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Goyal believes in leav-ing behind the wor-ries over the cyclical

fluctuation in the economiccondition and taking forwardthe industry in a united formto address the real challengesand scale new heights.

“There are only threepossibilities. One can make a choice from moving back-wards, remaining stationary,or moving forward.

In our case, the only option with stakeholders in the travel trade is to move forward,”

said Goyal. The increase inairfare, inflation, cost ofpetrol and the new servicetax regime coupled withother taxes, says Goyal, havecreated an unviable environ-ment in terms of tour opera-tors’ perspective. But,according to him, the biggestchallenge being faced by theindustry is to integrate avia-tion and tourism sector. “Onecan’t think of growth intourism without strong air

connectivity into the countryand within the country.Presently, in the aviation space, due to issueswith Kingfisher and Air India, the supply has fallen and demand has risen.

New licenses should be granted to the Indian airlines,” said Goyal.

“Once the FDI policy isapproved, more internationalplayers should be allowed inthe aviation space without anyfurther delay,” he adds.

Goyal says that thearbitrary state taxes, lack oftrained manpower and

cleanliness and uncertaintyover safety and securityaspects, should be addressedon priority basis. Moreover,on the policy making front, he says theGovernment should striveforward to announce initia-tives like e-visa, extend Visa-on-Arrival facility to sourcemarkets like Germany,France, UK, USA, Canadaand Australia to name a few.

On moving forward andprogressing in challengingtimes, Goyal said, “We, acrossall segments, should gettogether and stand united to find the way forward. Our IATO Convention is onesuch platform that can unitethe industry to collectivelymove forward.”

Subhash Goyal, President, IATO suggests that the tourism and aviation sectors should be integrated.

‘Approve FDI in aviation’

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Extending the ban ontourist activities in tigerreserves till August 29,

the Supreme Court has comedown hard on the govern-ment, saying it was more wor-ried about commerce thantiger conservation. Earlier onJuly 24, the court had bannedtourism activity in the core

areas of tiger reserves.Highlighting the threat posedto the endangered tigerspecies, the Supreme Court onJuly 24 banned all tourismactivities in the core areas ofall tiger reserves in the coun-

try. A bench of JusticesSwatanter Kumar and F M IKalifullah said no touristsshould venture into the corezones of 41 tigers reserves tillfurther orders. However, itshould be noted that the banis temporary. The court isexpected to release its nextruling on August 29.

In the meanwhile, spoke to hoteliers who have

raised concerns about therecent verdict. They feel theban on tourism in the “core”tiger habitat areas of thereserves will encourage ille-gal wildlife trafficking aspoachers will not be hindered

by the presence of tourists.According to Akanksha GargDewan, Director, WaxpolHotels & Resorts and Vice-President, Sunderban TigerCamp, the SC has not taken aholistic approach as to howtheir interim decision willactually affect the wildlifeand the locals in each region.“The SC verdict has a singlestance towards wildlife

tourism. Conservation is beenviewed in different waysacross the world. However inIndia, conservation of wildlifewill be successful only with

reports how the interim ban on tourism in the ‘core’tiger habitat areas will encourage illegal wildlife trafficking

Tiger tourism concerns

Subhash GoyalPresidentIATO

RH KhwajaSecretary, Ministry of TourismGovernment of India

Contd. on page 16

MOT’s view is that tourismshould be regulated in the protected areas and be permitted with appropriate safeguards and regulations.Now, it’s on the Court to decideon the appropriate regulations

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The state will launch the‘Visit Odisha Year

Campaign’ which is aboutattracting tourists from Indiaas well as abroad throughmore publicity and roadshowsin countries/states that senda sizeable amount of touriststo Odisha and India. At theroadshows, besides interac-tion between foreign opera-tors and domestic operators,

cultural shows and odia foodwill also be included. Theother products of Odisha thatwill be promoted will includeAdventure & Wildlife / EcoTourism, Beach Tourism,Buddhist Tourism, Health &Welfare Tourism and MICETourism. These roadshowswill be held in countries like USA, Australia, UK,France, Italy, Thailand and in Indian states like

Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat,Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh.

“A committee might beformed by the governmentfor three years that will beactively involved in workingon the campaign for promo-tion of Odisha tourism.” saysJ K Mohanty, Chairman,Orissa Chapter, IATO.

The state also hopes toimprove the number of visi-tors to the Lord JagannathTemple as it attracts a lot oftourists thus improving thetourist inflow into the state.There are talks also betweenthe state government andgovernment of India to declare the Bhubaneswarairport as international airport to boost more foreign arrivals into thestate. Airlines like Fly Dubai,Air Asia and IndiGo haveshown interest to start inter-national operation fromBhubaneswar airport.

With the government of India recognising the importance oftourism and giving it an infrastructure status, the OdishaChapter in IATO hopes to take advantage of this development.

‘Visit Odisha Year Campaign’

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The role of the IATO’sEducation: Professional

Training and SkillCommittee is to ensure thatthe staff employed by themembers has the necessaryskills to perform their func-tion within the organisationand enhance the same atevery level in the organisa-tion. Training the peopleabout the practical aspectsof tourism through shortcertification courses is theagenda of the committee.The committee will formu-late programmes, create syl-labus and appoint the bestfaculty members to conductthese short-term courses.

Surinder Kumar,Committee CoordinatorEducation: ProfessionalTraining and SkillCommittee, & MD,TravelMate India says, “Inthe coming few months, weplan to hold such trainings,

skill enhancement both inDelhi and in the state. In the long run, the committeewill introduce these train-ings regularly as a part of IATO’s functions. The

committee also has theresponsibility to coordinatewith IITTM about the skilldevelopment programmeunder the Hunar Se RozgarScheme which has been ini-tiated by IATO.”

Col Sumant Bhatia,Committee Member & MD,Colonels Worldwide adds,“We want to provide morepractical and product knowledge, so that even afresher can understand theworking of the tourism indus-try within 2-3 months of training. Anyone from executive level to manageriallevel can take the benefit of these courses and we hopeto start these courses in one or two months.” Surinder says,

“The only challenge,we face, is to beable to train bigger numbers asthe requirement isimmediate and theparticipation of private sector has tobe mobilised by theGovernmentauthority.”

In the tourism and hospitality sector, along with thedevelopment of infrastructure, the contributions of skilledmanpower is a prerequisite and of great importance.

Provide product knowledge

DE N CY MAT H E W

Surinder KumarCommittee Coordinator Education: ProfessionalTraining and Skill Committee, IATO

J K MohantyChairmanOrissa Chapter, IATO

INTERVIEWS4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

Gupta says he feels blessedas Taj Mahal, the icon of

Indian tourism, is situated inUttar Pradesh, along withother leading tourist attrac-tions like the Agra Fort andFatehpur Sikri to name a few.

Highlighting the othertourist attractions in UP,Gupta says, “We have holycity of Varanasi, which is theoldest inhabited city in India;Lucknow is the state capitalwith heritage of Nawabs;Jhansi is the gateway toBundelkhand; Ayodhya is thebirthplace of Lord Rama;Mathura is the birthplace ofLord Krishna; Allahabad isknown for its Sangam andKumbh 2013 shall be held inthis city. The Kumbh Meladuring January to March2013 is likely to be the singlebiggest congregation in theworld with expected partici-pation of 85 million pilgrims.Also there are Buddhistshrines at Sarnath,Kushinagar, Sravasti andSanksya, which draws hugetourists for Buddhist tours.

However, the poorinfrastructure in terms of badroads, shortage of electricity,water, hygiene, very few air-ports and flights impede thestate of UP from attaining itstrue tourism potential.

“It is pathetic that theicon of Indian tourism- Taj

Mahal and an important partof the so called ‘GoldenTriangle ‘of India- Agra doesnot have any flights at all.The Indian domestic pilgrim-age has huge potential forMathura, Ayodhya, Varanasi,Allahabad and also Buddhistplaces but there is no or poorair connectivity. In Varanasi,it takes huge efforts to reachthe ghats through the dirty roads. In Agra, thousands of cars come daily via the new Expressway,but find a frustrating experience to reach the TajMahal after they leaveExpressway via the literally crammed city roads,”said Gupta.

As per Gupta, the way out to many of the present challenges beingfaced by UP can be

addressed by keepingtourism on top priority in the government planningas well in the allocation ofbudgets. This initiativeshould be followed up bymore investments in infra-structure, local effectivetourism committees workingclosely with ASI, DOT andcivil administration andtourism industry. More air-ports and flights should beintroduced at the earliest.

“After the opening of the new Noida-AgraExpressway, there is an urgent need toplan a ‘Ring Road’ in Agra, which can seamlesslybring tourists to TajMahal and also connect all othermajor monuments.

The helicopter servicefrom Delhi to Mathura shouldstart soon and similar initia-tives may be taken to connectAyodhya and Allahabad. The upkeep of ghats at Mathuraand Varanasi and cleaning ofriver Ganges and Yamunashould be accorded priorityattention,” added Gupta.

In a freewheeling interaction with , Sunil C Gupta , Chairman, Uttar Pradesh Chapter, IATO highlightsthat Agra, which has Taj Mahal, does not have any flights at all. He gives a few feasible solutions to bringmore tourists into Uttar Pradesh.

A ring road to connect UP’s key monuments

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Sunil C Gupta ChairmanUP Chapter, IATO

In Agra, thousands of carscome daily via the newExpressway, but find afrustrating experience to reachthe Taj Mahal after they leaveExpressway via the literallycrammed city roads

Challenges

INTERVIEWS6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

The opening of the YamunaExpressway, it seems, has

opened many opportunities byconnecting Delhi to the touristcentre of Agra. In fact, keystakeholders in tourism alsodesire to have such express-ways in their region.

“Jaipur-Delhi Highwayshould be constructed onthe similar lines of YamunaExpressway. The road con-nectivity between Jaipur-Ranthambore and Jaipur-Bundi-Kota needs urgent attention,” said Bhim Singh,Chairman, Rajasthan-Chapter, IATO.

But, Singh insists thatthe lack of air connectivity inthe key destinations withinRajasthan restricts growth oftourism in more than one way.

“The main hurdle is theair connectivity and the avail-ability of only a few roads

leading to the importanttourist destinations. There isno flight between Jaipur-

Udaipur and Jaipur-Jodhpurfor the last two years. In fact,more Greenfield airportsshould be developed andsmaller airlines should be pro-moted between major tourist

attractions like Kishangarh(Ajmer), Bikaner, Kota &Chittaurgarh,” said Singh.

“Jaipur Airport is likely tobe closed for renovation and

therefore, the flights here willbe re-scheduled. This will con-tinue for 18-24 months, whichis likely to affect the tourismto Rajasthan. Arrival of flightsshould be regulated in a waythat the airport extension workis not disturbed and maximumflights land at Jaipur Airport.Besides this, RajasthanTourism department should begiven more budgetary alloca-tion in the state budget andfrom the central budget. Thestate allocation for develop-ment of tourism is only ` 40crore as against the other statebudgets ranging between ` 200-300 crore,” he added.

Bhim Singh, Chairman, Rajasthan Chapter, IATO, believes that Rajasthan urgently requires air connectivity betweenJaipur-Udaipur and Jaipur as well as air connectivity for Ajmer, Bikaner, Kota and Chittaurgarh.

Open a Delhi-Jaipur Expressway

Bhim SinghChairmanRajasthan Chapter, IATO

TT BU R E AUJaipur-Delhi Highway should beconstructed on the similar lines ofYamuna Expressway. The roadconnectivity between Jaipur-Ranthambore and Jaipur-Bundi-Kota needs urgent attention.

The lack of air connectivity inthe key destinations withinRajasthan restricts growth oftourism in more than one way

Bottlenecks

The travel and hospitalityindustry is plagued with a

high attrition rate. While someblame the erratic nature of thejob, many feel that the vulner-ability of the industry to factorssuch as price rise, competition,inept nature to adjust tochanges add to the employee’s distress. Therefore corporatestoday have improved andreworked on their HR policy.Marriott Hotels has consistent-

ly won several awards in the‘best place to work’ categoryover the years. A feat not easyto have achieved, GurmeetSingh, Area Director ofHuman Resourses - IndiaMaldives - MarriottInternational says “We ensurethat there are ample growthopportunities for our peoplewithin the organisation andstrive to create an environ-ment which is full of fun andjoy. It is rather a matter ofgreat pride for us that our peo-ple look forward to coming towork every single day becausewe believe that our people are

upholders of our brand- itscustodians, people who willsustain Marriott as an institu-tion with great vitality andperpetuity.”

Investing in buildinggood recreational zones is alsoof vital importance in offices.Stress at workplace can oftenbe minimised through thepresence of such places. Ahealthy and encouragingcamaraderie between fellowemployees is also essential.

Says Alpana Banerjee,Chief Human Resources

Getting the most out of your employees withoutexhausting them is one of the main commandmentsedged in HR books of organisations. reports.

Retaining the employees

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INTERVIEWS8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

Contd. on page 10

Intersight does it again!

Intersight Tours & Travels has been bestowed with the award for Best Inbound Tour Operator instituted by Kerala Tourism,Govt. of Kerala, for the second consecutive time. The award was received by Johny Abraham, Managing Director, Intersight,from Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister, Kerala at the Mascot Hotel, Trivandrum on August 10, 2012. AP Anilkumar, TourismMinister, Kerala, Vijayan Thomas- Chairman, KTDC, Suman Billa - Tourism Secretary and Ms. Rani George – Tourism Directorwere present at the occasion. Intersight Tours and Travels had won the same honour for the year 2009-10, with its innovativetour packages, immaculate services and extremely satisfied customers.

Speaking on the promo-tion, Yusuf Poonawala,

Vice President – BharatDekho, Cox & Kings said,“We are delighted to be asso-ciated with Gujarat Tourismas it’s a great opportunity forus to share the tourismboard’s vision and showcasethe exotic and divine localesof Gujarat in newer marketsin India.”

The holiday packageslaunched will showcase the essential segments.These include:

Gandhi’s Foot Steps, 04Day/ 03 Nights package vis-iting Porbandar, Rajkot &Bhavnagar. The highlights ofthe tour include visit to KirtiMandir - the site of Gandhi'sbirth, Gandhi Smriti,Sabarmati Ashram andBarton Library and Museum

Jain Jatra, 09 Days / 08Nights visiting Ahmedabad,Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Bhuj,Junagadh & Palanpur. Thehighlights of the tourinclude visit to HatheesinghJain Temple located inAhmedabad, Mandavi beachat Bhuj, Ambaji andModhera Temples inPalanpur and Rani ki Vav – astep well.

Wildlife of Gujarat withBeaches, 05 Days/04 Nightsvisiting Sasan Gir & Diu. Thehighlights of the tour includethe famous Gir National Park in Sasan Gir, NagoaBeach, Diu Museum and Fort and the SomnathJyotirling Temple.

Gujarat Pilgrimage Tour,05 Days / 04 Nights visitingRajkot, Dwarka, Porbandar &Somnath. The highlights ofthe tour include visit toGandhi Smriti in Rajkot,Dwarkadhesh Temple inDwarka, Somnath Templeand the famous Gir NationalPark in Sasan Gir

Tarnetar Fair (19th –21st September 2012),03 Days / 02 Nights visitingRajkot & Tarnetar. TheTarnetar Mela covers a largepart of the Tarnetar villagewith a huge number of stallsput up to sell beautiful local handicrafts unavailable elsewhere, along with ethnicjewellery, statues of deitiesand traditional attire withtiny mirrors embroidered into the clothing.

Navratri Festival (16th –24th October 2012), 03Days/02 Nights visitingAhmedabad. Navratri Festivalis “a circle of ecstasy” thatbeats non-stop for ninenights with millions of fantas-tically costumed devotees

swaying in a blend of danceand devotion. Although thisfestival is celebratedthroughout India, nowhere isit performed with morepanache and zeal than in Gujarat.

Saurashtra Darshan, 08Days / 07 Nights visitingJamnagar, Dwarka, Somnath,Rajkot & Ahmedabad. Thehighlights of the tour includevisit to Beyt Dwarka ,Somnath Temple, the muchfamous Akshardham Templein Ahmedabad andDwarkadesh Temple

Gujarat - Land ofHeritage, 05 Days / 04Nights visiting Porbandar,Rajkot, Bhavnagar &Ahmedabad. The highlightsof the tour include visit toNehru Planetarium, WatsonMuseum and a Heritage Walkto Bhavnagar.

Divine Trail of Gujaratwith Beaches, 07 Days / 06Nights visiting Ahmedabad,Bhavnagar & Diu. The high-lights of the tour include visit to Palitana Temple,Gopnath Mahadev Templeand Beach and SomnathJyotirlinga Temple.

Gujarat - Land of amaz-ing Architecture, 05 Days/ 04 Nights visitingAhmedabad, Gondal, Rajkot& Bhuj. The highlights of thetour include visit to the his-toric city of Junagadh, AinaMahal Museum, CalicoMuseum of Textiles and aheritage walk of Ahmedabad.

Saputara – Where NatureResides, 04 Days / 3 Nightsvisiting Saputara.

Cox & Kings has launched 12 holiday packages forGujarat that cover the destination’s prominent locales,wildlife and pilgrimage. The packages also embrace itsart and cultural festivals like Navratri, Jain Yatra etc.

Cox & Kings for Gujarat

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Yusuf PoonawalaVice President – Bharat Dekho, Cox & Kings

We consciously and proactivelyorganise regular group offsite tours and each of these have specific objectives

Raj TanwarHead, Human Resources Thomas Cook

INTERVIEWS1 0 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

The road ahead for inbound tourismAs the IATO Convention 2012 focusses on the challenges in inbound and domestic tourism in India and exploresthe way ahead for the Indian travel and tourism industry, speaks to a number of Executive Committeemembers to understand their key responsibilities, strategies and the way forward.

Sunil C Gupta The IATOConvention this year is most apt.The inbound tourists have becomeindispensable for tourism growth inIndia. This year, over 15 states areparticipating, which shows howimportant this event has become intoday’s scenario. Also, as I operatefrom Agra, I will stress on the needfor improved infrastructure. In thefirst 10 days of the Expressway opening, almost 40,000 carscame to Agra from Delhi and NCR. This is a huge example ofhow one good road has facilitated travel and tourism. The gov-ernment needs to play the role of not just a regulator but acatalyst as well.

EM Najeeb The Kerala Tourismrecently announced Kerala TourismPolicy 2012, which spells out thepolicy related to tourism business,infrastructure, Human Resourcesdevelopment, marketing and invest-ments to which, IATO had con-tributed various suggestions. Goingforward, we wish to raise the prob-lems faced by the tour operator’s

community and the hospitality industry through IATO. Wewill be approaching the Government with our constructivesuggestions for streamlining tourism industry in the state.

NS Rathor I have been inMaharashtra for the last 32 yearsand unfortunately, the only twowell-equipped leisure destinationsare Mumbai and Aurangabad.Thus, this year, IATO is attemptingto bring more lesser-known desti-nations in the forefront. We areorganising five post-conventiontours to explore the various seg-ment of tourism. The idea is to retain inbound tourists inMumbai for at least 10 days with these extended trips fromthe region.

Ramesh Wattal My main concernwhen I joined as an EC memberwas that there should be trans-parency within the association,specifically for the medium touroperators. This is more or less sort-ed now. The main issues of IATOnow are in its dealings with theMinistry of Tourism (MOT). Somehave been resolved. For example;

planning of the roadshows has been taken care of by MOT.Now MOT has an annual calendar of roadshows, which wasnot there earlier.

Amaresh Tiwari This time I wasthe coordinator of the IATO Run ForResponsible Tourism that was heldrecently. The first-of-its-kind eventin IATO has gathered a lot of inter-est. This year it was a 5 kmrun/walk. Next year, we will makeit a 10 km half marathon. What hasbeen extremely interesting toobserve is that we had anticipateda participation of 40 to 50 people. However, at this event,the participation crossed 200 people. Thus, the idea now isto make this an annual event. We want to create awarenessabout Responsible Tourism through this initiative.

Rajiv Mehra IATO is now hav-ing more interactions with theMOT, Home Ministry and Ministryof External Affairs to get at leastsome headway for the Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) issue. Most impor-tantly, the sub-committees havebecome extremely proactive andthis goes a long way in the effi-cient functioning of the associa-

tion. Even the modified MDA scheme has been sent forapproval to MOT.

Ravi Gosain As an EC member, Iam coordinating the activities of theElectronic and Internet MarketingCommittee. I have also been actively involved in the IATO Silent Auction that is happening

for the first time, a fundrais-ing technique adopted by IATO, this year.

At the venue, one will find adisplay of donated itemswhere everyone present inthe Convention can bid and compete against others. This initiative, I amsure, will be highly successfuland will bring the desired results.

Officer-Emerging Markets &Specialists Division, KuoniGroup, “To help employeesunwind from their fast-pacedschedule, there is a recre-ation area with table tennissets, basketball rings, chess-boards and other entertain-ing games. In addition, thereare large free-standing flatscreen television sets at var-ious corners in the headoffices for employees toaccess breaking news or thelatest the T20 match score.”

Raj Tanwar, Head,Human Resources, Thomas

Cook adds, “We consciouslyorganise regular group offsitetours and each of these havespecific objectives. Usuallythey are combined with busi-ness and employee develop-ment needs. Constant followup and feedback by leadersof the respective sectionswith their staff has yieldedpositive business impact.”The golden rule of employeesatisfaction is to keep a stressfree zone in office wheregrievances of the employeescan be easily addressed. Andwhat the employee really

wants is not motivation fromthe organisation, but the abol-

ishment of the act of demotivating them.

Making the office best place to workContd. from page 8

Alpana BanerjeeChief Human Resources Officer-Emerging Markets & SpecialistsDivision, Kuoni Group

Gurmeet SinghArea Director of Human Resourses -India Maldives - MarriottInternational

By adding another hotel inthe city of Kochi after

Holiday Inn, IHG is aiming atmaking a strong statementthrough Crowne Plaza Kochi.Talking about the perspectiveof the new hotel for the city,the General Manager of theproperty, Terry Austen said,“The team is on board and lookforward for getting readybefore the height of the season. We are expecting thisproperty to open in the festive season i.e. betweenSeptember and November. Forthe last 14 months that I havespent here, the city has gonethrough a rapid developmentalchange and our hotel will addanother dimension infrastruc-ture facet to position the city

ahead.” The hotel has realisedKochi’s potential to deliver farmore in hospitality and travelspace. “The state governmentis investing heavily on theinfrastructure projects totransform the city and ourhotel is going to add to that,

charming the leisure market,”he added. The 269-roomhotel, connecting with placesof vivid interests within 45minutes, will be captalisingon the demand of the leisureas well as MICE traffic thatthe city is attracting. “Ourhotel will offer the largesttwin inventory in the city andour dedicated CrowneMeetings Director will helporganise meeting and socialevents for up to 1500 pax,”Austen informed. The hotelwill have 14 meeting roomsand would make use of thein-house garden for socialevents. On the leisure front,the hotel boasts 2 swimmingpools, large health club andan exclusive spa floor spread

Crowne Plaza Kochi will bring a change in the city bybecoming the city’s landmark to ‘Discover and Celebrate.’

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HOTELS1 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

Toshali Resorts Inter-national is strengthening

its base in the hospitality sec-tor. It has recently bagged four Odisha Tourism-owned

accommodation units for management under LeaseDevelopment Agreement. Allproperties are located in theBuddhist circuit of Pathrajpur,Ratnagiri, Udayagiri andLalitgiri. Toshali Group isactively marketing theBuddhist destinations of thestate through its network ofsales offices spread across ninecities in India and overseaspartners. The group is alsoconstructing a five-star luxuryproperty with a capacity of 126rooms in Bhubaneswar.Harihar Patra, Director –Marketing, Toshali ResortsInternational said, “Odisha haslot to offer for Buddhist pil-grims. Our focus is to developcustomised packages fortourists who come to India forpilgrimage and cultural circuit

visit so that they can experi-ence the 2000-year-oldBuddhist heritage sites of thestate.” To promote their prod-ucts in the Buddhist market ofSouth East Asian countries andSri Lanka, Toshali Group hasacquired a Kolkata-based trav-el company, Pan-Asia, whichhas expertise in this sector.

The group is focussing more on Buddhist circuit inOdisha and building infrastructure in the region.

Toshali for Buddhist circuit

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Harihar PatraDirector – MarketingToshali Resorts International

Rajasthan is a preferredinbound destination,

where tourists visit to get arich and colourful Indianexperience. There has alwaysbeen a need for luxuryresorts especially in the keycities like Jaipur, Udaipur,Bikaner, Jodhpur, andJaisalmer to name a few.Here, Devi Resorts & RasaResorts have gained a greatadvantage with their uniquecollection of Boutique Hotelsthat go beyond being merely‘ethnic’ and offer a sensibilityand standards comparable tothe best in the world, whiledistilling local flavour.

“The amalgamation oftraditional and contemporaryhas made Rajasthan the most

preferred holiday destinationin India. We offer a collectionof unique luxury boutiquehotels in India while estab-lishing global standards ofproduct quality and serviceexcellence. Our philosophy ofthe company has always beenabout living with history;keeping an awareness of ourpast while looking towards

the future. The vision isabout finding harmony in contrast and modernitygoing hand-in-hand with our heritage. We had recently launched two properties in Jaipur,” saidNeeta Gupta- Global Head Sales & Marketing,Boutique Hotels.

“We offer the best luxu-ry accommodation facilities totravellers from across theglobe, satiating every possibledesire of tourists. Our DeviRatn is a completely newvision of a hotel experiencethat can dispel any myth aboutwhat India has to offer; andRasa provides a luxuriousexperience to the adventuroustraveller. In fact, Devi Resortsis also an ideal luxury andwellness destination. A guestseeking a holistic experience

can rejuvenate at Devi Spa byL’Occitane,” she added.

Gupta also explainedthat Devi Ratn takes its name

from the ‘Nav Ratn’; nine puregemstones that are said tofocus cosmic energy and offers60 suites and a few independ-

ent villas. The company hasalso launched a new brand ofhotels (sub brand of DeviResorts) under the name ‘RasaResorts’ to market boutiquehotels with the same uniqueservice and quality one asso-ciates with the group but at amore affordable price. “B2Bsegment supports the organ-isations' sales effort andimproves company profitabil-ity. Hence, it is an importantsegment for all organisations.We are reaching the B2Baudience through digitalmedium, email, SEO andsocial media. Trade showscontinue to remain critical.Trade publications are another good medium toreach out to the B2B audi-ence,” said Gupta explainingtheir intention to grow theB2B network.

Devi Resorts & Rasa Resorts are rare collection of unique luxury boutique properties in India, which are a cut abovethe global standards in terms of product quality and excellence in service.

Unique luxury boutique hotels in Rajasthan

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Neeta GuptaGlobal Head Sales & Marketing Boutique Hotels

Terry AustenGeneral ManagerIHG

Contd. on page 21

Rising aspirations of Kochi

TIGER TOURISM1 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

1Sariska and Panna TigerReserves were lesser

known National Parks in thenineties, because sighting ofthe tigers and leopards weredeclining. Tourism to boththese parks had fallen.Poaching, manipulation ofnumbers and inadequatesecurity were the main rea-sons why tigers disappearedcompletely from the parkaround 2008. Tourism is notthe cause; secondly therewere only a handful of resortsin both the parks. This dis-couraged visitors from goingto the park. Hence, it is being

clearly made out that touristsare not the villains here.

2Forest eco developmentcommittees, constituted

in villages surrounding thepark, are gaining as much as25 per cent, from gatereceipts to tiger reserves,which is further being usedfor the development andupliftment of the villages. For example, the KanhaNational Park has contributedclose to ` 1 crore during the last financial year to these committees.

3In order toencourage

community-basedtourism parks,Kanha andBandhavgarh

National TigerReserve only employ

local tribes to performthe role of guides

and drivers.

4Activists and naturalistpoint of view of prohibit-

ing tourism in core areas giverise to yet another question.Are tourists not naturalists aswell, will their knowledge ofexotic species of flora andfauna is restricted to viewingtelevision programmes andfilms on wildlife? How effec-tive will monitoring be inthese parks considering visi-tors are not allowed?

5Don’t close the core areaon a permanent basis,

keep it closed two days aweek, to reduce the pressureof constant flow of vehiclestwice a day. Further safaritimings can be reduced by 15to 30 minutes depending on the season and time of theyear. The most important isthe number of vehiclesallowed to enter the parkeach day.

6Regulatory method needsto be adopted, in cases

like when a rare species isspotted and crowding of vehi-cles take place. Systems need to be set in place,including guards equippedwith means like digital cam-eras that can record sightingsand crowd behaviour.

7In a spirit of give andtake, the tourist must be

willing to make some sacri-fice as well. For example thewell known tiger shows atKanha need to come to anend.

8It is believed poachingwill come to an end once

the ban is introduced. Toassume that, poaching hap-pens because of tourism isuntrue. To ban tourism inwildlife areas, will probablyindulge local populations toseek alternative sources ofincome, considering alltourism-related activities like driving, guiding, workingin resorts and acting

as naturalists will come to asudden end.

9Crowding of dwellingsand resorts in buffer

areas constricts space formovement and puts strain onlimited resources. This is aprime reason for wanting toban tourism in core areas.Though justifiable, the reper-cussions are several andrange from loss of livelihoodto local communities, touroperators and resort owners.The solution lies in putting aceiling on new development,making it mandatory forresorts to switch to solarenergy for power require-ment, eliminating conferencefacilities, and further better-ment of waste disposal facil-ities, to name a few.

10More attention alsoneeds to be paid on

highways. Especially the oneswhich crosses on state ornational national parks. Only

then stealing forest wealthranging from precious woodto elephant tusks and poach-ing of rare and extinct species will be a distinct pos-sibility. Here too, the touristis not to be blamed.Unscrupulous elements inter-ested in robbing forests of itsprecious reserves are themain culprits.

(The writer is HectorDsouza, President, L’orientTravels)

Tour operators and resort owners in tiger reserves across the country received a major setback with the temporary ban on Wildlife Tourism in core areas of tiger reserves across the country. This is most unfortunate. As a passionate wildlife lover and a tour operator for over two decades, I am spelling out 10 reasons to reconsider the decision.

Regulate tourism in core tiger areas

We have all seen thenews in the last few

weeks, criticising WildlifeTourism in India. Are we thatunregulated? And is theargument – ‘this is notAfrica’, allow us to ignore theAfrican models? In my books,no. I have been to Africa afew times. They have tribals,they have abundance of

wildlife, accompanied bymany major problems fromepidemics to extreme pover-ty. But they still have greatmodels, which allow humansand animals to co-exist. Weimagine Africa as a similarterrain, but they do have therainforest, the desert and thesavanna land. But they allhave different models. Thereisn’t one guideline for nation-al park’s or conservancies inany African country. Ugandahas Bwindi ImpenetrableForest, which runs on a very similar system like inIndia. All the lodges are out-side the national park, but alimited number of permitsare issued to track gorillasinside the park.

Alternatively, Ugandaalso has Ishasha withSavanna lands, but thelodges exist inside the

national park. These are twovery different models in thesame country. Both employlocal people, run with strictguidelines enforced by thegovernment and practicewhat has become a keywordtoday – ‘Ecotourism’. Thenumber of permits inBwindi regulate the peopleentering the national park,whereas, the number ofbeds within Ishasha limitthe people in a particulararea of the park.

The rapid economicdevelopment, globalisationand the growth of tourism,does put our natural heritageat risk. Whether it is the Tigeror any monument. However,the impact of tourism in thelesser-developed countries isnot always a negative one.Apart from the much neededincome generation that exter-

nal visitors can bring to com-munities, regulated tourismcan also be beneficial especial-ly when managed sustainably.

In the above lines, reg-ulated, is the key word. Inthe Uganda example, therewere rules laid out for alllodges / hotels that werecoming up. The ones withinthe park were not allowedelectricity or flush toilets. Local skill develop-ment became a key andWildlife Tourism became oneof the biggest industry forthe country.

If our Wildlife Tourismpolicy would have beenbrought in, 20-30 yearsback with guidelines enforc-ing construction of lodges,states to open skill develop-ment schools for local vil-lages, to actually have high

value but low impact lodges,then today we could havehad community projectseven inside the nationalpark. But, the guideline thatwere put together by ourforest ministry and is prac-ticed in all of India underthe same policy umbrellawill not work. Simply,because Gujarat is not sim-ilar to Kaziranga nor Corbettis similar to Periyar, not onlyin terrain, but in governanceas well. Our own govern-ment talks aboutCommunity-based Tourism.It sounds great on paper butare they providing a legalfoundation for community’sto set this up? Our presentwildlife protection and leg-islation is strongly exclu-sionary, with lip service paidto stakeholders while keep-ing them effectively out of

any decision makingprocess. We need a biggervision, possibly whereWildlife Tourism is separat-ed from the forest depart-ment and the ones affectedshould be stakeholdersrather than mere spectators.

(The writer is AmitSankhala, Managing Director,Dynamic Tours, EncountersAsia and Jungle Lodges)

Around the world when we talk about Wildlife Tourism, the first instinct of any traveller is – ‘Let’s go to Africa. They have the Big 5’. Although, when we compare mammals, we have the big 5 and more – Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhinoceros and the Leopard. In addition to these African Big 5, we have the Royal Bengal Tiger, which alone stands as the most attractive of all.

Wildlife Tourism in India?

AGENTS1 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

tourism and its stakeholdersparticipating in it actively.”

Talking about the ill-effects of the SC ruling, ManavKhanduja, Director-Marketing,Pugdundee Safaris opines,“Not only the wildlife lodgeand tour industry would bedestroyed but over two hun-dred thousand people directlyemployed by the industry andover a million connected to theindustry will be affected. Over80 per cent people attached tothe industry are locals makingover ̀ 60,000 annually, whichis far higher than the nationalper capita income. And when

in rural India over half the population lives on ` 35 a day, these are generousremunerations.” The spirit ofthe eco-tourism guidelinespresented by NTCA in court iscommunity participation andinvolvement. The interim ver-

dict goes completely againstthe guidelines. “Our parkshave seen a lot of revengekilling of wildlife by villagerswhen their cattle gets killed orfields are destroyed. My fear iswhen they lose their livelihoodthe revenge could ring the

death bell for tiger and conser-vation. The decision will createa larger gap between conser-vation and local communitiesand the department will havea tough time handling the sit-uation,” he points out. Thehotel business is anyway aseasonal one in the parks andnone of the property ownersearn more than what isrequired to manage and runtheir properties, so yes, if less-er tourists are turning up tothe park, revenue will be less,hence the hotels will beforced to cut down the staffwhich may create local unrestalong with increased villagerdependency on the forest forpoaching and deforestation,adds Dewan.

Rather than saying howimportant tiger tourism forthe hotels is, one should ask

how important is tourism forthe tigers, feels Dewan. “Otherthan running various wildliferesorts in Sunderbans, Dooarsand Pench, we are also avidwildlife and nature enthusi-asts. One of our firm observa-tions over the years has beenthat tourism boosts wildlife,provides employment to the

locals and promotes conserva-tion. Without the tourists whoare the ears and the eyes of theforest, poachers will roam theforest freely and tigers will bekilled in great numbers andnothing will be left to con-serve. Fine examples areSariska and Panna NationalParks where there were notigers left due to lack oftourism. Villagers will againstart depending on the forest,which might lead to increasedpoaching activity and defor-estation. To learn how to man-age the park, the governmentneeds to study and follow theAfrican pattern of wildlifetourism, where conservationand tourism go hand in hand.”

Reiterates Khanduja,“Conservation and communitydevelopment are interlinkedand our industry remains theonly financial stakeholder inwildlife conservation. Thisremains the only industrywhich is not extracting fromforests, creates jobs in back ofbeyond and contributes regu-larly for conservation. Lastyear more than ` 16 crorewere generated as only entrytickets in Madhya Pradesh.

The money is used for theparks and also for lesserknown sanctuaries. The indus-try is involved directly withcommunity programmes,training and capacity building, which are directlylinked to conservation.”

Vibhas Prasad, Owner,Leisure Hotels informsthatunlike other nationalparks which are mostly shutduring the off-seasons,

Corbett NationalPark is open 365days. It is also oneof the few parkswhere governmentaccommodation isavailable inside thecore zones as well.It might suffer if thefinal SC verdict goesagainst the benefitsof tiger tourism.

However, for the timebeing the company, which has five properties in nationalparks, is just hopeful that the verdict will be more favourable.

Don’t kill Tiger Tourism in India

Conservation andcommunitydevelopment areinterlinked.Theindustry is the onlyfinancial stakeholder

Wildlife conservationwill be a successwith tourism and its stakeholdersparticipating in itactively

Akanksha Garg DewanDirectorWaxpol Hotels & Resorts

Manav KhandujaDirector-MarketingPugdundee Safaris

Contd. from page 3

Wildlife and adventuretourism are both relat-

ed to forest and environment.The effect of the delicate bal-ance is now keenly observedby the departments as well asthe NGOs. Probably the sub-stantial increase in thewildlife tourist traffic has cre-ated a situation unplannedfor by the forest department.

Giving a few suggestionson this scenario, Abdul Kader,

MD, Indian Adventures -Wildlife & Adventure Resortssays, “Let us not ask for con-cessions, let us plan better, letus give room and value to ourwildlife, let us demarcate thecore zone with ‘No Entry’boards.” Further, expressinghis concern on the future chal-lenges, Kader adds, “But thetigers cannot read and, with their growing numbers,will spill over to the buffer and tourism zones to please the hearts of thewildlife tourists.

Dedicatedplanning andanalysis ofrequired corezone areas isvital for theforest depart-ment. Puttingthe core zonebanner on theentire NationalPark area is farfrom practicaland will simplyput ‘The End’

to these wonderfulescapades to the wild.” Thefinalisation and demarca-tions of the core zones, thebuffer zones, and the safariroutes within the tourismzone have remained neg-lected in some way. He

opines, “Planning and regu-lating of safari routes relat-ed to entry and exits insome of the national parkshave also caused conges-tions even though thedepartment has madeefforts to regulate such traf-

fic by various means. Thealert NGOs do want thingscloser to ideal conditionsand the Supreme Court nowinvolved for a good reason merely wants tounderstand and improvetourism regulations.”

Wildlife tourism, over the last 10-15 years, has attained an important status in India. It has become a major attraction for inbound and domestic tourists. presents the current status of the same.

‘Plan Wildlife, Tourism don’t ban it’TT BU R E AU

Abdul KaderMD, Indian Adventures - Wildlife &Adventure Resorts

Flurry of questions on Wildlife TourismThere are still some ques-tions that need to beanswered:

1. Has the forest departmentdemarcated the core zone effectively leavingenough buffers for wildlifeprotection?

2. Has the buffer zone beendemarcated with safariroutes for the keen andwell-informed tourist forwhom the wildlife sight-ings are an eye opener,and sows the seed for thecause of conservation?Can we really stop thewildlife tourism anduproot such seeds and

love for nature from theenlightened youth?

3. Can we leave our heritageof wildlife habitats and itsinhabitants to the mercyof the poachers?

4. Can we leave the NationalParks and its peripherywithout the patrollingtourist vehicles?

5. Is the forest departmentgeared for patrolling thelarge National Park areaswith their limitedresources?

6. Can we disturb the liveli-hood of a hundred thou-sand Indians now depend-

ing on wildlife and adven-ture tourism, to whichmost other tourism seg-ments are also closelylinked?

7. Can we afford to lose oursubstantial foreignexchange earnings fromwildlife and other affectedtourism?

8. Can the National Parks beefficiently protected andmanaged without theadditional financialincome from tourism?

9. Can all the wildlife resortowners afford to shutdown their units and goback home?

HOTELS1 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

As you go around theRadisson Blu Plaza Hotel

Hyderabad Banjara Hills, youcan’t miss the ‘Yes I Can!’badges that the hotel staffsports. According to theirGeneral Manager, thesebadges embody the very spir-it of the brand, the positiveattitude that guarantees 100per cent guest satisfaction.

While speaking about thehotel, Silva says, “I am happywith the way things are mov-ing for Carlson Rezidor’s firstRadisson Blu hotel in the city.We have seen tremendouspotential and we are movingahead in the right direction.”

About Hyderabad as acity for the hospitality sector,he says, “Hyderabad hasgood infrastructure and theIT sector here is also doingvery well. The expansion ofthe airport is another keydecision that the governmenthas taken. That’s why notonly us but some of the majorhospitality players are now

venturing into the city. Eventhe local hospitality compa-nies are also doing very well.The competition is growingand we have a great mix oflocal and international com-panies. It’s a city you must be

in and in the month-and-a-half that we have been herewe have seen tremendouspotential.” Proof of this canbe seen in the fact that thereare around four major hotelslocated within a close dis-tance of each other.

The recent spurt in thenumber of hotels has onlyturned the tables around andthe city which was once saidto have an undersupply ofhotel rooms now has an over-supply of hotel rooms. AsSilva points out, “Now, we have more hotels than what

is needed and in the next 18months we have another 600rooms being added to themarket as more hotels arecoming up. Hyderabad is notthe easiest cities to driveoccupancy rate and if we lookat the current market there isan oversupply of rooms.However, the future is look-ing good and we, at RadissonBlu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad

Banjara Hills, have takenstrategic partnerships withthe corporate world and aredriving forward to a verygood business model.”

On being asked why thehotel at Banjara Hills hasbeen categorically positionedas a business hotel, he says,“We are not driving muchbusiness from the leisure sec-tor as people coming to thecity are mostly business trav-ellers. It is one of the biggesthotels covering 44sqm ofarea (it has 142 Superior,Deluxe & Business classrooms and 13 suites) andwith facilities such as freeinternet, a great breakfastspread and great F&B facili-ties. However, the city has asmall leisure market with 6-7 prominent locations forsightseeing. But even then almost 80 per cent ofour business is from the corporate sector.”

Having opened almost a month-and-a-half ago in Hyderabad, the Carlson Rezidor property is living up to itstagline and guaranteeing 100 per cent satisfaction to its guests. Nishan Silva, General Manager, RadissonBlu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills, says, he’s happy with the way things are moving forward.

Yes I can, says Radisson Blu Hyderabad

PEDEN DOMA BHUTIA

Nishan SilvaGeneral Manager, Radisson Blu PlazaHotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills

We are looking forward to the international biodiversityconference in October which will take place in the HyderabadInternational Convention Centre, a state-of-the-art, first of itskind convention facility in South Asia. It is the largest bio-diver-sity conference that this part of the world has ever seen. This isanother important decision that the government has taken andwill act as a major fillip for the hospitality sector of the city.

Biodiversity conference

On August 9, Canadian-based Fairmont Hotels& Resorts opened its

doors in the ‘Pink City’. This isthe five-star luxury brandhotel’s first opening in India.Says Atul Lall, GeneralManager, Fairmont Jaipur, “AllFairmont properties offer adiverse range of experiences.We endeavour to integrate cul-tures of the market where weare offering our guests a mem-orable stay each day. One ofthe many unique concepts wewill be introducing in the mar-ket is the Fairmont Goldrooms. Rooms on these floors

offer enhanced luxuries andamenities including butlerservice, access to a dedicatedlounge, seamless check-insand a host of exclusive privi-

leges that will add to the superior levels of service

and hospitality we offer to all our guests.”

The furniture and decorat the palace are hand-craft-ed on site by traditional arti-sans. Retrieved from old fortsthe palace also holds a 300-year old door at theBaggi entrance, inspired by the local Rajasthani art-work and carving. FairmontJaipur also boasts of a pillar-less 60,000 square feetof convention space, thelargest in the region whichcaters to all business andleisure travellers.

“The internationallyfamed Fairmont tradition ofafternoon teas has also been

given an authentically localtwist at Fairmont Jaipur’slobby lounge, Anjum. In addi-tion, traditional souvenirsand local handmade itemsare on offer at the ‘KingsBazaar’ where guests canspend some time while din-ing at Zarin, our authenticMughal-inspired Indian spe-cialty restaurant. Someadventurous activitiesplanned for our guests arehand on lessons with falconerto learn the ancient art ofdesert falconry, hot-air bal-loon rides and traditional folkmusic and storytelling ses-sions,” he adds.

In the coming months,Fairmont Jaipur will alsointroduce the FairmontPresident's Club, a recogni-tion programme designedaround guest’s personalinterests and Fairmont Fitthat provides workout appar-el, MP3 player and a yogamat with a stretch band, allwhich can be delivereddirectly to the guest’s roomupon request.

Answering on whetherJaipur which is more of aleisure destination nowchanging its dynamics andattracting other sets of trav-ellers, the GM reveals,“Jaipur’s strategic location;its proximity to NCR and

proactive government poli-cies, have facilitatedincreased footfalls to the cityon account of the leisure tourroute – the Golden Triangle.

Since the city has eventuallyshown great potential as aMICE destination, one of thekey focuses at FairmontJaipur is MICE and we willoffer a variety of service mixto business and leisure trav-ellers.” To accommodate thearea’s growing meetingsmarket Fairmont Jaipurboasts of 60,000 square feet

of pillar-less conferencespace, the largest in the area,with five well-equippedmeeting rooms and a sophis-ticated screening room.“From business meetings toweddings, our luxuriousJaipur accommodation is theideal venue for a memorableevent, blending classicgrandeur and style with thebest in modern meeting tech-nology and an experienced,attentive staff. The hotel’sfocus on service, coupledwith an amazing location,ensures that all events will bememorable,” he adds

With the growinginbound MICE segment,expanding airlines opera-tions, better transport systems and booming infra-structure in information technology, hotels and meet-ing facilities have made sure that India is an integralpart of the worldwide MICE destinations.

Talking about what kindof Average Room Rate (ARR)

the city is commanding at themoment, the GM informs,“Fairmont Jaipur has beenlaunched at a time when thenumber of luxury roomnights offered in the Jaipurcity has gone up to 1500 from721 just two years ago. Lastyear, Jaipur also showed a 13per cent rise in the averageroom rates. It is because of

the nature of the hotel roomsthat business is changing inJaipur. Traditionally viewedas a leisure destination,Jaipur has emerged as aMICE and wedding markettoo. Thus the kind of ARRJaipur is commanding at themoment is INR 9000.Fairmont Jaipur’s ARR is INR 11000.”

With the excellent con-nectivity between Delhi andJaipur, the hotel is betting bigon the weekend getawaytravellers as well. “Jaipurbeing a part of the worldfamous Golden Triangle is ahuge benefit for us. Most ofthe international tourists vis-iting India usually visit theGolden Triangle. To add moreto the connectivity, the traveltime from Gurgaon to Jaipuris now down to three hourswith the conversion of 90 percent of the NH-8 into aneight-lane highway. Also NH11 is yet another importanttourism highway for Jaipurthat connects Agra,” hepoints out.

The key economic driv-er in Jaipur is the servicessector because the city isfavourably located to cater tothe huge North Indian marketand is well-connected.Fairmont Jaipur will soon bea new landmark to grace thisremarkable setting of culture,architecture, history andbusiness growth.

2 0 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

TT BU R E AU

Fairmont Jaipurredefines luxury

Atul LallGeneral ManagerFairmont Jaipur

HOTELS

Unveiled on August 9, 2012, the hotel is upbeatabout its luxury positioning attracting leisure as

well as business segments

WTM is an event thatbrings together 4,947

exhibitors and 8,000 interna-tional buyers under one roof.Simon Press, ExhibitionDirector, World Travel Marketsaid, “WTM 2012 is expectedto generate a staggering business of GBP 1,653 million-an impressive 16 per centincrease over the previous

year. By attending WTM, par-ticipants gain immediate com-petitive advantage for theirbusiness and stay abreast withthe latest developments in thetravel industry.”

“WTM combines bothface-to-face meetings and all

encompassing education pro-gramme (more than 110 sem-inars and conferences) toensure visitors and exhibitorsare gaining the most out oftheir time over the four days.

Instead of getting defeat-ed by technology, the exhibi-

tion is harnessing the latesttechnology to create a moreuser-friendly product. “InWTM, we focussed on the use of social media for the travel industry. Anenhanced social media programme will be availableat this year’s event in

November. Last year, we introduced the WTM App,” he further informed. “SpeedNetworking is an importantpart of attending a successfulWTM. Held on the first day ofthe show, it brings togetherbuyers and sellers for fixingmeetings,” he informed. In

2011, Speed Networking tookplace as a one hour-long ses-sion before the exhibitionopened on the first day ofWTM 2011 (November 7).Previously, Speed Networkingwas in five 45-minute sessions throughout the firstday – based around the

regions of the exhibition.Currently still in the early stages of planningWTM 2012, one of the main objectives is to further improve the commu-nication process betweenthe Buyers (Meridian Clubmembers) and Exhibitors.

The world is increasingly being dominated by everything virtual and hence, it takes a lot of innovation to keep thehuman interface relevant. WTM adds Speed Networking to make the experience not just relevant, but necessary.

WTM developing a user-friendly product

Simon PressExhibition DirectorWorld Travel Market

RUPALI NARASIMHAN

EXHIBITIONS I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 2 1

across 6,000 sq ft to openearly next year.

As the 6th Crowne Plazahotel to enter South WestAsia, the brand is strength-ening its positioning in themarket and with two proper-ties in Kochi, IHG would com-mand a healthy inventory of481 rooms. We thereforewould leverage our IHGchannels and conduct jointactivities to raise awarenessof our hotels. The hotel isnext to the city’s largest con-vention centre with a capacityof holding upto 6000 people,and as the city evolves, Kochiwill become competitive andstrengthen as a year rounddestination for large scalegroups and meetings.

Contd. from page 12

For MICE & more

SpiceJet has decided tofurther expand its net-

work in Madhya Pradesh withupcoming flights that willconnect Jabalpur with Delhiand Mumbai. The airlinewould be operating two dailydirect flights from Jabalpur.Direct services will be avail-able on the Jabalpur-Delhiand Jabalpur-Mumbai routesand the flights would startfrom September 7, 2012.

“We are pleased toexpand our presence further inMadhya Pradesh,which is vast state.We are hopeful toserve people withbetter air connectivity ataffordable prices,”

says Neil Mills, ChiefExecutive Officer, SpiceJet.

Jabalpur is SpiceJet’sthird destination in Madhya Pradesh offeringaffordable air connectivity topassengers. In the state,SpiceJet currently operatesfrom Bhopal and Indore.SpiceJet has acquired 12new Bombardier Q400 aircraft for enhancing connectivity to Tier II andTier III cities. The airline will be deploying itsBombardier Q400 NextGen

Turboprop aircraft, which canaccommodate 78 passengersand is widely preferred as thebest option for short hauldestinations on these tworoutes. SpiceJet has acquired18.6 per cent of market sharein the Indian domestic mar-ket, delivering the highestconsumer value. The airlinecurrently operates more than287 daily flights to 36 Indiancities and 4 internationaldestinations.

SpiceJet is launching daily direct flights between Jabalpur-Delhi and Jabalpur-Mumbai fromSeptember 7, 2012. gives details.

Jabalpur to Delhi & Mumbai

TT BU R E AU

Non-scheduled flightshave become popular

as passengers do not have to stay time bound.Flexibility to travel hasbecome important for thetraveller today.

“We understand that intoday’s world, the mostimportant thing is the valueof time. Hence, we provide24X7 charter flight servicesso that it’s up to the cus-tomers to decide what timethey want to travel.Contrary to the scheduledflights, we are not timebound, and give our servicesas a privilege to passengersall the time,” says RagniSoni, Chairperson andManaging Director, ChetnaAviation.

Chetna Aviation giveswings to its passengers to flyat their own convenience andwithout any time restriction.

Discussing their targetaudience, Soni says,

“Our basic target is business travellers and corporate clients.The segments, weare focussing on,are basically MICEand religious as wehave best in itsclass business jetsfor corporate travellers.

We also have our services for Chardham Yatraand Shirdi.”

Discussing marketingstrategy, she adds, “Webelieve in providing the bestservices and that is our mar-keting strategy. Providing thebest commissions and deal tothe agents, we have already

tied up with many travelagents pan India.”

Chetna Aviation has jetplanes and helicopters for theirservices. The Jet planesinclude, Beechcraft 400,Hawker 400 XP, CessnaCitation series, Beech King Air 90, Beech Super and King Air 200. The helicoptersare Aerospatiale Squirrel,Augusta 109, Bell Jetranger,Longranger, Eurocopter EC120and Eurocopter EC155.

Chetna Aviation is making its presence felt in the non-sched-uled flight domain. To further promote the product, theyare offering good commissions and deal to the travel agents.

Chetna makes travel flexible

TT BU R E AU

Ragni Soni Chairperson and Managing Director,Chetna Aviation

AVIATION2 2 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

Neil MillsChief Executive OfficerSpiceJet

AGENTS2 4 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

In the year 2004, theAshok Oswal Group,

established a showroom inthe name of Kalakriti inAgra, at stones throw awayfrom the Taj Mahal. The ideawas to promote Agra’s mar-ble handicraft products tothe high-end tourists visit-ing the city. But with theMICE segment picking up,the group decided to create

a state-of-the-art auditori-um cum conference hall atKalakriti. What followednext was a unique blend ofart auditorium, meetingsand conferences, in the formof Kalakriti Cultural &Convention Centre.

“The Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Centre has a seating capacity of 585 audiences and is idealfor live performances,meetings, conferencesand product launch,”

Kalyani Dagar, Manager,Business Development,Kalakriti Cultural &Convention Centre said.

But that is not all.Kalakriti is home to Mohabbat-the-Taj, a series of plays,depicting the story of the TajMahal and the love saga ofShajahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

The 80- minute play was firstperformed on September 1,2008, for tourists and has beenrunning since then. “The play,performed by over sixty per-forming artistes, is a dance-drama spectacle ably support-ed by audio-visual effects. Butthe highlight of the show is aTaj Mahal replica, measuring12 feet by 12 feet, made ofmakrana marble and studdedwith semiprecious stones,”Dagar added.

Equipped with audio visual and multi-lingual facilities,the Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Centre showcasesMohabbat-the-Taj, depicting the story of Taj Mahal.

Narrating the ‘Taj’ story

Kalyani DagarManager, Business Development Kalakriti Cultural & Convention Centre

TT BU R E AU

This super-luxury designerresort built on 9 acres

offers 170 elegant rooms (152deluxe room and 18 suites)with a world renowned SixSenses Spa.

Jaypee Greens Golf &Spa Resort offers an unparal-leled vacation experience thatwill be forever etched inguest’s minds. It is not justanother place to stay, it is adifferentiate offering toweave long lasting memories.Jaypee Greens Golf & SpaResort, Greater Noida notonly consummate luxury butalso combines the finest tra-dition of Jaypee hotels inoffering its special blend ofwarm and consistent serv-ice,” Sharma further added.

The splendid resort isopened with 24 hour resto café– Eggspectation that spreadsout a creative Internationalmenu with an eclectic selec-

tion of fine fare, includingmany styles of Eggs alone,making the restaurant one-of-its-kind. Ano Tai – an authenticChinese cuisine restaurant, LaBrezza – the Italian restaurantwith Enoteca Bar, Paatra offer-ing Indian cuisine, Matrix Bar– The Lounge bar and TheChurchill – Cigar Bar.

Jaypee Greens Golf andSpa Resort also has pool sidebar ‘Aquene’. The adult poolhas a very different conceptwith the chairs being builtinside the pool so that one can enjoy their drinkswhile enjoying the calmingeffect of the pool.

The resort offers a finefacility for corporate peoplewho would want to combinetheir business with relaxation.The ‘Business Center’, with aseating capacity of 10 peoplehas been set up at the resortfor conducting meetings andconferences. Adding on thedash of Indian culture, anexclusive shopping store, ‘TheShop’ has been set up provid-ing the customers with a widerange of Indian traditionalhandicrafts to choose from.Ranging from handlooms toaccessories to traditional showpieces, ‘The Shop’ offers you afine array of products that aredefinitely worth a buy..

Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort is a harmonious blendof luxury, impeccable service, age old traditions and con-temporary sophistication.

Redefining ultimate luxury

TT BU R E AU

Uttarakhand-basedLeisure Hotels has

braced up its operations inIndia. The group, which isextremely well-spread in the state of Uttarakhand,is now looking ahead to tap various segments to boostits portfolio.

A major player inUttarakhand’s hospitality sec-tor, its portfolio of resorts andluxury camps, incorporatesbeautiful properties in thestate’s tourist and scenic des-tinations offering leisure,adventure and spiritual experiences. This year, the hotel is targetting fourmajor segments in a big way.

The hotel plans to cash in onpilgrimage tourism.

Speaking about thecompany's focus on the NorthIndian pilgrimage market,Vibhas Prasad, Director,Leisure Hotels said, “We areconstantly focussing on the northern market. The group is catering to theneeds of tourists by way ofluxury accommodations inthe region.”

The Chardham segmentis an unorganised segmentand Leisure Hotels are one ofthe very few organised play-ers in the field. “Going for-ward, we plan to tie up witha large number of travelagents to promote this segment,” he added.

Despite the recent chal-lenges the segment faces, thehotel chain is extremely bull-ish on wildlife tourism andthe weekend traffic segmentfrom Delhi. Stressing on theneed for improved infrastruc-ture, Prasad pointed out, “Weare hoping that the infra-structure will be improvednow. This will make our current properties moreaccessible from Delhi for the weekend getaways as

they form a huge chunk ofour revenue generator.”

With available facilitiesto support big conferences,Leisure Hotels will targetMICE. The Riverview Retreat,Corbett National Park has

huge convention facilities.Exploring new opportunitiesin the sector, the hotel chainwill unveil two new productsin the next financial year. Thefirst property would open inRishikesh and the second onewould open in Kanha.

Talking about the per-formance last year, the direc-tor informed, “The year 2011or this current financial yearhas been good for our busi-ness as we unveiled four newproperties. We opened GangaLahari, which has 16 roomsat Haridwar last September.The group also launched TheForest at Rajaji National Parkin Uttarakhand, their busi-ness hotel The Manor atBareilly and Aranya SafariResort in Corbett NationalPark in Uttarakhand.”

The hotel is planning to cash in on four segments this year – pilgrimage,weekend traffic, wildlife and MICE. finds more details on the group.

The travel agents will soonhave a new happening

night spot in South Goa,which, otherwise, offersunexplored beaches and

plethora of accommodationoptions. For the uninitiated,from its inception in 1971,the Alcon Victor Group hasgrown from strength tostrength, making a mark in

construction, real estate,travel & tourism, hospitality,healthcare, ayurveda andnature cure.

“India has a wide rangeof holidays to offer; eg leisureholidays, MICE, adventuretourism, medical tourism, etc which suits different budget types.

We, at the AlconVictor Group, offersleisure and MICE atour three beachresorts and alternatemedical tourism atDevaaya Ayurveda &Nature Cure Centre,” said Vinay Albuquerque,Director, Alcon Victor Group.

“We are constantlyworking towards improvingour service standards andupgrading our facilities. Weare setting up a night club inRadisson Blu Goa at

Cavelossim to meet thedemand for the same inSouth Goa. Moreover, theB2B sector is an importantsegment for us as most of theMICE business is catered bythe B2Bs and our propertiesdo a lot of MICE business during the off-season period,”he added.

Albuquerque is also ofthe opinion that taxes andpolicies regarding transportand pollution should be madein such a manner that it least affects tourism.

The group is now setting up a night club in RadissonBlu Goa at Cavelossim to meet the rising demand forthe same in South Goa.

Adding glitz to South Goa

TT BUREAU

Vinay AlbuquerqueDirectorAlcon Victor Group

HOTELS2 6 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

Set in the busy and recent-ly rejuvenated central

business district of NewDelhi, the Hans Hotel is amodern urban sanctuary, aninteresting space juxtaposedwith the bustle of themetropolis that serves as aperfect foil for travellers forwhom convenience is on asmuch priority as comfort. TheHotel is ideal for both busi-ness as well as the leisuremarket. Its large spaciousrooms provide breathtakingviews of Delhi.

The hotel has recentlyadded a new club floor at theroof top. Here, all rooms are350sqft each with large bath-rooms and are modern mini-malistic in design.

Discussing the growthsegment for the hotel, Rita Shah, Chief OperatingOfficer, Hans Hotels, says,

“Currently, we areattracting bothleisure and the corporate markets.We expect growthin the domesticmarket and MICEmarkets and theyare expected tobring in largechunk of business.”

Highlighting the impor-tance of B2B relationship,Shah says, “The B2B is a veryproductive market medium, beit trade fairs or internet mar-keting or ebiz as it may becalled. The revenue generatedby B2B far exceeds the rev-enue generated by B2C. It issaid that that hotels operating B2B deals providegreater relationship perform-ance and commitment. Tradefairs provide a common plat-form where we meet both the

global as well as the domesticpartners. We plan to participate more often in various travel marts and also have more visibility on the internet.”

With a new club floor added at the rooftop of HansHotel, the property aims at strengthening presence inthe domestic and MICE sector.

Wooing leisure & MICE

TT BUREAU

Rita ShahChief Operating OfficerHans Hotels

The Hotel is ideal for bothbusiness as well as the leisuremarket. Its large spaciousrooms provide breathtakingviews of Delhi

Key Features

Leisure Hotels targets 4 segments

TT BUREAU

We are hoping that

the infrastructure

will be improved

now. This will

make our current

properties more

accessible

from DelhiThe hotel chain will unveil twonew products in the nextfinancial yearThe first property would openin Rishikesh and the secondone would open in KanhaThis current financial year hasbeen good for the group’sbusiness as it unveiled fournew properties

Expansion Plan

n Federation of Hotel &Restaurant Associations inIndia (FHRAI) will hold its47th FHRAI Convention withthe theme of ‘EmploymentGeneration’ in Goa fromSeptember 6.

The convention willwitness an unprecedentedhigh-level participationfrom premier global organ-isations such as theInternational Hotel &Restaurant Association(IH&RA), the AmericanHotel & LodgingAssociation (AH&LA),Asian American HotelOwners Association(AAHOA) and HospitalityFinance and TechnologyProfessionals(HFTP).

Kamlesh Barot,President, FHRAI, says,“This convention will proveto be a great opportunity forall associations to mingle,discuss strategies andexchange ideas. We arecrossing unprecedentednumbers on our member'sdelegate count too. Due tothe significant participationfrom the global bodies, weexpect to see Indiantourism in the internationalmarket at newer height.”

This is the most covet-ed event of FHRAI, where itputs its best efforts to makesure that it surpasses any

event ever taken place inIndia. To that effect for thefirst time, the IH&RA, thebiggest association of theworld with 2,00,000 hotelsand 60,00,000 restaurantsas its members, will fly toGoa with 17 of its global

Association Presidents. Dr.Ghassan AIDI, the IH&RAPresident is the keynotespeaker at this convention on ‘EmploymentGeneration’. IH&RA hadlast visited India way backin1984. Besides IH&RA, JoeMcInerney, President ofAmerican Hotel & LodgingAssociation (AH&LA) andFrank Wolfe, President,Hospitality Financial &Technology Professionals(HFTP), along with RP Rama,the incoming President,Alkesh Patel, President ofAsian American HotelOwners Association, will also participate in GoaConvention.

Global bigwigs atFHRAI Convention

Kamlesh BarotPresident, FHRAI

Vibhas PrasadDirectorLeisure Hotels

quIck REad

‘2 for 1 offer’Rail Europe in associa-tion with SwitzerlandTourism and SwissTravel Systemannounced the ‘2 for 1’promotion and cam-paign launch in India.

Hotel Signature Grand islocated in the western

part of the capital in closevicinity to local trading andpublic sector community.Due to an easy access tobusiness hubs and shoppingcentres across the city, thehotel has been getting ahuge business traffic. Thehotel is within a 15 kilome-tre radius of the airport andrailway station.

With features such as abanquet hall, conferencehall, and fine dining restau-rant, the hotel caters to dayconferences of variousmultinational companies.We had kept our rates verymoderate which attract thecorporate traffic. We are theone and only property withsuch feature in West Delhi.Shortly, we will introduce aspa and health club,” saysGurdeep Singh Gujral,

Managing Director, HotelSignature Grand.

Discussing the impor-tance of a B2B market, headds, “Gujral Tours andTravels is a major stakehold-er in Signature Grand. Wetake help of tour operatorsto attract various inboundgroups. We started our oper-ations in October 2010 during CommonwealthGames. Our growth and sales have been increasingevery month. In 2011-12,we did a record business of ` 9 crore”.

Talking about the seg-ment with maximum growth,Gujral adds, “Our F&B is very strong as we have two banquet halls and an open area to cater to marriages and social func-tions. In West Delhi, peopleare very fond of good food; our restaurant ParkBaluchi restaurant attractsgood clientele.”

Hotel Signature Grand is a three-star property in WestDelhi. Started in 2010, the property did business worth ` 9 crore last year.

A ‘Grand’ MICE hub in Delhi

TT BU R E AU

The Infinity KazirangaWilderness Resort is set

in the midst of a thick bam-boo grove with a wide varietyof medicinal plants and aplantation of betel nuts andfruit trees. The resort con-sists of 16 lake facing roomswith 380 sq ft area. The doorsand windows have beendesigned to ensure thatguests get a view of the treetops and thick green canopy.

The resort also boasts ofa lake which is spread on anarea of 20,000 sq ft. Theamenities available at theresort include a restaurant,reception, spa, swimmingpool, library and internetcafe. Guests can also under-take Wildlife Safari & ParkElephant Rides.

“Setting up a good-classresort is a very capital inten-sive business and the gesta-tion period can take up to 5years or more.

We are in this business for thelong haul due to our passion forwildlife. We do not envisaged profits inthe short term, butthe project will be self-sustainable.

We create jobs andalternative livelihoods for thelocals so that the pressure on

the forest is lessen,” saysDilip Khatau, Chairman,Infinity Resorts, India.

However, running awildlife resort profitablycomes with its own chal-lenges. “The ForestDepartment changes its rulesat the beginning of each sea-son to suit their interests.Owing to these reasons, therates of rooms have plum-meted due to the fierce com-petition. Over and above,only certain resorts pay alltaxes while the ‘fly by night’lodges get away without pay-ing them. This makes it verydifficult and uneconomical torun a resort successfully,”adds Khatau.

Infinity Resorts have announced the opening of their 5th luxurious eco-friendly resort - Infinity KazirangaWilderness, close to Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

HOTELS2 8 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

‘Infinity Kaziranga’ in Assam

TT BU R E AU

Dilip KhatauChairmanInfinity Resorts, India.

Gurdeep Singh Gujral Managing Director Hotel Signature Grand

The resort consists of 16 lakefacing rooms. The doors andwindows have been designed toensure that guests get a view of thetree tops and thick green canopy

Viewing Nature

HOTELS3 0 TRAVTALK I AT O D A I L I E S 2 0 1 2 – D A Y 3

As part of our expansionstrategy, UNA Hotels is

looking forward to tie upwith hotels and resorts inTier II and III cities with 20-35 keys on an average. The

UNA Hotels operates underthree sub-brands, namely‘Smart’ for mid-market busi-ness hotels, ‘Comfort’ forextend stay resorts and‘Xpress’ for limited servicehotels. Moreover, in a mere18 month journey, the UNAHotels now have five proper-ties and resorts under itsumbrella brand, namely UNAComfort Dolmaar, Nainital(16 Keys), UNA ComfortNandinia, Dharamshala (17Keys), UNA Smart MatsayAravali, Alwar (21 Keys),Hotel Aravali (managed by UNA Hotels), Alwar (42 Keys), and soon to beopened UNA Smart, Amritsarin November 2012 with 42 Keys.

“We are a completeHotel Management Solution

Company, with a focus onthe mid market segment of4-star and 3-star hotels, andwe cater to both businessand leisure travel. We pro-vide our partner hotels withunique proprietary applica-tions, policies and proce-dures to optimise occupancyand maximise financialreturns. We are backed by a

dynamic suite of hotel man-agement systems and ateam of specialists in open-ing, taking over and operat-ing hotels on pan Indiabasis,” said Pankaj Giroti,Managing Director, UNAHotels. Further, the group isalso keen to expand its chainof microbrewery & restau-rants in Chandigarh,Amritsar, Mumbai, Pune,and Bengaluru.

“We are bullish toexpand our F&B Brand, ‘TheBrewMaster’– A Chain ofMicrobrewery & Restaurantsthat operates the sub brands,‘The Mix’– Fine Dine and‘Chaos’– Lounge. We will sooncelebrate the first anniversaryof our restaurant in Ludhiana.The next restaurant will belaunched in Jalandhar, as we

target the other markets in Chandigarh, Amritsar,Mumbai, Pune, andBengaluru. We are also lookingto grow the franchisee model on pan India

basis, being the only chain of MicrobreweryRestaurants in India,” saidHarpreet Singh Chadha,Managing Director– TheBrewMaster.

In a mere 18 month journey, the UNA Hotels now have five hotels and resortsin its umbrella brand, namely UNA Comfort Dolmaar, Nainital, UNA ComfortNandinia, Dharamshala, UNA Smart Matsay Aravali, Alwar, Hotel Aravali,Alwar, and soon to be launched UNA Smart, Amritsar.

TT BU R E AU

Management / FranchiseeHotel Operations

Revenue Share HotelOperations

Hotel Leasing & Operations

Picture status: WithProduction-

UNA Hotel-Business models

We are looking to grow thefranchiseemodel on panIndia basis

We provide ourpartner hotels withunique policiesand procedures to optimiseoccupancy

Pankaj GirotiManaging DirectorUNA Hotels

Harpreet Singh ChadhaManaging Director– The BrewMaster

UNA Smart-Amritsar to open in Nov

Talking about the USP of itsproperties, Sunil Sikka,

Head -- Marketing BusinessDevelopment,WelcomHeritage Hotels says,“Culture and heritage havealways been and will remainthe biggest attraction fortourism and these days, thetravellers are looking for off-

beat destinations. Our hotelsprovide unique and pictur-esque appeal to the guests.Also, we have contemporaryand traditional appeal. Besides

that, in most of the hotels, theowner themselves areinvolved in all the activities ofthe hotel and hence, providinga personal touch to the servic-

es. Moreover, these hotels aretourism-centric and promoteIndia as a tourist destination.”

According to Sikka, thegroup is planning to open

hotels in the coming years,especially in Gujarat and trying to fill the gap in the circuits. “In 2011,WelcomHeritage hotels rev-enue was stable as com-pared to last year. We haveseen radical growth thisyear as we are witnessingincrease in the domestictravellers in comparison toforeign tourists,” he adds.Regarding the growth of theB2B channels, Sikka feels,“The ever-increasing share

of online platforms and trav-el operators are equallyimportant for us. We keep aclose tab on all new activi-ties under both the zones.Also, on regular basis, wecommunicate various pro-motions for the portals andlikewise, we maintain a reg-ular communication with alltravel agents. We try to pro-mote all our destinationsthrough regular meetings and correspondences withboth agents.”

WelcomHeritage, the collection of heritage hotels and resorts in India with over 40 hotels across 13 states, hasgeared up to serve the MICE market in the country.

WelcomHeritage taps MICE marketTT BU R E AU

Sunil SikkaHead – Marketing Business DevelopmentWelcomHeritage Hotels

WelcomeHeritageproperties are all about adestination, experience andculture. WelcomeHeritageis a collection of heritage properties ranging from Legend Hotels,WelcomeHeritage Hotelsand Nature Resorts. A jointventure between ITCHotels and JodhanaHeritage, WelcomeHeritage properties are acollection ranging from tra-ditional havelis, magnifi-cent forts, palaces andresorts to adventure-filledjungle lodges to nature. The

brand is constantly workingtowards making it moreefficient, enhanced andstands for the best tradi-tions of heritage hospitalityand tourism in India. Todepict the heritage ofIndian history at eachWelcomeHeritage property,guests can experience rich heritage, culture andrealIndia.EachWelcomHeritage Hotel has the blueprintof a great holiday and every location offers anopportunity of peace andtranquility, rustic charm,lush greenery and

panoramic view. It offers itspatrons a multitude ofexperiences to choose from and a variety ofadventures and sportsactivity to give the real feelof the history, gone by. To keep the experience real and charismatic, the room inventory ofWelcomeHeritge Hotelsvaries from six rooms to amaximum of 70 rooms. A gathering of 20 to 500 people could be easily accommodated atthese properties.

Hospitality for heritage of India

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