped drastically, but con-version rate has gone down,” said Ajay Jaipuria, presi-dent, Society of Foreign Travel Operators.

E M Najeeb, chairman and managing director of Airtravel Enterprises India, concurred: “The increase in prices of travel packages has, to a great extent, hampered the holiday plans of Indian travellers.”

To cope with higher costs of travelling abroad, Jaipuria is ad-vising his clients “to take short holidays of seven to 10 days in-stead of 12 to 15 days, enabling

Local destinations rise in popularity as overseas travel becomes pricier

JaipurIn the pink of development

PAGE 14

HoneymoonsNo letting up in demand

PAGE 19

www.ttgasia.com

June/July 2012

“The Kashmir valley is receiv-ing as much as 40 per cent of tourists from West Bengal this season, compared to 20 per cent last year,” said Angshuman Basu, co-partner, Destination Tours.

At the same time, room rates across popular Indian destina-tions are also clearly on the rise, based on the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) report by Hotels.com. Average room rates in New Delhi have seen a nine per cent increase to Rs5,914 (US$107),

while prices in Mumbai are up by three per cent to Rs6,539. Bangalore recorded a five per cent rise to Rs4,595, while Chennai experienced only a marginal price rise of one per cent to Rs4,707.

Commenting on the HPI report, Hotels.com

head of marketing, South-east Asia, Rajiv Malhotra, said: “The depreciating rupee against most

and North America, causing air-fares to hike about 20 per cent.

Flights have been entirely cancelled or reduced on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Newark, Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul, Delhi-Hong Kong-Osaka, Delhi-Tokyo, Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai (Pu-dong), Calicut-Riyadh and Mumbai-Riyadh sectors.

On the domestic front, flights between Delhi and Mumbai, from Chennai to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Kochi have been suspended until June 30.

On June 6, Air India an-

Air India’s woes cripple international ops By Sim Kok Chwee and Shekhar NiyogiSINGAPORE/KOLKATA Air India’s (AI) curtailing of its inter-national operations by switching to a truncated interim schedule for May-June has resulted in re-duced capacity and higher air-fares, even as the national carrier continues to battle a month-long pilot strike and mounting opera-tional losses.

Since identifying that 80-90 per cent of its losses originated from international operations, the carrier earlier scaled back on its daily connections to Europe

nounced a new business plan, which includes the launching of new flights to Kuala Lumpur and London and the resumption of its Hong Kong, Osaka and Seoul services by August, according to local reports.

Months earlier, the Indian government had approved the airline’s financial restructuring plan, which will see the former pumping in additional equity over the next eight years.

Air India has a larger interna-tional network than its closest ri-val, Jet Airways. It offers 100,000 international seats a week.

C o n n e c twith the Asia-Pacific Travel Trade with our online resources.

Scan this QR code and get a headstart with www.ttgasia.com now!

• ttgasia.com offers on-demand access to a wealth of industry information and resources

• TTGAsiaDIGITAL the e-version of TTG Asia, keeps the latest updates on hand to our world-wide travel professional readers.

• TTGAsiae-Daily contains bite-size highlights of breaking industry news, and is sent every weekday to industry professionals.

GetupdatesfromourFacebookandTwitterpages!

More Indians seek budget stays in AsiaBy Divya KaulNEW DELHI Indian travellers heading overseas are opting for shorthaul holidays and budget accommodation in Asia for their summer vacations, owing to pricier international airfares arising from the recent service tax hike as well as the deprecia-tion of the rupee against the US dollar (see story on left).

Based on the new rule, there is no upper limit to the tax chargea-ble on tickets. A passen-ger now pays a tax rate of 4.9 per cent (follow-ing a 60 per cent rebate on the new service tax rate of 12.3 per cent), as opposed to the previous 10.3 per cent or a maximum of Rs773 (US$13.80), whichever was lower. This means a customer now has to pay Rs1,960 on tax for a ticket of Rs40,000, for example.

The additional burden is sig-nificant for many Indians who travel with their families, re-sulting in an increase in budget demand for South-east Asian countries, said Guldeep Singh Sahni, managing director, Wel-don Tours & Travels.

“India’s strong upper middle class led to the dramatic growth of outbound tourism over the past few years. However, this seg-ment is highly price-sensitive, so Indian families are seeking optimally priced hotels that give value for money to balance the overall impact of high prices,” said Pankaj Nagpal, manag-ing director of Travstarz Global

Group, adding that he was seeing more demand for budget stays in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Shravan Bhalla, chief ex-ecutive, High Flyer, said some travellers were even shortening their trips. He added: “Nowa-days clients are going online to

check best possible prices, then demand-ing the same from us...Our commissions are squeezed.”

Deepak Narula, managing director, Aman Travels, also noticed more Indian travellers were bypass-ing the middleman and

heading for online deals. He said small- and medium-

sized travel companies have had to stem revenue loss from ticket-ing by improving revenues from selling hotels and holidays.

As a result, travel consultants are looking to sell hotel brands that provide special rates to them. “We (give) special offers such as 20-25 per cent discount on F&B and complimentary massage and spa to our clients, something they can’t find on-line,” said Bhalla.

However, travel experts con-tinue to remain optimistic about India’s outbound market.

Said Sahni: “I expect an overall increase in summer holiday bookings as more and more middle-class families are opting for overseas holidays, which are affordable and, at times, cheaper than domestic holidays.”

“Indian families are seeking optimally priced hotels that give value for money to balance the overall impact of high prices.”

Pankaj Nagpal, managing director, Travstarz Global Group

check best possible prices, then demanding the same from us...Our commissions are squeezed.”

managing director, Aman Travels, also noticed more Indian

passengers have to be motivated to travel, the first and foremost thing is to offer value-for-money holidays that provide great satisfaction to travellers. New locations and experi

Sahni: airfares on the rise

Jaipuria: shorter tours an option

Continued on page 2

while prices in Mumbai are up by three per cent to Rs6,539. Bangalore recorded a five per cent rise to Rs4,595, while

only a marginal price rise of one per cent to Rs4,707.Verma: win for

Indian suppli-

india JunJul12 p01-02 News_LXgcNEW.indd 1 6/7/12 3:36 PM

I’m grateful both to the organizer and exhibitors who wisely invested in stand space. A truly enjoyable and productive event and hope it can be repeated in Manila.”

Diriri erer ctotot r, Kingsr, Kingsr lelel yeye dydy rudrud mmond VIP VIP V EvEvE ents/vents/v Cents/Cents/ enCenC tentent aryryr cycy lclc ub.cococ m,m,mUKUKU

“PATA Travel Mart 2011 was really a successful event. It was my pleasure to attend the PATA Travel Mart 2011 and we achieved our expected object. Hopefully, PTM 2012 in Manila can bring more rewarding for all attendees.”Mr Mr Mr ikiki e ke k Gao, o, o Deputy Genety Genety ral ral r Manager,r,r Beijing Zhenijing Zheni g-anInternternt atitit onal TrTrT arar vevev l Servicecec ,e,e ChinChinC a

Manila is an intriguing blend of the past and the present, of striking contrasts and

the art shopping malls, entertainment and restaurants that serve international gastronomic delights.

Register by June 30, 2012 for pre-scheduled appointments

The SMX CCononvvenention Center is the largest private venue in the Philippines for trade events, industrindustry cy conventions, corporate functions and international exhibitions.

Conveniently located beside SM Mall of Asia, the world’s ’s ’ fourth largest shopping mall, and with in close proximity to prestigious hotels and key public transportation systems, the SMX

meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions/events (MICE) industry.

ararena, ena, as as well as a luxury hotel integrated within the SMX expansion project, the SMX Convention tion CCenentter er and and the rest of the Mall of Asia Complex is set to become a premier convention destination.

www.PATA.org/mart or email PTM@PATA.orgSellers - Register now to ensure prime space locationBuyers - Register now for the limited hosted program

HOST : OFFICIAL CARRIER : OFFICIAL VENUE : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION :

JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 2NEWS

Patna and Nanded, is expected to attract a large number of Sikh pilgrims.

A ‘green’ train will also run through the forests of Bengal, targeting ecotourists and wildlife enthusiasts, as well as adven-ture travellers.

Rail travel offers alternative to airBy Shekhar NiyogiNEW DELHI Amid the rising cost of air travel, Indian Railways’ launch of 75 new trains is now seen as a viable alternative for tourists keen to venture to domestic destinations with lesser flight access.

Indian Railways’ new trains are on track to improve access to popular pilgrimage and ecotourism sites

Domestic tourism holds its own

Indian Railways will introduce these new express trains from June 2012 to March 2013, of which 11 will be connect-ed to major pilgrimage sites, including Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Sikh places of worship in the country.

Popular pilgrimage destinations like Somnath, Dwarka, Ajmer, Haridwar, Tirupati and Shirdi will see new ex-press trains plying on daily, tri-weekly and weekly frequencies. A special ‘Guru Parikrama’ train, connecting Amritsar,

other currencies could be a key reason for the upswing in domestic travel, hence resulting in hotel room rates rising at popular destinations like Jaipur, Goa and Manali.

“Cities like New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai also show a hike in room rates because they are business and cultural hubs, and are also well-connected to other tourist destinations.”

However, some did not believe that the falling rupee would result in any major gain for domestic tourism.

Najeeb said: “I don’t think that Indian travellers would turn to domestic des-tinations as an alternative even as out-bound packages become more expensive. Travellers choose to travel to domestic destinations to enjoy a different feel and experience, not because their options for overseas holiday are affected.”

Continued from page 1

Number of new trains that will be connected to major pilgrimage sites

11Seeing India by rail

According to former railway minister, Dinesh Trivedi, 200 solar-powered ‘green energy stations’ will be established, a solar lighting system will be provided at 1,000 manned level crossing gates and 2,500 coaches will be equipped with bio-toilets that store waste for disposal later.

Indian tour operators are upbeat about the prospects these new trains present.

Subhash Verma, president, Associa-tion of Domestic Tour Operators of India, said: “Pilgrimage tourism is a growing segment in India and high-quality trains will create a new Indian travel experience for all tourists. It is also a preferred option to soaring airfares.”

Chandra Prakash Bhatter, director, Neptune Holidays, agreed: “India already has an extensive railway network. With the introduction of high-comfort trains, they can be targeted at both domestic and international travellers for destinations that can be reached within a few hours, as airfares are rising due to sparse flight seat capacity.”

Some of the proposed trains will have routes connecting or within states such as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttara-khand, Punjab and Karnataka.

JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 3NEWS

example, we haven’t done p i l g r i m a g e travel in In-dia. The sin-gle biggest reason Indi-ans travel is still pilgrim-age, so maybe we can do

something in that line. We’re looking for companies. My Guest House Accommodations is one such – it has customers looking at ultra-budget rooms, US$30-US$40, some even cheaper at US$20-US$30 a night. We think it is an exciting area to get into.

“The third bucket comprises niche travel technology play-ers, like Ixigo. Another example would be a company that de-velops mobile apps, something we don’t have the skills to do, so we outsource, but is going to be valuable going forward.”

Kalra believes there is a lot of potential still for more Luxury-type acquisitions in South-east Asia, “as that’s where Indians are travelling to”.

Deep in M&A prowlBy Raini HamdiTOKYO MakeMyTrip is on a prowl to buy more companies, having sealed three M&As since its blockbuster IPO in 2010.

Founder & CEO Deep Kal-ra outlined three “buckets of M&As” when asked by TTG India about his strategy. So far, the three companies bought by MakeMyTrip are disparate busi-nesses: a 79 per cent stake in Lux-ury Tours & Travel Singapore; 29 per cent in Delhi-based My Guest House Accommodations, a portal focusing on budget ac-commodation in India; and 19.9 per cent in Ixigo, a leading travel meta search engine in India.

“The first bucket for M&A is around supplier disintermedia-tion, similar to Luxury, where in-stead of going through Luxury for hotel contracts, we now have the direct contracts through the acquisition,” said Kalra, in-terviewed at the recent WTTC Global Summit in Tokyo.

“The second bucket is reach-ing new customer segments which we’re not ourselves doing or will take a long time to do. For

India’s MakeMyTrip eyes further acquisitions to grow companyHowever, investing in tapping

the growing online travel mar-kets in the region by leveraging on the MakeMyTrip brand was “tricky”, he said.

“Building a brand in a new market isn’t easy. We have MakeMyTrip.sg (Singapore) and MakeMyTrip.ae (Emirates). We’re putting content into both sites, but not advertising them much. The latter is doing bet-ter as there’s a big void in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for OTAs, unlike in Singapore, where there are already companies such as Zuji, Wego and Expedia,” said Kalra.

Asked what’s next for him now that he’s made MakeMyTrip the poster child India OTA, Kalra said he was “fixated” to grow shareholder value. “When you list, you make a conscious choice of not exiting, you’re actually growing the company. We have resources now, we’ve raised mil-lions in cash through the IPO and we’re doing a lot of M&As.

“But doing an acquisition is the easy part, making sure the marriage works is another,” he said.

example, we haven’t done p i l g r i m a g e travel in India. The single biggest reason Indians travel is

Kalra: three Kalra: three buckets of M&A

India ups product innovationKOLKATA The Ministry of Tourism’s ambitious target of 11 million inbound tourist arrivals by 2016, up from 6.3 mil-lion in 2011, has transformed tour opera-tors into a refreshingly creative mode.

“The imperative is to steer away from the oft-trodden routes of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur and Goa,” said Rakesh Ramnani, director, Vensimal World Travel.

Leisure packages with themes as diverse as tea appreciation, surfing, holistic heal-ing, environment and wildlife are being rolled out across the country. With the influx of upscale rooms by international hotel chains such as Starwood, high-end luxury MICE is also gaining traction.

Debjit Dutta, director and CEO, Im-pression Tourism Services, for example, is focusing on luxury cruises along the Ganges river from Kolkata to its estuar-ies in the Sundarbans for an eco-friendly encounter of a UNESCO World Heritage site, enabling guests to mingle with fish-ermen and indulge in bird-watching and wildlife photography.

“(It is) an unforgettable experience as nothing even remotely similar exists any-where else in India. It is tourism by total immersion,” said Dutta.

The Association of Domestic Tour Op-erators of India also recently launched its West Bengal and North-east chapter to promote the hitherto untapped adventure and wildlife tourism attractions and new Buddhist finds in eastern India.

In the Darjeeling hills, Glenburn Tea Estate has built luxury cottages adjacent to a tea plantation, where guests are en-couraged to learn the art of plucking tea leaves, help with the organically grown vegetable garden and get educated about the manufacturing and packaging of tea. All this is accompanied by gourmet cui-sine prepared by expert chefs.

Another wave of products has also arrived along the coast. New to India’s beaches, the eastern state of Odisha led the way with the first India Surf Festival held in February, opening up possibilities to incorporate the sport as part of holiday packages.

Further south in Kerala, Banyan Tree is opening 57 villas in the backwaters in Alleppey, while CGH Earth is offering a king’s palace, Chittoor Kottaram, for a single booking at US$500 a night, inclu-sive of the entire retinue of staff, a private row boat and all meals. Ayurvedic treat-ments are available.

P P Khanna, director of Diplomatic Travel Point, said he would be introduc-ing French, Portuguese and Dutch herit-age tours in Pondicherry, Chandannagore, Kochi, Goa, and Daman and Diu, as well as Indian royal cuisine culinary tours in Lucknow and Hyderabad.

“The real India lies here, not in the big cities,” added Khanna, who is also plan-ning a Churches of India pilgrimage and history tour. – Shekhar Niyogi

By Shekhar Niyogi NEW DELHI Delhi Internation-al Airport’s (DIA) 346 per cent hike in airport charges, which kicked in last month, have drawn sharp responses from the trade.

The Airports Economic Regu-latory Authority (AERA) has permitted DIA to levy a new user development fee on passengers, in addition to the current air-port development fee of Rs200 (US$3.70) for domestic flights and Rs1,300 for international flights. This is the first time in-coming passengers are included.

Depending on the distance flown, arriving international passengers will have to shell out an additional Rs436-Rs881, while outgoing passengers have to pay Rs534-Rs1,068.

The hefty charges have prompted IATA to call Delhi “the world’s most expensive airport”, while IndiGo president, Aditya Ghosh, deemed the move an “unreasonable burdening of pas-sengers and airlines”.

The fee hike will create ad-ditional pressure on debt-laden local carriers. Several have indi-cated that they are likely to pass

Delhi airport fee hike hits airlines, travellers

the additional burden on to pas-sengers. Giorgio De Roni, CEO of GoAir, warned: “We cannot bear any additional cost, and we may curtail our Delhi operations if the cost structure does not re-main favourable.”

Christopher Fordyce, regional commercial manager-South Asia, British Airways, said: “The steep hike will make it difficult for airlines to invest in their net-work and services in India”.

Air France/KLM will not withdraw from Delhi, but will re-evaluate its India operations, according to Pieter De Man, gen-eral manager South Asia. AirAsia has already pulled out from Del-hi and Mumbai, citing untenable airport charges.

Meanwhile, the impact on tour operators can only be as-certained some time after the new airfares have hit the market during the holiday season, said P P Khanna, director, Diplomatic Travel Point.

From May, passengers flying out of Mumbai also have to pay a development fee ranging from Rs100-Rs600 for flights.

“The imperative is to steer away from the oft-trodden routes of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur and Goa.”

Rakesh RamnaniDirector, Vensimal World Travel

TTG-India_Travel Awards Special Supplement_2012Size: 114mm(W) x 180mm(H)Bleed: Add 3mm each sideColor: 4CPage: 1/4-pageFile Format: 300dpi-PDFDeadline Date: May 2012

8 Degrees Visual Stimulation

702 Tastefully Designed Guestrooms and Suites

Alfresco Bar & Dining

Over 8,700 sq. ft. Multi-function space

Outdoor Swimming Pool, Children’s Pool and Whirlpool

Free Shuttle Bus between Hotel, Tsimshatsui & Kwun Tong

Perfect for Business and Leisure Travellers

AwardWinning Hotel

A member of Harbour Plaza Hotels and ResortsA Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong (Holdings) Company

Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees199 Kowloon City Road, TokwawanKowloon, Hong Kong Tel : (852) 3900 3000 Fax : (852) 3900 3008Email : rsvn.hp8d@harbour-plaza.comwww.harbour-plaza.com/hp8d

Indian Representative OfficeTel : 91 11 4164 8955Email : rep.newdelhi.india@harbour-plaza.com

Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees199 Kowloon City Road, Tokwawan

Indian Representative OfficeTel : 91 11 4164 8955

NEWS ANALYSIS JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 4

E D I T O R I A LKaren Yue

Group Editor (karen.yue@ttgasia.com)

Gracia Chiang Deputy Group Editor (gracia.chiang@ttgasia.com)

Brian Higgs Editor, TTG Asia Online (brian.higgs@ttgasia.com)

Linda Haden Senior Reporter (linda.haden@ttgasia.com)

Liang Xinyi, Jayne Tay Sub Editors

(liang.xinyi@ttgasia.com, jayne.tay@ttgasia.com)

Mimi Hudoyo Editor, Indonesia (idmfasia@cbn.net.id)

Sim Kok Chwee Correspondent-at-large (aviasian.images@gmail.com)

N. Nithiyananthan Chief correspondent, Malaysia (nithi.nesadurai@ttgasia.com)

Timothy France, Chamsai Jotisalikorn (Chami) Correspondents, Thailand

(timothy.france@ttgasia.com, chamsai@fastmail.fm) Marianne Carandang, Rosa Ocampo

Correspondents, The Philippines (mcarandang@gmail.com, rosa.ocampo@gmail.com)

Prudence Lui Correspondent, Hong Kong (prului@yahoo.com)

Patricia Wee Correspondent, Shanghai, China (wee.patricia1@yahoo.com)

Shekhar Niyogi Chief Correspondent, India (shekhar.niyogi@ttgasia.com)

Feizal Samath Correspondent, Sri Lanka (feizalsam@gmail.com)

Redmond Sia, Tan Kok Yong Creative Designers

Lina Tan Editorial Assistant

S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G Michael Chow

Group Publisher (michael.chow@ttgasia.com)Katherine Ng

Associate Publisher (katherine.ng@ttgasia.com)Marisa Chen

Senior Business Manager (marisa.chen@hk.china.com)

Karen Cheung Business Manager (karen.cheung@hk.china.com)

Mark Wee Business Manager (mark.wee@ttgasia.com)

Meena Chand Media representative, India (adcomint@rediffmail.com)

Cheryl Tan Corporate Marketing Manager (cheryl.tan@ttgasia.com)

Tan Ee Hiang Marketing Executive (tan.ee.hiang@ttgasia.com)

Cheryl Lim Advertisement Administration Manager (cheryl.lim@ttgasia.com)

Carol Cheng Assistant Manager Administration and Marketing

(carol.cheng@hk.china.com)

P U B L I S H I N G S E R V I C E STony Yeo

Division Manager (tony.yeo@ttgasia.com)

Agnes Loy Senior Production Executive (agnes.loy@ttgasia.com)

Nancy Lee Desktop Publishing Executive (nancy.lee@ttgasia.com)

Carol Wong Circulation Executive (carol.wong@ttgasia.com)

Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd 16 Tuas Avenue 5, Singapore 639340

TTG India is published by TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd. It is mailed free on written request to readers who meet predetermined criteria. Paid subscriptions are available

to those who do not meet the criteria.

MICA (P) 032/07/2011 PPS 1788/06/2012(022782)

T T G A S I A M E D I A Darren Ng

Managing Director (darren.ng@ttgasia.com)

Raini Hamdi Senior Editor (raini.hamdi@ttgasia.com)

O F F I C E SSINGAPORE 1 Science Park Road

#04-07 The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II Singapore 117528

Tel: (65) 6395-7575 Fax: (65) 6536-0896

contact@ttgasia.com; www.ttgasia.com

HONG KONG 11/F ING Tower 308-320 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2237-7174 Fax: (852) 2806-0646

TTG Travel Trade Publishing is a business group of TTG Asia Media

Charting out new air routes that use less fuel has never been more crucial, says Shekhar Niyogi

In pursuit of cheaper flights

The bleak economy and high cost of aviation tur-bine fuel (ATF) are key factors that have impacted the profitability of airlines world-wide. This has led to serious attempts to discover more eco-nomical flight paths.

Test flights have been launched, involving leading air-lines from countries along the Indian Ocean such as Emir-ates, Etihad Airways and South African Airways. According to air traffic control officials, new routes will be identified this year and sent to India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for approval.

These flights are initiatives by the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE). Established last year in joint partnership between air navigation service providers, IN-SPIRE is dedicated to improving the efficiency and sustainability of aviation.

It was also set up to comple-ment the work of the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions and the Atlantic Inter-operability Initiative to Reduce Emissions, green-aviation part-nerships that aim to cut flying time, save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.

2.8 billion passengers were flown by world airlines in 2011

12 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector come from aircraft; 74 per cent from road vehicles

1By 2026, aviation will con-tribute US$1 trillion to world GDP

80 per cent of aircraft carbon emissions are from flights flown over 1,500km

3 The new Airbus A380, Boe-ing 787 and ATR-600 aircraft use less than 3 litres of jet fuel per 100 passenger kilometers, matching the efficiency of most compact cars

70 Jet aircraft today are 70 per cent more fuel-effi-cient than the jetplanes of 1960s

676 million tonnes of carbon emissions were produced by airlines worldwide in 2011. Humans left a carbon footprint of over 34 billion tonnes

This means a significantly re-duced fuel burn, shorter flights and less noise from landing air-craft.

An official of Air India who did not wish to be named said new flight paths were an effec-tive way of dealing with the new dynamics of international airline operations. “There are surely more economical routes that can change according to climate and time of the year, factoring in wind and other flight param-eters,” said the official.

According to aviation ana-lysts, airlines can save 10 to 35 per cent of expenses on aviation fuel by flying new routes.

This will be a boost for airlines such as Air India, Kingfisher and Jet Airways that suffered losses because of high jet fuel prices, excess capacity and fierce price competition. These carriers pay about 45 per cent more than international prices for heavily taxed ATF sold in India through state-owned petroleum compa-nies.

Kamal Hingorani, senior vice president, SpiceJet, said: ”Cutting fuel costs by any means is im-perative for the financial health of airline operations, and more efficient air routes is the mini-mally invasive way to achieve that end.”

“The INSPIRE flights will demonstrate air traffic efficien-cies that can be achieved through cooperation between air navi-gation service providers and implementation of best prac-tice operational and air traffic management procedures,” said IATA spokesperson, Albert Tjo-eng.

“Supported by the data col-lected from these initial flights, we look forward to other best practices being implemented in the region,” he added.

In March 2011, a South Afri-can Airways flight from Perth to Johannesburg was allowed unre-stricted descent to final approach and shortest taxi to the gate.

Airservices Australia general manager (air traffic control), Jason Harfield, was reported as saying: “The South African Air-ways demonstration flight from Perth to Johannesburg, operated by an Airbus A340, saved around 400kg of fuel. This is equivalent to 10 tanks of fuel for an average-sized car and saves approximate-ly (1,200kg) of carbon dioxide emissions.”

Last year, Etihad Airways also deployed an A340 on the Abu Dhabi-Sydney route that saved 4,800kg of fuel and 15,120kg of carbon dioxide, while an Emir-ates’ Perth-Dubai demonstration

flight with a number of ATC of-ficers from India onboard was flown.

The exercise will benefit long-haul flights more than short-haul ones, but it will undeniably create better bottom lines for carriers in general. Although some efforts are made periodi-cally to identify new routes, the urgency to do so now is catalysed by a downturn in airline profits due to higher fuel costs, car-bon tax burdens and economic recession in certain key aviation markets.

According to ATC officials, current air routes are more than 20 years old and do not factor in prevailing wind and weather conditions. They are not neces-sarily able to leverage sophis-ticated onboard avionics now available.

A recent study by GE showed that US$65 million could be saved annually at 46 mid-size air-ports in the US by implementing new flight paths. This would also save and reduce 17,900 hours of flying time, 12.9 million gallons of fuel and 124.6 million kilo-grams of carbon dioxide emis-sions. The study used onboard navigation that allows planes to follow a more precise track rather than methods that rely on ground-based beacons or radar.

Numbers that matter

india JunJul12 p04 News Analysis V1gc.indd 4 6/6/12 11:53 AM

India

event tours to Beijing. “Beijing and Shanghai have al-

ways had some form of coopera-tion, but this is the first time that we are joining hands to promote China as a single MICE destina-

By Divya Kaul NEW DELHI Steep increases in petrol prices in India, which rose some 11 per cent recently, and a higher service tax are making some Indian DMCs jittery over an expected dip in demand from corporate clients.

Om Prakash, director of In-orbit Tours, said: “Corporates will be compelled to think of al-ternative destinations. India will lose business to our neighbours, which have better facilities and competitive prices.” To stay com-petitive, Prakash said his com-pany had to “cut into our own profits”.

Amaresh Tiwari, managing director of A T Seasons & Vaca-tions Travel, said his company had to bear the price differences in fuel costs and taxes for clients who had signed earlier contracts.

Meanwhile, other clients are looking for ways to reduce travel costs in India, such as by taking taxis and having most meals out-side the hotel.

Sister cities link upBeijing and Shanghai ink MoU to mark the start of MICE cooperationBy Brian HiggsREPORTING FROM IT&CM CHINA 2012, SHANGHAI Shanghai and Beijing have em-barked on a groundbreaking collaboration to jointly develop MICE and target international events.

Kicking off the partnership by co-hosting April’s China (Shang-hai) International Meetings & Conferences Forum, Beijing Mu-nicipal Commission of Tourism Development (BTD) and Shang-hai Municipal Tourism Admin-istration (SMTA) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlined future co-operation with regards to jointly bidding for international MICE, sharing of resources like the Shanghai Meetings Ambassadors programme, and joint marketing and promotion efforts targeting overseas markets.

The agreement will extend to cooperation when either city plays host to international events, such as during next year’s ICCA annual conference in Shanghai, which will see pre- and post-

tion,” said SMTA vice chairman, Connie Cheng.

“Shanghai on its own is rela-tively small and what we can promote is limited, thus we need to engage bigger players to in-

crease our competitiveness. Both cities have their unique advan-tages. Beijing is the political and cultural centre, while Shanghai is the financial centre. The col-laboration will better enable both destinations to meet the needs of different events.”

Sun Weijia, deputy director general, BTD said: “Through the agreement, we will create synergy in promoting each city in over-seas markets as well as the overall China brand.”

Noor Ahmad Hamid, regional director, Asia-Pacific, ICCA said: “People have always been talking about the rivalry between Beijing and Shanghai, but now that the two largest players in China are sitting at the same table, the co-operation is important and will better enable them to snare inter-national events.”

Martin Sirk, CEO, ICCA said: “All of us are really excited to see this close collaboration between Shanghai and Beijing. Three to five years ago, the leaders in both cities did not even talk to one an-other.”

Pricier India worries some

MICE wins

Gold Coast bags golf eventThe 2014 World Scientific Con-ference on Golf has awarded Griffith University and the Gold Coast Convention Bureau host-ing rights. The event has previ-ously been held every four years at either St Andrews in Scotland or Scottsdale, Arizona. It is ex-pected to attract hundreds of in-ternational delegates.

Maternity conference for KLThe US-based Women Deliver has chosen Kuala Lumpur as the host city for its 3rd Global Women Deliver Conference 2013. Malaysia is the first Asian country to host this event. Some 5,000 international delegates are expected to attend. The confer-ence will generate an estimated RM47.4 million (US$15 million) in economic impact.

Hyderabad bags mega bio eventBy Raini Hamdi REPORTING FROM IMEX 2012, FRANKFURT The city of Hyderabad is preparing to host a mega UN-related biological di-versity convention from October 1 to 19, the longest (19 days) and the largest conference (an ex-

pected attend-ance of 8,000 to 10,000 par-ticipants) ever to be held in India.

Jalil (Gary) Khan, CEO, H y d e r a b a d Convent ion Visitors Bu-

reau, said the city would gain massive spotlight as representa-tives including prime ministers of 194 countries and officials from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank would be attending.

The event will be held at the Hyderabad International Con-vention Centre.

“Hyderabad was chosen as the venue because it has the fa-cilities; (Mumbai) or New Delhi do not,” he said.

The city’s inventory of 5,000 rooms could accommodate the influx as the convention would be held in three stages, he said.

“Hyderabad will not close down during the event – there are still rooms. New four- and five-star hotels are also coming up,” Khan added.

pected attendance of 8,000 to 10,000 participants) ever to be held in India.

Khan, CEO, Khan: Hyder-abad wins big

Beijing’s Sun Wenjia (left) and Shanghai’s Dao Shuming lead the way in forging closer ties between the two sister cities

By Shekhar NiyogiBANGALORE The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bu-reau (TCEB) has taken its 100 A-Head programme to India, as part of its efforts to attract more Indian visitors to trade exhibi-tions held in the kingdom.

The programme, which tar-gets event promoters, MICE tour operators, DMCs, trade asso-ciations, chambers of commerce and trade publications, will see TCEB dishing out US$100 per pax to groups with at least 15 participants who stay a mini-mum of three days/two nights in Thailand.

According to a TCEB pub-lication, the 100 A-Head pro-gramme had helped India’s Doon Valley n Travel to bring a group of 70 poultry trade mem-bers to Victam 2012 in Bangkok in February.

Jatinder Dhamija, operations

head of the travel firm, said: “The programme helped pro-moters like me to double the participants’ joy. They get to gain new knowledge at the exhibition and enjoy the benefits as well.”

Further efforts to court more tradeshow attendees from In-dia will come in the form of a

Memorandum of Understand-ing that TCEB is likely to sign with India’s Ministry of Tourism in 2013.

Supawan Teerarat, TCEB di-rector of exhibition, said the agreement would be in line with the bureau’s “strategic approach under the ASEAN MICE Col-laboration, which is aimed at promoting the MICE tourism industry in the ASEAN region”.

Supawan said: “The Indian MICE segment is an essential market for Thailand. In 2011, India ranked second in terms of overseas visitors for trade shows in Thailand, and in 2012, we are projecting a 10 per cent increase in the number of MICE travel-lers from India.

“We are looking forward to partner with the travel trade in India to enhance our overall ef-forts for promoting Thailand as a MICE destination.”

TCEB dangles monetary support to court Indians

Supawan: rise in Indian MICE arrivals expected this year

india JunJul12 p06 MICE indiaKY(Jun4).indd 6 6/6/12 11:54 AM

JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 7India

The room rate – in US dollars – of a five-star hotel in Sri Lanka today, up from US$55-US$80 in 2009

170Costlier five-star stays

Sri Lanka gets pricierBy Feizal SamathCOLOMBO Sri Lanka, where hotel rates have more than dou-bled in the past three years, is in danger of pricing itself out of the convention and corporate travel market, travel industry officials say.

“Some of the rates for cultural sites are among the priciest in the world, while five-star hotel rates which were US$55 to US$80 in 2009 are now going at US$170,” said Chaminda Dias, executive director, Luxe Asia, adding that visits to all key cultural sites now cost an average of US$60, up from US$30 earlier.

Nilmin Nanayakkara, manag-ing director of Nkar Travels & Tours, said in an interview with TTG India earlier this year that his company “could have attract-ed more MICE tourism from Malaysia, Singapore and Thai-

By Raini Hamdi REPORTING FROM IMEX 2012, FRANKFURT Indonesia’s capital will soon boast a pur-pose-built mega convention and exhibition centre, which will en-able it to bid for large-scale con-ferences, including the coveted medical and scientific events.

Construction on the Jakarta International Exhibition & Con-gress Centre (JIECC) is slated to start in October, and the venue is expected to soft-open in 2014, according to Lilia Sukotjo, direc-tor of Alam Sutera Realty, which has been tasked with developing the facility.

Designed by Larry Oltmanns, who also fashioned the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre and Melbourne Conven-tion & Exhibition Centre, JIECC will already surpass the largest venues in Indonesia by nearly 30

Jakarta bids big as new congress centre gets underway

land, if not for the rates”.Rates have risen sharply since

the ethnic conflict ended in May 2009. Tourism numbers have surged, with a million expected

this year, from 450,000 in 2009.Hoteliers, however, disagree

with the pricing issue raised by tour agencies.

“When we were at war (con-flict), people said we were priced too low. Now they are saying we are priced too high,” said Hiran Cooray, chairman of Jetwing Hotels.

Anura Lokuhetty, deputy chairman/CEO of Serene Pavil-ions boutique hotel, said hotel-iers, unlike tour operators, had made huge investments in the post-war era to upgrade services.

“Even if rates have gone up at cultural sites, they are still cheap-er than those overseas,” he said.

To resolve the pricing issue, Rumy Jaufer, managing director of state-run Sri Lanka Tourism, said the country needed to pur-sue high-end corporate travellers instead of cheaper (segments).

The Young Presidents’ Organi-zation (YPO), a global network of CEOs and entrepreneurs, marked its inaugural Global Leadership Summit 2012 in Asia at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort.

Held between February 26 and March 1 at Sands Expo and Convention Center – the MICE facility of MBS – the YPO sum-mit attracted over 2,000 mem-bers and special guests from over 80 countries. While not as large as previous events hosted at MBS, the YPO Summit was certainly one of the most prestig-ious – and called for exceptional levels of service.

All delegates and their spouses stayed at MBS, and close to 1,000 delegates checked in using the hotel’s new high-tech arrival ser-vice, which enabled a staff to reg-ister guest’s details via handheld tablets onboard coach transfers from Changi airport. Check-ins were also available at desks des-ignated exclusively for YPO at-tendees, while suites were set up for early arrivals.

The Summit kicked off with an al fresco welcome dinner at the Event Plaza. Under a white purpose-built marquee, a com-bination of live stations and buffet lines erected to resemble a bustling hawker centre show-cased longstanding local fa-vourites such as roti prata, laksa and Hainanese chicken rice to delegates and their partners. A fortune-telling parrot kept guests

Clever use of technology and seamless teamwork enable Marina Bay Sands to pull off a successful meeting for top minds from the Young Presidents’ Organization

amused during the dinner. Two days of intense dialouges

and workshops were held on three of five floors of the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and a combination of meeting, conference and breakout rooms were utilised. A ‘marketplace’ ex-hibition was held in conjunction with the YPO Summit, with over 30 booths showcasing various innovative products and servic-es, including a virtual golf game, makeover studio and a display of two Cadillacs.

The Summit ended on a high note with a gala dinner at the Sands Grand Ballroom. Some 1,800 guests savoured a sophis-ticated three-course Pan-Asian menu created by celebrity chef Justin Quek, amid an interior recreated to resemble his dazzling restaurant, Sky on 57, atop MBS. Appetisers, including pan-seared Wagyu beef, foie gras terrine and Kumamoto oysters, were served

CASE STUDY

Global Leadership Summit 2012

The Sands Grand Ballroom hosted the summit’s dazzling finale

Event Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Global Leadership Summit 2012

Organiser Marina Bay Sands and amc asia! (welcome and gala dinners)

Client Young Presidents’ Organization

No of pax Over 2,000

Venue Sands Expo & Convention Centre and Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Date February 26 to March 1, 2012

Challenges Converting a ballroom with a 2,200-pax seminar set-up to a 1,800-pax banquet venue in less than two hours, and multiple last-minute requests for spin-off meetings

function area that had hosted the pre-dinner cocktail reception was transformed into a dessert buffet zone, featuring a diverse array of sweet treats and a live cooking station serving made-to-order chocolate fondants.

Several smaller dining events were organised, including a sit-down dinner at the ArtScience Museum.

The gala dinner, however, posed the greatest challenge for MBS employees as the Sands Grand Ballroom had to be con-verted from a 2,200 theatre-style seminar set-up to an ultra-luxe banquet venue for 1,800 dele-gates in under two hours. Besides the meeting services team, the banquet and AV technical teams were roped in to provide expert coordination.

Another major challenge for MBS during the two-day event was the high number of un-planned spin-off meetings. The hotel dealt with this logistical challenge by assigning catering and conference managers to at-tend to specific requests.

David Cook, executive direc-tor for the YPO World Lead-ership Summit 2012, praised MBS for its tip-top service and swift response. He said: “Marina Bay Sands was a true partner of the Summit from every pos-sible perspective. It was vested in our event from top manage-ment down to the line staff, and the results were truly amazing.” – Linda Haden

In brief

T Sofitel Plaza Hanoi is offering complimentary stays and Apple gadgets to meeting planners who book high-volume room-nights. The rewards are dished out under the SoConnected meeting offer, and are valid for events before September 30. Contact H3553-sb1@sofitel.com for more details.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Com-pany has planted its first flag in Japan’s Okinawa. The Ritz-Carl-ton, Okinawa offers panoramic views of the East China Sea and the Kise Country Club. There are 97 guestrooms, several res-taurants and bars including an Italian fine-dining establishment called Chura-Nuhji and The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA.

T The Singapore Tourism Board has appointed Lionel Yeo its new chief executive, replacing Aw Kah Peng, who stepped down on May 31. Prior to this, Yeo was a director in the trade division of the Ministry of Trade & Industry and a director for taxation policy at the Ministry of Finance.

N D Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen has joined Borneo Conven-tion Centre Kuching as its new director of sales & marketing. She was with expo@bahrain and Bahrain Exhibition & Conven-tion Authority for seven years.

G N Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) Nepal has been formed, follow-ing the appointment of Nepal-based Zenith Experiences Travel Services as HRG’s associate partner.

in the pre-function area on the fifth level of the centre.

As guests feasted, the pre-

per cent once Phase 1 is complet-ed. When Phase 2 is finished in 2017, it will be among the largest single floor venues in Asia.

Besides featuring 60,000m2 of exhibition space, a 5,400m2 ball-room and 2,700m2 of meeting space, JIECC’s plenary hall will be able to accommodate 18,000 to 20,000 pax and offer 45 break-out rooms. This compares with 5,000 pax and 13 meeting rooms at the existing Jakarta Conven-tion Center in central Jakarta.

Located at Alam Sutera, a 700-hectare mixed-use develop-ment in Serpong, Tangerang, the JIECC site is a 30-minute drive to the Jakarta city centre and 15 minutes from the international airport.

Alam Sutera Realty is also building three hotels within the estate and two others on the fringes of the development.

india JunJul12 p07 MICE indiaKY.indd 7 6/6/12 1:02 PM

www.atflaos.com

ATF 2013 Receives Strong Early Take Up Rate!Register Today and Join Over 400 ASEAN Exhibitors Like These in Vientiane, Laos:

Visit at aos com for the Full Exhibitors List

ATF 2013 TRAVEX | 22 to 24 January 2013Exhibitors | Buyers | Media

BRUNEIBrunei Tourism Ulu Ulu Resort

CAMBODIAAsco LotusBorei Angkor Resort & Spa & Lotus Blanc

ResortCambodia, Ministry Of TourismDara Hotels & ResortsHanuman Travel

INDONESIAADJ Management ConsultantAston InternationalAyana Resort And Spa BaliBali Dynasty ResortBali Mandira Beach Resort & SpaClub Bali ResortsCocotinos Hotel Group Lombok &

ManadoDiscovery Hotels & ResortsKupu Kupu Barong Villas & Tree SpaLegian Beach HotelMaya Ubud Resort & SpaNikko Bali Resort & SpaPadma Resort Bali At LegianPanorama Destination IndonesiaRama Hotels & Resorts BaliRamada Camakila & Benoa BaliRamada Hotel & Suites Sakala BaliSantika Indonesia Hotels & ResortsSanur Paradise Palza Hotel & SuitesSegara Village Hotel – BaliSun Island - White Rose

Surabaya Plaza HotelTauzia International ManagementThe Haven - The 101

LAO PDRAIS Asia (Advanced It Solutions Asia

Co., Ltd)Hotel De La Paix Luang Prabang – LaosMekong CruisesMekong River CruisesNakarath TravelVisit Asia Travel

MALAYSIAArchipelago Hotels & ResortsAsian Overland Services Tours & Travel

Sdn BhdBorneo Adventure Sdn BhdBorneo Nature Tours Sdn BhdBukit Gambang Resort CityCHM HotelsDiscovery Overland Holidays Sdn BhdDorsett Regency Kuala LumpurGrand Seasons HotelHotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City CentreHotel Maya Kuala LumpurLexis Hotels GroupMarriott & Renaissance Hotels

MalaysiaOne World HotelPulai GroupReliance Sightseeing Sdn BhdSabah Tourism BoardSutera Harbour ResortThe Royale Bintang Hotels & Resorts

MYANMARSedona Hotels International Pte Ltd

SINGAPOREBayview International Hotels & ResortsNirwana GardensPark Regis SingaporeResorts World At Sentosa Pte LtdRMG Tours Pte LtdStar Holiday Mart Pte LtdTour Asia (Singapore) Pte LtdTour EastVacation Singapore DMC Pte LtdWildlife Reserves Singapore

THAILANDAccess Resort & Villas GroupAndaman Cannacia Resort / Peach Hill

Resort / Peach Blossom Resort, PhuketAndaman Princess Resort & SpaApsaras Beach Resort & Spa, Khaolak,

Phang-Nga, ThailandAsian Trails LtdBandara Hotels & ResortsBanthai Beach Resort & Spa / Wanakarn

Beach Resort & SpaB-Lay Tong Phuket, MGallery CollectionBurasari Group Co., LtdCape Dara Resort PattayaCape Panwa Hotel, PhuketCentury Park HotelChaweng Regent Beach Resort And

Melati Beach Resort And SpaDestination AsiaDiamond Cliff Resort & Spa

Diamond Cottage Resort & SpaGo VacationHotel De La Paix Cha Am Beach - Hua

HinIbis Hotels ThailandICS Travel GroupImpiana Hotels Resorts & SpasKata Group Co., LtdKata Palm + Rawai PalmKhiri Travel Co., LtdKrabi Thai Village ResortLa Flora Resorts GroupMai Resorts/Seaview & Andaman

Seaview PhuketMBK Hospitality Management

(Pathumwan Princess Hotel And Layana Resort & Spa)

Meet Point AsiaMerlin Beach Resort & Patong Merlin

HotelMiddleway Travel Company LimitedMövenpick Hotels & ResortsNora Resorts & HotelsNovotel Phuket & All Season Naiharn

Beach ResortOnyx Hospitality GroupPatong Beach Hotel And Baan Samui

ResortPavilion Samui Boutique ResortRamada Encore BangkokRose Garden RiversideRoyal Cliff Hotels GroupS.I. Tours (1996) Co. LtdSala Resorts And SpasSamui Nakara Resort & Spa

Santhiya Resorts & SpasSiam Kempinski Hotel BangkokThavorn Hotels And Resorts (THR)The Haad Tien Beach Resort, Koh TaoThe Kee Resort & SpaThe Old Phuket - Karon Beach ResortThe Sukosol HotelThe Unique CollectionThe Vijitt Resort PhuketTourism Authority Of ThailandZinc Invision Hospitality Co., Ltd

VIETNAMFusion ResortsLac Hong Voyages Co., LtdLuxury TravelTrails Of IndochinaVidotourVietnam Airlines

CORPORATESAccor Asia PacificBest Western InternationalDusit InternationalFairmont Raffles Hotels InternationalFurama Hotels International Mgmt Pte

LtdHPL Hotels & ResortsMelia Benoa All Inclusive ResortMelia HanoiMelia Hotels InternationalMelia Kuala LumpurStarwood Sales OrganizationSwiss-Belhotel International

and more…

Participation details, hosting programme for buyers and media and online registration available at:at aos com

ATF 2013 Receives Strong Early Take Up Rate!

Participation details, hosting programme for buyers and media and online registration available at:

Register

Today!

TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd1 Science Park Road #04-07, The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park IISingapore 117528 Tel: +65 6395 7575 • Fax: +65 6536 0896 Corporate website: www.ttgasiamedia.com

Event email: atf@ttgasia.com • ATF 2013 website: www.atflaos.com

Ministr of Information C t re and To rism (MICT), Lao PDRPO.Box: 3556 Lane Xang Avenue, Hatsady VillageChanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital Lao PDRTel: (856-21) 212248, 212251 • Fax: (856-21) 212769, 217910Website: www.tourismlaos.org

Host Committee TRAVEX Secretariat

TTG Events is a business group of TTG Asia Media

ATF2013LaoAd3_260X380(E)_jun.indd 1 6/1/12 1:39 PM

JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 9OUTBOUND: MACAU

“MGTO has already put its imprint on the Indian market, and there is a growing

awareness of Macau as a destination. To stimulate more interest in Macau, MGTO has to continue to collaborate with industry leaders for marketing and promotional efforts, with due consideration for the price sensitivity of the market.”

Johnny Choi Director of sales

Estoril Tours Travel Agency Macau

“With more col-laboration with different hotels and integrated resorts, MGTO can help attract

more Indian tourists to Macau. (The Venetian) also actively promotes Macau as a leisure destination by participating in roadshows in India organised by MGTO. Over the past 12 months, we have welcomed more than 150,000 Indian travellers to our integrated resort.”

Brendon Elliott

Vice president of sales and resort marketingVenetian Macau

promotional activities in India, following its successful hosting of the International India Film Academy 2009.

He added: “India is (one of) our top five feeder markets now, and continues to be a primary market for us. We have had phe-nomenal responses from our local tour operators and travel trade partners for our promo-tional packages that are selling extremely well in India.”

However, the lack of air con-nections with India may hinder Macau from reaching its full po-tential.

Johnny Choi, director of marketing, Estoril Tours Travel Agency Macau, said most of his Indian clients travelled to Ma-cau via Hong Kong, Zhuhai and

By Deborah CornfieldDespite the plateau in Indian ar-rivals last year, the travel trade in Macau is optimistic that the destination will be able to attract good numbers in the coming months.

Visitor numbers from India levelled last year, but the first quarter of 2012 saw 29,230 ar-rivals, a 6.8 per cent year-on-year increase, based on figures from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service department.

To reach out to the Indian market, the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) made its debut at SATTE in February, on top of organising the Macau Mini Mart in New Delhi and Mumbai last year. It already has representative offices in both cities.

The tourism authorities of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau will also organise a joint market-ing activity in India in August to promote multi-city itineraries to Indian travellers.

Brendon Elliott, vice president of sales and resort marketing, Venetian Macau, said the hotel had actively supported MGTO’s

Keeping the allurePersistent marketing and better access are making the trade hopeful

What should MGTO do to encourage more Indian visitors?

New ways to do...

Viewpoint

Itinerary

Shenzhen. He added: “Direct air links between key cities in India and Macau would be beneficial in enhancing the number of In-dian tourists to Macau.”

A development set to improve access is Air India’s recent agree-ment with Macau’s ferry service providers, TurboJET and Cotai-Jet, to provide a through baggage check-in service on the Hong Kong-Macau route. Passengers travelling on Air India flights to Hong Kong from Mumbai and Delhi with onward travel to Macau by ferry can now check in their baggage at the respec-tive Indian airports. The service is also available on the return route.

Inbound operators and other stakeholders that TTG India spoke to expressed satisfaction with the government’s concerted efforts to lure Indian visitors to its shores.

With MGTO’s continued ef-forts to market Macau and a 30-day visa-free access in place for Indian nationals, they say the former Portuguese colony is on track to gain further popularity with Indian travellers.

Products A bounty of Macanese delightsIce World 2012What The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel will be hosting Ice World 2012 from May 19 until September 16 at the Cotai Expo Hall F. Open from 12.00 to 20.00 daily, the 1,670m2 winter wonderland is kept at -8˚C.Highlights include a Fairy Tale Forest with a pumpkin car-riage against a backdrop of a frozen waterfall and lake, famed international landmarks, an ice labyrinth and a double slide.Why Suitable for families of all ages, Ice World provides a cool respite from the summer heat, while offering an opportunity to view unique sculptures created by Harbin’s finest ice carvers.ContactTel: (853) 2882-8888Website: www.venetianmacao.com

Visitor arrivals from India to Macau

2D/1N

D 1Start your tour with a pick-up at the ferry terminal. Be whisked away to a scrumptious lunch to fuel yourself for the day ahead. Soak up the history of this former Portuguese colony as you tour the city and explore heritage sights such as A-Ma Temple, Ruins of St Paul’s and Monte Fort. Be guided on a walking tour from St Paul’s to Leal Senado Square. Enjoy some free time for retail therapy before set-tling into your choice of hotel for a well-deserved rest before setting out again for dinner.

Savour the gourmet dinner at Aruna Indian Restaurant and enjoy your leisure time as you experience the Cotai Strip at night. Head for the casinos to try your hand at the tables or simply be fascinated by the bright lights of Asia’s ‘mini Las Vegas’.

D 2Start the day with a leisurely breakfast before heading to the ferry terminal for your return home.

Suggested by Estoril Tours Travel Agency Macau

Source: Statistics and Census Service Macao SAR Government

Year Arrivals % change

2007 45,473 57.3

2008 82,369 81.1

2009 107,513 30.5

2010 169,096 57.3

2011 169,660 0.3

already put its

and there is a growing

different hotels and integrated

can help attract

rooms and suites. Facilities in-clude outdoor heated pools and Jacuzzi with cabanas and day-beds, expansive meeting spaces, a spa and several restaurants. The Conrad Club has 24-hour concierge and butler service.Why The resort will suit discern-ing guests seeking style and luxury, with convenient access to retail, entertainment and dining options on the Cotai Strip.ContactTel: (853) 8113-6000Website: www.conradmacao.com

Indian SpiceWhat The restaurant offers a plethora of North Indian dishes and a new tapas menu featuring an eclectic mix of Indian snacks like papri chaat and bhel puri. Open from 12.00 to 23.30, the 74-pax restaurant also offers outdoor seating amid a land-scaped garden with views of water fountains.

The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel

Ruins of St Paul’s

Gary Tamin

Conrad Macao, Cotai CentralWhat Overlooking the Cotai Strip, the luxurious 39-storey hotel opened in April with 636

Its sister branch, Indian Spice Express, is located at the Grand Canal Shoppes Food Court of The Venetian. Why Indian Spice provides a gourmet experience and person-alised service in intimate sur-roundings, while Indian Spice Express is ideal for those seeking a break from shopping.ContactTel: (853) 2872-2784Website: www.indianspicema-cau.com

See Macau PassWhat This sightseeing smart card allows users to select three out of five options: a free trip from Hong Kong by TurboJET, entry to Macau Tower Observation Deck, one-day tour on the Open Top Bus Macau, Macau Harbour cruise and a Galaxy Macau meal voucher. Additional benefits include discounts at AJ Hackett Macau Tower and tickets to watch House of Dancing Water. Priced at HK$279 for adults (13 years and over) and HK$229 for children, the pass is valid for one month once activated and comes with an pocket guide.Why Offering value, convenience and choice, this pass allows users to visit Macau’s attractions with savings of up to 40 per cent.ContactTel: (852) 2851-4422Website: www.seemacaupass.com

india JunJul12 p09 outbound Macau_LXgc.indd 9 6/6/12 11:40 AM

JUNE/JULY 2012 • TTG INDIA 10OUTBOUND: INDONESIA

sibilities to establish con-nections be-tween the two countries.

I n d o J o u r n e y owner, Agus Winarko, said besides the lack of direct

flights, India’s economic slow-down could exert more pressure on outbound growth.

On the other hand, Pacto di-rector of operations and business development, Umberto Cada-muro, said the limited air access had not resulted in a drop in arrivals from India. In 1Q2012, Pacto saw a nine per cent growth in Indian arrivals, especially in the GIT segment. It is expect-ing similar growth in the second quarter.

Arrivals from India have been showing double-digit growth in the last few years, according to official figures. Indian arriv-als grew 15 per cent in 2011, al-though the number was still very small at 168,122, said Nia. The ministry is targeting between 170,000 and 180,000 this year.

Jakarta has always been the top destination, followed by Bali. Batam and Surabaya are starting to see more arrivals, said Nia. She also noted growing demand for

“Clients ask for Bali and Lombok but hardly any other destina-tions. We try to

sell Jakarta and Bandung for shopping. History and art can be packaged with other leisure attractions. The travel trade in India needs more education on Indonesian products and desti-nations. Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism of Creative Economy should create packages with the airlines.

Flight connectivity is also an issue as one has to go via Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Direct flights will surely add numbers. ”

Seema AhmedGeneral manager

Gainwell Travel & Leisure, Kolkata

“Indonesia is still a niche destination as there are no direct flights from India and

the most visible destination is Bali. It is popular for high-end leisure clients and honeymoon-ers. Other destinations like Jogjakarta, Bandung, Jakarta, Lombok, Solo and Manado have not been showcased to the travel trade at all.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism of Creative Economy must offer joint promotion packages with airlines and travel companies to promote other destinations in the country.”

Rajesh SethiManaging director

Carnation Travel Services, New Delhi

By Mimi Hudoyo and Shekhar NiyogiDespite Indonesia’s rising popu-larity among Indian tourists, the absence of direct flights and lack of awareness of the country’s of-ferings are limiting its potential to tap India’s growing outbound market.

Nia Niscaya, Ministry of Culture and Tourism direc-tor of international promotion, said: “The interest in Indonesia among Indian outbound travel-lers is very strong but business partners in the market have giv-en feedback about the absence of direct services between the two countries.”

To that end, the NTO has been lobbying the Ministry of Transportation and Indonesian airlines to launch direct air ser-vices between the two countries to boost traffic, she added.

Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air have announced plans to fly to India several times, but none have materialised so far.

In an interview with TTG In-dia several months ago, Garuda Indonesia president and CEO, Emirsyah Satar, said while the airline was keen to open the route, a study had showed that the yield was low.

However, he added that the carrier had not dropped the plan, but was looking for other pos-

Direct links neededNumbers are on the rise, but growth is hampered by lack of connectivity

What is hindering Indonesia from attracting more Indian travellers?

New ways to do...

Viewpoint

Itinerary

weddings and incentives, espe-cially to Bali, which in June will host a group of 400 pax arriving on a charter flight and staying five nights.

“There is at least one incentive group to Indonesia every month on average,” said Nia. She added that Indian incentive travellers usually stay for one week and spend about US$1,118 per visit.

Promotion and marketing programmes this year include participating in travel marts like SATTE and OTM, conducting sales mission to four cities in July, and organising fam trips for media and travel consultants to Indonesia.

Paul Edmundus, managing director, Floressa Bali Tours, urged for more marketing ac-tivity. He added: “Indian out-bound to Indonesia is growing, but more promotion will help increase numbers substantially.”

Said Sanjay Kothari, managing director, Just Holidays: “When the outbound travel boom began in India, Thailand and Singapore were at the forefront of promot-ing and attracting Indian tourists while Malaysia joined the band-wagon soon after.

“Indonesia, with its cultural similarity and homogeneity of food and climate to its advan-tage, did not initiate any effective marketing foray.”

Products Riding on new attractions, hotels

Trans Studio BandungWhat One of the world’s biggest indoor theme parks has added four new attractions. There are some 20 major rides and attrac-tions in total.

Marvel Superheroes 4D is a simulator featuring Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Spiderman, while Special Effects Action goes behind the scenes of action films – guests can even take part in a robbery scene. The interactive Science Centre has more than 70 exhibits on display, while Kids World offers six rides such as a mini train and bumper boat. Why A great family attraction

providing a wide range of attrac-tions for different age groups, this indoor park allows for visits any time of the year. Musical performances and shows are also staged periodically.ContactTel: (62-22) 9109-9999www.transtudiobandung.com

Pulomas X’VentureWhat Built on 34 hectares, this new Jakarta mall puts the high-light on equestrian activities. Apart from diverse retail and entertainment options, the mall offers open-air F&B outlets enclosed by horse-racing tracks that allow guests to enjoy live horse shows. Other facilities in-clude jogging and cycling tracks, a trampoline, a flying fox and a park with labyrinth tunnels.Why The mall’s unique con-cept allows travellers to shop and enjoy outdoor and indoor activities at the same time. ContactTel: (62-21) 2553-9388www.pulomas-xventure.com

Simply Valore Baros What Newly opened in Bandung, the 50-room budget hotel caters to travellers with families. Hotel facilities include 30m2 deluxe

Indian arrivals to Indonesia

D/ N A L

D 1Arrive at Denpasar Airport. After checking in at your hotel, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

D 2Spend the morning at Bali Zoo Park, located about an hour’s drive from Nusa Dua. This 9-hectare zoo offers opportunities to admire tropical flora and observe exotic indigenous species such as the Su-matran elephant, orangutan and sun bear up-close. Children can try their hand at feeding the animals while a kiddy park offers op-portunities for play.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.

D Enjoy a dolphin tour at Nusa Dua this morning. Departing from Tanjung Benoa, Bali’s marine sport centre, explore the Indian Ocean on a power boat. Along the way, there are many spots that have been appointed for observing pods of dolphins. (Note: the ability to see the dolphins is subjected to natural conditions.)

Lunch will be at a local restaurant before heading back to your hotel.

D After breakfast, relax at your hotel until it is time to check out and transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Suggested by Vayatour Bali

Source: Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Indonesia

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 (Jan-Mar)

102,179 132,620 145,179 168,122 41,049

rooms with triple beds, Wi-Fi Internet and meeting rooms seating up to 120 pax. Why Part of The Edge super-block project, the hotel has outdoor activity areas ideal for family gatherings or team-building activities. It is located near Jakarta-Bandung toll road’s Baros exit, a 20 minutes’ drive from Bandung’s city centre. ContactTel: (62-22) 8888-6991www.simplyvalorebaros.com

Harris Sentul CityWhat Opened in February, Harris Hotel Sentul City offers 160 rooms, a swimming pool, a kid’s club, a spa and seven meeting rooms – including a 500-pax ballroom. Situated between Bogor and Jakarta, it is close to several golf courses, the Sentul International Conven-tion Centre and the Sentul International Circuit.Why With its countryside atmosphere and being just 30 minutes from Jakarta, it is ideal for both leisure and MICE travellers. ContactTel: (62-21) 2868-9999www.tauzia.com

still a niche destination as there are no direct flights from India and

for Bali and

other destinations. We try to

Bali Zoo

sibilities to establish connections between the two countries.

J o u r n e y owner, Agus

Agus: access and weak economy

india JunJul12 p10 outbound Indonesia_LXgc.indd 10 6/6/12 11:58 AM

Vote NowFor the best and brightest in the Asia-Paci�c Travel Trade

�e 23rd Annual TTG Travel Awards 2012

The Asia-Pacific’s most prestigious annual travel industry awards, the TTG Travel Awards returns for the 23rd year to celebrate travel in the Asia-Pacific, recognising

the excellence of those who raise industry standards to new heights.

Closing Date: 3rd August 2012

Your Vote Matters!As an industry professional familiar with the latest developments in the

region, you represent the voice of the Asia-Pacific travel trade in helping us identify the organisations most deserving of the coveted Hermes trophy.

Vote for your favourite travel suppliers and travel agencies through the following voting form, or on our online voting form.

www.ttgasia.com/ttg-awards

Supported by:Organised by:

TTG Travel Trade Publishing is a business group of TTG Asia Media

An event by:

TTG Awards2012 Voting3pp260x380.indd 1 6/7/12 2:48 PM

Name: Passport no.:

Job title: Company:

Address:

Country:

Telephone no.: Fax no.:

Email: Signature:VO

TE

R I

NF

OR

MAT

ION

VOTING FORM A: TRAVEL AGENCY AWARDS

For voting by • Hoteliers • Airlines • Car rental companies • Cruise operators • National Tourism Organisations • GDS companies • All other travel professionals (except travel consultants, tour operators and destination management companies)

CriteriaBest Travel Agency in its respective category in terms of: • Professionalismandexcellenceinstaff. • Bestvalue-addedservicestoclient. • Bestuseofcomputertechnologyapplicationstohelpimproveefficiencyandeffectivenessinservicesprovidedtoclient.

1. Best Travel Agency – Australia

2. Best Travel Agency – China

3. Best Travel Agency – Chinese Taipei

4. Best Travel Agency – Hong Kong

5. Best Travel Agency – India

6. Best Travel Agency – Indochina (Cambodia, Laos)

7. Best Travel Agency – Indonesia

8. Best Travel Agency – Japan

9. Best Travel Agency – Malaysia

10. Best Travel Agency – Singapore

11. Best Travel Agency – South Korea

12. Best Travel Agency – Thailand

13. Best Travel Agency – The Philippines

14. Best Travel Agency – Vietnam

15. Best Corporate Travel Agency Besttravelagencyspecialisinginservingtheneedsofcorporatetravellers.

16. Best Online Travel Agency Bestonline-basedtravelagencyofferingthemostuser-friendlyandeffectiveinterfacetomeetclientneeds.Thisonlinetravelagencymustalsoboastthebestsales

andmarketingnetworkintermsofserviceinnovation.

1. Please use the correct voting form.

Voting Form A: Travel Agency Awards Forvotingbyhoteliers,airlinestaff,carrentalcompanies,cruiseoperators,

nationaltourismorganisations,GDScompaniesandallothertravelprofessionals(excepttravelconsultants,touroperatorsanddestinationmanagementcompanies).

Voting Form B: Travel Supplier Awards Forvotingbytravelconsultants,touroperatorsanddestination

managementcompaniesonly.

Online Voting Forms Youcanopttovoteusingouronlineformwww.ttgasia.com/ttg-awards

instead.

2. Voting Criteria Pleaserefertothevotingcriteriaforeach categoryandtitletoensurethat

alljudgingisdoneonanequalbasis.

3. Voting Rules i. Onlyonevotingentryperpersonisallowed–usingthevotingformor

onlinevoting. ii. Allvotesareconfidential. iii. VotingformsarepublishedinTTGTravelTradePublishingprinttitles

andareavailableonlineatwww.ttgasia.com/ttg-awards.

iv. Noresponsibilitywillbeacceptedbytheorganisers for voting forms lost,delayedordamagedinthepost.

v. Therearenopre-nominatedcontendersforanyvotingawards. vi. TheresultsforTTGTravelAwards2012arefinalandno

correspondencewillbeentertained. vii. Votingformswillbetabulatedandevaluatedbyanindependentauditor

inSingapore. viii. Theclosingdateis3rd August 2012.

4. Voting Form Submission Completedvotingformsaretobereturnedto:

SINGAPORE Ms Lina Tan (TTG Travel Awards 2012) TTGAsiaMediaPteLtd 1ScienceParkRoad#04-07TheCapricorn SingaporeScienceParkII Singapore117528 Tel:(65)6395-7575Fax:(65)6536-0896

HONG KONG Ms Carol Cheng (TTG Travel Awards 2012) TTGAsiaMediaPteLtd China.comInc 11/FINGTowerNo.308DesVoeuxRoad CentralHongKong Tel:(852)2237-7272Fax:(852)2806-0646

Please refer to the next page for VOTING FORM B:

TRAVEL SUPPLIER AWARDS

Award Categories1. Travel Agency Awards Winnersinthiscategoryaredecidedbyvotes

fromindustrysuppliers.

•BestTravelAgency –Australia •BestTravelAgency –China •BestTravelAgency –ChineseTaipei •BestTravelAgency –HongKong •BestTravelAgency–India •BestTravelAgency –Indochina

(Cambodia,Laos) •BestTravelAgency–Indonesia •BestTravelAgency –Japan •BestTravelAgency –Malaysia •BestTravelAgency–Singapore •BestTravelAgency–SouthKorea •BestTravelAgency–Thailand •BestTravelAgency–ThePhilippines •BestTravelAgency–Vietnam •BestCorporateTravelAgency •BestOnlineTravelAgency

2. Travel Supplier Awards Winnersinthiscategoryaredecidedbyvotes

fromtravelconsultantsandexperts.

AirlineAwards •BestNorthAmericanAirline •BestEuropeanAirline •BestMiddleEasternAirline •BestSouthAsianAirline •BestSouth-eastAsianAirline •BestNorthAsianAirline •BestChinaAirline •BestPacificAirline •BestRegionalAirline •BestAsianLow-CostCarrier

Hotels,Resorts,ServicedResidences&SpaAwards

HOTELChains •BestGlobalHotelChain •BestRegionalHotelChain •BestLocalHotelChain •BestHotelRepresentationCompany •BestLuxuryHotelBrand •BestMid-rangeHotelBrand •BestBudgetHotelBrand

HOTELS–IndividualProperty •BestLuxuryHotel •BestMid-rangeHotel •BestBudgetHotel •BestIndependentHotel •BestBoutiqueHotel •BestCityHotel–Bangkok •BestCityHotel–Delhi •BestCityHotel–Hanoi/HoChiMinhCity •BestCityHotel–Jakarta •BestCityHotel–HongKong •BestCityHotel–KualaLumpur •BestCityHotel –Macau •BestCityHotel–Manila •BestCityHotel–Seoul •BestCityHotel–Singapore •BestCityHotel–Taipei •BestCityHotel–Tokyo •BestNewCityHotel •BestAirportHotel

RESORTS–IndividualProperty •BestBeachResort •BestResortHotel(Non-Beach) •BestNewBeachResort •BestIntegratedResort

SERVICEDRESIDENCES •BestServicedResidenceOperator

SPAS •BestSpaOperator

BT-MICEAwards •BestAirline–BusinessClass •BestBusinessHotel •BestMeetings&ConventionsHotel •BestBT-MICECity •BestConvention&ExhibitionCentre •BestConvention&ExhibitionBureau

TravelServicesAwards • BestAirport • BestGDS • BestCruiseOperator • BestNTO • BestThemeAttraction

3. Outstanding Achievement Awards Thewinnersinthiscategoryaredecidedby

theTTGAsiaeditorialteam. •TravelPersonalityoftheYear •DestinationoftheYear •MostEntrepreneurialTravelCompany •BestMarketing&DevelopmentEffort

4. Travel Hall of Fame TheTravelHallofFamehonours

organisationsthathavewonatleast10consecutivetimesatpreviouseditionsoftheTTGTravelAwards.ThesespecialawardwinnerswillberecognisedateveryTTGannualawardspresentationceremony.Votesforthemwillnotbecounted.

InductedTravelHallofFamehonorariesare: • SingaporeChangiAirport(2002) • SingaporeAirlines(2002) • HertzAsia-Pacific(2005) • RoyalCliffBeachResort,Pattaya(2006) • StarCruises(2008) • AbacusInternational(2009) •Silkair(2010) • LotteTour(2011)

VOTING CLOSES 3rd August 2012

VOTE ONLINE AT www.ttgasia.com/ttg-awards

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES

For Travel Agency and Travel Supplier Awards

TTG Awards2012 Voting3pp260x380.indd 2 5/21/12 6:08 PM

Airline AwardsCriteriaBest airline in its respective category in terms of: •Providingthebestservice,networkandschedules. •Mostagent-friendlyintermsofreservations,confirmationsand

commissionpayments. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideas,incentiveprogrammesandservicing.

17. Best North American Airline BestairlinebasedinNorthAmericaoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

18. Best European Airline BestairlinebasedinEuropeoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

19. Best Middle Eastern Airline BestairlinebasedinMiddleEastoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

20. Best South Asian Airline BestairlinebasedintheIndiansubcontinentoperatingAsia-Pacific

routes.

21. Best South-east Asian Airline BestairlinebasedinBrunei,Cambodia,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,

Myanmar,ThePhilippines,Singapore,ThailandorVietnamoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

22. Best North Asian Airline BestairlinebasedinSouthKorea,Japan,ChineseTaipei,Macauor

HongKongoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

23. Best China Airline BestairlinebasedinChinaoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

24. Best Pacific Airline BestairlinebasedinthePacificoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

25. Best Regional Airline BestairlinebasedregionallyoperatingAsia-Pacificroutes.

26. Best Asian Low-cost Carrier BestairlinebasedinAsia-Pacificthatoperatesonalow-cost

strategy.

Hotels, Resorts, Serviced Residences & Spa AwardsCriteriaBest Hotel Chain in its respective category in terms of: •Mostconsistentinproductsandservices. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideas,incentiveprogrammesandservicing.Best Hotel/Resort/Serviced Residence/Spa in its respective category in terms of: •Bestservicesandfacilities. •Bestrangeofvalue-addedbenefits. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

HOTEL CHAINS27. Best Global Hotel Chain Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofpropertiesglobally.

28. Best Regional Hotel Chain Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofpropertiesintheregion.

29. Best Local Hotel Chain Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofpropertieswithinanyone

Asia-Pacificcountry.

30. Best Hotel Representation Company Bestcompanyprovidingthemostagent-friendlyproductsand

servicesandshowingthebestmarketingeffortingeneratingsalesformemberhotelsviaagents.

31. Best Luxury Hotel Brand Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofluxuriouspropertieswithin

anyoneAsia-Pacificcountry.

32. Best Mid-range Hotel Brand Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofmid-rangepropertieswithin

anyoneAsia-Pacificcountry.

33. BestBudgetHotelBrand Besthotelchainoperatinganetworkofeconomicalpropertieswithin

anyoneAsia-Pacificcountry.

HOTELS – Individual Property34. Best Luxury Hotel Besthotelcateringtotheupmarkettraveller.Thishotelmustalso

boastthebestvisualappealandambiencereflectingupmarketstatus.

35. Best Mid-range Hotel Bestmid-rangehotelcateringtothetravellerwhoseeksthree-tofour-

starqualityandcomfort.

36. Best Budget Hotel Besthotelcateringtothebudgettraveller.

37. Best Independent Hotel Bestnon-chain(ienotpartofanetworkofproperties)hotel.

38. Best Boutique Hotel Bestsmall,fashionableanduniquehotel.

39. Best City Hotel – Bangkok

40. Best City Hotel – Delhi

41. Best City Hotel – Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City

42. Best City Hotel – Jakarta

43. Best City Hotel – Hong Kong

44. Best City Hotel – Kuala Lumpur

45. Best City Hotel – Macau

46. Best City Hotel – Manila

47. Best City Hotel – Seoul

48. Best City Hotel – Singapore

49. Best City Hotel – Taipei

50. Best City Hotel – Tokyo

51. Best New City Hotel Bestcityhotelthatopenedin2011/2012.

52. Best Airport Hotel Besthotel–locatedwithinthevicinityofanairport–thatcatersto

travellersintransit.

RESORTS – Individual Property53. Best Beach Resort Bestresortlocatedbyabeach.Thisresortmustalsoboastthebest

visualappealandambiencereflectinglocalflavour.

54. Best Resort Hotel (Non-Beach) Bestresortnotlocatedbyabeach.Thisresortmustalsoboastthe

bestvisualappealandambiencereflectinglocalflavour.

55. Best New Beach Resort Bestbeachresortthatopenedin2011/2012.

56. Best Integrated Resort Besthotelofferingcomprehensiveaccommodation,shopping,dining,

entertainmentandsports.

SERVICED RESIDENCES 57. Best Serviced Residence Operator Bestservicedpropertycateringtomid-andlong-termstayingguests.

SPAS58. Best Spa Operator Bestmanagedandoperatedspaornetworkofspasintheregion.

BT-MICE AwardsCriteria •BestservicesandfacilitiescateringspecificallytotheBT-MICE

market. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicingtheBT-MICEmarket. •Mostdesirableandattractiveincentivesandvalueaddedservicesto

businesstravellersandMICEplanners.

59. Best Airline – Business Class Bestbusinessclassairlineacrosstheboard. RefertoAirlineCriteria.

60. Best Business Hotel Besthotelcateringtothebusinesstraveller. RefertoHotelCriteria.

61. Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel Besthotelcateringtomeetingandconventionneeds. RefertoHotelCriteria.

62. Best BT-MICE City Thecitymostfriendlyanddesirabletobusinesstravellersandfor

MICEplannerstohosttheirevents.

63. Best Convention & Exhibition Centre •Bestfacilities. •Bestvalueformoney. •MostflexibleincateringtoMICEplanners. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

64. Best Convention & Exhibition Bureau • Mostefficient,flexibleandfriendlyintermsofresponseto

enquiriesandinformation. •MosteffectiveinraisingawarenessofMICEatgovernmentand

communitylevels. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

Travel Services AwardsCriteria •Bestproduct,servicesandfacilities. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

65. Best Airport •Bestfacilities. •Mostuser-friendly,efficientandhassle-freeimmigration. •Mostorganisedbaggageclaim. • Bestplannedfloorlayout,witheasygroundaccess.

66. Best GDS (Global Distribution System) •Mostcomprehensivenetworkofferingeaseofoperationanduser

friendliness. •Mostefficientandreliablesystem.

67. Best Cruise Operator •Bestproductintermsofservice,routesandschedules. •Bestonboardprogrammeandfacilities. •Mostagent-friendlyintermsofreservations,confirmationsand

commissionpayments. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideas,incentiveprogrammesandservicing.

68. Best NTO (National Tourism Organisation) •Mostefficient,flexibleandfriendlyintermsofresponseto

enquiriesandinformation. •Mosteffectiveinraisingawarenessoftourismatgovernmentand

communitylevels. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

69. Best Theme Attraction •Bestambience. •Bestfacilitiesandservices. •Mostprofessionalsalesandmarketingteamintermsofinnovative

ideasandservicing.

For voting by • Travel Consultants • Tour Operators • Destination Management Companies

Name: Passport no.:

Job title: Company:

Address:

Country:

Telephone no.: Fax no.:

Email: Signature:VO

TE

R I

NF

OR

MAT

ION

VOTING CLOSES 3rd August 2012

VOTE ONLINE AT www.ttgasia.com/ttg-awards

VOTING FORM B: TRAVEL SUPPLIER AWARDS

TTG Awards2012 Voting3pp260x380.indd 3 5/21/12 6:08 PM

DESTINATION: JAIPUR

In the pink of developmentJaipur is poised for growth as efforts are made to target the high-end visitor. By Shekhar Niyogi

Arrivals International arrivals to the heritage state of Rajasthan rose 10.8 per cent year-on-year in 1Q2012. In 2011, 1.4 million international arrivals were recorded, a 6.3 per cent rise from 1.3 million arrivals in 2010.

The majority of foreign tour-ists to Rajasthan visit Jaipur (90 per cent), the capital city, and Udaipur (72 per cent). Accord-ing to Rajasthan Tourism, 86 per cent of foreign tourists visit the state for leisure, spending US$800-US$950 per day on av-erage.

Rajasthan accounts for 7.5 per cent of India’s total international arrivals but only 3.5 per cent of domestic tourism.

NTO Rajasthan Tourism is focusing on its historical and cultural draws like the Pushkar Festival in October and heritage walking tours in the old Jaipur, as well as ecotourism offerings such as desert safaris and the Ranthambore National Park. To encourage rural tourism, each village has also been allocated US$100,000 for development of unique experiences. Several golf courses have been built to attract MICE and corporate travellers.

The Rajasthan government has also reduced luxury tax on hotels from 10 to 8 per cent and withdrawn entertainment tax on tourism products.

Hotels Jaipur is seeing extensive hotel development at the high end, which will aug-ment its five-star room inventory from the current 562 to 1,850 by year-end, with the addition of 79 rooms in Taj Rambagh Palace, 90 rooms in Oberoi Rajvilas Palace, 260 rooms in The LaLiT and 360 rooms in Marriott.

The 248-room Fairmont is opening in September while the 160-room Radisson Blu will de-but in December. The Hilton and Westin are also scheduled to open in 2013, adding another 160 rooms and 200 rooms re-spectively.

According to HVS survey re-ports, 2,664 rooms will be added by 2014 to the current total sup-ply of 2554 rooms, a whopping increase of 104 per cent. An-other 4,867 rooms are expected by end-2015 when all proposed constructions are completed.

Rates Both room and occupancy rates have been on

the rise. Average room rate was US$120 in 1Q2012, compared to US$106 in 2011 and US$95 in 2010, based on a CRISIL Re-search report. Average occupan-cy in 1Q2012 was 72 per cent, up from 65 per cent in 2011 and 59 per cent in 2010. RevPAR rose in 1Q2012 to US$68 from US$62 in 2011.

Despite the growth in room inventory, most hotels have been able to sustain occupancy levels. In 2012, occupancy is expected to reach 69 per cent if all hotels under construction open on schedule.

Access The Jaipur airport receives only three in-ternational flights, all from the Gulf cities – Dubai (Air India), Sharjah (Air Arabia) and Muscat (Oman Air).

However, international pas-senger arrivals at the airport fell by 8 per cent in 1Q2012 due to reduced seat capacity on Air In-dia and Air Arabia. International aircraft movements decreased from 2,263 in 2010 to 1,855 in 2011, resulting in a drop in in-ternational passenger arrivals, which dipped 9 per cent from 246,788 in 2010 to 223,269 in 2011.

Extensive works are cur-rently underway at the airport to increase the