Islamic Travel Mart at World Trade Centre Mumbai

TTF West Series boosts travel planning for the lucrative festive season ahead

Contd on page 2

Islamic Travel Mart (ITM), India’s premier B2B marketplace and meeting point for all stakeholders

in Islamic tourism, is scheduled for October 13-14, 2018 at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai.

India is home to the second largest Muslim population in South Asia and Mumbai is the country’s commercial and business capital. Mumbai is also in close proximity to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, with the shortest flying time from any major Indian city, and thus the hub of all the leading Indian Haj, Umrah and Ziyarat travel industry.

ITM is the first exclusive B2B platform to network with Haj, Umrah, Ziyarat and Halal travel operators and travel agents from all over India, under one roof. Leading travel professionals and organisations from the Haj, Umrah, Ziyarat, Halal and mainstream travel sectors will come together to discuss the development of travel and tourism to the Islamic world, and the key challenges facing the growth.

Over 500,000 pilgrims travel every year for Haj from South Asia, of which around 170,000 are from India. In addition to Haj, a large number of pilgrims travel for Umrah and Ziyarat and this number is growing every year.

This travel fair will offer opportunities to network

with senior government officials and Haj Committee members, as well as international and domestic players in the industry.

Exhibitors will get a unique opportunity to reach out to buyers from all over India, as well as from neighbouring countries in South Asia. ITM will feature over 50 national and international exhibitors, and 1,500 visitors, including over 700 who have already registered, and 100+ hosted buyers from major markets like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, etc.

Al Khalid Tours & Travels is the Premium Partner. Atlas Umrah, ACF Tourism, Compare, Al Massa Companies Group and Cosmic Travels & Tours are Associate Partners. Hospitality Partner is AccorHotels. Partner Hotels include Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont, Pullman Hotels and Resorts, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts, Mercure Hotels, Novotel Hotels, Suites and Resorts, Majlis Grand Mercure, ibis Styles Hotels, The Oberoi Madina, Ramada Hotels, Almassa Hotels and Anjum Hotel. Puratech Solutions is the Technology Partner.

The event is supported by the All India Haj and Umrah Tours Organisers Association and the Federation Haj PTOs of India.

Golden Tulip, Hotels Al Ansar, HajjUmrahOnline.com, Classic Tour & Travels, Adel Zitouni Est. Umrah Services, Rahat Travels, Rahhal International, Royal Inn Hotels, Mawasim Tours & Umrah Services, Dar Al-Eiman Hotels, Kunuz Al Mashaer, Maather Hospitality & Umrah Services, Manazil Al-Mukhtara Haj & Umrah, Al Amaari and Suhana Travels are Featured Exhibitors in ITM.

Air India is the Partner Airline of the show.ITM is organised by India’s oldest and largest travel

trade show organisers, Fairfest Media Ltd.

Posted at NDPSO, New Delhi - 110001 on 15 & 16 of every month | Date of Publication 1st day of every month | Postal Registration No. DL(S) - 01/3532/2018-20 | RNI No. DELENG/2014/73425

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Tapping potential tourists from the booming western India market, participants at the Travel and Tourism

Fair (TTF) West Series concluded back-to-back shows on a high note, right ahead of the vacations of Dussehra and Diwali.

TTF Ahmedabad concluded on a promising note, breaking all its previous records. It saw a growth of 20% over last year, with more than 665 exhibitors participating from 27 Indian states/UTs and from 23 countries. The three-day show attracted unprecedented footfalls from 6,116 travel trade visitors from all over Gujarat and the Western India region and over 4,525 general visitors.

TTF Ahmedabad 2018 was inaugurated in the presence of Mahendra Vakharia, President, OTOAI and MD, Pathfinders and Viranga Bandara, Assistant Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

At the inauguration, Vakharia said, “Gujaratis love to travel and explore new places, and TTF is one fair that not only organisers but also tourists in Gujarat eagerly await every year. We are proud to state that out of the 8-city TTF series in India, TTF Ahmedabad receives the maximum participation. It has developed into a vital platform for travel organisers to connect and network with new and old partners.”

Speaking about Indians travelling to Sri Lanka, Bandara commented, “We have lots of Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka, the number growing year on year. In fact, we are expecting 4.50 lakh tourists from India in 2018. TTF provides a great travel trade opportunity for us apart from directly connecting us with tourists. This year, we have 18 participants from Sri Lanka showcasing their best deals in Ahmedabad. I urge Ahmedabad’s travellers to come down to Sri Lanka to enjoy our hospitality and explore the beaches, forests, wildlife, and Ramayana trail attractions.”

Excited about his visit to TTF, Jong Sool (Michael) Kwon, Director, Korea Tourism Organization - New Delhi said, “Ahmedabad is very welcoming and I am really happy to be here at TTF Ahmedabad. I urge the people of Ahmedabad to visit Korea to explore the country’s beautiful nature, festivals, and vibrant underground shopping malls that have a lot to offer.”

Kerala Tourism and Jammu & Kashmir Tourism conducted seminars at TTF Ahmedabad to promote tourism of their respective states.

TTF Surat hosted over 115 exhibitors from 17 States/UTs and international representatives from 5 countries that presented tourism opportunities in India and

abroad during the three day carnival. The event which opened its doors to networking

opportunities for stakeholders of tourism industry, received a remarkable response from 750 trade visitors and 5,100 general visitors searching for the best holiday options for the upcoming Diwali season.

The event was inaugurated by Ganpatsinh Vasava, Tourism Minister of Gujarat and Dr Jagdish Patel, Mayor of Surat Municipal Corporation.

Speaking on the occasion, Vasava said, “The tourism industry is growing at an increasing rate and TTF has a major contribution to this growth. It organises the largest tourism fairs across India thereby bringing together national and international travellers under one roof.”

“Surtis and Gujaratis travel the most and this exhibition is a wonderful attempt to bring in major tour operators to Surat so that the people of Surat can plan their national and international travels,” commented Patel.

Tourists were further delighted with a platter of vacation planning offers for the high festive season when TTF entered Maharashtra, one of the oldest and most important travel markets of the country.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 2 • COVER STORY

Contd from page 1

editor & Publisher Sanjiv Kumar Agarwal(editor@fairfest.in)

editorial boardV SureshGazanfar IbrahimHarsh AgarwalAbraham JohnSandrine ClaracAbhinav Bhat

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DesignPriyam VoraDilip MannaRitam MaityMaruti More

Managing Director Rajiv Agarwal

Director Raj Kapoor Singh

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Pune’s Messe Global Exhibition Centre, Laxmi Lawns played host to the three-day travel trade show that had over 115 participants from 17 Indian States/UTs and from 8 countries, and over 760 trade visitors and 1,100 general visitors. It offers a great face-to-face networking opportunity for travel trade and tourists, to grab the best deals.

The event was inaugurated by Santosh Khawale, Founder & Director, Surabhi Travels and Chairman - Western India, Enterprising Travel Agent’s Association; Nilesh Bhansali, Director, Travel Agents Association Pune and Shaishav Parekh, Secretary, Travel Agents Association of India Pune Chapter.

Khawale said, “TTF Pune is a great opportunity for the travel trade and sellers to meet their requirements. Here the travel trade get introduced to new destinations and state tourism boards. Lot of business takes place in TTF. Pune is a huge market and there are many in Pune who love to travel and explore the world. I thank the organisers of TTF who are doing a great job for the tourism industry. We want TTF Pune to be organised in a large scale as the travel trade will be benefited.”

Bhansali said, “Firstly I would like to thank the organisers of TTF for organising such an event in Pune city. We used to go to Mumbai or other places for these kinds of exhibitions. TTF has given an opportunity for the travel trade of Pune to meet tourism boards for a one-to-one interaction. Also the way, in which the event is organised with the seminars and destination

training programmes, it will be a great help for all the travel agents.”

At TTF, visitors are assured of getting best deals in holiday packages, hotel accommodation and other travel options, with facility of booking on-the-spot. For the city’s travel trade, TTF is an opportunity to network and transact business with national and international exhibitors.

The final chapter of the West Series culminated in Mumbai. TTF Mumbai, Fairfest Media’s second show in Mumbai (in addition to OTM), tap the lucrative Mumbai market just before the Diwali and winter season. TTF Mumbai, which took place at Nehru Centre, provided an excellent opportunity for buyers and sellers before the vital Dussehra and Diwali season. With over 155 participants from 17 Indian States/UTs and 4 countries, TTF Mumbai was visited by over 2,500 trade visitors and over 2,000 general visitors.

Cox and Kings was the Knowledge Partner at TTF Ahmedabad, TTF Pune and TTF Mumbai. At TTF Ahmedabad and TTF Pune, they organised a workshop wherein they presented destinations - Finland, the Baltic States and Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia also presented the airline’s connectivity and rates at the workshop. At TTF Mumbai, Cox and Kings presented destinations - Oman and Seychelles. Various tourist attractions and their packages were presented by Cox and Kings to the travel agents and visitors at all the three venues.

Commenting on the series of presentations being conducted at TTFs, Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox and Kings said, “Cox & Kings believes in providing a seamless platform to educate all our travel trade partners about the latest developments. We are happy to partner with the beautiful destinations including Indonesia, Finland and the Baltic states and promote their diverse offering. The discerning travellers of India are demanding for complex travel solutions and we are here to support our fraternity and enable them through this highly engaging TTF forum.”

India Tourism participated in all the four locations of TTF.

Country representations at TTF West Series included Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Korea, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, China, Germany, Indonesia, Oman, Seychelles, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Bhutan, Maldives, USA, Dubai, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand.

State representations at TTF West Series included Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Andaman & Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Islamic Travel Ma� is India's premier B2B marketplace and meeting point for Indian Haj, Umrah, Ziyarat, Halal travel agents and tour operators to network and do business with global suppliers from the

Islamic travel & tourism industry.

To book your vantage stand at ITM write to us at contact@fai�est.in

To visit ITM, please register at www.islamictravelma�.in/a�ending/ or call Priyanka Swamy +919967921705

www.islamictravelma�.in

Hospitality Pa�ner Pa�ner Hotels

Pa�ner Hotels

Associate Pa�nersPremium Pa�ner

Featured Exhibitors

Technology Pa�ner Featured ExhibitorsPa�ner Airline

10 AM to 6 PM

Organised bySuppo�ed byFeatured Exhibitors

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 4 • COVER STORY

We are participating in TTF for the last six years and for us it is a great platform where we get a lot of queries and on the spot we generate a lot of sales revenue during the three days. This platform is very useful for me for generating new business.

sikander VadadriyaSales Manager, Club Mahindra

I have attended TTF shows across the country and we always get a good response from here. A lot of people came with a purpose and we did good business. This year 20 participants came with us here and they have done good business. In TTF we get the target audience and helps us in the long run.

u b udaya KumarRegional Manager (South)Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC)

It is always a pleasure to be a part of this event and TTF is one of the best events in the industry showcasing not only international but also domestic operators and tourism opportunities so it is always an excitement to be a part of TTF. You get a chance to interact and network and meet old partners and make new partners as well.

Mahendra VakhariaPresident, OTOAI MD, Pathfinders

It is a great pleasure to be here at TTF Ahmedabad for the second time. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau participated with 18 participants this year. From the first day we saw tremendous growth at TTF Ahmedabad, and we are looking forward to participate in the coming years as well.

Viranga bandaraAssistant DirectorSri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau

TTF is a major event and it is a very important platform for Korea Tourism to promote the destination. We are very glad to participate in this West series of TTF and we look forward to participate in the other shows of Fairfest Media as well.

Jong sool (Michael) KwonDirectorKorea Tourism Organisation - New Delhi

This is the first event that Kerala Tourism has attended after the floods in August. TTF Ahmedabad is very important for us as Gujarat is the prime market for Kerala. We want to give the message that Kerala Tourism is back and we are ready to receive guests from the entire country. TTF is a great platform for Kerala Tourism, around 24 trade partners have come and we have also taken a huge space this year in Ahmedabad. All my partners have

confirmed they have got good response and potential business opportunities in TTF. We will surely continue our partnership with TTF in the coming years as well.

P balakiranDirector, Kerala Tourism

We have been associated with TTF for a long time now and we are participating every year. It is a great platform and it has grown a lot over the years. This show is at par with other travel trade shows we have in the country. It is a great place to network and at the end of the day our business depends on networking. Our participation in TTF helps us a lot to set network in Gujarat and Maharashtra market.

satya royVice PresidentAnanta Hotels & Resorts

It is always a pleasure to be a part of TTF Ahmedabad. We got a very good response from here and got a lot of business opportunities from this market as well. We got the chance to meet the B2B agents directly and received a lot of queries also. We look forward to be a part of the upcoming TTFs as well.

Pranjal Pratim borahManaging PartnerTribal Planets Tours & Travels

TTF has helped us to be introduced in the market and help us get connected with the trade. There’s a mutual win-win situation and we are going to get promoted. A lot of travel agents and tour operators are also looking for new products and with the help of this common platform, I think it’s going to gain us great benefits.

Krishnapal singh champawatSanchal Fort

TTF is one of the biggest and best platforms that we participate in. We are associated with TTF since the very beginning and we are really satisfied with the response we get every time. We have to come back here each time as we get to know a lot of new people with whom we get to network and this platform helps us to reach out to greater number of people.

Kunal AggarwalDirector, The Solluna Resort

I am part of TTF for almost seven years now and every time the experience has been great. It is the perfect platform to meet the potential buyers. There were a lot of queries and we hope to turn them into positive business opportunities.

sudeep MehtaPresident - Sales and MarketingThe Tree House Resort

We are exhibiting for second time in TTF Ahmedabad and in TTF Mumbai. We got very good response from all the TTFs. This platform helps us to grow a lot as we get to meet a lot of agents at one go in the three days and do great business with them.

Gopal unadkatMDAadesh Travels Pvt Ltd

TTF is a great platform for us where we get a lot of tour operators and Gujarat is a major market for us as we are launching new hotels in Manali and Katra. We received a lot of queries and we hope to materialise them in to positive bookings.

rajat GuptaDirector National SalesBest Western Hotels & Resorts

TTF has been a great platform for us in promoting our destinations. We met a lot of travel agents here and this helped us in enhancing our business. We got a very good response from the Ahmedabad market and we look forward to participate in the upcoming TTFs as well.

Harshad VermaManagerThe Samsara Holidays

testimonials at ttF Ahmedabad

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 5 COVER STORY •

The organisers of TTF have assured that we got better mileage and branding for our products which has helped us in getting quality buyers from all over Gujarat and western parts of the country. Our participation in TTF was a success as we have received many queries from the visitors.

Alok soniAssured Holiday

Gujarat is a big market for us and TTF Ahmedabad has helped is in tapping such a potential market. In TTF networking is done very swiftly as all the quality buyers are present under the same roof. We have met and networked with many local agents which will help our business in the long run. I thank the organisers for giving us such an wonderful opportunity.

Himanshu AgarwalCo-FounderDeyor Camps

TTF is undoubtedly the largest network of travel trade show in India and with the help of TTF we have been able to network with industry stalwarts under the same roof. TTF is the best platform to showcase the varied tourism product to such a solid base of quality buyers. I congratulate the organisers for a good work done.

Munjal FitterFounder & CEOrezmytrip.com

We have been participating in all other TTF events and TTF Ahmedabad was a wonderful experience for us. We have received excellent response from the visitors. TTF Ahmedabad was very grand this time with many national and international players who had set-up stalls under one roof. Visitors too were very keen in knowing about our tourism products. Overall TTF Ahmedabad was a great show.

biswajit routrayAssistant DirectorOdisha Tourism

TTF Ahmedabad is marquee travel and trade show in India, which has become a brand on its own and in recent years it has grown tremendously. We are quite delighted to be associated with TTF as it provides us the right platform and help us in meeting with quality buyers under the same roof.

Avinash NiralaVP - Sales & MarketingTag Resorts

Our association with the organisers is very old and trusted. We have participated in OTM as welland we had a wonderful show there. This what encouraged us to take part in TTF Ahmedabad. TTF is truly the largest travel trade show network in India, an excellent platform to meet and network with the industry giants under the same roof.

Nilesh MaruDirectorThe Enjoy City

Gujarat, especially the Ahmedabad market, is one of the important markets for us and TTF has helped us in knowing the market inside out. We have networked with many tour operators, travel agents from Gujarat and western India which will help our business for a longer period of time.

Kunal sabharwalDirector of SalesDS Group

This is first time that we have taken up a separate space in TTF and we had an amazing time networking with varied travel trade giants from Ahmedabad and western India. TTF provides the right mileage to exhibitors who have exhibited here. Gujarat is an important market for resorts and TTF is helping us gain business from this very potential market.

Digraj singh shekhawatDirectorShahpura Hotels

This was my third visit to TTF and it’s really great to see this event growing drastically. TTF is an excellent platform for newcomers to come and visit the show and set the network with travel giants under the same roof.

Jahiruddin AhmedOperation HeadSuryadot Travels

As our predominant focus is on domestic tourism, no other platform is as suited as TTF as this platform provides us required exposure which makes us take part in all the TTFs around the country. We would be glad to be a part of upcoming TTFs as well. I would like to congratulate the organisers on such a successful show and thank them as well for giving us a chance to showcase our products.

Naresh AroraFounder & CEOTrulyy India

We have been associated with TTF from a long time and we have seen a drastic change in the event in recent years. The show has grown enormously and provided us great networking opportunities with the industry experts from Gujarat as well as from pan India.

Avinash PandeyRegional Manager - Sales (Gujarat)Leisure Hotels Ltd

We received excellent response from travel trade here in TTF Ahmedabad, more than 65 hoteliers, tour operators had participated time from Himachal. It is a great platform for private as well as public agency to showcase their tourism products. The organisers did a great job in conducting such a successful event. Keep it up!

Ved PandeySenior ManagerHimachal Tourism

I am very delighted to be a part of TTF. TTF Ahmedabad is a one of its kind, excellent platform for B2B interactions. Meeting and networking with travel industry players makes TTF a standalone and unique event in travel industry. I wish the organisers, Fairfest Media, good luck for their future endeavours.

Dheeraj saundhFounder, Chutney Hotels

TTF is an excellent platform for all the people associated with travel trade. TTF caters to the need of hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents by providing them good suppliers under the same roof.

Amit choubisaSales ManagerGolden Tulip Radiant Globus

testimonials at ttF Ahmedabad

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 6 • COVER STORY

TTF Surat is the platform for the travel industry. Here we can directly get in touch with the B2B as well as B2C market. We will always support TTF. The response at TTF Surat turned out to be excellent for us with both travel agents and general public turning up in large numbers.

saurabh upadhyayCEO

AAI Fly

In a place like Surat, if you find a show like TTF, then I feel Surat is growing and the way the organisers have managed this show, I really appreciate that. TTF has so many options from tourism boards to hotel properties and this will help the travel and tourism industry.

sunil singhGroup General Manager

Times Club

Surtis and Gujaratis travel the most and this exhibition is a wonderful attempt to bring in major tour operators to Surat so that the people of Surat can plan their national and international travels.

Jagdish PatelMayor

Surat Municipal Corporation

We have a variety of packages to offer to the travel trade and the people of Surat and TTF serves as the best platform to reach out to all of them. TTF is a one stop solution for travel lovers and we look forward to participating in other cities as well.

Gopal soodSenior Marketing (IT & Marketing)

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd

We have received a good client base at TTF Surat. Many enquiries have come in to travel during Diwali as well as for next year. There are quality buyers and we are very happy with the response. I would like to thank the organisers of TTF Surat for such an amazing platform.

chaitali ParekhDirector

Skyline Holidays

TTF Pune is a great opportunity for the travel trade and sellers to meet their requirements. Here the travel trade get introduced to new destinations and state tourism boards. Lot of business takes place in TTF. Pune is a huge market and there are many in Pune who love to travel and explore the world. I thank the organisers of TTF who are doing a great job for the tourism industry. We want TTF Pune to be organised in a large scale as the travel trade will be benefited.

santosh KhawaleFounder & Director, Surabhi Travels

Chairman - Western India, Enterprising Travel Agent’s Association

Firstly I would like to thank the organisers of TTF for organising such an event in Pune city. We used to go to Mumbai or other places for these kinds of exhibitions. TTF has given an opportunity for the travel trade of Pune to meet tourism boards for a one-to-one interaction. Also the way, in which the event is organised with the seminars and destination training programs, it will be a great help for all the travel agents.

Nilesh bhansaliDirector

Travel Agents Association Pune

TTF is a great platform. I was happy to see so many travel agents here. We came across many new clients. I am thankful to the organisers of TTF Pune and wish to participate in many more TTFs.

Gauri MulayExecutive Business Development

Spiceland Holidays

It is our first experience in TTF Pune. Pune is a huge market; there are lot of travellers here so the enthusiasm is evident. Overall it has been a great experience and we are looking forward to more such experiences.

N Vijay KumarHead Business Development

Andaman Aqua Holidays

We are participating in TTF Pune for the first time and we are amazed with the response received here. We have received quality buyers and direct bookings from here. Now we want to part a part of every TTF being held in different cities.

Dimple satavatOperation Manager

Desert Planners Tourism

TTF Pune was good for us, we are happy and satisfied with the response received here. We will definitely participate next year as well. We met good quality buyers and we are sure all these meetings will turn into good business. I want to thank the organisers of TTF.

Depen GurungRen Tours & Treks, Bhutan

This time in TTF Ahmedabad there were more exhibitors and the show was very well organised. I am always delighted to be a part of TTF and have never missed a single TTF in Ahmedabad. The type of response we receive from the visitors here at TTF is just phenomenal and I would love to be a part of upcoming TTFs.

Alok JainAlliance Hospitality Services

This is the first time I have represented The Tamara Coorg in TTF and it has been an overwhelming experience for me to visit and exhibit at such a grand event. We have received many queries from the visitors here at TTF Ahmedabad. Overall, it has been a great show. Keep it up!

santosh uthappaResort Manager

The Tamara Coorg

TTF is an excellent platform for travel startups and to build relationships. I am very glad to have participated here in TTF. It’s an excellent opportunity for me to network with travel trade from all over India under the one umbrella. Ahmedabad is one of the potential source markets for us and I thank the organisers for giving us a platform through TTF.

D sekarAdvisor - Operations & Marketing

The Hamuse Hotel

testimonials at ttF surat & Pune

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 7 COVER STORY •

Celebrating 260 years, Cox & Kings Ltd, the old-est and leading tour operator with operations in

22 countries across continents concluded its special seminar on destinations including Indonesia, Finland and the Baltic States. Cox & Kings’ business represen-tatives presented the diversified offerings of the five destinations to a packed room of industry partners. The travel agents on-ground were benefitted by the interactive seminar organised to enable them to bet-ter market the destination. About 100 suppliers and other stakeholders used the opportunity to network and solve their queries with the representatives from Cox & Kings and airline partners during the seminar at India’s largest travel trade show network.

Commenting on the series of presentations being conducted at TTF, Karan Anand, Head – Relation-ships said, “Cox & Kings believes in providing a seam-less platform to educate all our travel trade partners about the latest developments. We are happy to part-ner with the beautiful destinations including Indone-sia, Finland, the Baltic states, Oman and Seychelles and promote their diverse offering. The discerning travellers of India are demanding for complex travel solutions and we are here to support our fraternity and enable them through this highly engaging TTF forum.”

The special seminar is a part of the series of work-shops and presentations that Cox & Kings has been organising to share unfiltered destination-specific knowledge with travel agents. These targeted sem-inars at trade shows including the one at TTF have been offering an interactive platform for the destina-tions to explore the Indian outbound segment.

Gracing the special occasion, delegates from the Qatar Airways and Garuda Airline were also pres-ent. Providing the latest on flights from Ahmedabad

and other Indian cities, the representatives held an interactive session with the audience.

Anand also added, “Through our outreach ses-sions at TTF, we have successfully managed to cover various cities. We are glad to be in Pune this time. The current knowledge session on Finland and Indone-sia will prove extremely beneficial for the travel fra-ternity here. The traveller base in Pune is quite dis-cerning and always looks for new destinations. The Cox & Kings’ seminar with its strategic partners will enable our Pune partners to offer the best of travel solutions.”

There has been a growing interest among Indians for Indonesia and Finland. Finland had witnessed a robust growth of 42% in tourist arrivals and over-nights from the Indian market in 2017. Bali in Indo-nesia has been an all-time favourite and continues to

attract more Indians as it recorded a growth of about 30% as compared to 2016. The seminar also focused on lesser-known places at the destinations launched.

Oman has impressed Indian travellers with its distinct offerings. A stunning coastline, historic monuments, authentic Arabian experience and state-of-the-art infrastructure make Oman a dream destination. Since 2014, Oman has witnessed a growth of about 31% in Indian arrivals while it con-tinues to ride on the growth of Indian MICE traffic as well.

The number of tourists going to Seychelles is con-stantly rising. It is no more only a honeymoon desti-nation but for families and celebrations alike. With an impressive growth of about 13.3% for the period of January to July 2018 vis-à-vis the same period in 2017, Seychelles has indeed become the talk of the town.

cox & Kings conducts special seminar at ttF Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai

Thank you for inviting us and making us a part of TTF. It is a good platform and since it is a multi-city show we are always eager to participate with TTF. As TTF is one of the oldest travel trade shows we get a lot of response as far as

the visitors are concerned.

chetan MotaSales and Marketing OfficerGaruda Indonesia

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 8 • COVER STORY

ttF AHMeDAbAD GLIMPSES

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 9 COVER STORY •

ttF surAt GLIMPSES

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 10 • COVER STORY

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Kerala ready to welcome tourists after the disastrous floodsSending out a message that

most of tourism locations in Kerala have survived the onslaughts of the recent calam-itous floods, a top official of the State’s Tourism Department held a press conference on the second day of TTF Ahmedabad, saying God’s Own Country is gearing up to welcome domes-tic and international guests dur-ing the upcoming tourism sea-son from next month.

“Kerala Tourism is quickly bouncing back from the flood-related damage which has not affected most of the tourism locations in the State, and the State Government has accorded priority to speedy restoration of roads connecting major destinations,” said P Bala Kiran, Direc-tor, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala.

Addressing the press conference, he said, “Most of the tourist locations were intact. Most of the resorts and hotels are unaffected. There is also a huge support from tourism trade across India.”

Singling out the damage to roads connecting tourism destinations as a major challenge, Bala Kiran said the Government is giving top priority to rebuilding these roads.

He also pointed out that the tourist arrivals had started picking up from August 29. “All the airports as also road and rail transportation are operational in the State and the fourth airport at Kannur in north Kerala will be opened soon,” he said.

Munnar, Thekkady and Wayanad, the three prime locations which were affected due to rains and landslides, are now open for tourists and the public. Also, all sightseeing spots across the state are now accessible for tourists. Eravikulam National Park reopened on September 1 and eco-tourism activities in Thekkady are operational.

Bala Kiran also informed that the Malabar region in North Kerala would be pro-moted in a big way after the opening of the Kannur airport.

As planned, the Champions Boat League will be launched in 2018 with a spot-light on water and renewed life around water.

Kerala Tourism will launch a string of aggressive promotional campaigns in key foreign markets to promote the upcoming 4th edition of Kochi-Muziris

Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art event in Asia. It will be held from December 12, 2018 to March 19, 2019.

The Director said that the newly opened Jatayu Adventure Centre near Thiruvananthapuram would be a major attraction during the coming tourist sea-son. The centre houses the world’s largest bird sculpture, a virtual reality museum, a state of the art ropeway and many other adventure activities.

Kashmir is the safest destination for women: Director, Tourism Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir Tourism organised a press conference at TTF Ahmedabad on Day 2 to promote tourism in the State and shed away misconceptions. Guja-

rat is one of the major markets for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and TTF Ahmedabad served as an ideal platform to promote J&K.

Tasaduq Jeelani, Director, Jammu & Kashmir Tourism quipped, “The state has more than 500 different tourist spots to discover which spans over Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh region. While the Jammu region is bestowed with destina-tions of religious interests like Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori and there are destinations like Patnitop and various lakes that make a perfect leisure and family destination.”

Speaking about the facilities for tourists, Jeelani commented, “We have high-end facilities for travellers who are looking for an onward journey from Jammu. Srinagar and other places in the valley like Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam are very well connected from the road. We have good air connectivity to Srinagar from other cities of India if travellers are looking for an air travel.”

He also confirmed that the tourism department has worked on bettering the tourism facilities in Srinagar by providing reservation centres for travellers where a traveller can book houseboats, sikara rides, gondola rides, etc. from the centre itself. He also remarked that the rich flora and fauna of the State is one of the main reasons that attract the travellers to varied and diverse destinations.

“To utilise the natural resources of the state to the fullest, we have introduced adventure tourism lately with activities like white water rafting amongst others to attract the adventure junkies from India and around the globe,” he added.

Stressing on the safety aspect, Jeelani said, “Kashmir is the safest destination for women. A woman traveller can roam freely on the streets of Kashmir even at midnight. Humanity is still alive in Kashmir. Hence, I request the people to visit the state and see the transformation.”

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TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 14INDIA

TAAI and Yunnan sign MOU for 65th TAAI Convention at Kunming A hi-powered delegation from Yunnan and the offi-cials in India joined TAAI to announce the 65th Con-vention & Exhibition of TAAI at Kunming, Yunnan from the November 27 to 29. To promote travel and tourism, recently a MOU was signed between TAAI and Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Com-mission (YPTDC).

In association with the YPTDC, the maiden TAAI Convention in China will take place at Inter Conti-nental Kunming. On the occasion, Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI said, “This is an initiative to pro-mote stronger tourism prospects in Yunnan. TAAI has been working towards a stronger connect with China.”

The theme of the convention will revolve around strengthening friendship and tourism relationship with China.

A press meet was held in New Delhi for this announcement. It was a big welcome accorded to Shi Lin, Vice Director General of YPTDC; Liu Huibo, Vice Director of International Marketing Department of YPTDC; Fang Limin, Vice Director of International Marketing Department of YPTDC; Li Bijian, Deputy Chief Minister of the Embassy of China; and Tian Xin, Director of Indian Office of the Culture and Tourism, Ministry of China. It also had the presence of Zhao Jun from the China Embassy.

“It was a pleasure to have had the representa-tives of the three Chinese Airlines flying out of India – China Eastern; Shandong Airlines and China Southern to also join the event,” a spokesperson commented.

For over a year there have been discussions between TAAI and YPTDC to organise the TAAI Convention in Kunming in Yunnan Province, China. Kunming is directly connected from Delhi (DEL) and Kolkata (CCU) and has extensive connect via Bang-kok (BKK), Guangzhou (CAN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Singapore (SIN).

This is the first time TAAI will be organising the annual convention at China. The TAAI Committee is working out some very attractive packages for the delegates. This most important initiative will herald a new level of tourism co-operation between India and China, whose tourism size and potential is immense.

Thomas Cook India eyes strong growth in RajasthanThomas Cook (India) Ltd has identified Rajasthan as a significant growth market for its Foreign Exchange business and to leverage this opportunity, has opened two new counters at Jaipur International Airport. The outlets were inaugurated by J S Bal-hara, Airport Director, Jaipur International Airport in the presence of Deepesh Varma, Sr Vice President - Foreign Exchange.

Industry data highlights that Jaipur International Airport has witnessed strong growth in passenger numbers – from 2.20 in 2014-2015 to 4.80 million passengers in 2017-2018. In addition, Thomas Cook India’s internal research has reiterated the strong and growing potential of India’s Tier II and Tier III source markets and based on high potential, Jaipur airport was selected for its new Foreign Exchange outlets.

Jaipur is a key destination for foreign tourists visiting the famous City Palace and Hawa Mahal, equally for its significant and growing market of out-bound travellers.

Deepesh Varma, Sr Vice President and Head - Sales & Relationship Management Foreign Exchange, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd said, “Jaipur is a key and high growth opportunity for our Foreign Exchange business being a prime gateway airport for the cultural tourists, also for Rajasthan’s strongly emerging outbound travel segment. At Thomas Cook India, we have identified Jaipur as a powerful source market given strong growth continuum of 18% year-on-year for our Foreign Exchange business.”

“Our two new Foreign Exchange outlets at Jai-pur International Airport, will offer travellers easy access to Thomas Cook India’s range of Foreign Exchange products and services - right at the air-port on arrival or departure,” he added.

Jet Airways introduces 28 new flights to enhance domestic connectivityContinuing its focus on growing its domestic pres-ence, Jet Airways introduced 28 new flights. Being a network carrier, Jet Airways’ new services – includ-ing industry-firsts as well as a mix of non-stop and one-stop flights will strengthen the airline’s footprint, enabling it to meet the rising demand for domestic and international air travel in emerging cities. The new services will also help connect guests with other cit-ies including metros as well as the airline’s global net-work via its hubs in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

In a series of industry-firsts, Jet Airways intro-duced daily flights from Indore, connecting the ‘larg-est city in Madhya Pradesh’ to Jodhpur as well as to Vadodara. In other notable firsts, Jet Airways is also set to commence flight operations between Chandi-garh and Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur as well as Vadodara and Jaipur.

The airline is also introducing additional frequen-cies on key existing routes, expanding non-stop capac-ity between Mumbai-Guwahati and Delhi-Bagdogra and providing additional one-stop connectivity on the Mumbai-Bagdogra and New Delhi-Guwahati routes.

Among other network enhancements, the schedule included non-stop flights connecting Bengaluru with Lucknow, Indore with Kolkata, Kolkata with Chan-digarh, Coimbatore with Hyderabad, Visakhapat-nam with Mumbai and Delhi, reflecting the growing demand for its services to facilitate the travel aspira-tions of its guests.

Raj Sivakumar, Sr Vice-President, Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Jet Airways said, “As air travel gains prominence in emerging cities across India such as Indore, Jodhpur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam and Vadodara, there is an increasing need to introduce connectivity solution for these cities. This will also benefit small and medium enterprises as well as cor-porate travellers who will be able to enjoy day-return flights. I am sure our new flights will reinforce Jet Air-ways’ as the preferred airline and will boost connec-tivity, trade and development in each of these cities.”

SoTc Travel witnesses significant demand ahead of festive season with 20% hike in bookings

cox & Kings appoints Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador

SOTC Travel has observed huge demand in travel bookings for the upcoming festive season, with an overall growth of 15-20% for domestic destinations and international destinations.

SOTC has observed that the new age traveller finds festive breaks as a perfect holiday opportunity to escape from their monotonous city life routine. It has been observed that an increasing number of que-ries have been received from cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, etc. from families, millenni-als and DINKS. Among domestic destinations, Ker-ala, Andaman, Rajasthan, Goa and Himachal are the flavours of the season while north-east has emerged as the most popular destination, while Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand have emerged as favourite international destinations. New emerg-ing destinations such as Egypt, Azerbaijan, Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) are growing in popularity.

In a focused plan to target consumers across

key metros and sub metros, SOTC has strategically planned its unique ‘Super Holiday Sale’ to catalyse this demand. The attractive spot-offers and special discounts promising priceless experiences at the lowest offer are intended to drive demand in this crucial booking window for the upcoming holiday season. SOTC believes that this is a great opportu-nity for travellers to maximise on the discounts and offers available.

Daniel D’souza, Head of Sales - India & NRI Mar-kets & E-Commerce, SOTC Travel said, “With fes-tive season approaching soon, at SOTC Travel we have observed that the new age travel enthusiasts are keen on exploring new destinations for vacations in India and abroad. Several other factors like com-petitive pricing of airfare and accommodation add impetus to this as well. We have also observed an upward growth of 35-40% with people preferring to book their holidays 2-3 months in advance for inter-national destinations.”

Celebrating 260 years, Cox & Kings Ltd has roped in Bollywood youth icon and avid traveller Anushka Sharma as the company’s brand ambassador. The actress will be seen promoting the company’s unique travel offerings in a new TV campaign to be released soon.

Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “Anushka is known for her versatility, exper-imentation and unusual personality. She perfectly represents a generation that is energetic, unapol-ogetic and fun loving which makes her the right fit to showcase Cox & Kings’ innovative holiday offerings.”

Speaking about her experience Anushka Sharma said, “I am glad to be associated with the world’s old-est travel company Cox & Kings. I love to travel and personally think that travelling opens us up to new incredible experiences and changes the way we look at the world. Whether you are travelling solo, with your partner or friends, Cox & Kings has a holiday experience for every type of traveller.”

This is the first ever association of Cox & Kings with a Bollywood superstar. Anushka will be

promoting the brand across print, television and digital platforms. With this announcement, Cox & Kings will introduce Europe summer 2019 packages starting at INR 69,750 and winter departures to Far East, Australia, New Zealand and exotic destina-tions starting at INR 58,980 only.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 15 INDIA •

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Air connectivity reaches Sikkim as the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pakyong Airport which is the first airport in the Hima-layan State and the 100th airport in the country.

Addressing a large public gather-ing on the occasion, the Prime Minister described the day as a historic one for Sikkim, and an important one for India. He said that with Pakyong Airport, the country has hit a century of airports. He also said that the Pakyong Airport would greatly ease connectivity to Sik-kim. In order to ensure that it is useful to the common man, this airport is part of the UDAN scheme, informed the Prime Minister. He also said that out of 100 air-ports in the country today, 35 have been operationalised in the last four years.

The Prime Minister mentioned Sik-kim’s progress in organic farming. He

mentioned that the Union Govern-ment has initiated the ‘Mission Organic Value Development for North Eastern Region’

Pakyong is located 30 km from Gangtok and 130 km from Bagdogra airport in Northern West Bengal, will be a new and additional gateway for both domestic and foreign tourists. Foreigners can arrive through char-tered flights as well.

“It is a moment of pride for the peo-ple of Sikkim that we have our own air-port now. Sikkim is a beautiful place with abundance of flora and fauna, scenic beauty and the Himalayas. The new airport will help people savour the offerings of Sikkim without under-taking the hardship of travelling such a long distance,” said C P Dhakal, Sec-retary of the Tourism and Civil Avia-tion Department of the Government of Sikkim.

Union Minister for Development of North-eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh said that this is a major booster because Sikkim has been one of the favourite destinations for tourists, almost all throughout the year. With the new airport becoming functional, he said, the travelling time will be get cut down by almost 5 hours because, earlier, the nearest airport to which the tourists could fly down was Bagdogra in West Bengal.

Kerala made milestone advances in tour-ism by charting steps to stir up the crucial industry that contributes to a tenth of its economy, as Kerala Tourism Mart (KTM) concluded by vowing to reinvigorate the sector recovering from last month’s natu-ral calamity.

“It is historic, coming as it is a month after the worst natural calamity our peo-ple faced,” Kerala Tourism Secretary Rani George said about the September 27-30 event that held 35,000 business meets involving 1,635 buyers (545 of them from 66 foreign countries).

KTM-2018, which brought an array of entrepreneurs from across India and abroad, had 325 sellers in 400-odd stalls that were opened by Union Tourism Min-ister of State K J Alphons.

Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran said that KTM-2018 has lent a smile of hope to the faces in the industry in contrast

to a general gloom that prevailed among its captains till a week ago. “This edition has proved that KTM is not a celebratory event, but a business meets,” he added.

The other speakers at the valedictory function were Responsible Tourism state coordinator Mr Rupesh Kumar K, besides former KTM Presidents Jose Dominic, Abraham George, Riaz Ahmed and Jose Pradeep.

Both KTM-2018 organisers and dele-gates said the biennial event, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, acted as a major incentive in fur-ther promoting public-private participa-tion in the fields of travel and hospitality, wellness and culture.

Enthused by the encouraging response, the KTM Society is mulling about a change of venue for its 2020 edition to a perma-nent venue that will be spacious as well plastic-free.

Pakyong Airport, Sikkim: India gets its 100th airport

Kerala tourism Mart concludes on a high note

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 16INDIA-Hospitality

Hotel Sahara Star hosts India International Culinary Classic Competition 2018Hotel Sahara Star recently hosted the India Interna-tional Culinary Classic Competition 2018. The three-day event was supported and organised by the India Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA) and the West India Culinary Association (WICA). The inau-gural culinary challenge showcased a wide variety of dishes.

This annual competition witnessed a large num-ber of culinary talents across India displaying their expert skills and attaining feedback for enhancement of their skills from the judging panel of internation-ally acclaimed chefs.

Under the leadership of Salil Fadnis, Executive Chef and Deputy General Manager, Hotel Sahara Star, the hotel participated in various categories right from plated showpiece to live cooking, where the team displayed its commendable talent in the field of culinary art.

In addition to the participation, Hotel Sahara Star continues to bring pride and honour to the hotel by winning three Gold and two Silver medals in vari-ous categories.

Commenting on the success, Fadnis said, “It is yet another feather in the cap to our Culinary Team who continues to bring in pride to the Hotel. We are hon-oured to be part of such a prestigious competition and achieve such a remarkable recognition.”

Taj Connemara reopened recently after undergoing a year-long extensive renovation and redesign. Dat-ing back to 1854, the hotel’s legendary history has been brought to life with fresh and modern sensibilities. Over a century old, the Taj Connemara is a proud relic of the colonial era and is named after Lord Connemara, the then Governor of Madras.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at The Indian Hotels Company Lim-ited (IHCL) said, “Taj Connemara is another jewel in the Taj portfolio of iconic heritage hotels. We are com-mitted to continuing our century-old legacy of restoring historical treasures across the globe for our guests. The newly renovated Taj Connemara draws on the hotel’s illustrious past whilst offering patrons a distinctive, modern and individualistic experience. We are happy to announce that Taj Connemara will resume its place in the cultural heart of Chennai.”

Taj Connemara’s refreshed design has architectural

influences of classic colonial, art deco and distinctive elements from the celebrated architect, Geoffrey Bawa’s ‘Tropical Modernism’ style coupled with a refreshing interior design. The hotel’s 147 rooms and suites spread across the Tower and Heritage wings are each appointed with four poster beds, vintage prints and objects d’art. Sensitive preservation of the Art Deco façade and inte-riors will showcase the hotel’s original features includ-ing wooden carvings sourced from the 16th and 17th century temples of Mahabalipuram. Unique for a city hotel, guests will enjoy 4.5 acres of landscaped greens and enclosed atrium gardens.

Ahmar Siddiqui, General Manager, Taj Connemara, Chennai said, “Taj Connemara, Chennai’s Grande Dame, is the result of the efforts of a team including mas-ter craftsmen and artisans who have tirelessly and lov-ingly worked on restoring the city’s legendary landmark to create a world-class hotel. I look forward to extend-ing the warm Taj hospitality to our guests.”

taj connemara chennai reopens

Mandalay Hill Resort rebrands as Mercure

Ginger announced the signing of a new hotel in Mar-gao (Madgaon), Goa’s second largest city. The brand is already present in Panaji and Dona Paula.

Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Exec-utive Officer, Ginger said, “We are happy to sign our third Ginger hotel in Goa. Ginger Margao is conve-niently located opposite the Margao Railway sta-tion providing an easy access to travellers visiting this beautiful city.”

The hotel will have 47 comfortable rooms, an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre. The hotel is a fully fitted lease agreement with Lotus Inn Pvt. Ltd. and is slated to commence operations in early 2019.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have seven hotels across its brands in the state of Goa.

Mandalay Hill Resort was recently rebranded as Mer-cure Mandalay Hill Resort, the first midscale brand in Myanmar.

Set within 12 acres of lush landscaped gardens at the foot of Mandalay Hills, Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort offers a panoramic view to the myriad pagodas

and distinctive architectural surrounds of the Royal Palace.

“As the first Mercure in Mandalay, we hope to high-light the authentic experiences and magnificent sights on offer in the former royal capital. This is our ninth property in the country and we look forward to show-casing even more of the destination to travellers as we expand our portfolio across the region in the coming years,” said Patrick Basset, Chief Operating Officer of AccorHotels, Upper South-east and North-east Asia.

“Renowned as ‘The Golden Land’ with majestic views of the golden-spired pagodas that can be found throughout the country, the former capital of the Myanmar Kingdom Mandalay is an up and coming destination for business, historical and cultural trav-ellers. The resort is easily accessible to many ancient monuments and historical sites with an 18-hole golf course and driving range located right next door for golfing enthusiasts,” said Frank Weiss, General Man-ager of Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort.

ginger signs a new hotel in margao, goa

Situated at the quieter end, overlooking river Lidder in Pahalgam, The Chinar Resort & Spa offers modern archi-tecture, plush interiors and excellent hospitality making the resort a perfect place to experience peace and tranquil-lity that Pahalgam has to offer.

Packed with modern rooms and suites, The Chinar Resort & Spa promises more than peace and relaxation. The views of Lidder river and Himalayan landscapes, as well as a multitude of additional amenities, delight guests from all over the world.

Guests looking for a luxury dining experience in Pahal-gam can choose from resort’s varied food outlets each with their own distinctive character. The hotel also boasts a shop for travellers who are into last minute shopping.

Originating from Kolahoi glacier in Sonamarg and gives rise to Lidder Valley, the river is home to crystal blueish water and the pristine alpine meadows make the river a must visit destination in Kashmir.

The Chinar Resort & Spa promotes another side of Kashmir

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 17ASIA

Tourism Authority of Thailand conducts ‘The Amazing Thailand roadshow’ in KolkataTourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organised the ‘Amazing Thailand Roadshow to India 2018’ in Kolkata recently at ITC Sonar. Around 30 sellers and representatives of hotels, resorts, attractions, DMCs and air-lines from Thailand were present to showcase and promote their products to the travel trade in Kolkata.

Apart from travel agents and tour operators the roadshow was attended by wedding planners and media pub-lications in Kolkata.

The event started with a B2B ses-sion between the sellers from Thai-land and buyers that include the travel agents, tour operators and wed-ding planners. This was followed by a destination presentation by Isra Stap-anaseth, Director, TAT New Delhi. The presentation focused on pro-moting new destinations, products

and experiences in Thailand for the Indian travellers.

The delegation from Thailand was led by Dr Walailak Noypayak, Exec-utive Director, ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Region Depart-ment who said, “We are delighted to organise the Amazing Thai-land Roadshow in the City of Joy – Kolkata. Thailand is already a very popular holiday and wedding cele-bration destination for people from Kolkata and rest of Bengal. Thai-land’s close proximity to Kolkata and the availability of direct flights makes it the preferred destinations for travellers.”

With many such events and roadshows in Kolkata in the future, TAT looks forward to welcoming more and more people to Amazing Thailand.

Novotel, AccorHotels’ first global brand, announces its debut in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The 192-room contem-porary hotel is located within close proximity to major tourist attractions including Great Chinggis Khaan Square, National Museum of Mongolian and Mongo-lian National Modern Art Gallery and is within short walking distance to the city’s shopping and entertain-ment district.

“We are delighted to introduce the Novotel brand in Mongolia’s capital. With its ‘modern easy living’ philos-ophy, Novotel Ulaanbaatar comes at the ideal time given the surge in tourism in the city,” said Gary Rosen, Chair-man and Chief Operating Officer, AccorHotels Greater China. “The Novotel’s signature features will facilitate more business opportunities as well as attract major events and conferences.”

“Today’s travellers are keen to maintain work-life balance and they will surely enjoy our recreation facilities, particularly the attractive indoor swimming pool.” said Fabian Lee, General Manager of Novotel

Ulaanbaatar. “With its city centre location, Novotel Ulaanbaatar offers the latest option in town for busi-ness and leisure travellers whilst at the same time can adapt its unique facilities for local guests’ needs.”

Designed in a minimalist Chinese style with a focus on nature and simplicity, Novotel Ulaanbaatar offers 192 intimate rooms including six suites with spacious liv-ing areas. Rooms from the 12th floor to the 16th floor enjoy breath-taking views of the mountain and city of Ulaanbaatar.

Delicious culinary options at Novotel Ulaanbaatar include three unique restaurants and two progressive bars that are destinations in their own right. The restau-rant is the only hotel dining outlet in the city that has a certified Halal kitchen.

For an evening night cap, Biere House offers guests a range of local beers with a choice of delicious finger foods while Duvin wine bar features a wide selection of wines and tempting light meals. Duvin wine bar pro-vides the flexibility as a multi-functional celebrative

space for creative cocktail functions or wine dining options.

The hotel is complete with a ballroom and meeting room that can host up to 250 guests. Corporate meet-ing planners will find the hotel’s carefully designed function spaces and state-of-the-art technology ideal for different types of events and business gatherings.

Novotel sets new footprint in the capital of Mongolia

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced the appointment of T&A Consulting as its official marketing representative agency for South India with effect from October 1, 2018.

Adrian Kong, Area Director – South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board added, “We thank TRAC Representa-tions that had acted as our Marketing Representative in South India for the past three years. After a compre-hensive tender exercise that saw good, competitive bids, we are pleased to announce the appointment of T&A

Consulting as our marketing representative agency. With direct flights from nine cities and close travel proximity to Singapore, this region will continue to be an impor-tant visitor-ship driver. With T&A Consulting’s extensive experience, we hope to deepen our trade engagements and traveller outreach efforts in the region.”

As the official marketing representative of STB, T&A Consulting will be responsible for enhancing Singa-pore’s positioning as the preferred travel destination among consumers in South India, promoting quality

tourism for leisure and business travel, increasing visitor arrivals and tourism spend as well as engaging with the travel trade.

Speaking about the association, Tarun Gupta, Co-founder and Managing Director of T&A Consulting, stated, “T&A is delighted to provide marketing repre-sentation services to Singapore Tourism Board for South India. While Singapore needs no introduction to Indian tourists, our role will be to enhance the positioning of Singapore as a favoured travel destination for leisure and business amongst the travellers from South India. Our team aims to build more affinity for the destination through engagement with the travel trade fraternity and other relevant stakeholders and we truly believe Singa-pore is the place where ‘Passion is Made Possible’.”

Singapore Tourism board appoints T&A consulting as marketing representative for South India

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 18middle east

Hassan Madah, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism – India & Philippines, spoke exclusively to Travel News Digest.Israel is becoming a popular destination among Indians, what are your expectations this year in terms of Indian tourist arrivals, especially from the eastern region of India?

The inbound tourist arrivals from India have increased radically over the last few years. The recent reforms including reduction in visa fee to INR 1,100 is seen as welcoming move. Israel is increasing becoming popular among Indians and we are positive to close this on record breaking 90,000 travellers from here. Currently, India is one of the best performing markets in Asia and stands 11th globally as our source market. Expectations from the West Bengal and North Eastern states are high with the opening of Israel Visa Application Centre in Kolkata and the roadshows conducted in the Eastern region this year. An average estimate of the tourists from West Bengal is 5,000 to 10,000 which may witness a surge by the end of 2018.

Any special strategies by Israel tourism to tap the eastern region of India, especially Kolkata?

Israel has recently opened a visa application centre in Kolkata responding to a growing interest from Eastern India, especially after Air India increased its direct flight frequency to four times a week from New Delhi. The new centre will ease the visa procedure for residents of West Bengal and the North Eastern States as they no longer need to send in their documents to the Embassy in New Delhi.The Ministry also conducted their maiden roadshow in Guwahati this year and concluded one in Kolkata recently. We realise the potential of the Eastern market and their need for exotic and offbeat destinations driven by experiential travel. Keeping this in mind, we continue to work closely and strengthen our ties with the travel trade fraternity with an objective to introduce the varied offerings of the destination.

What efforts are being made to attract Film tourism from India?

On Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India earlier this year, we hosted ‘Shalom Bollywood’ gala dinner event, which was attended by the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Johar among other Bollywood personalities where he extended an open invitation to Indian filmmakers to create magic onscreen by choosing to shoot in the beautiful locale of Israel. This has helped generate a renewed interest among Bollywood producers to shoot in the country. The Ministry of Tourism also executed its first Bollywood film collaboration with the movie ‘Drive’ of Dharma Productions. Starring Jacqueline Fernandez and Sushant Singh Rajput, a song from the movie was shot in Tel Aviv and Jaffa last year. In 2017, Bollywood filmmakers including Imtiaz Ali and Vishesh Bhatt visited the country to explore co-production possibilities while Ali Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Ayan Mukherjee visited Israel to begin preparations for their upcoming movie Brahmastra.

Are you seeing some trends from the Indian market in terms of demand increase from certain states or some new emerging segments?

As the outbound travel market from India is growing, there is a large part of it that is contributed from Tier II and Tier III cities. Ahmedabad, Nashik, Lucknow, Surat, Amritsar and Kochi offer huge scope in the travel eco-system with people from these cities opting for a mix of niche and offbeat destinations. Through our recent roadshows, we assessed a rising interest towards niche,experience based travel. Digitalisation and increased airline connectivity is encouraging travel among families and millennials from Tier II and Tier III cities of India.

Luxury holidays in Israel are becoming popular. What are some of the luxury products and experiences that luxury Indian travellers can experience in Israel?

Israel is a dynamic destination and has a lot to offer to travellers seeking luxury stays, fine dining and upscale relaxation. One can experience a wine and cheese tour to taste some of the best produce of the country or opt for a mud spa treatment at the Dead Sea; explore the thriving nightlife of Tel Aviv or swim with the dolphins in Eilat. For the adventurous kind, Israel also offers Tandem Sky Diving, Luxury Desert Camping in the Negev and skiing experiences at Mount Hermon in the winter. Accommodation options like Bedouin hospitality and zimmers (guest room or guest house) in the luscious green Galilee region or at the wineries in the Negev Desert are also experiences recommended during a visit to Israel.

How is wedding tourism being promoted to attract Indian weddings into Israel?

Indian weddings are comparable to festival celebrations, where friends and family come together and celebrate the upcoming nuptials for a few days. A destination like Israel that has a unique blend of offerings for all age groups, with deserts, culture, beaches and vibrant nightlife, there is enormous potential for the Indian wedding market. We have started to introduce different wedding locations to wedding industry specialists, like planners and tour operators, through training seminars and familiarisation tours in Israel and we are excited to see the big Indian weddings celebrated in Israel.

Israel Ministry of tourism conducts roadshow in KolkataIsrael Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) conducted a roadshow in Kolkata recently to enhance commercial ties with the Indian travel trade fraternity. The 20 member delegation, comprising of destination management companies (DMCs) from Israel interacted with over 100 key travel and tour operators, MICE providers, up-market leisure

operators and media personnel. The event started off with a presentation leading to an interactive workshop with the IMOT team and trade partners. The roadshow included B2B sessions, education programmes and workshops to aid trade members in planning itineraries and responding to customer queries.

The Ministry of Tourism, Oman successfully conducted the second leg of the multi-city roadshow in Mumbai. The event witnessed around 140 notable companies of Mum-bai’s travel trade in a bid to bridge connections between local travel agents and destination management compa-nies, hotels and attraction operators in Oman.

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism, led by H.E. Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) Oman along with repre-sentative partners from the tourism industry and Oman Air were present at the roadshow. The unique interac-tive platform with prefixed meetings gave trade partners and travel agents in the Indian market an opportunity to interact and learn more about the diverse product offer-ings and experiences that Oman has to offer.

H.E. Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be part of the tourism roadshow in Mumbai. The objective of the roadshow is to highlight the various facets of Oman as a destination and to create awareness about the new segments and offerings that the country has to offer. We see India as a promising potential mar-ket and have witnessed significant growth over a period of time. The Indian traveller is in a rapid state of evolution and is looking to be engaged in many ways. We recog-nise and acknowledge the demand we see from India and other potential markets. Hence, as part of the Sultanate’s

National Tourism Strategy 2040, the Ministry of Tourism seeks to introduce the sector’s latest developments, ser-vices, projects and facilities of the tourism industry, such as opening the new passenger terminal at Muscat Inter-national Airport and launching the Electronic Visa. It also aims to promote the Sultanate’s unique cultural heri-tage, the pristine environment and terrain diversification that will allow tourists to experience the destination.”

Since 2014, Oman has witnessed over 31% growth in Indian arrivals. In 2017 alone, Oman received 321,161 Indian visitors, showcasing growth of over 7% in just one year.

Commenting on the roadshow, Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism, Oman said, “India represents an important and vast market for Oman given the high percentage of its residents will-ing to travel and experience new destinations across the world. The roadshow offers us a platform to expose the uniqueness of Oman as a holiday destination from India. Being a short journey, the country offers a diverse land-scape and varied activities for the evolved Indian travel-ler. From luxurious resorts and campsites to exotic scuba diving spots to rustic shopping experiences, Oman has something to offer to anyone who has a quest for adven-ture and thirst for a distinctive cultural experience.”

Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism is fully com-mitted to enhancing the MICE sector and to help the

Sultanate achieve its potential to be a first-class destina-tion for this segment. The Sultanate has seen an increase in business tourism with the recent launch of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat, which supports international and local organisations in host-ing large events.

“Oman is not only seeing a surge in MICE travel but also a preferred wedding destination for many. Muscat is a well endowed city with modern infrastructure and pro-vides a perfect set up for weddings with various urban world class hotels. Being under 3 hours away and having excellent air connectivity with various cities in India also makes Oman a preferable wedding destination for Indi-ans. What also works in Oman’s favour is the newness it brings. It is still a relatively unexplored destination and this also adds value as Indian clients want to explore new destinations,” added Sheerazi.

oman Tourism conducts multi-city roadshow

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | october 2018 19 middle east •

IHCL signs its fourth Taj Hotel in Dubai

Air Arabia launches new route to Prague in Czech Republic

Atlantis, The Palm and Solutions Leisure join forces to launch Wavehouse, the entertainment destination

Air Arabia has announced the introduction of its new European destination, Prague in Czech Repub-lic, direct from Sharjah, UAE. Air Arabia’s inaugu-ral flight to the city will commence on December 11.

Flights to Prague will operate five times a week from 13 destinations in India including Jaipur, Kochi, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram,

Goa, Kozhikode, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai, connecting via Sharjah, UAE.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia said, “With the continued development of residents in the region and international tourists looking for value-for-money services, Air Arabia is focused on the continued expansion of its inter-national routes. With the launch of the Sharjah to Prague route, we aim to offer our passengers the chance to discover the colourful and historic capital city, our newest destination in Europe to be avail-able direct from the UAE.”

Speaking on the development, Arzan Kham-batta, Head – Czech Tourist Authority, Czech-Tourism India said, “The popularity of Czech Republic as a tourist destination is exponentially increasing in India. Growing number of discern-ing Indian travellers want to explore this wonderful destination. Air Arabia will now connect Prague with 13 cities across India making Czech Repub-lic even more accessible to Indian travellers. We wholeheartedly welcome this positive move by Air Arabia.”

Atlantis, The Palm and leading F&B operator, Solu-tions Leisure, have joined forces to create a revolu-tionary dining and entertainment venue, called Wave-house. Located at the iconic entertainment resort, the hotspot is due to launch in Q1 2019 and will well and truly shake up Dubai’s definition of dining, entertain-ment and nightlife. With a ground-breaking approach including a family-friendly restaurant, sprawling ter-race, four-lane bowling alley, a climbing frame, a kids’ play area, gaming zone and adult-only bar, Wavehouse brings an exciting first to the GCC with the inclusion of a dedicated Wave Rider, a state-of-the-art wave machine allowing guests to feel the rush of surfing.

Set within Atlantis, The Palm, overlooking Aqua-venture Waterpark, the rustic-beach-bar-meets-industrial-gastro pub will be in a league of its own, seamlessly blending adult down-time with family activ-ities and interactive adventures. Combining an upbeat

atmosphere with a relaxed, contemporary design, Wavehouse will be the ideal location for Dubai resi-dents and tourists.

A key feature of Wavehouse, the ultramodern Wave Rider machine will be available to both waterpark and Wavehouse guests, with prime viewing from the sun-drenched terrace.

For an instant dose of fun, guests can check out Lev-els; a modern take on the classic arcade and game zone, destined to be a hit with all ages with a multi-level climb-ing frame and a chance to test their skills on the retro and new-age gaming consoles. The bowling alley fea-tures industry-leading technology and will include the option for private hire, perfect for those family and adult birthday bashes.

Wavehouse will further cement Atlantis, The Palm as the leading entertainment and culinary destina-tion resort in Dubai, offering the next phase of fam-ily-friendly entertainment and dining within the UAE and joining Solution Leisure’s multi-awarding winning portfolio of venues.

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) announced the signing of a new Taj hotel at the Deira Creek in Dubai in partnership with Ithra Dubai LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invest-ment Corporation of Dubai (ICD).

Commenting on the signing of this agreement, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at IHCL said, “The Middle East is a significant market for IHCL. We are honoured to partner with Ithra Dubai for this new hotel in Deira - the historical and cultural centre of Dubai. IHCL has a long tradition of managing marquee hotels with rich heritage links across the world.”

The new Taj hotel is a Greenfield project slated to open in early 2022, conveniently positioned 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport. This hotel will be part of Deira Waterfront Develop-ment – one of Dubai’s most significant rejuvena-tion projects. An urban oasis, the hotel will have approximately 200 spacious rooms and suites with a selection of rooms cantilevered over the water, with scenic waterfront views. The hotel will include all-day dining and specialty restau-rants, a bar and lounge, banqueting facilities and a spa.

Commenting on the partnership, Issam Galadari, Chief Executive Director, Ithra Dubai LLC said, “We are delighted to partner with The Indian Hotels Company Limited and look forward to working with them to bring the iconic Taj brand to the Deira Waterfront Development in Dubai.”

Deira is a culturally rich and vibrant part of Dubai which has been part of a major interna-tional trade route since time immemorial. Some of the popular attractions in Deira include the Spice Market, Gold Souk, Women’s Museum, Heritage House and the Dubai Dolphinarium.

IHCL also operates Taj Dubai in downtown Business Bay and has two new hotels, Taj Jumei-rah Lake Towers and Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Dubai opening in late 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Dubai Business Events conducted a three-city roadshow in Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru, majorly target-ing the MICE segment from India. Dubai Business Events is a part of Dubai Tourism primarily focusing on the Business segment.

Speaking exclusively to Travel News Digest, Karina Lance, Senior Manager - Sales and Convention Services, Dubai Business Events said, “80% of the Indian mar-ket is incentive travellers and so we have incentive pro-grammes and added values to it like access to attrac-tions, accommodation, visa facilities, etc. For MICE, we usually target a group of 500 people. If there are larger groups coming in then we have a customised approach to that particular event.”

Talking about destination weddings, Lance averred, “Wedding is a new niche market, which is increasing on a large scale in Dubai. We organised a FAM trip for Indian wedding planners in the month of March where we showcased venues apt for Indian weddings. The itin-erary for the FAM trip was such that we tailored it as per the Indian wedding customs and rituals like the henna night, sangeet night, etc. We showed the wedding plan-ners convenient venues that can accommodate large groups. We have a variety of venues out of which the World Trade Centre is the biggest.”

India is the number one source market for Dubai. Out of the total two million Indian visitors to Dubai last

year, 30-40% was business travellers, as per the number of nights spent, stated Lance.

Dubai Business Events receives about 225 events per year and approximately 70 out of those are from India. On an average, Dubai Business Events sees a growth of 8-10% year-on-year and 10-15% growth for markets like India and China.

The Dubai Business Events three-city roadshow in the country is also a part of promoting Expo 2020 which will start from October 2020 and end by April 2021. Dur-ing the six months of expo, we guarantee 25 million visi-tors from across the world, concluded Lance.

Dubai business events target MIce segment from India

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 20europe

bleSS collection hotels pioneers hedonistic luxury to introduce exquisite experiences for travellers

Turismo de portugal conducts hugely successful b2b trade roadshows in New Delhi and mumbaiTurismo de Portugal (TdP) conducted successful roadshows combined with B2B sessions, recently in New Delhi and Mumbai.

The aim of the roadshow was to educate and motivate the focused invitee list of preferred travel agents, tour operators and trade partners and update their knowl-edge about Portugal, the products it has to offer, USP’s of the destination, exchange rate, visas and how it caters to different segments of the Indian travellers.

The event was divided into 2 different sessions -- one was the focused B2B sessions where the invitees held business meetings with the Portugal DMCs. The itiner-aries ideal for the Indian market were discussed along with pricing, how to build a Portugal programme and several ways to include Portugal in the Indian travellers’

leisure or MICE plans.The tourism revenue of Portugal in 2017 was 15 bil-

lion EUR (against 12.7 billion EUR in 2016), the num-ber of bed nights grew 7.4% to 57 million (53.5 in 2016) and the number of guests grew 8.9% to 20.6 million (19.1 in 2016).

“The revenue from India grew 25% in 2017 for a total of nearly 15 million EUR (11.8 million EUR in 2016), the number of bed nights grew 18.8% to 91.866 (77.347 in 2016) and the number of Indian guests grew 11.9% to 34.606 (30.923 in 2016). However, our main wish is still for Indian travellers to have a good time in our coun-try, to enjoy our landscape, our monuments, our food, our wine, our traditional song fado and all the unique experiences our country has to offer,” said Filipe Silva.

The New Delhi roadshow was attended by Diogo Rocha, Business Attaché, Embassy of Portugal in India. Capt Somesh Batra, Consul of Portugal, Mumbai was present during the Mumbai Roadshow.

Portugal with its rich history, fabulous food and wine, mesmerising beaches, lush green mountains, wonderful weather, romantic cruises, picturesque cas-tles and chapels, colourful valleys and amazing spa and resorts, is promoting itself as the ideal honeymoon des-tination. Celebrate love in the most spectacular and spe-cial way in Portugal, a country which is a perfect blend of both the ancient and the modern.

Switzerland to honour Sridevi with a statue to boost tourismTo pay a tribute, Switzerland tourism industry is plan-ning to install a statue of the late Bollywood actor Sridevi. The actor’s song and dance sequences against the Alps had set the Bollywood trend of shooting in the picturesque locations of the country.

According to sources, “The Swiss government has highlighted its India connection by installing Yash Cho-pra’s statue in Interlaken. Now, considering Sridevi’s role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here.”

Earlier Bollywood film director and film producer Yash Chopra was awarded the title of Ambassador of Interlaken in 2011 by the Government of Interlaken and also a train is named after him.

The first Indian film which was shot in Switzerland was Raj Kapoor’s Sangam in 1964, followed by An Eve-ning in Paris in 1967. Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulha-nia Le Jayenge also gave a major boost to the Switzer-land tourism sector.

“Indian tourists are quite excited about the scenic locations because of the movies. Movies of Sridevi and Shah Rukh Khan have inspired many, irrespective of

their age. Many of those who come here want to repli-cate those scenes and sometimes the excitement causes some accidents also,” added the source.

However, according the Indian ambassador to Swit-zerland, Liechtenstein and The Holy See (Vatican) Siby George, India’s connection with Switzerland is not just limited to Bollywood. “Yoga and Ayurveda are also getting extremely popular here. Most of the cities have Indian restaurants and there are fans of Indian food. Most of the cities have a prominent Indian connect too. Recently, when I visited Museum of Cultures in Lugano, it had photographs of Mahatma Gandhi taken by renowned Swiss photographer Walter Bosshard in 1930s. The Swiss Museum of Games, at La Tour-de-Peilz in the Swiss Alps Canton of Vaud at Lake Geneva, houses rare collections of games which trace their ori-gins to ancient India,” George told the media.

BLESS Collection Hotels, the new brand of Palla-dium Hotel Group, is set to introduce the concept of Hedonistic Luxury for travellers seeking exqui-site luxury experiences. The first property of the brand, BLESS Hotel Madrid is slated to launch in January 2019 followed by the opening of BLESS Hotel Ibiza in summer 2019.

BLESS Collection Hotels will offer its guests exclusive, original and innovative services, cre-ated to feed the discerning spirit while enjoy-ing art, music, culture, fashion and gastronomy in the same space. The brand is characterised by an enthusiastic, avant-garde and innovative mentality offering incredible customer service and personalised services catering to the small-est needs of the guests. To this end, it has a wide range of unique experiences with its own ‘BLESS brand’ style, which go beyond satisfying the needs of the modern traveller to fulfil their hedonistic desires. Whether it’s through excellent pamper-ing, a gourmet craving or the desire to have an unforgettable entertainment experience, BLESS Collection Hotels will draw on the destinations’ cultural agendas to include DJ sets and live music, fashion shows, pop-ups, performance and visual art and photography exhibitions.

Thus, each guest will have at their disposal the attention of a bath butler to advice on the aroma, texture and properties of the daily bath soap and salts based on their needs, moods and preferences while the hotels lets guests select the linens and pillows of their choice personalising the experi-ence during their stay. One can benefit from a vir-tual trainer in the gym and can indulge in gour-met feasts at all times of the day dished out by the most awarded chefs in the world.

The first hotel, BLESS Hotel Madrid, will be located on Calle de Velázquez and will have 111 rooms and suites, spa, gym, conference spaces, rooftop pool, three bars and a gourmet restau-rant. Each room and each zone will be unique with different atmospheres created by the Span-ish designer Lázaro Rosa-Violan.

As Game of Thrones finishes filming after a decade in Northern Ireland, TV network HBO has revealed that it will create a major boost to the show’s legacy by con-verting several filming locations into tourist attractions in the region.

For the first time, fans of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series will have the unique opportunity to visit iconic sets from the show and immerse them-selves in the world of Westeros.

Building on the success of past Game of Thrones live branded experiences, including the Touring Exhibition and Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, HBO will open up the archives and share them with the series’ loyal fans.

Each site will feature not only the breathtaking sets, but will also exhibit displays of costumes, props, weap-ons, set decorations, art files, models, and other produc-tion materials. The visitor experience will be enhanced

by state-of-the-art digital content and interactive mate-rials which will showcase some of the digital wizardry the series is known for.

“HBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the Game of Thrones creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,” said Jeff Peters, Vice Pres-ident, Licensing and Retail, HBO.

“We look forward to opening the gates and sharing the excitement of stepping inside these amazing sets with Game of Thrones fans from around the world. The opportunity to celebrate Northern Ireland’s pivotal role in the life and legacy of the show and share its culture, beauty and warmth is also a huge inspiration behind these legacy projects.”

Given the unique and impressive nature of the pro-duction work in Northern Ireland, HBO is considering including the standing sets for iconic locations such as

Winterfell, Castle Black and Kings Landing alongside a formal studio tour of Linen Mill Studios, which will showcase a wide array of subject matter from the series and span all seasons and settings.

New Game of Thrones legacy attractions announcedFilming locations from the hit HBO series are to open as tourist attractions in Northern Ireland next year.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 22AfricA

South African Tourism appoints new Head of Marketing and communications for India

Seychelles Tourist Office organises three-city roadshow in India

According to an Egyptian government offi-cial, the revenue from tourism jumped to 77% to around the first USD 4.8 billion compared to same period last year. The official also con-firmed that total number of visitors during the first six months of 2018 grew 41% to about 5 million.

“Indicators suggest the sector will earn about USD 9 billion by the end of this year,” the official said, he also added that there were expectations of good visitors’ turnout from western Europe, Italy, Germany and Ukraine towards the end of 2018.

Tourism is an important revenue genera-tor for Egypt and is the key forex earner for the country.

The international credit rating agency Moody’s also raised Egypt’s credit outlook to positive from stable confirming the ambitious economic reform plan backed by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It said, “The substantial progress made by the government in implementing reforms agreed with the IMF has imparted a degree of financial stability not present earlier in the decade.”

Seychelles Tourist Office, India organised a three-city roadshow from September 3 to 7 in Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune. These cities have not only seen an increase in outbound tourism but have high expo-sure and interest in Seychelles. This potential made them an ideal choice for a targeted roadshow after Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai last year.

Following the success of 2017’s format, the roadshow saw the same ‘pre-fixed meeting’ format in all three cities. This by-invite-only format ensured quick 15-minute meetings between top agents from the cities and the private sector partners from Sey-chelles. The event had Elsie Sinon from the Sey-chelles Tourism Board in attendance who shared information about the destination with all agents.

Mason’s Travel; Creole Travel Services and Vision Voyages, MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa; H Resort, Seychelles; Hilton, Seychelles and Berjaya Resorts, Air Seychelles were some of the co-participants at the roadshow.

Commenting on the roadshow Sherin Fran-cis, CEO, Seychelles Tourism Board said, “We are happy to note the immense success of the three-city roadshow in India. We have received only positive feedback about the format and execution by both our Seychelles partners and agents back in India. We believe that the growth of any destination relies heavily on its perception and knowledge in the travel trade of the country. We look forward to strength-ening our bonds with the Indian travel trade by many more interactions with them in the form of roadshows, workshops and destination training in multiple cities of India.”

The roadshow did not just introduce a new way of interaction but also saw the highest turnout of par-ticipants from Seychelles. The contingent had part-ners from various establishments.

Lubaina Sheerazi, COO, Blue Square Consultants, Seychelles Tourist Office-India said, “We introduced this format of the roadshow in 2017 keeping in mind the awareness and interest built for the destination over the years. The cities were chosen due to their current and potential capacities for outbound tour-ism to Seychelles. We are pleased to have received such positive and encouraging feedback about the format and quality of meetings and will continue to create trade presence beyond metro cities for the islands.”

South African Tourism is pleased to announce the appointment of Mitalee Karmarkar as the Head of Marketing and Communications for India.

Karmarkar joins South African Tourism from the Consulate General of Sweden where she was the senior officer for communications, media and cul-tural affairs for the past four years.

Her appointment comes as South African Tour-ism aims to boost its brand image as well as garner eyeballs and top of the mind recall to position South Africa as a world-class tourism destination. Her responsibilities include developing, implementing and managing strategies to help the country achieve this goal. Karmarkar will also spearhead the market-ing and media buys for SA tourism in order to bolster the country’s international stature.

Karmarkar has over 11 years of experience in the communications and media industry. She has held a variety of marketing, business development and com-munication roles and comes with a wealth of experi-ence in the tourism industry. Karmarkar has a pas-sion for emerging markets, especially in Asia, and is a strong advocate of understanding consumer needs.

Commenting on her appointment, Karmarkar said, “Tourism is my passion and I look forward to bring value to the India market in my new role. I hope to explore new opportunities to continue the upward trajectory that South African Tourism has enjoyed and help it ascend to a prominent height. Working along with our media and trade partners towards increasing consumer interest in South Africa and contributing to its growth, is also something I am looking forward to.”

“Karmarkar’s expertise in marketing and experi-ence of working in several agencies, corporates and consulates for many years make her an excellent fit for the role, which manages South Africa’s 8th big-gest tourism market – India. South African Tourism is delighted to welcome Karmarkar and we look for-ward to working with her,” said Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head for Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.

South African Tourism’s trade and consumer ini-tiatives this year will all be aligned towards driving awareness and demand for their adventure and wild-life offerings. They will also be focusing on promot-ing the new towns of SA within both – the consumer and trade spaces.

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA India) recently conducted a four-city roadshow in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai along with 26 operators.

Arvind Bundhun, Director, Mauritius Tourism Pro-motion Authority said, “The objective behind conduct-ing this roadshow is to show that Mauritius is more than a beach destination. It is a luxurious and glamorous des-tination as well.”

He added that the roadshow is a good opportunity to acquaint with Indian travel partners with the des-tination and meet the hoteliers, DMCs and activity companies.

India is the fourth largest market for Mauritius and by the end of this year, we are expecting about 94,000 to 95,000 Indian arrivals to Mauritius, commented Bundhun.

Vivek Anand, Country Manager, MTPA India stated, “We have seen a year-on-year growth of 11% in Indian tourist arrivals over the last four years, taking the num-ber to 86,000 in 2017. We are targeting 120,000 Indian tourists by 2020. We expect a healthy growth in the MICE and wedding segment. More and more Indian

travellers are planning to travel to the affordable lux-ury destination, Mauritius.”

Honeymooners from India is our first market, then comes family, confirmed Bundhun.

Bundhun also highlighted that an average stay by an Indian tourist is seven nights and an average spend is USD 350.

Talking about film tourism, Bundhun said that pro-ducers are keen to shoot Bollywood movies in Mauri-tius and hence 30% of the total cost will be reimbursed by the government of Mauritius for filming in the Island.

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority conducts 4-city roadshow in India

Egypt churns USD 4.8 billion revenue from tourism sector

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TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 24OCEANIA

According to a research by the World Travel & Tour-ism Council (WTTC), in 2017, travel and tourism con-tributed 18% into New Zealand’s GDP and the sector is considered at as a great economic driver.

The report also suggest that the figure will go up by 3% to account for as much as 20% of New Zealand’s GDP over the next decade.

In 2017, the travel sector grew 3.2%. The tourism sec-tor accounts for 212,000 jobs in the country, 9% of total employment. By 2028, WTTC predicts that the sector will employ more than 270,000, roughly 11% of total workforce.

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO, WTTC said, “Travel & tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. New Zealand is a prime example of this, as the country and its natural beauty is expected to attract over 2.7 million international tourist arrivals in 2018 alone. This represents a 3.9% economic increase from 2017 where visitor exports were respon-sible for generating USD 10 billion.”

Tourism has risen up the agenda in New Zealand over recent years and I commend the government on its support for the sector. Going forward it will be vital for public and private sectors to continue to work together, with the close involvement of communities, to ensure that tourism growth is sustainable, inclusive and bene-fits everyone,” Guevara added.

south Australian tourism commission eyes India as a key marketThe South Australian Tourism Commission for the first time brought in seven tour operators to India for India Travel Mart in Jaipur and then conducted a press meet in Mumbai. The seven tour opera-tors include Adelaide Oval, Exception Kangaroo Island, Tourism Kangaroo Island, The Louise and Jacob’s Creek.

Talking exclusively to Travel News Digest, Dana Urmonas, Regional Director for SEA and India, South Australia said, “This is for the first time that we have seven South Australian tour operators come to India. This really shows how India has become a key market for us. South Australian Tourism Com-mission is investing time and money to get to know the buyers here.”

South Australian Tourism Commission does a variety of activities to promote tourism. Last year, the tourism commission hosted famous couple Karan Kundra and Anusha Dandekar and showed them

high-end luxury experiences. The couple did roof climbing in Adelaide Oval, went to Barossa – main wine making region also known as the wine capital of Australia and Kangaroo Islands – a zoo without fences. This year in June, South Australian Tourism Commission hosted cricketer Zaheer Khan and Bol-lywood actress Sagarika Ghatge. They too travelled to similar locations.

Apart from hosting these two famous couples, South Australian Tourism Commission focused in the digital space, organised media FAM trips and worked closely with travel agents, informed Urmonas.

Some portions of the upcoming edition of Mas-terchef Australia was shot in South Australia, which will be aired in India in mid-September, confirmed Urmonas. “You will see few South Australian activ-ities in Masterchef Australia. We have also engaged with the host of the show, Gary Mehigan, who is also our tourism ambassador for this year. He will be matching food and tourist destinations which is an excellent combination. We are rolling out some videos with him where he is talking about the des-tination and have also invited him to come to India. He is expected to come here by the end of next month and will be doing a media briefing.”

Urmonas stated that South Australian Tourism Commission is majorly focusing on leisure segment, which is more on the higher end from India. Mostly couples and young families are our target.

In 2017, South Australia received 12,000 visitors from India spending 28 million.

Currently, India ranks 11th for South Australia when it comes to arrivals. UK is the No. 1 market for South Australia, followed by China and U.S.

Tourism Australia eyes a strong growth from India; launches new campaign In a bid to lure high value travellers from India, Sin-gapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, Tourism Austra-lia has launched a new bespoke tourism promotion campaign in India and South East Asia. The latest chapter in Tourism Australia’s evolving ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign.

The campaign challenges perceptions and ste-reotypes of what Australia offers as a tourism des-tination by showcasing unusual, unfamiliar and unexpected attractions and experiences. It is being backed by Australia’s state and territory tourism organisations, airlines, and a range of other key dis-tribution partners.

Arrivals from India to Australia grew by 19.6% for the year ended June 2018 with an influx of 335,100 visitors, compared to same period last year, mak-ing India the eighth largest inbound market for Australia.

India is currently Australia’s fastest growing mar-ket for arrivals and spend, achieving a fourth con-secutive year of double-digit growth. Whilst there is high awareness, aspiration and intention to visit Australia, potential travellers perceive Australia to be one-dimensional in terms of tourism experiences.

To sustain growth in arrivals and yield, and make Australia more desirable, the campaign seeks to entice Indian travellers by providing a more multi-dimensional understanding of Australia’s high-qual-ity experiences, showcasing the journey of renowned Bollywood actor and Friend of Australia, Parineeti Chopra.

The campaign plays on some of the prevalent mis-conceptions about Australia highlighted by research carried out in the region, showing that there is much more to Australia than the typical stereotypes of beaches, cute and furry animals and popular icons.

Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia said, “This campaign will shine a spotlight on some of our undiscovered and hidden holiday gems, showing there’s much more to an Australian holiday for Indians in addition to expe-riencing our well-known icons. Yes, you can watch a game of cricket at the magnificent Adelaide Oval, but are people aware that they can also do an amazing rooftop climb offering 360 views of the city? Or that there are plentiful immersive experiences amidst untouched natural landscapes in close proximity to our vibrant cities. It’s surprising experiences such as these that we will be seeking to highlight through this campaign.”

The ‘UnDiscover Australia’ campaign will be exe-cuted in two phases in India – September to Novem-ber and January to April to coincide with the holiday planning periods for the peak travel season during the year-end and Indian summer respectively. The media exposure for the campaign will be across dig-ital, including social, search, programmatic and dis-play, and broadcast mediums across select genres.

The campaign will also be amplified during India’s cricket tour of Australia, and through vari-ous public relations and international media host-ing programmes, as part of which influencers and advocates will continue to ‘UnDiscover Australia’, thereby offering compelling reasons to consumers to plan their next holiday to the land down under.

Fiji welcomes 95,000 visitors in July 2018For the month of July, Fiji welcomed more than 95,000 travellers a 5.5% increase from 90,108 for the same period last year, as per the report by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.

The increase in visitor arrivals for the month of July was contributed to the strong performance in Australia (3%), New Zealand (8%), Canada (27%), Europe (13%), China (1.1%) and rest of Asia (15%).

The number of Japanese visitors increased signif-icantly after the commencement of the new Fiji Air-ways service from Nadi to Narita Airport.

For the financial year 2017-18 Fiji received 859,133 visitors over the period of 12 months. This repre-sented an increase of 4.8% over the previous year.

Faiyaz Koya, Minister for Industry, Trade, Tour-ism, Lands and Mineral Resources said, “With two cyclones in April earlier this year, FY 2017/18 was not without its challenges and we are very pleased to fin-ish the financial year with such strong results.”

He added, “I would like to thank the tourism industry for continuing to deliver such world-class experiences for our visitors that has enabled Fiji to attract more international visitors to the country than ever before. Through the Fijian tourism industry’s support, Tourism Fiji was able to deliver an exhaus-tive schedule of marketing and promotional activities across our markets and look forward to another fan-tastic year ahead.”

Tourism contributes 18% in New Zealand’s gDp

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 25resPoNsIbLe tourIsM

greece presents sustainable tourism plans for its destinations

uNWTo suggests to make wine tourism part of national tourism and rural development policiesIn the recently held 3rd UNWTO Wine Tourism Con-ference in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, UNWTO suggested to make wine tourism a part of national tourism and rural development policies. The confer-ence brought forward experts from 30 nations and they addressed UNWTO’s priority of enhancing tourism’s socio-economic benefits, looking at spe-cific segments like wine tourism.

The third edition of this UNWTO conference, held in partnership with the Moldovan government, concluded that to make wine tourism a tool for rural development local communities must be engaged in and benefit from the entire tourism value chain. It also called for governance models that could help destination managers offer wine tourism as part of a holistic rural and cultural tourism approach.

Among the main findings of the conference was the conviction of all participants that, if wine tour-ism is bolstered by partnerships, skills development, data-driven research and support to small busi-nesses and entrepreneurs, it could be an area for job

creation, innovation and new collaboration models.“The complexity of wine tourism development

and the diversity of stakeholders involved requires innovative models of collaboration; we need to break down walls and promote new clusters,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO.

The conference, which was opened by Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, called for more research in order to measure and under-stand wine tourism trends and consumers, and com-pare destinations internationally with the same crite-ria. It also concluded that creating job opportunities through wine tourism requires developing human capital skilled in new technologies and sustainability, as well as soft skills such as teamwork and how to tell the story of wine.

On meeting with UNWTO Secretary-General Pololikashvili, Prime Minister Filip described the wine sector as a crucial pillar within Moldova’s strategy to attract foreign investments and viewed the hosting of this conference as hugely important. Pololikashvili encouraged Moldova to take advan-tage of other tourism promotion platforms and increase connectivity with important source mar-kets, pledging UNWTO’s full support to Moldova’s tourism development strategy.

In total the conference produced eight key areas of action: wine tourism strategy and governance; partnerships; community engagement; supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs; wine tourism for rural development; researching trends and con-sumers; skills development; and aligning tourism with the Sustainable Development Goals.

ministry introduces new policies for ecotourismUnion Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan recently proposed a policy wherein locals are employed as “nature science interpreters” and “patrol partners” to conserve the local flora and fauna. The Ministry is also encouraging homestay-based accommodations in local areas to enhance local livelihood.

He informed that ecotourism will be developed in wildlife conservation areas which are designated as Protected Areas (PAs) and will include wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, conservation reserves and community reserves, as well as in areas like for-ests, mangroves, sacred groves, mud flats, wetlands and rivers.

The Minister also confirmed that infrastructure development for eco-tourism will be designed in a manner that merges with the ambient environment, “no permanent structure will be allowed without

clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act”.“The Ministry has prepared an ecotourism pol-

icy that will provide livelihood opportunities for the local communities as well as educate visitors and enhance their understanding of nature,” an official statement quoting him said.

To enhance the capacity of local communities, specialised training on eco-tourism activities will be imparted, he said.

“The members of local communities can be employed as nature and tourist guides for provid-ing hospitality as ‘nature science interpreters’ and ‘patrol partners’ to protect nature.

“The policy also seeks to encourage homestead-based hospitality enterprises for enhancing local livelihood, which includes small-scale entrepreneurs and operators of souvenir shops and equipment for hiring for photography,” the statement said.

“Establishing partnerships with all stakeholders to develop and promote nature tourism, biodiver-sity richness and heritage values of India’s wilder-ness, as well as adopting low-impact nature tourism to ensure ecological integrity are some of the other objectives of the policy,” he said.

The Minister indicated that the policy will further help in enhancing the awareness about wildlife and habitat in the country.

Stating that areas with good wildlife habitat will be developed for ecotourism to reduce pressure on sensitive “core” areas, he stressed the impor-tance of community participation in such initiatives with a view to reinforce their interface and sense of ownership.

During the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism, Greece presented its practices for the sustainable development of its tourism destina-tions. The presentation was done by Greek Tour-ism Minister, Elena Kountoura.

The summit saw the participation of 900 par-ticipants from 50 countries who discussed the vision for the development of urban tourism by 2030.

Kountoura spoke about Greece’s recent success in achieving an increase in tourism arrivals which includes strong implementation of the national tourism strategy with a focus on the development of all Greek destinations.

Kountoura also addressed the new opportuni-ties created by tourism sector in Greece and the development of strategies on the local, national and global level, through the cooperation of local authorities, national and international organisations; and the private sector.

In order to help cities and its residents help manage growing urban tourism flows, World Tourism Organi-zation launched a new report. ‘Overtourism’? Under-standing and managing Urban Tourism Growth beyond Perceptions was launched during the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism, in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The report examines how to manage tourism in urban destinations to the benefit of visitors and resi-dents alike. It proposes 11 strategies and 68 measures to help understand and manage visitor growth. The report is the result of collaboration between UNWTO, the Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospital-ity (CELTH), Breda University of Applied Sciences and the European Tourism Futures Institute (ETFI) of NHL Stenden University of Applied sciences.

The recent growth of urban tourism requires the sec-tor to ensure sustainable policies and practices that min-imise adverse effects of tourism on the use of natural resources, infrastructure, mobility and congestion, as

well as its socio-cultural impact. Increased reports of negative attitudes among local populations towards vis-itors, due to perceived overcrowding, noise and other issues, have led to the spread of terms such as ‘overtour-ism’ and ‘tourismphobia’ in the media.

“Governance is key. Addressing the challenges fac-ing urban tourism today is a much more complex issue than is commonly recognised. We need to set a sustain-able roadmap for urban tourism and place tourism in the wider urban agenda,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO. “We must also ensure local communities see and benefit from the positive aspects of tourism,” he added.

To better understand visitor management challenges in urban contexts, particularly the relationship between residents and visitors, the report includes an analysis of residents’ perceptions towards tourism in eight Euro-pean cities of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenha-gen, Lisbon, Munich, Salzburg and Tallinn.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to deal with

overtourism. Instead tourism needs to be part of a city-wide strategy for sustainable development”, Dr. Ko Koens of the Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality (CELTH) and Breda University of Applied Sciences concludes.

The report recommends a common strategic vision among all stakeholders involved, bringing residents and visitors together and adopting careful planning which respects the limits of capacity and the specificities of each destination.

To curb the adversities of overtourism UNWTO launches new report

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 26CAribbeAn

Southwest welcomes new flights for spring 2019

Jamaica to promote gastronomy tourism to lure travellers

Caribbean saw an increase in UK tourist arrivals this year, compared to 2017 despite parts of the region hit by two hur-ricanes last year. As per Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Asso-ciation, arrivals were up marginally by 0.2% year-on-year in the first three months of 2018, while arrivals and hotel performance from January to June were ahead of 2017.

Frank Comito, Chief Executive said, “Most of the Caribbean is doing remarkably well this year, not least because more than 75% of the region was untouched by

last autumn’s two hurricanes. In terms of arrivals and hotel performance, our year-to-June figures compare favourably with the same period in 2017.”

Helen Tabois, Senior Product and Marketing Manager for the Caribbean at Inspiring Travel Company said, “We’re seeing high demand from repeat bookers, who want to be among the first guests to experience refurbished hotels in St. Barts and Anguilla.”

Torrance Lewis, District Manager at the Jamaica Tour-ist Board said, “We didn’t have a strong January, which is why the numbers are down slightly, but in the months since, arrivals have flatlined or increased compared with last year.”

The most visited Caribbean island by UK visitors is Bar-bados, up by 2.8% with 119,200 arrivals.

In a bid to lure more travellers, Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica confirmed that the ministry is taking steps to ensure that Jamaica cap-italises on its potential to benefit from gastronomy tourism.

He informed that the gastronomy network, which is looking after the process, “has been working assid-uously to craft innovative plans”.

“Their main strategies include creating a gastron-omy mapping platform with easily accessible infor-mation on the island’s best food offerings; collabo-rating with tourism partners to boost the number of quality food festivals, providing capacity-building support for established gastronomy/food tour oper-ators, and working with tour operators to develop enticing food tours across the length and breadth of the island,” he quipped.

Bartlett also indicated that these steps help Jamaica position as the leading gastronomy des-tination and will provide visitors with a variety of authentic Jamaican culinary experiences.

According to the United Nations World Tour-ism Organization (UNWTO), over a third of tourist spending is devoted to food.

“The cuisine of a destination is an aspect of utmost importance in the quality of the holiday experience. Food-related tourism provides an opportunity to stimulate and diversify the tourism sector as it pro-motes economic development at the local level and involves a variety of sectors,” he contended.

Southwest airline recently announced its spring schedule for 2019 which included new international and non-stop routes flights.

From March 2019 onwards, Southwest airline will add new and returning flights to Cancun from Mil-waukee, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham and San Anto-nio to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic from St. Louis; and to Cabo San Lucas from Baltimore.

There will also be new non-stop service between Cleveland and Tampa, Cincinnati and Orlando, Dal-las and West Palm Beach, Dallas and Harlingen, and Houston and Lubbock.

Bahamas witnessed a year-to-date growth of 10.2% in international tourists, major source market being the U.S., Canada also contributed to this growth with 29.6% increase.

This came as a result of aggressive marketing and promotion by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, wherein they brought travel journalists and digital influencers to the country to showcase the best of Bahamas.

“We have seen very good news and gratifying results

across major Bahamian tourism sectors in recent months and are very encouraged. Using our new track-ing tools, we have seen double-digit increases in inter-national arrivals and strong business on the books for future months,” said Dionisio D’Aguilar, Bahamas Min-ister of Tourism.

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation is invest-ing a lot in advertising across a variety of broadcast, dig-ital and out-of-home channels in key markets, raising awareness of the destination.

Additional international flights - American Airlines, JetBlue and United Airlines from the U.S. to Saint Lucia was announced recently.

JetBlue is on a spree to expand its luxury Mint ser-vice in the Caribbean region and will launch this ser-vice on flights from Boston Logan International Air-port to Saint Lucia starting November 3 this year.

On Saturdays at 7:30 am, the JetBlue flight will take off from Boston’s Logan International Airport and will reach Hewanorra International Airport at 12:19 pm. Return flight from Saint Lucia is at 1:44 pm, which will arrive in Boston by 6:59 pm.

Tiffany Howard, Acting CEO at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, said, “The SLTA recognises the importance of airlift to grow the tourism sector, and we have been working hard to get more flights into Saint Lucia. Already, we have had record stay-over arrivals this year, and this new JetBlue service, plus the new American Airlines flight from Miami, FL starting in December and United Airlines’ service from Chicago in January, will only serve to increase the number of visitors staying over in Saint Lucia. This is great news for us!”

According to Howard, the SLTA is very pleased, but will not stop at those gains. She added, “We are con-tinuing to negotiate additional airlift into Saint Lucia because it is paramount to our success. We will lever-age Saint Lucia’s desirability among potential visitors to attract increased air traffic from both our traditional and non-traditional airlines partners, especially out of our major source markets, so we can satisfy the grow-ing demand for destination Saint Lucia.”

bahamas sees a growth of 10.2% increase in international tourists

Saint lucia announces additional international flights from the u.S.

Caribbean witnesses an increase of UK arrivals

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TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 28global

According to the new Travel & Tourism Power and Per-formance Report launched by The World Travel & Tour-ism Council (WTTC), China, the USA and India take the top three spots in the new Power Ranking which com-bines growth over the past seven years in tourism’s con-tribution to GDP, international visitor spend, domestic tourism spend and capital investment.

WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara com-mented, “World Tourism Day is the global celebration of a sector that contributes 10.4% of the world’s GDP and generates 313 million jobs. WTTC’s new report out-lines power and performance rankings which show-case countries that have been most successful in grow-ing their tourism sectors across the board.”

Using WTTC’s annual economic impact data, this

new report ranks the performance of 185 countries over the last seven-year period, combining four indicators: contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP, international visitor spends, domestic tourism spends and capital investment in tourism. The inclusion of domestic spend and investment allows for a more rounded measure of performance and prioritisation than the more usual measures of GDP contribution and international spend.

Guevara continued, “Notably, G20 countries dom-inate the league, representing 12 of the top 20 coun-tries, displaying once again the importance of Travel & Tourism both to mature markets and the global econ-omy. Then, the emergence of up-and-coming countries highlights the central role that tourism can play within developing economies.”

China, the USA and India takes the top three spots in the new Power Ranking by WTTC

eduardo Arranz-bravo creates hull artwork for Norwegian encoreNorwegian Cruise Line revealed that Eduardo Arranz-Bravo, the award-winning Spanish art-ist, created the hull artwork for the fourth and final ship of its Breakaway-Plus class, Norwegian Encore, debuting in Miami in November this year.

A representation of his modern and abstract style, the ship’s hull will feature a labyrinth of colour inspired by Arranz-Bravo’s life by the sea in Barce-lona and pay tribute to the vibrant guest experience for which the Norwegian brand is recognised.

“Norwegian Cruise Line is a dynamic, pioneer-ing company known for its innovative experiences and breathtaking collection of beautifully designed ships,” said Arranz-Bravo. “I am honoured to not only bring that vibrancy to life even more on Norwe-gian Encore but also showcase my love for the ocean and my hometown of Barcelona.”

Frank Del Rio, President and Chief Executive Offi-cer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, played a key role in the selection of Arranz-Bravo as the hull artist for Norwegian Encore, having been inspired by his work for many years. Del Rio’s passion for the arts has helped elevate Norwegian’s on-board experience, most recently with the multi-million-dollar art col-lection curated for Norwegian Bliss.

“We are well-known for our iconic hull designs and know that Arranz-Bravo’s lively design will com-plement the colourful destinations in the Caribbean that Norwegian Encore will visit when she debuts next year,” said Del Rio.

Recognised for his inventive and humanistic approach to abstract art, Arranz-Bravo’s work is showcased throughout the world and portrays a con-stant evolution that some refer to as futuristic. He is highly regarded, having been the recipient of count-less awards and accolades, and was one of three art-ists chosen to represent the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

“Eduardo’s design will be a perfect complement to the collection of hull artwork within our fleet and is a testament to the dynamic experience our guests will have on board,” said Andy Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are proud to welcome him to our Norwegian Cruise Line family.”

At approximately 167,800 gross tons and accom-modating up to 4,000 guests, Norwegian Encore will complete the Breakaway-Plus class, the most suc-cessful class in the company’s history. She is cur-rently being built at Meyer Werft, in Papenburg, Germany and will feature many innovative din-ing, entertainment and recreational activities that guests have come to expect from the industry-lead-ing brand.

Following her unveiling, she will cruise out of Miami every Sunday and sail seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean, beginning with her first jour-ney on November 17, 2019 through April 12, 2020.

Luggage Free joins Le Club AccorHotels’ programme to provide clients a seamless and rewarding travel jour-ney with exclusive membership perks and experiences through its loyalty programme. This offer is available across all AccorHotels portfolio and especially on the Group’s luxury brands Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO/, Sofitel, Fairmont, MGallery, Pullman and Swissôtel.

Luggage Free provides high-touch, door-to-door shipping services to over 130 countries across the globe, allowing clients to travel without any luggage con-straints and arrive to their destinations with their lug-gage waiting for them.

“Recognition of our clients and the enrichment of the services and experiences offered to them are at the heart of our loyalty programme,” said Isabelle Birem, SVP Loyalty AccorHotels. “Luggage Free has been chosen

for its excellence and will strengthen Le Club AccorHo-tels’s ambition to be the travel companion of its mem-bers. We are proud of this partnership that will enrich a wide choice of advantages and benefits dedicated to AccorHotels’ most loyal clients.”

Jeff Boyd, President of Luggage Free added, “We’re thrilled to start Luggage Free’s partnership with Le Club AccorHotels, as the brand shares the same core values and mission of bringing convenience and superlative service to some of the most knowledgeable and discern-ing travellers on the planet.”

“AccorHotels has established a unique benefits plat-form for its loyal clients and we are honoured to add our services to their value package. This partnership will provide travellers with a true, luxury travel experience from start to finish.”

Le Club AccorHotels announces partnership with Luggage Free for exclusive member benefits programme

Accorhotels launches website to provide insights about AfricaFollowing the successful #MyChicAfrica social media campaign, which paired prominent African influenc-ers together to provide an ‘off the beaten track’ look at their locales, AccorHotels in Africa is now ready to venture even further. The launch of its lifestyle media platform - mychicafrica.accorhotels.com a depository of material named after this culturally curated cam-paign, features a dedicated editorial team providing fresh insights and new travel itineraries for the cul-turally curious.

“Since our earliest days in Africa over 40 years ago to our operations across over 20 countries today, we have unearthed a positive yet realistic picture of Africa as a modern and daring continent, steeped in creativity, unmasked landscapes and offering a treasure trove of cultural gems – past, present and future,” said Souleymane Khol, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Distribution & Revenue Management at AccorHotels Africa & Indian Ocean.

mychicafrica.accorhotels.com is a showcase of Africa – a diversity of landscapes and cultural rich-ness, making it one of the most beautiful travel desti-nations in the world. This pioneering new approach from AccorHotels aims to make the continent more accessible and open for not only international travel-lers, but for Africans and the diaspora to rediscover and celebrate fashion, art, dining, modernity, design, adventure in addition to driving social discourse.

According to the hospitality report from Jumia Travel, tourism in Africa has the potential to be the leading contributor to the continent’s total GDP. Moreover, the digital ecosystem in Africa is under-going tremendous growth, making this the oppor-tune time for AccorHotels to showcase, catalogue and reveal the continent in a dramatically visual and editorial way through this online media platform - mychicafrica.accorhotels.com.

mychicafrica.accorhotels.com is an exciting account of the African way of life through four dif-ferent areas: Innovation & Creativity, Travel & Expe-rience, Lifestyle & Luxury, Culture & Discovery.

“AccorHotels has always believed in Africa’s future and is now sharing its appreciation and knowl-edge of the continent with others. In addition, MyChi-cAfrica, we have ventured into other areas close to African consumers, including a mobile payment solution and complimentary mobile phone usage in order to provide a seamless and connected experience in our hotels as well as contribute to the growing dig-ital ecosystem in Africa.” concluded Khol.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 29technology

In a bid to enhance its digital strategy to encourage tour-ist inflow, Odisha Tourism announces a six-month con-tent partnership agreement with TripAdvisor.

Under this initiative, TripAdvisor will create a micro-site with all the places of interest in Odisha, thing to do, events and other travel information for travellers around to globe to explore in Odisha.

The site will also promote to be held marquee event of Men’s Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018. The reach of the website will cover India, Singapore, Malay-sia, Thailand and UK.

Speaking on the agreement, Vishal Dev, IAS, Com-missioner-cum-Secretary to Government, Odisha Tourism, said, “It’s great to have a global name like

TripAdvisor on board to help us get more travellers to Odisha especially in the coming months when the state will be buzzing with activities across all sectors. We are also host partner of the Men’s Hockey World Cup Bhu-baneswar and are expecting substantial foreign footfall. We want to leverage TripAdvisor’s global network and strong understanding of regional travel trade and mar-ket nuances, to shape and spur growth in this region.”

Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing for Asia Pacific, TripAdvisor, said, “We are glad to have the opportunity to work with Odisha Tourism to ensure that travellers who consider visiting India will not only visit its popular destinations but go beyond and expe-rience all that Odisha has to offer.”

odisha tourism joins hands with tripAdvisor to enhance digital infrastructure

Airbnb signs deal with Axisrooms for better real-time availability of Airbnb accommodations in IndiaAxisRooms is working with Airbnb to provide a level playing field to travel accommodations other than commercial hotels and resorts.

The AxisRooms – Airbnb tie-up is Airbnb’s first business partner in India with a booking site control-ler for accommodations. This tie-up will automate the real-time availability and dynamic pricing for Airbnb accommodations based in India. The partnership will also cover existing AxisRooms homestay, bed and breakfast (BnB) clients.

The collaboration is set to transform numerous aspects of the alternative hospitality industry and improving its ranking and importance by providing a fine-tuned content and specific marketing and sales channel for various types of accommodations.

With 6,000+ hotels, AxisRooms has a decent demand from accommodations providers, who are using its various platforms like channel manager, rev-enue management system, web booking engine, rate shopping platform, etc. It has a few additional service platforms as well, such as hotel extranet for emerging OTAs, travel agents and corporate hotel contracting and booking module.

Anil Kumar Prasanna, CEO, AxisRooms opined, “We are elated to announce this alliance and happy to share that our association will have an enormous impact on the alternative travel accommodation indus-try. AxisRooms and Airbnb are two entities who would be working together in India, for a common goal tai-lored to provide a tuned content, to give a specific marketing and sales channels for alternative travel accommodations.”

In order to assist travellers in booking flights and pay through the Facebook Messenger, Malaysia Airlines, together with Amadeus, has launched MHchat.

Jointly developed with Malaysia Airlines as its pilot customer, the Amadeus Chatbot for Airlines is a new solution designed to make it easier for travelers to book flights, retrieve bookings, and ask questions through a social media messaging platform customer are already familiar with.

On Facebook Messenger, Malaysia Airlines’ custom-ers can use MHchat if they want to look up flights, or ask a question related to a booking, and it will search, locate and push offers or information using artificial intelli-gence (AI). Travellers can even complete a transaction, make a secure payment and receive the travel itinerary all within the same app.

Designed to mimic human conversation, MHchat acts like a true “travel buddy” that understands what the trav-eller needs. The result is a convenient, smart solution that is available 24/7, facilitating smoother transactions, immediate responses, and allowing conversations to take place when it suits the customer.

Captain Izham Ismail, CEO, Malaysia Airlines said, “Customer experience is a key priority for Malaysia Air-lines and we are deeply committed to constantly improv-ing it. Our digital transformation strategy lies at the heart of this, as we continuously harness new and innovative technologies to enhance all touchpoints for our guests.”

Cyril Tetaz, Executive Vice President, Airlines, Asia Pacific, Amadeus said, “We are very delighted to work with Malaysia Airlines on its digital transformation; MHchat is a testimony to the airline’s commitment to evolve its digital channels.”

“Agility is crucial when working on innovative digi-tal solutions, and working together with Malaysian Air-lines, we have delivered this innovative platform in three months. Many airlines are embarking on turnaround transformation initiatives, driven by a real will to address competition but above all to improve the customer expe-rience,” he added.

The Amadeus Chatbot can be customised for any air-line, delivering higher customer satisfaction, and more revenue opportunities as well as cost-savings around customer care.

While Malaysia Airlines pilots MHchat, Amadeus will continue to drive technology improvements and bol-ster the chatbot with new features including multi-lan-guage support, adding ancillary services to an existing booking, and even integration with Amazon’s Alexa for voice capabilities.

The Amadeus Chatbot for Airlines is integral to Amadeus’ overall goal to shape the future of travel, by developing technology that has a positive impact on com-munities worldwide.

malaysia Airlines partners with Amadeus to facilitate flight bookings through Facebook messenger

uNWTo focuses on the digital transformation in tourismWorld Tourism Day 2018 was observed in Buda-pest, Hungary on September 27, 2018 with the official celebration focusing on the digital trans-formation in tourism, a World Tourism Organiza-tion (UNWTO) priority. The event examined how investment in new technology provides the sector with opportunities for innovation.

Introducing a new seminar-based format, the official celebration provided crucial insights into the actors and initiatives leading the digital trans-formation of the tourism sector and aimed at pro-viding participants with concrete and actionable objectives to take away.

During the official celebration, the 20 semi-finalists of the 1st UNWTO Tourism Startup Com-petition gave pitches to investors and tourism leaders of their innovative projects with potential to disrupt the sector. They were selected from over 3,000 applicants from 132 countries. The competi-tion was launched by UNWTO and Spanish tour-ism leader Globalia to find projects that harness innovation and can change the way we travel.

“UNWTO is proud to have positioned, for the first time, tourism in the global innovation agenda – where it deserves to be because of its economic weight and importance. This is only possible by bringing the private and public sectors together in a meaningful way, and providing opportunities to share ideas, like we have done today,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO.

Pololikashvili was joined for the opening cer-emony by Hungary’s Minister of State for Parlia-mentary Affairs Csaba Domotor and Gloria Gue-vara, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, who emphasised the role of technological solutions such as biometric data capture in ensuring safe, seamless and sustain-able travel.

Key amongst the conference conclusions was that political support is central to putting tour-ism at the centre of the global innovation and dig-ital agenda. The event harboured this sentiment, attracting the participation of ministers from sev-eral countries and high-level political represen-tatives at all levels of government, from local to national, as well as tourism’s main entrepreneurs, investors and innovators.

Other World Tourism Day celebrations also took place worldwide, helping to mark the 38th year the observance day that has taken place to give visibility to the tourism sector’s role in inter-national economic growth and development.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | OCTOBER 2018 • 30EVENTS

EVENTS CALENDAR05-07 NOV’18

WTM LONDONExCeL London

08-09 DEC’18

ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL SHOW INDIA

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi

03-05 DEC’18

ATTA’sAdventureNEXT

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

18-19 JAN’19

BLTMThe Leela Ambience

Convention Hotel, Delhi

23-25 JAN’19

OTMBombay Exhibition Centre

Mumbai

2018-19

15-17 FEB’19

BENGALURUPalace Grounds

Tripuravasini

01-03 FEB’19

AHMEDABADGujarat University

Exhibition Hall

08-10 FEB’1908-10 FEB’19

CHENNAIChennai Exhibition

Centre

KOLKATANetaji Indoor Stadium &

Khudiram Anushilan Kendra

22-24 FEB’19 21-23 MAY’19

IMEX FRANKFURTFrankfu�, Germany

17-21 OCT’18

SKÅL WORLDCONGRESS MOMBASA

Mombasa, Kenya

17-19 OCT’18

ITB ASIAMarina Bay Sands,

Singapore

16-18 OCT’18

IMEX AMERICASands Expo, Las Vegas, USA

13-14 OCT’18

ISLAMIC TRAVEL MARTWorld Trade Centre, Mumbai

27-29 NOV’18

IBTM WORLDBarcelona, Spain

During the 12th UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit at WTM London 2018, cutting edge innovations will be shared with ‘Investment in tourism technology’ the theme.

The UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit, the largest annual gathering of Tourism Ministers, will take place on November 6 at the leading global event for the travel industry.

A new improved structure will help spark the debate ensuring the opinions and ideas are flowing ensuring delegates can fully benefit from listening to leading pri-vate sector leaders and Tourism Ministers.

The UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit will start with a private sector discussion and debate before prior the Minister panel and other public sector stakeholders join the discussion.

This will also be the first summit for the UNWTO’s new Secretary General, Georgia’s Zurab Pololikashvili, who took up the position in January.

The summit will address investment opportunities in tourism technology and the need for stronger public-pri-vate partnerships in the field, also how technology can boost competitiveness and sustainability.

Likely uses to come under discussion will be online

booking systems, social media, mobile apps, chatbots and smart hotel rooms.

Stakeholders will also consider the implementation of data-driven decision-making strategies in tourism, spe-cifically in analytics and smart destination management.

The role of technology in helping the tourism sec-tor to meet the aims of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will also be covered.

WTM London Senior Director Simon Press, who will also address the summit, said, “The UNWTO & WTM

Minsters’ Summit is always a highlight of WTM Lon-don and I am delighted that the event will once again host the largest annual gathering of Tourism Ministers in the world.”

“This year’s topic is a particularly important one as technology can help tourism remain a force for good in terms of global connectivity and sustainability. We’re also excited to introduce a new format for this year, which should bring greater focus to the debate,” added Press.

The 26th IT&CMA and 21st CTW Asia-Pacific, kicked off in Bangkok, welcomed some 3,000 delegates, including over 500 hosted buyers and media, from more than 50 territo-ries and countries over the course of the 3-day event from September 18 to 20.

This year’s budding programme included a record 29 networking functions and hosted activities, and an edu-cation line up of 21 knowledge sessions helmed by over 50 industry thought-leaders from government bodies, related associations, corporate organisations and industry profes-sions. The exhibition and business components also fea-tured some 316 destinations and corporates, the largest showings to date with a 35% increase in booth take up and expansion.

TTG Asia Media Managing Director, Darren Ng said, “We had an extremely robust 2018 line up for all our del-egates this year. Business objectives remained the main focus of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific in providing MICE and Corporate Travel-centric opportunities for all our exhibiting suppliers and buyers to achieve their goals for the region. The advocacy of knowledge-based sharing is also a key pillar at our events in advancing the intellect and innovation within our growing industry and we are happy to see so many destinations and brands take up captive social functions to personally get to know their audience.”

The main keynote was presented by Martin Nydegger, CEO, Switzerland Tourism; Oscar Cerezales, COO, MCI Asia-Pacific; Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice Pres-ident – Business, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); and Daniel Chua, Vice President – Meet-ings & Incentives, Singapore Associations of Conven-tions and Exhibition Organisers (SACEOS), set the tone towards the transformation of audience engagement as the demand to stand out and being top-of-mind becomes more competitive.

The first ICCA-TTG Passionate Breakfast themed ‘Graceful Powers’ celebrated the journey of women and

diversity in the workforce, with inspiring sharing by incredible female achievers who have made their mark in the industry. The inaugural Asian MICE Cruise Confer-ence, helmed by TTGmice, debuted with a half-day pro-gramme attended by close to 400 major cruise players and stakeholders in the region.

Royal Caribbean Managing Director, Angie Stephen, dived into the importance of such conferences for the region, “Cruising provides great value to MICE groups that they might not yet be aware of right now. The pop-ularity of cruise is just now starting to grow in the region and it is important for all of us to come together with key stakeholders to continue to fuel that growth. This is why we see major players here today to heighten that awareness.”

The all-new Experiential Marketing Forums and Incen-tive Travel Forums explored new and innovative ways to design ‘wow’ experiences while the coveted Association Days in partnership with GainingEdge, IAPCO, ICCA, SITE, and World PCO Alliance revolved around long-term impacts on host destinations, examining how GDPR may affect the way associations manage member data, and a hot debate between proposers and opposers of PCOs. Not forgetting 8 of the year’s most relevant CTW Asia-Pacific forum sessions revolving around the best of corporate travel challenges, solutions and best practices.

Technology the theme of new format at UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit

IT&cmA and cTW Asia-pacific 2018 brings another event for mIce and corporate travel

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