Volume Vi l issue 17 Pages 32 www.travelnewsdigest.in `50 / us $5 16-31 july 2017

Posted at NDPSO, New Delhi - 110001 on 5/6 & 20/21 of every month | Date of Publication 01/02 &15/16 every month | Postal Registration No. DL(S) - 01/3404/2015-17 | RNI No. DELENG/2011/40217

2.0 edition of BLTM sets new standards in Business, Luxury and MICE focused travel trade shows in India

TTF Ahmedabad 2017 runs out of space, emerges as the largest in the 9-cities TTF series

The second edition of the Business & Luxury Travel Mart (BLTM) 2017 to be held at Hyatt Regency, Gurgaon in Delhi NCR, from October

26-27 will set new standards in Business, Luxury and MICE focused travel trade shows in India, that have hitherto been organised in smaller table-top roadshow formats.

After the grand success of BLTM 2016 where more than 5000 business appointments were scheduled between the hosted buyers and sellers, BLTM has now firmly established itself as India’s premier B2B travel trade show on business, leisure, MICE and luxury travel.

Hosted buyers at BLTM include corporate travel planners with purchasing authority, travel companies catering to business, leisure, MICE and luxury travel, MICE travel managers and buyers, MICE organisers and managers, business travel managers and buyers, film destination companies, associations, wedding planners and event management companies.

Buyers from the following companies have send in their early intent to attend BLTM 2017: Birla Sun Life Insurance Co Ltd, Reliance Infrastructure Limited, HDFC Life, Intelenet Global, Global Cynergies, H & R Johnson (India) A Division of Prism Cement Limited, Adeka India Private Limited, Aditya Birla, Fountain Head, Magma Fincorp Ltd, Suzlon Energy Ltd, Thermofisher Scientific, Toyota Tsusho India Pvt Ltd, Abbott, Axis Bank, Bisleri, Dharma Production, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, VFS Global Services Pvt Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, WNS, India Bulls, Clifford Chance Llp (Osc), FICCI, Godrej Industries, TERI, Indian Wine Guide and many more.

There are many new features in BLTM 2017. Sellers are also being offered complimentary board and lodge within their booth packages on first-come basis to make their participation more effective in terms of convenience and greater opportunities to network with hosted buyers.

“After all, no branded product worth its name would like to sell from a flea-market like setting even though in a star hotel,” he quipped. “As the longest serving and largest travel trade show organisers in India, we are happy to introduce the full-format booth based show

at price points similar to table top shows. We sincerely hope that the decision makers while choosing the show will take into account the need to showcase their brands in right settings, while rightly caring about their own housing needs in the show venue.”

The space booking is likely to overflow soon, considering the huge success of the last event at Hyatt Regency. If you have not booked your space already, it is highly recommended that you so at the earliest, by getting in touch with the organisers via contact@fairfest.in. For more details visit BLTM.co.in

TTF Ahmedabad scheduled from September 2-4, 2017 has emerged as the largest one in the 9-city series. All halls at the venue Gujarat University Exhi-bition Centre have been booked and are filling out fast, as per the organisers.

TTF Kolkata and Hyderabad concluded success-fully in July 2017. The industry is now gearing up for the West India series starting Ahmedabad (Septem-ber 2-4), Surat (September 9-11), Mumbai (Septem-ber 16-18) and Pune (September 23-25).

Be it domestic or outbound, West India is the larg-est tourism market in India.

State Tourism Boards who have in principally confirmed their participation for TTF West India series include Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Participation from international and domes-tic players at TTF West India series include Carrot Cruises, Udaan, Carlson hotels (South Asia) Pvt Ltd, Yeti Airlines Domestic Pvt Ltd, Park Bhutan Tours/ Park Hotel Bhutan, We Thai Holiday Co Ltd, Ant

Tours Pvt Ltd (Arabian Nights), Make Plans Holi-days, Miles Tourism & Travels LLC, Orient Tours LLC, Walker Destinations, Ren Tours & Treks, Assured Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd, Atlas Tours & Travels, Synergy Hotels & Resorts Pvt Ltd, Tru-lyy India Hotels And Resorts Pvt Ltd, Shriji Tours, Ananta Hotels & Resorts and Decent Hospitality.

TTF is visited by travel trade and avid travellers in equal proportions. The first one and half days of the show is reserved for travel trade and remainder one and a half days for the general visitors, who shop around at the show for the high Diwali season.

TTF is India’s longest servicing (est. 1989) and largest network of travel trade shows. It is organised annually in 9 cities: Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Fairfest Media Ltd, organiser of the TTF, BLTM and OTM branded travel shows have strengthened their lead as India’s No. 1 travel trade show organiser, with about half the market share. The company also publishes Travel News Digest, a leading B2B travel trade publication.

150 marque sellers will meet 300 hosted buyers from top companies in India, to set a new record

All halls in Gujarat University Exhibition Centre fill out fast, to cater to Diwali season

INDIA 10 AsIA 14 AfrIcA 24europe 19mIDDle eAst 16 AmerIcAs 21 cArIbbeAN 26 techNology 28 respoNsIble tourIsm 29 eveNts 30oceANIA 25 globAl 27

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 2 • COVER STORY

Editor & Publisher Sanjiv Agarwal

PresidentV Suresh

ContentChirajit NathPalak Sharma

DesignDilip MannaRitam MaityMaruti More

Managing Directors Gazanfar IbrahimRajiv Agarwal

Director Harsh Agarwal

Associate DirectorsRajarshi DeRaj Kapoor SinghR MaheshTarique EbrahimNitin TelangRaminder SinghGunjan DuttVicky Menezes

Advisors Abraham JohnSheila Leong

ManagersFatima D’CostaUma SurekaYC AnilPhilomena D’SouzaTania DasRamesh ChauhanSanjeev GuptaMedha Anand

Assistant ManagersKanika SinghShreya BothraShiv Shankar DuttaPauline Dias

ExecutivesPauravi OakKomal SolankiKhushbu ThakkarPriya DasPriyanka MandalKiran M

Travel News Digest (TND) is printed and published by Sanjiv Kumar Agarwal on behalf of Fairfest Media Ltd.

Printed at International Print -o-pac Ltd, C-4 to C-11, Hosiery complex, Phase-II, Extension, Noida - 201 301, Distt. G. B. Nagar, UP.

Published at 216A/1Gautam Nagar, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-110 049

Editor Sanjiv Kumar Agarwal

No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts and photos received. Despite careful selection of sources, no responsibility can be taken for accuracy.

The Publishers and the Editors do not necessarily individually or collectively identify themselves with the views expressed by respective writers and contributors in this journal. The views expressed are those of the authors only. The magazine assumes no liability or responsibility of any kind in connection with the information thereof.

All right reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Head Office 216A/1, Gautam Nagar, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi - 110 049 Tel: (91)(11) 26866874

Registered Office25C/ 1, Belvedere Road, Alipur,Kolkata 700 027 Tel : (91)(33) 24790010-14

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Volume VI • Issue 17

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write in at info@travelnewsdigest.in

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Fairfest Media limited(CIN - U74140WB1988PLC045101)

In our last issue we incorrectly stated ICPB Convention was taking place in Mumbai from August 17-19 (Page 31). The annual ICPB Covention will be held in Hyderabad from August 29–31, 2017.

Adani Wilmar LtdAkbar Holidays Pvt LtdAlhind Tours And Travels Pvt LtdAllways Marketing & Travel ServicesAmbuja Cements LtdAnandi Travel PlanetAngel HolidaysAssets InfotechAtul Auto LtdBajaj Electricals LtdBCD Meetings & Events LLCBigbreaks.ComBliss TravelsBlue VoyageBlueskies Travels And Tours Pvt Ltd.Book As One Pvt LtdBridgestone India Pvt LtdBTC Tours & Travels Pvt LtdVay Travel Tech Pvt LtdCanara HSBC OBC Life Insurance Co LtdCarewell Travels & Tour Pvt LtdCBRECIM Global India Pvt LtdClassic Travel And TourClassic Travel Shoppe Pvt LtdClassic TripsClifford Chance LLPCosmac Computers Pvt LtdCox & King LtdCrompton Greaves LtdCrowley Accord Marine Management

Pvt LtdDelhi Air Movers Travel & Tourd P LtdDGS Travel House Pvt LtdD-Link India LtdDove TravelsDream A HolidayDream VacationsEMG Events And Experential MarketingEssar GroupEsvaran Foods Mills Pvt LtdFast treck Networks Pvt LtdFederation Of Indian Chambers of

Commerce And Industry

Flag Travel Services Pvt LtdFlywidus.comFountainhead Entertainment Pvt LtdGammon India LtdGirikand Travels Pvt LtdGlenmark Pharmaceuticals LtdGlobal Cynergies LLCGodrej & Boyce Mfg Co LtdGodrej Industries LtdGolden Phoenix Travel Pvt LtdGolden ToursH & R Johnson (India) A Division of

Prism Cement LtdHarsha Engineers LtdHaute Living And Travels Pvt LtdHDFC ErgoHDFC Standard Life Insurance CompanyHeenkar Tours And TravelsHigh FlyerHindustan Air TravelsHiwings Travel SolutionsHolidays Around The WorldHyundai CorporationIce InternationalICICI Prudential Life Insurance

Company LtdICS Travel GroupIdeas Cell ToursImtiara Consultants Pvt LtdIndia International Tours and TravelsIndian ImpressionsIndian Wedding PlannersIndian Wine GuideIndoraj Tours & TravelsIntegrated Conference And Event

ManagementIntelenet Global ServicesIntellect Life Sciences Pvt LtdIntersight Tours & Travels Pvt LtdJ.R EnterprisesJardine Lloyd Thompson India Pvt Ltd

Jetair Tours Pvt LtdJTB India Pvt LtdKansai Nerolac PaintsKarvy Forex Pvt LtdKaya LtdKhaitan & CoKhanna Tours and TravelsKrazyTripL&T Financial ServiceLa Vida TravelLeighton India Contractors Pvt LtdLeisure RepublicL’Oreal India Pvt LtdLumax Travels Pvt LtdMagical Holidays Pvt LtdMagma Fincorp LtdMahindra & Mahindra Financial

Services LtdMaurya TravelsMeetings And MoreMeraj TravelsMICEHOSTMusic Broadcast LtdMy Plan My TourMy Travelbag HolidaysNational Tours and TravelsNeptune Tours & Travels Pvt LtdNeptune Travco Pvt LtdOntime Travels Private LimitedOrange Cabs Pvt LtdOrchid Travel And ToursPacfic Travels & ToursParyatanPeregrine Guarding Pvt. LtdPernod RicardPioneer Investment CorpPratamesh Events And HolidaysPrima Travels Pvt LtdPrime Link TravelsPulsar Knowledge Centre Pvt LtdQAI GlobalQuess Corp LtdQuintessentially Travel india

R G Destinations Pvt LtdR S Tour And TravelsRajas TravelsRed Bull India Pvt LtdRed Carpet Tours Pvt LtdRH Global ServicesRio Fiesta HolidaysSamsara CapitalScotch N Water Innovations Pvt LtdSeven Seaz Vacations Pvt LtdShape De TourSheraton Travels Pvt LtdSkeiron GroupSkyline TravelsSkywalk TravelsSkyworld Tours & Travels Pvt LtdSpeedbird TravelsSpirit of India Tours & TravelsSSR HolidaysStar 1 WorldStar Gazer Travel Factory Pvt LtdStep Out Holidays Pvt LtdSTHI Holidays India Pvt LtdSun and Sand Tours and TravelsSunday Pure HolidaysSuzlon Energy LtdSwara HolidaysTamarind Global Services Pvt LtdTanvi International LLCTata Consulting Engineers LtdTata TechnologiesTenova India Private LtdThe ComfortsThe Energy Resources InstituteThe Travel PlannersThe Violet GraceThe Wedding TrunkThomas CookTNY Holidays Pvt LtdTourism DNATourism EnterprisesTrail Blazer Tours (I) P LtdTransglobal Tours & Travels

Trav N Tours InternationalTravel & Conference PlannersTravel Boutique OnlineTravel Home Pvt LtdTravel ManagersTravel Planet HolidaysTraveledgeTravelogy IndiaTravels & Rentals Lufthansa City CenterTravnet Tourism Servcies Pvt LtdTrent LtdTUI India Pvt LtdUniglobe Indicatravel & Tours Pvt LtdUniglobe Remarkable IndiaUpasana Travels Pvt LtdUtopia HolidaysV2 Corp. TravelsVacations MantraVar Vadhu Wedding ManagementVdoit4U Event Management Pvt LtdVee Bee Tours & TravelsVenus Holiday MartVihaan GroupVilona Entertainment Pvt LtdVinaayak HolidaysVinayaka Tours & LeisuresVishwa Tour And TravelsVistaar Financial Services Pvt LtdViva Holidays Tours & Travels Pvt.LtdVRS International Pvt LtdVyas Holidays Pvt LtdWander GlobeWelcome TripsWood GroupWorld Destinations EventsWorld of Wonders TravelWOW TRIPXtra Mile Travel ServicesYashoda Tours And TravelYoudian Business Solutions Pvt LtdZycus Infotech Pvt Ltd

BLTM Gurgaon 20 16 – Buyer’s List

BLTM Gurgaon 20 16 – Seller ’s ListBanyan Tree Hotels & ResortsCarlson Rezidor Hotel GroupFort Jadavgarh - A Gadh Heritage HotelGrand Hyatt GoaNamah CorbettThe AmbassadorThe Grand Bhagwati PalaceThe Orchid PuneThe Taj Mahal HotelVivanta By Taj GurgaonAmbica Empire Group of HotelsAndaman & Nicobar AdministrationAseum Infotech Pvt LtdAssam Tourism Development

CorporationBangladesh Tourism BoardBharat International Travels (Mysore) Pvt LtdCambodia Ministry of TourismCarlson Hotels (South Asia) Pvt LtdChina National Tourist OfficeClarks Group Of HotelsCox & Kings LtdDS GroupDubai Business EventsDubai Corporation For Tourism And

Commerce Marketing (DCTCM)Eco Rent A Car

Exhibition Showcase (Seagem Media Systems)

Exposure Media Marketing Pvt LtdFRHI Hotels & ResortsGoa Tourism Development

Corporation LtdGood Relations India - Bahrain TourismGovernment of Andhra PradeshGovernment of Himachal PradeshGovernment of Jammu & KashmirGovernment of JharkhandGovernment of KarnatakaGovernment of KeralaGovernment of ManipurGovernment of OdishaGovernment of PuducherryGovernment of SikkimGovernment of Uttar PradeshGovernment of West BengalGreek National Tourism OrganisationHilton HotelHyatt Global Sales OfficeHyatt Regency DelhiHyatt Regency GurgaonIndia TourismIntercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)Isola Di Cocco Ayurvedic Beach Resort

ITZcashJapan National Tourism OrganisationJourney To LadakhKap Computer Solutions Pvt LtdKenya Tourism BoardKolahoi Green Hotel & ResortsKorea Tourism OrganisationKorean AirKorean Tourism OrganizationLandscape SafariLe Maritime Kochi KeralaLemon Tree Hotel CompanyL’Orient TravelsMacao Government Tourist OfficeMadhya Pradesh State Tourism Devel

opment CorporationMaharashtra Development Tourism

CorporationMahindra Holidays & ResortsMalaysia Tourism Promotion BoardMaldives Marketing & PR CorporationMinistry Of Economy (UAE)Ministry Of Tourism Of The Republic

of IndonesiaMinor HotelNeelam’s The Grand & The Glitz HotelsNepal Tourism Board

Ottila InternationalOYO RoomsPearl ResidencyPride Hotels LtdProfiles Media Network Pvt Ltd

(Travel Span)Punjab Heritage And Tourism

Promotion BoardRadisson Blu - Plaza DelhiRadisson Blu DwarkaRadisson Blu Hotel New Delhi

Paschim ViharRadisson Blu KaushambRomanian Tourism MinistryRoyal HolidaysRoyal Orchid HotelsRunning On Waves LtdSaffron Synergies Pvt LtdShanti Maurice - A Nira ResortShowcase Munnar Association For

Responsible TourismSouth African TourismSouthern Travels Pvt LtdSri Lanka Tourism Promotion BureauStarwood Hotels & ResortsSTIC Travel GroupSwosti Group

Taiwan Tourism BureauTaj Hotels Resorts & PalacesTGB Banquets & Hotels LtdThailand Convention & Exhibition

BureauThe Ambassador Group Of HotelThe Chancery HotelsThe Munnar QueenThe Orchid MumbaiThe Residency Group Of HotelsTourism Authority Of ThailandTourism Corporation Of Gujarat LimitedTourism Council Of BhutanTourism FijiTravel And Tour WorldTravel MotivationsTravel Shop TurkeyTurkish Culture & Tourism OfficeUday Samudra Leisure Beach HotelUsacanadasim.comUttarakhand Tourism Development

BoardVariety CruisesVythiri VillageYeti Airlines Domestic Pvt Ltd

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 3 COVER STORY •

Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) during its partic-ipation as the Partner Country at TTF Kolkata 2017 conducted a destination presentation for the travel trade visiting the exhibition. The presentation was led by Nikhil Ranjan Roy, Director, BTB in which Mohi-uddin Helal, CEO, River & Green Tours demonstrated another feature on ‘Cholo Bangladesh’.

While interacting with the travel trade from east India, Roy added, “Bangladesh is one of the most important and valued tourist destinations. Eastern part of India and Bangladesh not only has cultural harmony, but similar cultural roots, giving a mutual ground for both the nations to have cultural ties. Hav-ing observed the rising number of Indian travellers to our country, we want to offer more to Indian travel-lers visiting Bangladesh.”

A team of 20 private tour operators participated at TTF Kolkata 2017 with Bangladesh Tourism Board. The main objective of the presentation was to form a

channel between state tourism boards, domestic tour operators and private stakeholders to inform them on the latest developments in the tourism sector.

Bangladesh Tourism Board was also awarded the Best Decoration Award in the Medium Pavillion cate-gory during TTF Kolkata 2017 award ceremony.

Bangladesh conducts destination presentation with stakeholders at TTF

Alipurduar unveils new tourism initiatives Himachal Pradesh draws attention towards its upcoming projects

In a bid to showcase its plans to pro-mote homestay facilities, Alipur-duar organised a Travel and Trade Presentation at TTF Kolkata. Par-ticipating for the first time, Alipur-duar District Tourism unveiled its new tourism initiative ‘Blue Home Stay’, which has been conceived by the district administration.

“Blessed with thick forests and a variety of wildlife, Alipurduar exudes great scenic beauty. Hence, we have made elaborate plans for ‘Blue Home Stay.’ The tribal fam-ilies who have their residences in close proximity to the tourist des-tinations and are willing to spare rooms for the tourists and are being facilitated by the government to arrange for homestay facilities. It is promoting tribal livelihood as well

as creating lodging facilities for the tourists,” stated Abhirup Bose, Proj-ect Officer cum District Welfare Offi-cer, Alipurduar.

12 homestays have been com-pleted with eight already opera-tional. The district administration plans to have in place 50 such facili-ties before the Pujas.

Speaking about their participa-tion at TTF Kolkata, Bose said, “TTF has provided us with great oppor-tunity for our district to reach out to not just the people of West Bengal, but also to other parts of the country. We are thankful to the organisers for such a brilliant show.”

Alipurduar District Tourism was awarded at TTF Kolkata for the Most Innovative Product, for ‘Blue Home Stay Project’.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism organised an informative presentation cum work-shop for travel trade professionals dur-ing its participation at TTF Kolkata 2017 at Netaji Indoor Stadium. The workshop was led by Dinesh Malhotra, Commis-sioner, Himachal Pradesh Tourism.

While highlighting the merits of vis-iting the beautiful state, Malhotra also mentioned the importance of East India market for Himachal Pradesh. To offer new things to the travellers coming from across the world to the state, the depart-ment is working on new concepts of homestays, unexplored beauty of the state. During his presentation, he men-tioned that Himachal Pradesh Tourism will focus on Adventure Tourism and aim at 8 to 10% growth in tourist inflow in 2017.

Acknowledging shortcomings in infrastructure, he said that the govern-ment was strengthening road infra-structure with planning on state high-ways and other basic amenities for the tourists. While Himachal attracted 1.72 crore of tourists including five lakhs for-eigners, West Bengal accounted for 40 lakhs of tourists in the state last year, the Commissioner informed.

“This year we are aiming at 8 to 10% growth in tourist inflows as demonitisa-tion and GST are not impacting us much. As the majority of Himachal hotels are in mid-budget category with hotel rate upto `2500 attracting GST at only 12%, we are at a comfortable zone,” he said.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism received Best Decoration Award in Small Pavil-ion category at TTF Kolkata 2017.

Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF) Kolkata held from July 7-9, 2017 with a full-house show at the Netaji Indoor Stadium and the adjacent Khudiram Anushilan Ken-dra showcased 400 sellers from 28 states and 13 coun-tries. The show had grown 10% in terms of number of participants and revenue, compared to last year. TTF Kolkata had maintained a steady growth, sig-nalling positive sentiments in the travel trade, despite the headwinds due to demonetisation and uncertain-ties of the GST regime.

TTF Kolkata was inaugurated by Manish Jain, IAS, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal; Nikhil Ranjan Roy, Director (Joint Secretary), Bangladesh Tourism Board; Tian Xin, Director, China National Tourist Office (CNTO)-New Delhi and Sirinapa Sinapattananukul, Deputy Con-sul General, Royal Thai Consulate General-Kolkata.

Goutam Deb, Minister for Tourism, Government of West Bengal, said, “I am happy to note that this ini-tiative originated in Kolkata 27 years back. West Ben-gal Tourism had been closely associated with TTF and participates in a big way at many locations over the years. With tourism being a priority sector for this Government, I look forward to TTF Kolkata which

had the presence of many national and international tourism stakeholders. This will surely help in pro-moting tourism in the region.”

24 States participated at TTF Kolkata with their official pavilions. The biggest state pavilions included West Bengal as the Host State, Uttarakhand, Him-achal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Mad-hya Pradesh as Partner States. Kerala, Rajasthan,

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi and Jharkhand participated as Feature States. There were large number of participants from Haryana, Odisha, Pun-jab, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

Six foreign countries had set up pavilions at TTF Kolkata. Sri Lanka Tourism participated for the first time with a huge pavilion, with more than a dozen of hotels and operators from the country. Other for-eign countries that participated include Bangladesh, China, Macao, Nepal and Thailand. Additionally, pri-vate sector participants from Bhutan, Canada, Japan, Myanmar, UAE and USA had added feathers to the TTF this year.

Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd (the organiser of TTF, OTM and BLTM), com-mented, “TTF Kolkata is India’s oldest and one of the busiest travel trade shows in India. With the increas-ing importance of outbound and inbound potential in the East and Southeast Asia, it serves as a strategi-cally important gateway for the industry. That is the reason it is a full-house show every year since last 27 years- a legacy that we are proud of.”

TTF Kolkata registers 10% growth in number of participants and revenue

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 4 • COVER STORY

TTF Hyderabad, co-located with BLTM (Business & Lux-ury Travel Mart) from July 14-15, 2017 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) made it the big-gest travel trade show in South India. TTF and BLTM Hyderabad hold a unique strategic marketing impor-tance due to its geopolitical situation, as a meeting point for the buyers and sellers of luxury, business, MICE and leisure travel.

TTF and BLTM showcased 249 sellers from 16 states and 12 countries. Thousands of travel trade and mem-bers from business, luxury, MICE and travel sector vis-ited the show.

TTF and BLTM Hyderabad was inaugurated by Per-varam Ramulu, IPS (Retd.), Chairman, Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation; H.E. Philippe Le Gall, High Commissioner of Seychelles in India; Jong Sool (Michael) Kwon, Director, Korea Tourism Organisation (India Office) and P. P. Khanna, President, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India.

A Chandu Lal, Minister for S.T. Development, Tour-ism and Culture, Government of Telangana, said, “It is praiseworthy that Fairfest Media is organising this show since last 28 years with a view to provide a platform for the stakeholders of the travel and tourism industry to meet network and explore opportunities for tourism exchanges between countries, states and regions. I hope that this travel show will help in promoting tourism and popularising tourist destinations in the country includ-ing Telangana state.”

17 States participated at TTF and BLTM Hyderabad, with their official pavilions. The biggest state pavilions included Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as the Host States; Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Mad-hya Pradesh as Partner States; Goa, Karnataka, Ker-ala, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry participated as Feature States. There was also a large number of private sector participation from Haryana, Punjab, Assam and West Bengal.

Country participation included Nepal as the Partner Country and Korea as the Feature Country. Additionally, private sector participants from Bhutan, Canada, Ger-many, Greece, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand,

Turkey, USA and Uzbekistan had added feathers to TTF this year.

Buyers who were present at BLTM Hyderabad included Adani Wilmar Ltd, Bajaj Electricals Ltd, Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance Co Ltd, Cox & King Ltd, Global Cynergies LLC, Godrej Industries Ltd, Godrej

Industries Ltd, Kaya Ltd, Khaitan & Co, Loreal India Pvt Ltd, Magma Fincorp Ltd, Neptune Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd, Pulsar Knowledge Centre Pvt Ltd, STHI Holidays India Pvt Ltd, Suzlon Energy Limited, Tamarind Global Services Pvt Ltd, World Destinations Events, Zycus Info-tech Pvt Ltd and many more.

TTF and BlTM Hyderabad unleashes the huge potential of south india market

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 6 • COVER STORY

The show that TTF had organised in Kolkata had been great and it was good to see so many states

coming together under one roof. I congratulate the organisers of TTF for such a well organised show and hope they continue to grow, spreading tourism to all over the country. Goa Tourism was very happy with the response at TTF Kolkata and would continue this support in other shows as well.

Manohar AjgaonkarHon’ble Minister of Tourism

Government of Goa

China and India are neighbouring countries which makes India a great potential tourism

market for us. TTF Kolkata gives us a platform to promote and inform the people of India about various new products that China Tourism has to offer, such as the Silk Road Tourism and Panda Tourism. We have participated in TTF many times before and I consider it a very professional and well organised show.

Tian XinDirector

China National Tourist Office- New Delhi

Our main reason for participation at TTF was to promote our destination offerings and cre-

ate good connections with the various stakeholders. We were very pleased with the quality of visitors and consider TTF to be a very good platform to promote our products all over India. I would like to thank and commend the organisers for organising such a won-derful exhibition.

Nikhil Ranjan RoyJoint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism

Director, Bangladesh Tourism Board

I was very happy with our participation at TTF Kolkata 2017 and expect more tourists to Assam

as the exposure that we had got was excellent. TTF Kolkata had buyers and sellers from all over the world, which is why this was a very important show for us. On behalf of Assam Tourism, I would like to congratulate TTF for such a well organised show.

Nabadeep KalitaVice Chairman

Assam Tourism Development Corporation

We at Nepal Tourism were very happy with the response that we received from the myriads of

visitors at TTF Kolkata 2017. Bengal has always been an important market for us and through our participation at TTF Kolkata, we aim to further increase the percentage of tourists from this market. We have been participating in TTF Kolkata for a long time and look forward to participate in the future

editions of this event.lekh Nath Bhusal

ManagerNepal Tourism Board

Our main reason for participation at TTF Kolkata was to provide information about the various des-

tinations and we were quite pleased with the quality and variety of exhibitors and visitors attending the event. TTF had already proved itself as a very effective platform because of the overall quantity and quality of participants and we look forward to an even bigger display of country and state participation in the future.

sanjeev DevchaudharyTourist Information Officer

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

The Eastern Indian market is very important for us and TTF Kolkata is the ideal platform through

which we can promote our destination offerings and attract greater number of tourists. Last year we had the privilege of welcoming more than one million tour-ists from India of which a large percentage was from Kolkata. This was my second participation at TTF Kolkata and found this platform to be very influential

and effective in attracting tourists from all over India.

sirinapa sinapattananukulDeputy Consul General

Royal Thai Consulate General

TTF is a very good platform for the travel trade industry. TTF Kolkata 2017 had been very well

organised and we at Himachal Pradesh had always considered Kolkata as a very good market. We have been participating at TTF for a long time and would like to congratulate the organisers for yet another successful edition of this exhibition.

Dinesh Malhotra (iAs)Commissioner Tourism & MD

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd

It has been a great privilege to welcome all the participants from across the country and abroad

to TTF Kolkata on behalf of the government of West Bengal. I had the pleasure of inaugurating the show, which impressed me with its size of the exhibition and the large number of national and international stake-holder’s participation. West Bengal Tourism was happy to be associated with TTF Kolkata as the Host

State. I look forward to future editions of the show.Manish jain, iAs

SecretaryDepartment of Tourism, Government of West Bengal

This was our first participation at TTF Kolkata and we were happy to meet such variety of exhib-

itors and visitors. The quality of buyers had been really good and we had seen people show enthusi-asm on learning about Macau, its DMC’s, hotels and other destination offerings. The organising team of TTF Kolkata has done a wonderful job and we look forward to the future editions of this exhibition.

shikha lalRegional Manager

Macau Government Tourist Office

This was our first participation at TTF Kolkata. We promoted a plethora of tourism products

which included wildlife, adventure and much more with an aim to increase the number of travellers com-ing from Kolkata. We were very happy to participate in the 2017 edition of TTF Kolkata and very impressed with the variety of visitors and exhibitors as well as the way the organisers had arranged everything.

Viranga BandaraAssistant Director- Marketing

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau

The response at TTF Kolkata 2017 had been excellent and we were impressed with the variety

of states and countries that participated. Our main purpose of participation was to inform the visitors about the various product offerings and we found many prospective visitors who were interested for those information. TTF had already displayed a level excellence in organising these wonderful shows and

we hope to continue our participation in future editions.

Avinash Chandra BoseRegional Manager- East

India Tourism Development Corporation

Sellers Speak at TTF Kolkata

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 7 COVER STORY •

Sellers Speak at TTF Kolkata

This was my first visit to TTF and the variety of participants from various sectors was immense. West Bengal is a potential market for us at Guja-

rat Tourism and TTF Kolkata 2017 had provided a good platform to promote our destination offerings and attract more travellers from this market. We have participated at TTF Kolkata before and look forward to continue participating in this event.

jenu Devan (iAs)Managing Director

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited

TTF Kolkata is a very important platform for all tourism boards because we consider this market to be very prospective. In Uttarakhand,

we receive quite a good percentage of tourists from Kolkata especially for Religious Tourism. We have a plethora of products that we promoted at TTF Kolkata such as Adventure Tourism etc. We are expecting to further increase the percentage of travellers coming

from Kolkata by showcasing our products.satish Bahuguna

District Tourist Development OfficerUttarakhand Tourism Development Board

We have been participating at TTF for the last seven years and Kolkata is a very important mar-

ket for us. With TTF, we see a growth in tourist arrivals every year which is why this is a very important show for the Andamans. We were happy with the activities and the arrangements that TTF had given us and wish to continue this relationship in the future.

C.G. VijayManager (Tourism)

Andaman and Nicobar Administration

TTF Kolkata 2017 had proved to be a very good platform for us. I was impressed with the variety of states, countries as well as private organisations

that had come to participate in this exhibition. Our participation at TTF had enabled us to reach out to a variety of buyers and promote the new products that Jharkhand has to offer.

sachin Kumar sinhaAssistant

Jharkhand Tourism Development

Overall TTF Kolkata had been an excellent plat-form for us as we got good response from pro-spective buyers. Our main purpose of attending

TTF Kolkata was to penetrate the local market and generate further business prospects which I believe we were able to do. We have participated as visitors before but this is the first time that we have officially partici-pated at TTF Kolkata.

saurabh sharmaDirector- Global Sales Leisure, South Asia

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

We at Myanmar Airways have been participat-ing at TTF Kolkata for a long time. I was quite impressed with how the organisers had arranged

the entire exhibition. The variety of participants had also been excellent. We received queries from both interna-tional and domestic markets. We had a high expectation from this event and were happy that TTF Kolkata 2017 had been able to surpass those expectations.

Abiskar sinhaManager- Sales

Myanmar Airways International (GSA STIC Travel Group)

We participate at TTF exhibitions to showcase the tourism products that our destination has to offer. TTF Kolkata has proved to be an excellent plat-

form to promote our destination offerings to East India region which is a very important market for us. We have been participating at TTF for a long time and look forward to continue our participation in the future.

Perzada ZahoorDeputy Director-Tourism

Jammu & Kashmir Tourist Development Corporation

This was our first participation at TTF Kolkata and it had provided us with great opportunity for our district to reach out to not just the people of

West Bengal, but also to other parts of the country. We are thankful to the organisers for organising such a brilliant event and look forward to continue our col-laboration with TTF in the future.

Abhirup BoseProject Officer cum District Welfare Officer

Alipurduar

I consider TTF Kolkata to be one of the most sought after travel tourism exhibition and we participate

every year. The quality of visitors had been good and we conducted fruitful meetings with various travel operators. Bengal has already proved itself as one of the most important markets for Madhya Pradesh and TTF has proved to be very productive platform for us to even further increase tourists from this region.

yuvraj PadoleGeneral Manager (Marketing)

Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd

ETAA has always been a supporter of TTF Kolkata and we plan to support this excellent exhibition in the future as well. While there are many travel

shows in Kolkata, TTF is one of the most prominent ones and the reason for that is the variety and quality of participants which seems to be growing every year. I congratulate the organisers of TTF and look forward to attend the future editions of this show.

Kanta RayProprietor

Enterprising Travel Agents Association

This is my first participation at TTF Kolkata. The Indian market has always been a key point of interest in Japan. TTF Kolkata provided a great

platform allowing us to promote our various destina-tion products. I was extremely pleased with the qual-ity of visitors and would definitely like to participate in future editions of this exhibition.

Hiroyasu shimaSales Director

Triangle Japan DMC Limited

We have been attending TTF for the past 10 years, not just in Kolkata, but in other cities also. TTF is one of the best platforms for us to present our-

selves and provide information to the public. This year’s edition of TTF Kolkata had displayed an excel-lent combination of quality and quantity of buyers from both international and domestic market.

satyajit BhattacharjeeAgency Sales (E.R.)

Air India

TTF Kolkata was a very big event and the response that we got had been excellent. We had fruitful interactions with not just the travel trade from Kolkata, but also from other states as well. I think TTF is great show and has grown a lot over the years. We would definitely

consider participating in future editions of this show.Pradeep Kumar Borar (iAs)

Special Secretary & Director TourismGovernment of Rajasthan

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 8 • COVER STORY

I had the good fortune of inaugurating TTF Hyderabad co-located with BLTM. It was an

impressive show and there were variety of pavilions of state tourism boards and private sector participants displayed at the show. The massive amount of partic-ipation showed that this exhibition had brought into focus the important places of interests in India and also neighbouring countries. I want to congratulate

the organisers and urge their team to go strength to strength from the 2017 edition to 2018 in an even larger way.

Pervaram Ramulu, iPs (Retd.)Chairman

Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation

TTF Hyderabad was a nice platform where we got to present different tourism products of Puduch-

erry. The quality of interactions we had were really good, with TTF providing a great chance to meet both buyers and sellers from all over the country under one roof. The organising team had done a great job and I thank them for providing the opportunity to interact and share new ideas.

s BaskaranManager (Tourism)

Government of Puducherry

We participated at BLTM for the first time in Gurgaon last year and were very satisfied with

it which is why we decided to participate at TTF Hyderabad co-located with BLTM. The response that we got here was good and are happy with the buyers we met during these two days. Since this was our first participation at Hyderabad, we got great opportunity to explore the market on local level.

sandeep DuttaMarketing Manager

Korea Tourism Organisation

TTF had done a great job over the years and com-pared to previous editions the Hyderabad show

this year was excellent. BLTM which was co-located with TTF Hyderabad brought people not just from the tourism sector, but also from different sectors as well. The B2B onsite meeting sessions were well organised.

N sanjeevaiahJoint GM

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd

We had a fantastic experience at TTF. The show has evolved over the years and got bigger and bet-

ter. Personally out of the interactions that we had with the buyers, I think TTF Hyderabad has shown to be a matured market. The organising team has done a fab-ulous job in making this a well organised show and I wish them the very best for the future.

Roshan PintoManager

L’oment Travels (Southwest Germany)

We had the pleasure of hosting the first edition of BLTM in Gurgaon and the show had grown

a lot over the last few months. I think the co-located show with TTF Hyderabad was a good opportunity for everyone to come and meet all the hotels and tourism boards all under one roof. Fairfest Media had done a great job and I would like to thank them for providing such a wonderful platform to conduct business.

Raghvendra Pratap singhSales Manager

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

TTF Hyderabad was a very fruitful event for us. We did a lot of meetings during the two days. The co-located BLTM was a nice initiative that gave us a chance to introduce our products to whole slew of buyers who were not aware of our property. Over-

all it was a great experience for us.Guadalupe Maurice

Sales ExecutiveHotel Sahara Star

In today’s scenario, lot of people have lots of chal-lenges, particularly the small and medium sized

tour operators. TTF Hyderabad had opened a new window to them where they were able to network with the new and old exhibitors. I would like to congratu-late the management of BLTM and TTF. They started the show in Gurgaon last year and brought it to South India and I hope they take the show to all over India

in the years to come.P. P. Khanna

PresidentAssociation of Domestic Tour Operators of India

Maharashtra has all types of tourist destinations and in order to market its various products, TTF

is the perfect platform to create awareness among the travel trade. The co-located BLTM show at TTF Hyderabad was a good initiative and the interaction that I personally had at the onsite meeting session was really positive. The organisers had done an excellent job with this event and I wish them the best for the future.

Prashant swaiRegional Manager

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation

We have been associated with TTF since its inception and over the years, the show has got

bigger and bigger. We came to TTF Hyderabad to meet the travel trade and the responses were really good. TTF has always been a good platform for Kar-nataka as it consistently provides good buyers and sellers. The organising team did a great job and we look forward to participate in the future.

shivaraj HollaDeputy Manager– PR

Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka

BLTM co-located with TTF Hyderabad was a great show and ours being a complete B2B prod-

uct there’s no better platform to showcase it. The show had hosted buyers who were actually our target group and the onsite meeting session was great initiative where we got to discuss our ideas with potential buy-ers. BLTM is the perfect platform to have interactions and showcase new products. We look forward to the

next edition in Gurgaon.Naasir Merchant

Co-FounderFoxtrot Interactive Pvt Ltd

Our experience participating at TTF Hyderabad was really good. The two days were busy for us

as we were jam packed with pre fixed meetings. The online meeting diary was a nice feature that helped us remain organised as per schedule and agenda. The quality of buyers during the show was good and we got to meet some new buyers, as well as interact with some familiar faces.

sunnil uparieMarketing & Sales (India)

Variety Cruises

I had heard about BLTM from a number of peo-ple, but even then I was pleasantly surprised at

how well the show had been organised. The online meeting diary was useful and really helped in bet-ter utilising our time while conducting the meetings. The organisers did a commendable job with this co-located show and I will make sure Taj participates in all the BLTM meets going forward.

Aparna AjithAsst. Sales Manager

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

Sellers Speak at TTF & BLTM Hyderabad

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 9 COVER STORY •

My experience had been really fruitful at BLTM. We met couple of sellers with whom we had not

interacted earlier. The online meeting diary was useful because it helped in scheduling appointments directly with the sellers without wasting time and precisely discussing business. I am keen to explore the future editions of BLTM.

Allroy Augustine CollacoHead- Estate Management

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

It’s my second participation at BLTM that has stepped in the South India market with

Hyderabad. The quality of sellers had been increas-ing and expanding in terms of diversity and needs. People had been very proactive in terms of scheduling appointments which is not usually seen in other travel shows. Similar participation had been witnessed dur-ing the onsite appointments at the show.

Vikrant WadheraDirector- Global Accounts

Global Cynergies

BLTM had introduced me with various sellers from the travel trade industry like travel companies

and hotels. I was impressed to see many outbound and inbound destinations as sellers. The onsite meeting and its duration was excellent in order to have fruitful meet-ings, leading straightaway to business. I would like to recommend this show to people in my network.

sunita D’melloDeputy Manager- General Affairs

Hyundai Corporation Mumbai

The show had been wonderfully organised by Fairfest Media Limited. Through this platform we

have been able to meet potential suppliers at one place. The quality of sellers was also dynamic in the sense that it covered different aspects of travel.

Dattatray G sukhre Associate TTGAC

TATA Technologies Limited

It was my maiden visit to TTF Hyderabad co-located with BLTM. The quality of the exhibitors and

the visitors had been extremely knowledgeable. The show had gone above my expectations and I was glad to be a part of it. The online meeting diary feature gave a hands-on experience, as it helped me schedule my appointments with my choice of sellers.

Anand VeerkarExecutive Vice President- Sales

Fountainhead Entertainment Private Limited

BLTM is a platform where I got the opportunity to meet all the sellers across the globe from various

verticals. It gave an opportunity where we can minimise the cost of travelling arrangements. The quality of sellers had been good and the online meeting diary feature gave us the benefit to meet new sellers with whom we haven’t fixed any appointment. Fairfest Media had done a great job in managing the event and taking care of all the nooks

and corners to make it a successful and satisfying experience.Abdul Taiyab

Assistant Manager- HR & AdminAtul Auto Limited

I am thankful to BLTM for creating this platform where there is a massive diversity of buyers and

suppliers under one roof. The platform provided right connect, communication and collaboration. It had provided a good amount of database for sellers and with this, we will be able to connect with more sell-ers for our projects. The onsite meeting session was good and I would convey to my network that attend-

ing this show is a must for any corporate.Ajay Kapoor

Vice President- ProcurementCanara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce

I have experienced that BLTM had a strong foothold in the hospitality sector, allowing us to set up meet-

ings with several hotels that we don’t get to meet very often. The quality and range of sellers at the show had been from pan India, helping us create a channel of net-work with professionals from across India. The online meeting diary helped me to fix direct appointments with sellers of my choice and on the basis of my needs.

Madhuri KanchanAdmin

Red Bull India Private Limited

My experience at BLTM had been really good and the show seems pretty impressive. The best thing

that I observed was the various stalls from the tourism boards, private sector, hotels and more that lets a buyer choose and research in terms of services. Sellers were very precise and serious in their approach in terms of business and networking with an exceptional portfolio about their products.

Karkala Amitha NayakAdmin & Executive

Pernod Ricard

My experience with TTF co-located with BLTM had been great right from the onset. By utilising the

online and onsite meeting diary feature, we were able to conduct meetings with our choice of sellers. There was a good percentage of international sellers and national sellers giving us substantial amount of diversity for busi-ness networking.

Daryll Dsouza ADLOGIC

I have been a regular visitor to TTF, OTM and the new show BLTM, through which I have been able

to create a new network of vendors. The show was help-ful for corporates to create a lead from the existing net-works and more. The online meeting diary feature had been of great use to us in terms of scheduling meetings. The organisers are doing an exceptional job and they should keep going with this type of event.

Ali AnkleshwariaDeputy Manager- Administration

Adani Wilmar Limited

This is the second time I visited the show as a buyer. BLTM provided a good platform to buyers where

all industrial suppliers at one platform exchanged their requirements. We were able to schedule appointments a week prior to the event and with our choice of ven-dors. Its an appropriate show for any corporate to cre-ate their own channel of suppliers from different cate-gories and segments.

Ankit shethSenior Manager- HR & Administration

Apar Industries Limited

BLTM had given me an ocean of opportunities to come and network with a huge amount of sellers

from diversified backgrounds. Not only networking, but it had provided me good agendas to work upon in the destination wedding segment. The online meeting scheduler was of great help to fix our appointments and the presence of NTOs and hotels had helped me in out-reaching more diverse audience.

Manya AdlakhaDestination Wedding Planner

7 Vows

Coming to BLTM had been a great experience because we do have a fair amount of travel move-

ment all around the year from large to small groups. Through this event, we were able to connect with many service providers and we could find out ways and means to explore new business. The quality of sellers had been mature with a lot of professionalism.

suprotik BhattacharyaGeneral Manager- Administration

Magma Fincorp Limited

Buyers Speak at TTF & BLTM Hyderabad

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 10INDIA

Central government grants approval for airport at Jewar in Greater Noida

Nitin Gadkari urges state governments to boost Cruise Tourism

Thomas Cook India acquires Kuoni’s Global Destination Management Network

Thomas Cook India Group has announced the com-pletion of the acquisition of a significant part of Kuoni’s global Destination Management Specialists (DMS) network. The Group, which prior to this acquisition comprised Thomas Cook (India), SOTC Travel, TCI-SITA and Kuoni Hong Kong had a network spanning four countries - India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Hong Kong. Post the acquisition, Thomas Cook India Group is spread across 21 countries and a combined revenue in excess of ̀ 8700 crore (over $ 1.34 billion) has been -trans-formed into one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region.

Commenting on this development, Madhavan Menon, Chairman & Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Group said, “This acquisition of a signifi-cant part of Kuoni’s Global Destination Management network represents an important milestone for a rap-idly growing Thomas Cook India Group, as we deliver on our stated strategy of rapid expansion in the Asia

Pacific region. This acquisition will help us enhance and integrate our end to end service delivery capabil-ities and target strategic benefits across our Inbound, Outbound, MICE and Corporate Travel businesses-helping deliver superior products, service and value to our stakeholders.”

As a part of this acquisition, Thomas Cook India Group will now include leading DMS like Asian Trails (APAC), Desert Adventures (MENA), ATM-Austra-lian Tours Management (Australia), Allied T Pro (North America), Private Safaris (Eastern Africa) and Private Safaris (Southern Africa) under its network creating a seamless delivery capability for the group and its B2B and B2C customers across 21 countries and four continents. With this move, The Thomas Cook India Group’s travel business network has now expanded significantly - the addition of 17 new countries, increasing its footprint to now cover 21 countries.

The central government has granted in-princi-ple approval for a Greenfield Airport at Jewar in Greater Noida in view of the growing flying requirements at the NCR region.

Announcing this at a press conference in New Delhi, Minister for Civil Aviation, P Ashok Gaj-apathi Raju said that the air traffic in the NCR region is growing rapidly. From the current level of 62 million passengers per annum (MPPA), it is expected to reach up to 91 MPPA by 2020 and 109 MPPA by 2024, leading to a saturation point for the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. That is why Delhi will require a second airport in the next 7-10 years.

The Minister stated that the Government of Uttar Pradesh had submitted a proposal for con-struction of a new Greenfield International Air-port at Jewar in Greater Noida, which the Min-istry of Civil Aviation has accorded in-principle approval for the project based on the recommen-dations of the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports, headed by the Secretary, Civil Aviation.

The Noida International Airport will be located 72 km from IGI Airport and 65 km from Hindon Air Force station Ghaziabad. Yamuna Express-way Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) is the implementing authority of the project.

An area of 3000 hectares has been notified for the airport which will be developed in phases, with an area of 1000 hectares to be developed in the first phase at an estimated cost of `10,000 crore. There will be one runway in the first phase and three more in the subsequent phases. The total cost of development of all phases is expected to be around `15-20,000 crores. The airport is expected to cater to 30-50 million passengers per year over the next 10 to 15 years.

Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari has urged the state govern-ments to promote Cruise Tourism by developing and marketing their tourist attractions, stating that it will create jobs and boost the economy.

The Minister, while addressing the national work-shop on Action Plan for Development of Cruise Tour-ism in India, said thatIndia has the potential to cater to 700 cruise ships per year as against 158 handled this year.

The cruise industry can generate more than 2.5 lakh jobs for 10 lakh cruise passengers, giving a big boost to the country’s economy, he said.

“Cruise terminals are being developed at five major ports— Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Mangalore and Chen-nai. In addition, the transport potential of 111 inland waterways will also be tapped. Work will start for developing 10 inland waterways by the end of this year. This includes the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra on which work is already in progress,” said Gadkari.

A joint task force, headed by Secretary Shipping and Secretary Tourism was constituted for the pur-pose and a global consultant was engaged for draw-ing up an action plan on Cruise Tourism in the coun-try, added Gadkari.

Market Research Division of Ministry of Tourism compiles data on domestic and foreign tourist visits to States/Union Territories (UTs) received from Depart-ments of Tourism of various State Governments and UT Administrations. Following are the salient features of the compilation for 2016:

Domestic Tourist Visits to States/ UTsDuring 2016, the number of domestic tourist visits

to the States/ UTs was 1613.55 million as compared to 1431.97 million in 2015 registering a growth of 12.68% over 2015.

The top 10 States in terms of number of domes-tic tourist visits (in millions), during 2016 were Tamil Nadu (343.81), Uttar Pradesh (211.71), Andhra Pradesh (153.16), Madhya Pradesh (150.49), Karnataka (129.76), Maharashtra (116.52), Telangana (95.16), West Bengal (74.46), Gujarat (42.25) and Rajasthan (41.5).

The contribution of top 10 states was about 84.21% to the total number of domestic tourist visits during 2016.

Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have maintained the first, second and third rank respec-tively in terms of domestic tourist visits in 2016. Madhya Pradesh has gained the fourth position leaving Karna-taka at fifth position.

Foreign Tourist Visits to States/ UTs

During 2016, the number of foreign tourist visits (FTVs) to the States/ UTs was 24.71 million as com-pared to 23.33 million in 2015 registering a growth of 5.92% over 2015.

The top 10 States in terms of number of FTVs (in mil-lions) during 2016 were Tamil Nadu (4.72), Maharashtra (4.67), Uttar Pradesh (3.16), Delhi (2.52), West Bengal (1.53), Rajasthan (1.51), Kerala (1.04), Bihar (1.01), Goa (0.68) and Punjab (0.66).

The contribution of top 10 states was about 87.02% to the total number of FTVs in the country during 2016. In 2016, while the top eight states retained their previous rankings, Punjab entered the top 10 most visited states.

india registers positive growth for Domestic and Foreign Tourist visits during 2016

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 11 INDIA •

Jet Airways has announced enhance-ments of its codeshare agreement with Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines in order to expand connectivity options for guests flying between India and Europe. In the first instance, Air France and Delta are code-shar-ing on Jet Airways’ current service between Mumbai and Paris. Fur-thermore, Air France, together with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines, also codeshare on Jet Airways’ newly announced flight between Chennai and Paris, sched-uled to begin on October 29, 2017.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines will also code-share on Jet Airways’ daily flight between Bengaluru and Amster-dam beginning from October 29, 2017. In addition, Delta Air Lines will also codeshare on Jet Airways’ third frequency between Mumbai and London.

With this, code-shared flights will now seamlessly connect Athens, Barcelona, Bilbao, Budapest, Dub-lin, Krakow, Leeds, Lisbon, London-Heathrow, Lyon, Nice and Warsaw.

Jet Airways also codeshares on Air France services connecting Mumbai and Paris in addition to KLM’s newly-announced thrice-a-week service between Mumbai and Amsterdam, from October 29, 2017.

The new codeshare additions will allow the airline’s guests conve-nient access to as many as 43 Euro-pean destinations via Amsterdam and 27 via Paris as well as 34 in North America, together with flexibil-ity and choice of flying via multiple gateways and routes. Guests travel-ling from Europe or North America will gain easy access to 45 Indian cit-ies on Jet Airways’ extensive domes-tic network via Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Com-mercial Officer, Jet Airways, said, “The expanded cooperation reaf-firms our commitment to offer our guests choice and seamless connec-tivity. In fact, our guests travelling to Europe and North America can benefit immensely from our multi-gateway connectivity to all destina-tions on Air France, KLM and Del-ta’s networks.”

India Tourism Development Corpo-ration (ITDC) conducted a workshop for the benefit of trade industry, offi-cers and other stakeholders to sensi-tise them about the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST): Model Law and procedures at The Ashok.

The workshop was broadcasted live to all the subsidiary companies/ven-dors outside Delhi. The video and que-ries regarding GST would be uploaded on ITDC website to ease the interaction and resolve queries. The GST Regime which is on the verge of its implemen-tation will mark a paradigm shift in the manner of levy and collection of indirect taxes in the country and is a watershed moment in the annals of tax reform.

During the workshop, Pradip K Das, Director Finance and CFO, ITDC highlighted the proposed tax reform as a real game changer for expanding tax base, mobilise resources and also for minimising regional disparities since it enables predominantly consumer states to raise resources for develop-mental activities. Das gave a detailed overview of the GST, the structure of GST Regime and the roadmap ahead for all stakeholders.

The GST consultants of ITDC in his inaugural address expressed that the country is on the threshold of change which is momentous and assured all stakeholders that all the concerns of

trade and industry will be addressed to ensure smooth transition. They explained the various provisions of the model GST law and the implemen-tation of the new GST law.

The workshop was conducted on an interactive basis at the Ashok Hotel as well as at all the Business Units of ITDC and its subsidiaries. Delhi based vendors participated directly, how-ever the units and subsidiaries out-side Delhi participated through web-cast, where the solutions to queries and issue from the trade partners were provided and assured smooth adapta-tion of GST compliance.

The workshop was attended by the senior officials of ITDC, representa-tives of various business partners and other stakeholders.

jet Airways expands its codeshare agreements to Europe

iTDC organises workshop to sensitise the travel and tourism industry

www.ethiopianairlines.comBook | Pay | Check-in Online

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 12 • india

USIBC launches India-Task Force on Civil Aviation

SpiceJet expands its portfolio in the Indian market

Ayana Hospitality launches new luxury boutique hotelAyana Hospitality promoted by the ICS Group (India) has launched its flagship property– ‘Ayana Fort Kochi’, a luxury boutique hotel in Kochi, Kerala. Blending his-tory with modern luxurious comfort, ‘Ayana Fort Kochi’ is a 200-year old courthouse that has been meticulously restored and then renovated to its rightful glory.

Appropriately named ‘Ayana’, a resting place in Sanskrit, ‘Ayana Fort Kochi’ with its array of services and amenities is well positioned to provide customised luxury to discerning guests. The hotel is situated on Bazaar Road, the oldest international trading market in India.

Speaking during the launch, Akhil Behl, CEO, Ayana Hospitality, said, “We are proud to launch Ayana Fort Kochi. It has been designed and renovated in per-fect harmony with the legacy of the property, the envi-rons and culture of the region. Our efforts towards guest’s experiences are not limited to the hotel prem-ises only, but are far more rounded and encompass-ing. Going forward we will add more unique proper-ties to our portfolio and will strive to raise the bar in personalised tailored luxury.”

The interiors of the property were revamped under the direction of Kavita Premnarayen, Design Direc-tor, Ayana Hospitality, who envisioned an ‘Indian-Art Deco’ Concept.

The U.S. India Business Council (USIBC) has launched an India-Task Force on Civil Aviation which will focus on identifying opportunities for implementation based on the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). To lead this initiative, Palash Roy Chowdhury, Man-aging Director-India, Pratt & Whitney has been cho-sen as the Chairman and Amber Dubey, Partner and Head of Aerospace and Defense, KPMG in India as Co-Chairman.

India saw an annual growth exceeding 20% in domestic traffic with total passenger estimated to reach 270 million passengers by end of this year. The Task Force will engage with various stakeholders to pro-mote best international practices and address poten-tial hurdles that surface as American and Indian com-panies deepen engagement in India’s growing civil aviation market.

Commenting on the launch, Dr Mukesh Aghi, Presi-dent, U.S. India Business Council said, “We are launch-ing this task force to aid implementation of India’s civil aviation policy. Our member companies are committed to the success of the government’s flagship programs such as the Regional Connectivity Scheme and Make In India and bringing the best in technology in related areas such as airport infrastructure and security, MROs and skill development.”

The India-Task Force is aimed at promoting bilateral dialogue by being the voice of the industry, partnering with governments to organise trade missions and advo-cating for regulatory changes on behalf of its members.

In a recent move to extend its services to the tier III town, SpiceJet has added Patna to its domestic port-folio. Adding Patna, the carrier will fly four daily direct flights from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

The first flight inaugural ceremony for Flight SG 867 was graced by Patna Airport Director AAI R S Lahauria, Santosh Singh AGM ATC, Comdt Dharam-veer Yadav CISF, AAI officials and senior SpiceJet offi-cials. The ceremonial flag off took place at 10:55 am from the city, enroute to Bengaluru. The first passen-gers were welcomed and mementoes were gifted to them by AAI and SpiceJet officials.

Sharing her thought on the ceremonious develop-ment Shilpa Bhatia, Senior VP-Commercial, SpiceJet, said, “Being the fifth fastest growing city of the country and raking in the highest GDP of Bihar with growth rates exceeding 40%, Patna is all set to embark on a new growth journey. We are proud to induct Patna as the latest station on SpiceJet’s domestic network. Our new flights will offer Patna a very competent metro connectivity elevating it onto the pan-India network.”

Recently during the Union Culture and Tourism Min-ister (Independent Charge), Dr Mahesh Sharma’s visit to Gujarat’s Vadnagar area, he declared to convert the tea stall in Gujarat’s Vadnagar railway platform, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi served customers in his childhood- a tourist spot, after renovating it.

Sharma said that the centre aims to bring a contem-porary look to the tea stall while keeping its originality intact. “Converting the stall into a tourist spot is part of a larger project of putting our PM’s birthplace, Vad-nagar in Mehsana district, on the world tourism map. Apart from being the birthplace of our PM, Vadnagar is an important historical centre. It has the famous Sharmishta Lake and a step-well. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had recently found the remains of a Buddhist monastery during an excavation, which still continues,” stated the Union Culture and Tour-ism Minister.

Ganpat Vasava, Gujarat Tourism Minister added, “After Modi took over as the PM, a lot of tourists started visiting the town. The state and central governments

have launched a massive development project in Vad-nagar to promote tourism.”

As per a statement from the divisional Railway Manager of Ahmedabad, the development of Vad-nagar railway station is one of the components of the `100 crore project to develop Vadnagar, Modhera and Patan as tourist destinations. The ministry of tourism has given `8 crore to the state tourism department to develop the railway station.”

Central government to revamp Vadnagar’s tea stall as a tourist spot

India ranks 12th amongst Wellness Tourism nations

Wellness tourism is growing at a fast pace and likely to become a key driver of the tourism economy. As per the Global Wellness Economy Monitor, wellness is the active pursuit of activities, choices and life-styles which lead to a state of holistic health.

In 2015, India was among the top 20 spa markets accounting for 4,734 spas and provided employment to 55,862, earning revenue of $1.46 billion, bagging 14th position. The country was ranked 14th then.

Presently, India is ranked 12 among the top 20 wellness tourism markets as per the latest findings.

Globally, wellness sector represents a $3.7 trillion economy and from 2013-15, it grew by 10.6%.

Wellness tourism is usually practised by domes-tic tourists, driven by short-haul and weekend trips. The market is dominated by large countries, such as the U.S., Germany, China, Japan, India and France,

which have large internal and domestic tourism markets in general. Domestic wellness tourism rep-resented 83% of all wellness trips and 67% of expen-ditures in 2015.

Nevertheless, from 2013-2015 international well-ness tourism has been growing at a much faster rate than domestic wellness tourism, with 22% growth in trips and 20% growth in expenditures for interna-tional, as compared to 17% and 11% for domestic, as per stated by Global Wellness Institute.

While a comprehensive data on the wellness tour-ism in India is yet to be made available, sources in the industry say this genre is expected to grow faster than the medical tourism.

In India, the wellness market had a turnover of $13 billion in 2015, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 12% to reach $23 billion by 2020.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 14ASIA

Meliá Melaka to open its doors in 2020

Nepal witnesses a growth of 41.9% in foreign tourist spending

Vietnam visitor arrivals register a growth of 30% in 2017In the first half of 2017, Vietnam’s tourism industry wit-nessed strong growth registering a 30% increase in terms of international visitor numbers.

As per data released by the Vietnam National Adminis-tration of Tourism (VNAT), the country welcomed a total of 6.21 million foreign tourists in the first six months 2017, 30.2% more than in the same period in 2016. This included a 33% surge in arrivals by air, which is a key indicator of international business and leisure travel.

The growth was driven by two important markets which included mainland China and South Korea. Viet-nam welcomed 1.89m Chinese and 1.07m Korean visi-tors in the six-month period, up 56.7% and 43.9% year-on-year respectively. The figures indicate that these two Asian countries accounted for 47.5% of total arrivals to Vietnam. Further demonstrating the strength of the intra-regional

travel market, Asian countries contributed almost three quarters of all visitors to the country.

Other major Asian source markets to Vietnam included Japan (+6.5% to 378,844), Taiwan (+22.9% to 297,852) and Malaysia (+15.9% to 231,585). USA (+9.3% to 320,204) was Vietnam’s largest long-haul feeder market, followed by Russia (+53.4% to 313,502) and Australia (+10.0% to 181,526).

Vietnam’s tourism industry is on track to achieving another record year. Last year the country welcomed a total of 10.01m international tourists, making it the first time in history to exceed the 10m mark.

Meliá Melaka is the new hotel with a panoramic view of Malay Peninsula in the centre of Melaka. Managed by the Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand and owned by Hale-ton Group, a leader in Malaysia’s property development, investment and asset management industry, the hotel is scheduled to open in 2020. This marks the group’s fourth property in Malaysia, and its first entry into Melaka.

“The expansion of our Malaysia portfolio in the centre

of Melaka is another important milestone for our pres-ence in Asia Pacific. Today we join with Haleton Group and are delighted to offer travellers an unparalleled holi-day experience,” said Bernardo Cabot Estarellas, Senior VP-Asia Pacific, Meliá Hotels International.

“We are confident that Melia Hotels International will contribute a tremendous boost to the tourism industry of Melaka while elevating the City to greater heights with their Spanish heritage and world-renowned hospitality standards,” said Ken Lin, CEO, Haleton Developments SDN BHD.

Meliá Melaka will offer 250 rooms of different options including standard, supreme and deluxe. The property, with a Sky Pool and a rooftop garden on the 28th floor will feature panoramic views of Malaysia Peninsula. The hotel is 30 minutes drive from Melaka International air-port, and a short walk from renowned UNESCO heri-tage sites, such as St. John’s Fort, Jonker Walk, St. Paul’s Hill, Melaka River Cruise, Portuguese Square, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Menara Taming Sari and Stadthuys.

In 2017, Meliá Hotels International will maintain its robust momentum in Asia, with 17 hotels currently in operation and the group is expected to have over 40 hotels by 2022.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is inviting local and international tourists to enjoy one of Thai-land’s most amazing natural sights, the famous Dok Krachiao or Siam Tulips in Bloom in the Pa Hin Ngam and Sai Tong National Parks. The event is celebrated in the Dok Krachiao Blooming Festival 2017, which takes place from June 1 to September 30.

The official opening of the Dok Krachiao Blooming Festival 2017 took place in June at Pa Hin Ngam National Park in Thep Sathit district, Chaiyaphum province. There was a night parade showcasing the local cul-ture. There are also hill treks, a fair selling local food,

handicrafts and musical concerts to enjoy. The Dok Krachiao or Siam Tulip, (Curcuma alismatifolia) is not a tulip but related to the ginger plant and grows across the province of Chaiyaphum in Northeastern Thailand, as well as in Lao PDR and Cambodia. The flower fields come into bloom during the region’s rainy season.

Visitors heading to Chaiyaphum should make sure to attend the annual Dok Krachiao Blooming Festi-val to appreciate the many wonders of this Isan prov-ince. Additionally, many people visit the Pha Hum Huet Viewpoint, which has some amazing views over the greenery of the Park from a scenic rock shelf.

In the initial 11 months of the current fiscal year, the spending of foreign tourists who arrived in Nepal witnessed a growth of nearly 41.9%.

Foreign travellers heading to Nepal spend about `55.2 billion in this 11-month period between mid-July and mid-June against the `38.9 billion in the same period a year ago, as per the latest report of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

Tourism experts in the country estimate that as much as 800,000 foreign tourists would be visiting the nation in 2017, as per the World Travel and Tour-ism Council.

The travel and tourism sector of Nepal is believed to have pooled in `177 billion into the economy. In fact, it was responsible for the creation of 427,000 jobs in 2016, according to the World Travel and Tour-ism Council.

Thailand welcomes the world to enjoy the glorious Tulips of Chaiyaphum

DOT launches new campaign to help tourists Experience the PhilippinesThe Department of Tourism (DOT) launched its newest campaign during the nationwide simulta-neous flag-raising ceremonies.

The minute-long clip entitled ‘Sights’ cap-tured the unique experiences of a Japanese retiree named M Uchimura enjoying island hopping in the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan, dancing with the locals in Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, rid-ing an ATV in Paoay Sand Dunes and enjoying his snacks on the cobblestoned Calle Crisologo in Vigan.

Uchimura in a voice over said, “Here, you don’t have to see the sun to discover radiance; you don’t have to see colours to experience vibrance; you don’t have to see smiles to know you are safe; you don’t have to see to feel you are home.”

According to Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Secretary, Wanda Corazon Teo, the ad goes beyond featuring the country’s top destinations but more importantly, it encourages tourist to experience the Philippines themselves.

Teo added, “We are shifting our focus in our promotional campaigns towards the unique expe-riences that each destination could offer Filipino hospitality and security. The basic element of ‘fun’ remains, as it is truly the Filipinos who make the total tourism experience fulfilling and memora-ble. The heart and essence of the tourism thrust is the people.”

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 15 asia •

Blue Square Consultants to represent Shandong Tourism in India

Indonesia’s Batik Air set to launch multiple Indian routes

Shandong, a jewel nestled between Beijing and Shanghai in the eastern coastal province of People’s Repub-lic of China, is all set to make its mark in India by appointing Mumbai based Blue Square Consultants (BSC) as its sales and marketing representative in India with immediate effect.

Zhang Mingchi, Deputy Director General of Shandong Tourism Devel-opment Commission, commented, “India has immense potential and is one of our key markets. In last couple of years we have witnessed an increase in inquires to travel to Shandong and hence to further aug-ment the growth we needed to part-ner with a representative company who has the expertise in the travel

and tourism sector. We are excited at the prospect to associate with Blue Square consultants and hope we col-lectively promote this stunning unex-plored destination of Shandong in India.”

Commenting on the development, Lubaina Sheerazi, COO, Blue Square Consultants, said, “The current travel scenario in India has changed by leaps and bounds as Indian travellers today are more evolved and are open to travelling to exotic and unexplored destinations. Although this segment is niche, there is a lot of potential that we are foreseeing and we are certain that with its enticing string of tourist attractions, Shandong will soon be on every Indian traveller’s bucket list.”

Batik Air, an airline from Indonesia is all set to start flying from Medan to Chennai, Jakarta to Delhi and Bali to Mumbai. The Jakarta-Delhi route will mark the first direct link between the capital cities of Indonesia and India.

The CEO of Batik Air, Achmad Luthfi was quoted saying that his airline has received flights slots in India and expects to launch the flights sometime around July. He added, “The econo-mies of Indonesia and India continue to develop. What’s more, both countries have two of the world’s largest populations. India, for example, the total of the middle class and above residents exceeds 200 million people. Certainly, if they want to travel, they will travel abroad. The situation is not much different than China.”

While details of the Medan-Chennai and Jakarta-Delhi routes were not revealed, the Bali-Mumbai route is expected to be operated twice a day.

The Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) has set an aim to draw 36 million foreign visitors and earn at least RM168 billion tourism receipts annually by 2020.

In 2016, the country welcomed 26,757,392 visitors, contributing RM82.1 billion to the country’s revenue. Visitors from five countries account for over 80% of all arrivals in Malaysia. In 2020, the numbers from Singa-pore, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei could be

13.7 million, 8 million, 3.4 million, 2.2 million and 1.5 mil-lion, respectively.

Last year, there was a growth of 7% in domestic visi-tors to 189.3 million. Domestic visitors spent RM74.7 bil-lion, with 35.3% on shopping, 16% on fuel, 13.8% on food and beverages, 11.1% on expenditure at households vis-ited, 8.8% on accommodation, 6.5% on transportation, 5.7% on other activities and 2.8% on preparations before the trip, tour packages, entrance fees and tickets.

Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan aims 36 million foreign tourists by 2020

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 16middle east

Sofitel to develop its largest hotel in Middle East

Jordan promotes itself as a luxury honeymoon destination

Online e-visa will boost global tourism drive in Oman

Oman’s new e-visa online portal is the most sophisti-cated in the Gulf, experts say and will help shape the future of tourism in the country.

A Royal Oman Police spokesman, said, “You can apply from anywhere in the world and receive the visa in five minutes. All it takes are three steps. We hope to increase online visa procedures from two percent online, as it currently stands, to 98% online.”

Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, called the Royal Oman Police e-visa service a ‘massive project’, adding “There is no doubt that this is something we are proud of because it is a massive project. The ease and development of visa procedures will be inclusive of the world, of all five continents.”

Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrizi, the Minister of Tour-ism, said hassle-free travel was very important globally, adding, “When it comes to the tourism sector, one of the

most important components is the ease of travelling to the desired destination. The most important issues are the visa procedures. We have reached three million vis-itors last year, and we expect to reach 4.7 million visi-tors by 2020.”

Royal Oman Police Brigadier General Hilal bin Ahmed Al Busaidi, said, “All of these transactions will be through an integrated system, which will reduce visitors to physical service portals, both in the General Directorate of Passports and Residence, and the other various departments.”

The e-visa portal will take payment and issue visas for tourists to Oman. Until now, visitors faced long queues at the airports to obtain a visa on arrival. The fee is OMR20 or OMR5 for residents of any GCC country.

In the near future expats who own homes here or people coming to work will also be able to use the site, as will sponsors, once they register online.

Coming in late 2019, the Sofitel Dubai Wafi will have 501 rooms, 86 suites and 97 serviced residences, to be operated on an extended-stay basis. The hotel is being built with development partner MKM Commercial Holdings and will join Sofitel’s portfolio of 14 hotels currently in operation and under development in the region.

The hotel will be adjacent to the Raffles Dubai, now a sister hotel under the Accorhotels umbrella, with the group saying “both properties will form a luxury cluster” within the Wafi area, with guests able to share amenities and services across the two hotels.

Sheikh Manna Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Chairman of MKM Commercial Holdings, said, “We are confident the Sofitel, through its distinct brand positioning and expertise in the luxury segment, will be able to com-plement our existing Raffles Dubai while cementing the strength of hospitality offerings present within the expanded and revitalized Wafi.”

Sofitel Dubai Wafi will include an Asian specialty restaurant, gastro pub, a destination restaurant, bar and lounge on 43rd and 44th Floors, a French lobby cafe, an all-day restaurant and a pool bar. There will also be a SoSpa, gym, outdoor pools, private cabanas and a kids club.

Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, luxury brands for AccorHotels Middle East, said, “This will undoubtedly become a future flagship for Sofitel in the region. The development of this property is aligned with our strategy to operate one of our leading luxury brands across strategic locations in the Middle East.”

Jordan is fast making a mark as one of the coveted wed-ding destination and a perfect spot for a luxury honey-moon. Jordan is full to the brim with cultural and his-torical landmarks for the newly married. The country’s well-deserved reputation as a stable and prospering Arab nation has proved to be an oasis in the desert for tourists and newlyweds.

The Dead Sea is particularly known to hoist off newly-weds in a remarkable style and is the most pop-ular wedding destination in Jordan. The Resorts and Spa’s established around the Sea’s peripheral, use healing salts to relax and recuperate. There are many resorts in the Dead Sea area that play host to a multi-tude of events such as Kempinski, Movenpick, Crowne Plaza etc.

Petra is another must-do for both a wedding and a honeymoon. World famous for its architectural ruins, Petra also called as ‘the Rose City’ dates back to 300 BC and is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. This destination has premiere chain of Hotels and Resorts which maintain standards of an international tourist destination and is perfect for a romantic getaway. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) is planning to conduct multi-city roadshows in India this August in order to continue enhancing commercial ties with the Indian travel fraternity. The roadshows will be held in a networking workshop format and will begin in Mumbai on August 21 followed by Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and will conclude in Chennai on August 30.

Hassan Madah, Director, IMOT said, “We have been witnessing historical growth from India this year. We have already recorded 33% increase in tour-ist arrivals in the period of January to May 2017 over

the same period in 2016. Our aim is to receive 60,000 Indian tourists by end of 2017. This roadshow will help us in achieving our goal as it will strengthen business opportunities for the Indian travel trade, build new connections and increase their knowledge of the var-ious tourism offerings in Israel.”

Israel witnessed an increase of 13% in 2016 over the previous year with a record 44,672 Indian tourists visiting the destination. The statistics released by the Israel Ministry of Tourism also revealed 42% growth in Indian arrivals to Israel in the month of May 2017 compared to the same period in 2016.

israel Tourism plans to conduct multi-city roadshows in india

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 18 • middle east

Bahrain Hotel revenues hit $8.4 million during Eid break

Sharjah lines up big entertainment events this summer

Dubai celebrates successful 2016-2017 cruise season

The 2016-2017 Dubai Cruise season officially concluded with the departure of the season’s final ship, the C.S. Sea Princess, from Port Rashid.

This marked the end of a successful season for Dubai Cruise Tourism, which saw over 625,000 cruise tour-ists visit the city via a total of 157 ship calls, reflecting an increase of 15% and 18% respectively when compared to the 2015-2016 season. The season also saw Thomson Cruises, the first UK-based cruise line home porting in the region, in addition to inaugural visits from TUI’s Mein Schiff 1 Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star and MSC’s MSC Fantasia among the eight other maiden ship calls.

Commenting on the success of the 2016-2017 season, Jamal Humaid Al Falasi, Director of Dubai Cruise Tour-ism, said, “We are very pleased with the success of our

2016-2017 cruising season, and with the city’s sustained popularity as a winter cruise destination. We are grateful to DP World, Dubai Airports, Dubai Immigration, Dubai Customs, Emirates Airlines and our other key pub-lic and private sector stakeholders for their continued cooperation which has led to an ever-increasing num-ber of cruise operators looking to anchor in the emir-ate. Bolstered by our recent success and our upcoming partnerships over the coming seasons, we are confident we will achieve our strategic goal of welcoming one mil-lion cruise tourists to Dubai by 2020-21 cruise season.”

The Dubai Cruise 2017-2018 season is set to com-mence on October 25, with the arrival of cruise ship Seabourn Encore. More recently, Dubai Cruise also announced that P&O Cruises would be home porting in Dubai for the first time during the 2018-2019 season.

Hotel revenues in Bahrain totalled up to $8.4 million during the Eid Al Fitr break, with over 22,000 hotel rooms booked and the total occupancy rate of five-star hotels reaching up to 80%.

H.E. Sheikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Author-ity (BTEA), said, “The positive results reflect the overall development of the tourism industry in the kingdom of Bahrain. We have witnessed a surge in bookings during the Eid Al Fitr holiday and look for-ward to welcoming more travellers during the fes-tive season.”

He added, “Our main aim is to position the king-dom as a leading holiday destination and we aim to host events during festive seasons. The Eid Al Fitr holiday witnessed the launch of ‘Stack’– an event held for the first time in the Middle East.”

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Author-ity (SCTDA) has launched the first Sharjah Summer with a package of top-class entertainment events tar-geting children and families along with exclusive pro-motions offered by government entities, hotels, malls, travel agencies and airlines.

The campaign, which kicks started during the Eid holidays is set to run till September 8, to help bolster Sharjah’s bid to become one of the region’s top shopping and family entertainment destinations, is proving to be a major success, a statement said.

The campaign, organised by a number of public and private sectors’ institutions under the umbrella of SCTDA, aims to bring a comprehensive tourism expe-rience for residents and visitors alike, said a top official.

SCTDA Chairman Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, said, “With well-considered and thought-of programs, the

emirate provides distinguished quality entertainment for all family members, which makes Sharjah a major summer tourism destination at the international tour-ism map.”

Ever since it was announced, the Sharjah Sum-mer has managed to attract 28 contributors from dif-ferent public and private sectors’ institutions, revealed Al Midfa. More are expected to join during summer, he added. According to him, the campaign’s vision is to ensure residents and visitors enjoy their stay in the emirate and to attract tourism from the emirate and abroad.

He added, “Through these concerted endeavours of the public and private sectors to live up to interna-tional standards of quality tourism services, the SCTDA wants to establish Sharjah as a distinguished and qual-ity tourism destination all over the year.”

During the period between January and May 2017, the emirate of Abu Dhabi recorded nearly two million hotel guest arrivals (1,965,436), a four percent growth com-pared to the same period in 2016, as per figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show.

Of this figure, domestic visitors account for more than 600,000 hotel guests across the emirate’s 167 hotels and hotel apartments in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region. Internationally, China is the largest source market with 160,902 hotel guests so far this year. India stays as the second largest international source market with 136,000 hotel guests, followed by the UK with 104,000, U.S. with over 67,000 and Saudi Arabia with more than 62,000 arrivals.

H.E. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, TCA Abu Dhabi, said, “Our efforts in May capitalised on the growing popularity of the emirate in China as a tourist destination, with our promotional team conducting a four-city roadshow and participating in the ITB China Exhibition 2017 in Shanghai. Our Abu Dhabi Conven-tion Bureau team spearheaded a delegation represent-ing an array of new products to Germany to participate in IMEX Frankfurt 2017, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events (MICE), target-ing corporate business growth from high-performing

sectors of the German economy, in particular the medi-cal, automotive and financial services sectors.”

Ghobash further added, “Looking ahead, we have some exciting upcoming events including the welcome return of Abu Dhabi Summer Season to the emirate

between July 20 and August 20, with its standout selec-tion of exciting entertainment and promotions across the emirate, which is expected to appeal greatly to domestic visitors, and especially those from India and Saudi Arabia.”

Abu Dhabi welcomes almost two million hotel guests in first five months of 2017

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 19europe

VisitBritain releases online map of magical sites

European Tourism witnesses growth in 2017

Tourism Spain and the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai celebrate World Tapas Day

The Tourism Office of Spain and the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai in partnership celebrated World Tapas Day. A unique occasion to enjoy Tapas Special-ties paired with Spanish wines through an exclusive menu curated by visiting Chef Alejandro Espinosa and Executive Chef Dessi de Vries.

Alejandro Espinosa, Executive Chef at ‘El Patio de la Catedral’ in Segovia (Spain), awarded on multiple occasions for his tapas creations, had joined the hotel’s team to bring his expertise on Spanish gastronomy. A balanced selection of the most traditional tapas with a modern and personal twist which shows the variety and evolution of this popular small food portions into the most exquisite nouvelle cuisine creations.

A 5-day long promotion of authentic Spanish gas-tronomy took place from June 13-17 at AER – Bar & Lounge and Café Prato. The menu showed a perfect combination of vegetarian and non-vegetarian tapas like – Potatoes Bombs with ‘Salsa Brava’, Spanish Omelette, Andalusian gazpacho in different textures along with the popular ‘Paella’ and ‘Churros’ amongst some others.

Executive Chef Dessi de Vries says, “We are delighted to celebrate World Tapas Day along with the rest of the world this year and hope to bring to you a sliver of Spain’s vast food repertoire through these delightful miniature creations that are flavor packed and so unique.”

VisitBritain has released an interactive online map of magical sites across Britain which have inspired some of the world’s greatest literature and legends- from Harry Potter to Sherwood Forest, from King Arthur to Nessie.

Patricia Yates, Director, VisitBritain, said, “From Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland where the Hogwarts Express travelled, to Professor McGonagall’s class-room at Durham Cathedral, to exploring the Forbid-den Forest at Warner Bros Studio, Harry Potter’s Britain is the stuff of magic. Harry and his wizarding world continue to hold generations of readers from across the globe spellbound, firing up imaginations and inspiring people to explore locations and land-scapes and experience the wonder themselves.”

Drawn by the UK’s culture and heritage, overseas travellers who visit castles or historic houses spend about £8 billion annually. Film and literature are also powerful motivators for travel, with more than a third of potential visitors to the UK wanting to see places featured on screen.

Literature and films boost tourism across regional destinations. Snowdonia provided the backdrop for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, while Highclere Castle in Hampshire is home to Downton Abbey, and the BFG film featured the Angel of the North and Isle of Skye.

VisitEngland has named 2017 the Year of Liter-ary Heroes to shine the spotlight on England’s lit-erary destinations and anniversaries. Anniversa-ries include the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the 125th anniversary of the first Sherlock Holmes book, and the 75th anniversary of Enid Bly-ton’s Famous Five.

European tourism figures have improved by two per-cent highlighting the continued attractiveness of its destinations. The continent welcomed 615 million international tourists in 2016, a two percent increase on 2015, despite various challenges.

The outlook for 2017 is upbeat regardless of safety concerns, uncertain political situation and potential policy changes.

As per the European Travel Commission’s latest report ‘European Tourism- Trends & Prospects’, the early months of 2017 saw destinations with double-digit growth in arrivals. Iceland (+54%) enjoyed the fastest growth supported by increased air capacity on transatlantic routes while Cyprus (+26%), Portugal (+25%) and Malta (+23%) proved their success in bat-tling seasonality. Other top performers were Bulgaria (+19%), Finland (+18%), and Estonia (+13%). While Switzerland (+3%) reversed its past trend by taking advantage of its key position as a winter destination.

Most destinations saw substantial growth from Europe’s largest source markets-Germany and France- fuelled by the recovery of the Eurozone.

Several destinations reported a rebound in arriv-als from Russia- Iceland (+157%) Cyprus (+122%) and Turkey (+88%). Overall, outbound travel from this market is projected to improve in 2017.

Following a boost in U.S. tourist arrivals in 2016 (+6%), prospects for further growth looks high in 2017. Encouraging economic conditions and a strong U.S. dollar against European currencies are expected to entice more American travellers across the Atlantic.

Tourism in Munich has reached a higher level in the month of February 2017. The destination has witnessed strong gains in the number of Indian arrivals in Febru-ary, recording a manifold increase of 40% in comparison with the last year. Additionally, there is also an increase in the bed nights, which has grown to 31.46%.

Minoti Gupta, Manager – Sales, Munich Tourist Office, said, “This huge rise in the Indian arrival figures to Munich shows that India has successfully maintained a position of one of the top source markets for the Bavar-ian capital. We are hopeful that through extensive pro-motion of the destination among the travel trade and consumers, a steady will be maintained throughout the year.”

Viren Negi, Associate Vice President- Tours, SKH Global Travels Pvt Ltd, said, “Munich sees India as a

remunerative market. The huge double-digit growth in Indian arrival figures to Munich shows that travellers are seeking interest in the rich history, art and culture of the country, which is renowned for them all. In addi-tion, this validates that Indians are looking at explor-ing Munich. It offers the most revitalising itineraries.”

Maneesha Nangia, Director, Ottila International, stated, “Year-on-year, Munich is becoming popular in terms of offering the most interesting and great travel options. Such a huge rise in the Indian travel rate to Munich is a proof that India has surpassed many coun-tries and became a promising market for Munich. Also, it shows that Indians are more interested in spend-ing their disposable incomes on leisure trips to those countries that embrace modernity while preserving its heritage.”

Munich records 40% increase in indian arrivals in February 2017

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 20 • EUROPE

Cruise Tourism is a government agenda priority, Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said this while addressing a parliamentary plenary session, together with Shipping Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis.

In response to a relevant parliamentary question, Kountoura noted that for the first time the government has taken active steps in promoting marine and cruise tourism, implementing a far-reaching strategy that has thus far created the new Cruise Affairs Coordinating Committee and secured direct flights from the U.S. and China which will contribute to the development of cruise travel from Greece.

The Minister underlined that the government’s strategy has worked towards the diversification of cruise travel products in collaboration with major

foreign tour operators, worked towards establishing the port of Piraeus as a homeport demonstrated by a 113% increase in passenger arrivals to Athens for cruise travel, or 20,000 vacationers in the January-April 2017 period.

Kountoura added that two more direct flights to China are set to start in fall. She also underlined that the tourism ministry has fostered ties of trust with sec-tor players including cruise groups and travel opera-tors, and went on to say that since 2014, the number of cruise visitors has gone from 2.2 million to 3.3 mil-lion in 2016. Cruise passenger arrivals, meanwhile, grew by five percent in 2016 and travellers setting out from Piraeus port almost doubled from 66,268 in 2015 to 123,549 in 2016.

Greece is making progress in Cruise Tourism, says Kountoura

Holland records 19% growth in Indian visitors in first quarter of 2017

Heritage site Bombas Gens in Valencia, Spain opens to the publicNetherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC)

announced an increase in Indian arrivals to the Neth-erlands in the first quarter of 2017. In comparison with the last year’s Q1 Indian arrival figures, the country recorded a growth of over 19% in Indian arrivals to Holland from January to March this year, proving that India is one of the top growing markets for the destination.

SanJeet, India Representative, NBTC, said, “Indian market continues to be one of the important contribu-tors of international visitors to Holland. Last year, Hol-land came much closer to the millions of Indian travel-lers with Jet Airways launching daily non-stop flights from India to Holland. Business missions in 2016 have

also increased the graph of Indian arrivals to Holland. With our consolidated efforts in shaping Holland as a perfect getaway destination for Indian travellers, we are hopeful of achieving a double-digit growth.”

To encourage more and more Indian tourists to visit Holland, NBTC has multiple activities planned includ-ing familiarisation trips and a three-city business mission in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. To engage with travel trade on a consistent and sustained basis, NBTC is also looking to participate in various multi-city travel trade shows. Tourists are also apprised of Holland’s offerings by engaging them in multiple social media and digital campaigns, consumer activations and much more.

Spain expects 9% rise in touristsAccording to Álvaro Nadal, Minister for Energy, Tour-ism and the Digital Agenda, Spain, in terms of its tour-ism sector is predicted to witness a prosperous summer season with a rise of about 8.9% in the number of over-seas tourists between the period of May and August.

This implies that as much as 38 million tourists would be visiting Spain over the next four-month period out of which 21.5 million would be doing so in July and August.

Nadal said that Spain had closed the initial five months 2017 with a figure close to about 28 million inbound tourists as per the Frontur – Inbound Tour-ism Survey that was conducted by the Spanish National Statistics Institute. The figure marks a rise of 11.6% on the same period of 2016.

Out of the main target markets, the United King-dom remains prominent with the arrival of more than

6.4 million tourists that represents an increase of 10.9%.This is followed by Germany with over four mil-

lion tourists (up 7.6%) and France with nearly 3.9 mil-lion tourists. Catalonia had occupied a leading place in terms of inbound visitors with over 6.6 million tourist arrivals in these five months representing a rise of 10.5%

followed by the Canary Islands with more than 5.9 mil-lion inbound tourists (up 9.6%) and Andalusia with more than four million tourists marking a rise of 9.6%.

As of May 2017, Spain had welcomed 7.9 million inbound tourists representing a rise of 11.7% on the same month of 2016.

Bombas Gens, an old factory located in Valencia, opened its doors on July 8 as the new headquarter of the ‘Fundació Per Amor a l’Art’. After almost two years of refurbishment, this art deco building has been reinvented into a new and contemporary art centre that aims to be a reference in Valencia.

The opening will be rolled out in two phases. Firstly, the art gallery will be presented to the pub-lic on July 8, 2017. The second phase, programmed for autumn 2017, includes a garden, a medieval wine cellar and a new building set aside for social action. The art centre will open with the first presentation of the Per Amor a l’Art collection, plus a temporary exhibition of the work of the photographers Bleda y Rosa and a show exploring stories behind the former Bombas Gens factory.

The new space has kept the building’s singular-ity that has entitled it as Local Heritage. The art deco façade designed by Cayetano Borso di Carminati and the elements that remind its industrial past has been restored to accomplish its new purpose. The tradi-tional complex will be complemented by a brand new building that will house the social activities of the foundation. In addition, the renowned Valencian Chef Ricard Camarena will move his one-Michelin-star restaurant into the complex.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 21americas

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Destination Canada has announced the inauguration of Air Canada’s maiden Toronto-Mumbai non-stop service at an event organised at Trident Hotels Nari-man Point, Mumbai. The four times weekly flight, linking the two cities is aimed at increasing Canada’s presence among Indian travellers and making it more convenient for them to fly-down to the world’s largest country and experi-ence the wonders offered by it.

Putting more light on the launch, Duncan Bureau, Vice President- Global Sales, Air Canada, said, “Our new flights show our commitment to the Indian market and these routes will operate year-round with Air Canada’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft features 29 International Busi-ness Class lie-flat seat suites, 21 Premium Economy and 247 Economy Class seats, with upgraded in-flight entertainment at every seat throughout the aircraft. “

High Commissioner of Canada, His

Excellency Nadir Patel, said, “This is a reflection of a very strong and growing India-Canada relationship. In the last three years, we have doubled the num-ber of visitors from India to Canada. This showcases the fact that Canada is really a welcoming country, one that embraces diversity, inclusiveness and multiculturalism.”

The event was also graced by Marga-ret Skinner, Director Sales, EMEAI, who said, “Going by the positive response we have had from the direct flights from Delhi to both Toronto and Vancou-ver, we are expecting a similar pattern in Mumbai. Mumbai is a financial hub, and with the recent interest of Canadian companies in investing in India, as also Indian companies setting up partner-ships and companies in Canada, we see this as a great opportunity.”

The first non-stop flight left Canada on Canada Day and touched down India on July 2.

The Las Vegas Convention and Vis-itors Authority’s (LVCVA) Board of Directors recently gave final approval for the expansion and renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center in a his-toric decision that secures Las Vegas’ position as the world’s premier busi-ness destination.

Rossi Ralenkotter, LVCVA Presi-dent and CEO, said, “Today marks a monumental occasion for not only the LVCVA but also the entire destination. We commend the foresight of our com-munity and state leaders for recognis-ing the importance of the LVCCD and we are eager to get to work! We will ensure that the LVCVA continues to provide the world-class facility and experience our clients expect when they come to Las Vegas.”

Lawrence Weekly, Chairman of LVCVA and Clark County Commis-sioner, said, “Las Vegas has maintained its reputation as a leading destination for business travel because our desti-nation has a long tradition of working together to make great strides that ben-efit both our visitors and those who call Southern Nevada home. The LVCCD project is among the most thoroughly vetted, most approved projects in this region and it represents a tremen-dous opportunity to create jobs, sup-port local families, stimulate our econ-omy and continue to move Las Vegas forward.”

The convention centre expansion

and renovation is expected to sup-port nearly 14,000 construction jobs and nearly 7,800 full-time permanent jobs upon completion. The project will generate an additional $1.4 billion into the economy during construction and have an annual incremental economic impact of $810 million while attracting one million additional visitors each year.

The LVCCD expansion and reno-vation will be completed in a phased approach with a projected comple-tion date of 2023. Phase 1 will be the construction of the new 1.4 million-square-foot expansion with 600,000 square feet of exhibit space and the accompanying meeting rooms and sup-port space. This phase is projected to be complete by 2021. The second phase will be the complete renovation of the existing 3.2 million-square-foot facility. The phased approach will ensure that no business will be displaced during the construction and renovation.

Fly fast and direct from Mumbai to Toronto Las Vegas Convention Centre District receives approval for expansion

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 22 • americas

Crystal Mozart named Best of the Best according to Robb report

NYC & Company announces the two-year countdown to WorldPride 2019

Mexico’s meetings and events industry reports a 10.4% growthMexico has seen rapid growth in its meetings indus-try, reporting a 10.4% increase in business in the first two months of the year when compared to the same period in 2016, announced the Mexico Tourism Board. According to the International Association of Congresses and Conventions (ICCA), Mexico now ranks 5th in the Americas in terms of the number of hosted events, which have now reached 182 world congresses and more than 300,000 meetings in 2016.

Hector Flores, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board, remarked, “Our world-class conference facilities, accommodations and a welcoming com-munity are the drivers behind Mexico’s continued growth and its recognition as a top global industry player in the meetings and events space. Addition-ally, Mexico’s strong commitment to increasing air connectivity, which now encompasses more than 2 million new seats in direct flights to the country in 2017, allows us to facilitate travel from all corners of the world.”

The meetings industry is poised for contin-ued success in 2017. According to PEIIR (Mexico’s Meetings Industry Strategic Information Portal), there has been a 10.4% increase in activities in Jan-uary and February of 2017, and a 4.9% increase over March and April when compared to the same period last year.

Recent and upcoming meetings and events of 2017 include, The Franchise Expo, The World Meet-ings Forum (WMF), The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) will host their annual Cruise Conference and Trade Show and much more.

Beyond 2017, Mexico’s destinations are pre-pared to support the continued growth through strategic partnerships, improved infrastructure, and key wins.

According to Robb Report, Crystal Mozart is among the ‘Best of the Best’ travel experiences available to discerning travellers, in a spotlight piece that high-lights the return of ‘slow travel’. Crystal Mozart debuted for Crystal River Cruises in summer 2016, marking an entirely new standard of luxury on the rivers of Europe and in the river cruising industry overall.

Robb Report’s annual ‘Best of the Best’ guide high-lights the world’s finest new automobiles, yachts, hotels, watches, wines and much more, including exclusive travel experiences. The complete guide is published in the magazine’s June 2017 issue.

Crystal CEO and President, Edie Rodriguez, said, “It is a tremendous honour to be recognised by the team at Robb Report, as like Crystal, the publication’s standard of luxury exceeds the rest. Crystal Mozart marks the beginning of a new era in river cruising as the ‘Queen of Europe’s Rivers’ and the new standard bearer of true luxury in the industry.”

Since embarking on her maiden voyage in sum-mer 2016, Crystal Mozart has earned the acclaim of the world’s most discerning travellers and experts alike. Crystal’s acclaimed Butler service is offered for every room category, along with plush king-sized beds, ETRO robes and slippers, Wall-mounted flat-screen HD TVs, and Nespresso machines. Addi-tional enticing features include complimentary shore excursions, Michelin-inspired, farm-to-table dining

in multiple, open-seating eateries, and a full-service spa and separate fitness centre, equipped with mod-ern machines and cardio equipment as well as free weights.

As Crystal continues forward with its ground-breaking brand and fleet expansion, Crystal River Cruises prepares to welcome the next member of its family. Crystal Bach– the first of the all-suite, all balcony ‘Rhine Class’ quadruplet sister river yachts will embark on her maiden voyage in August of this year.

NYC & Company joined with Heritage of Pride, organisers of NYC Pride to formally announce the two-year countdown to WorldPride 2019. Set to take place in New York City in June 2019, the global celebration of Pride will coincide with the historic 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots—the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement making it a year to underscore New York City’s progress and resilience as a global LGBTQ capital.

A new invitational campaign, titled ‘One World, One Pride, One New York City–Unite in 2019’ was launched in New York City.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, said, “As a city with such a rich history of fighting inequality and an unwav-ering dedication to social progress, we are thrilled to host WorldPride 2019. I can think of no better time to celebrate the LGBTQ community than on the 50th anniversary of Stonewall—a seminal moment in the struggle for inclusion and human rights that has reverberated across the country for decades.

Fred Dixon, NYC & Company President and CEO, said, “New York City is one of the world’s most iconic LGBTQ destinations, and we look for-ward to taking the baton from Madrid as we begin the two-year countdown to WorldPride 2019. To have this extraordinary event in New York City coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Stonewall makes it that much more meaningful as we wel-come the world and celebrate the continued prog-ress of our city’s LGBTQ community.”

During the 2019 WorldPride celebration in New York City, NYC Pride will feature its own ‘Mil-lions of Moments of Pride’ campaign. The initia-tive is based on the premise that everyone remem-bers their first Pride and everyone has their own unique Pride story to share.

Canada turned 150 on July 1, 2017 and Destination Canada- India celebrated its anniversary with gusto, zeal and zest in the metropolitan cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, earlier this month.

To mark the celebrations, the High Commissioner of Canada, His Excellency Nadir Patel hosted a gala night at Hyatt Regency Delhi. Jennifer Daubeny, Con-sul General for Canada to South India, celebrated the night with Destination Canada and travel trade part-ners in the high-tech city of Bengaluru.

The Mumbai Consulate along with Air Canada hosted Canada’s 150th anniversary, marking the arrival of the latter’s inaugural non-stop flight between Toronto and Mumbai. Destination Canada and other Canadian stakeholders attended the evening that saw electric performances by celebrated choreographer

Shiamak Davar’s dance group, followed by a gala dinner.

Addressing the guests in Mumbai, H.E. Nadir Patel said, “This is a reflection of a very strong and growing India-Canada relationship. In the last three years, we have doubled the number of visitors from India to Can-ada. This reiterates the fact that Canada is a welcom-ing country, one that embraces diversity, inclusiveness and multiculturalism.”

SanJeet, India Representative, Destination Canada- India, said, “2017 is a special year for Canada and Des-tination Canada. India has proved to be a strong and emerging market for Canada. We are very happy to be celebrating this year with a record-breaking growth of 26% in Indian arrivals to Canada between January and April 2017, in comparison to the same period last year.”

india celebrates Canada’s 150th anniversary in a grand way

MUMBAI, 18-20 Jan’18

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 24AfricA

United Nations reports growth in Africa’s tourism sector

Seychelles Tourism Board launches a new corporate website

AccorHotels reinforces its position in Addis Ababa with the signing of a new hotelAccorHotels group along with Tsemex Hotels and Business Plc are joining hands to finalise the con-struction of a new 218 keys MGallery by Sofitel hotel near the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

After the announcement of the signature of three other hotel management agreements (Mercure, ibis and ibis Styles) early this February, AccorHotels continues to reinforce its forthcoming position in Addis Ababa with this flagship hotel. In line with the MGallery by Sofitel brand standards, the hotel will benefit from a unique modern design coupled with a strong African identity.

The new MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa, which opening is estimated towards the second half

of 2018, will feature 218 guestrooms and suites. It will also have some large meeting and event space, two restaurants (an all-day dining and a fine din-ing restaurant on the 8th floor) as well as three bars.

Steven Daines, CEO of AccorHotels for Africa & Middle East, said, “We are delighted to sign this new management agreement in Addis Ababa, which brings our pipe of confirmed projects to over 1,000 keys across all market segments (economy, midscale and upscale). This project reaffirms our ambitious development strategy for Africa, with Ethiopia as one of the key targeted markets. The new MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa will reinforce our role in the luxury segment by offering our cli-entele one of the best addresses in town.”

According to a new report released by the United Nations (UN), African tourism has documented a dramatic leap. The report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development states that international visi-tors to Africa increased on average by six percent every year between 1995 and 2014.

Ghana’s tourist industry was classified as contrib-uting somewhere between 5% and 9.9% to the conti-nent’s overall tourist industry between 2011 and 2014. The countries that contributed the most growth were Cabo Verde, Seychelles, and Mauritius.

Tourism generated an average of 21 million jobs between 2011 and 2014, or 7.1% of all the continent’s jobs.

While the destination may provide employment, an item of the UN Sustainable Development Goals states that tourism should also generate “local promotion of culture,” which also involves including local people beyond the realms of employment.

In 2015, the last year the report documented, Ghana hosted nearly 1,000 tourists. The percentage of the number of tourists increased annually in almost each interval recorded, with the exception of the interval that included 2014.

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has launched a new corporate website aimed at making the organisation more visible to visitors, trade partners and the general public. The new website, seychellestourismboard.travel was unveiled during the opening of STB’s 2017 mid-year mar-keting meeting at the Constance Ephelia Resort at Port Launay.

Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne joined STB’s Chief Executive Sherin Francis and Director of Digital Marketing Vahid Jacob to unveil the new platform.

The website features organisational details of the STB, including its corporate structure, members of the board, industry events such as trade fairs, workshops and roadshows which STB attends throughout the year, tourism arrival statistics, vacancies, newsletter, corpo-rate press releases and other tourism related news, among other contents.

STB’s Chief Executive Sherin Francis said, “Especially now that we are living in an age where there is a constant need to provide data to the general public, the website will serve as the platform on which as much information on STB will be added, so that our partners can have easy access to these materials.”

Until now, STB had built and was managing the Sey-chelles’ destination website that served as both the tour-ism board and country’s website.

Vahid Jacob, Director of Digital Marketing for STB, stated that the decision to separate the two is based on best practices adopted by tourism boards globally.

“Most of the information featured on the new corpo-rate website do not feature on the destination website as it would not appeal to tourists and potential visitors. The new website will be very useful for the tourism trade part-ners that work closely with STB, as they would be able to get most of the information needed from there,” said Jacob.

Walter Mzembi, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister of Zimbabwe has said that the country’s tour-ism sector has the potential to transform the country’s economy if supported by the fiscus. He said this at the launch of a book on economic development in Africa focusing on tourism.

Tourism is rated as the third largest global export earner after fuel and chemicals. However, Zimbabwe is lagging in terms of harnessing opportunities in the tourism sector.

Officer-in-charge of the United Nations Information

Centre Tafadzwa Mwale stated that Zimbabwe Tour-ism has the capacity to stimulate economic growth and achieve eight of the 17 sustainable development goals.

African Capacity Building Foundation Director Dr Thomas Munthali weighed in highlighting the need to put in place policies that promote integration between tourism and other sectors of the economy.

The book launched contains statistics of perfor-mance of the tourism sector in different African coun-tries and it also shows the industry has so far created over 21 million jobs in Africa.

Tourism sector to transform the economy of Zimbabwe

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 25OCEANIA

Australian visa made simpler for Indians

Tourism New Zealand concludes successful edition of Kiwi Link India 2017

Mandarin Oriental to open luxury hotel and residences in MelbourneMandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed a manage-ment contract for a new luxury hotel and branded res-idences to be developed in Melbourne, Australia. The project is expected to open in 2023 and is the Group’s first announced property in Australia.

The hotel and residences will be located on Collins Street, in an iconic mixed-use 185-metre tower which will play a part in the ongoing regeneration of the city’s Central Business District.

James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental, said, “We are delighted with this opportunity to open our first hotel in Australia and look forward to

bringing Mandarin Oriental’s legendary hospitality to Melbourne. This new development will be a welcome addition to the brand’s growing global portfolio.”

Kevin Li, Managing Director of Landream, said, “We are proud to bring the award-winning Mandarin Orien-tal brand to Melbourne. Mandarin Oriental, Melbourne will set a new standard for luxury service in the city and will offer a preferred choice to travellers and potential homeowners who desire the finest accommodation.

Melbourne is Australia’s second most populous city and is considered to be Australia’s cultural capital and a major centre for art, sports, music and theatre. There has been a significant increase in demand for

Australian visas in India with the rising popularity of Australia as a holiday destination, an official state-ment said from the Australian government. There-fore, the Australian government has declared that the Indian nationals can submit an application for a visitor visa effective July 1, 2017 onwards.

In the first four months of 2017 alone, the Depart-ment of Immigration and Border Protection granted more than 65,000 visitor visas to Indian nationals. It will offer benefits like 24/7 accessibility, electronic payment of the visa application charge and the abil-ity to check the status of applications lodged online.

Alex Hawke, Assistant Minister for Immigra-tion and Border Protection, Australia, said, “Online lodgement for visitor visa applications is a signifi-cant enhancement that will benefit Indian applicants seeking to visit Australia as tourists or business vis-itors, or those wanting to reconnect with family and friends. Being able to check the status of an applica-tion online, as soon as it is finalised, will allow Indian applicants to finalise their travel arrangements as soon as possible.”

Tourism New Zealand’s annual travel trade event, Kiwi Link India took place from July 12-14, 2017 in the country’s national capital, New Delhi.

Kiwi Link India 2017 saw participation from 35 tourism operators from New Zealand, four airlines, Immigration New Zealand and Indian delegates from 42 companies. Tourism New Zealand also hosted key buyers from around India in New Delhi for the first two days of the event.

During the event, Tourism New Zealand intro-duced the new, improved version of the 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme. The pro-gramme features a Gold, Silver and Bronze tier structure, and will provide benefits and incentives for members of each Tier such as access to in-mar-ket training webinars and events; Tourism New Zea-land’s Explore New Zealand Discount Programme; and 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist branded items.

Speaking about the event, Steven Dixon, Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager- South and South East Asia, said, “Kiwi Link India is one of Tour-ism New Zealand’s biggest trade shows and is very important to us as India continues to be a priority emerging market. The event serves as an ideal plat-form for us to strengthen relations with our stake-holders in the Indian travel trade.”

In the year ending April 2017, there were 53,792 Indian visitors to Kiwi Link India 2016 held in Mumbai last year, an increase of 14.6% on the pre-vious year.

Stephen England-Hall, Chief Executive, Tour-ism New Zealand, said, “We are very pleased with the current growth out of India. The support we get from the Indian travel trade is absolutely vital to our success, which is why events such as Kiwi Link are so important.”

Due to faster visa processing and direct connectivity, Australia is expecting about eight percent growth in Indian tourist arrivals this year, up to 2,80,000.

As per the data released by Tourism Australia, 259,900 Indian travellers visited Australia in 2016. “We are expecting 2,75,000-2,80,000 Indian travellers to visit Australia,” said Tourism Australia Country Manager, India and Gulf, Nishant Kashikar.

According to the data, during March 2017, there were 24,100 visitors from India, a three percent increase over March 2016. The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 2,58,000 visitors from India for the July 2016-June 2017 period, a 9.4% increase over 2015-16.

Kashikar stated that arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 8.7% through to the financial year 2021-22.

The findings of the target customer research and Consumer Demand Project (CDP) have unveiled the top five Aussie attractions for Indian travellers which include the Australian beaches, iconic landmarks, wild-life, food and wine and the Great Barrier Reef.

Faster visa processing under the Preferred Agency Scheme (PAS) and the pilot of three-year multiple entry visas for applicants with a sound travel history has also encouraged Indians to plan a trip to Australia, Kashikar said. Further, he said, India is the eighth largest source market for Australia in terms of expenditure as an aver-age spending for Indian visitors was AUSD 5,316.

In terms of connectivity, there are daily direct, non-stop services on the Delhi-Sydney four times a week and Delhi-Melbourne thrice a week, besides many one-stop flights.

Australia expects 8% growth in indian tourist arrivals in 2017

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 26CAribbeAn

Melia Hotels International to manage city hotels in central Cuba

Jamaica welcomes one millionth stop-over visitor to the island

Caribbean Islands plan to climate-proof their tourism industryAccording to tourism officials, the Caribbean tourism industry faces significant future threats related to both competitiveness and climate change impacts.

Visitor expenditures also hit a new high, growing by an estimated 3.5% to reach 35.5 billion dollars. And the outlook for 2017 remains rosy, with expected increases of 2.5 and 3.5% in long-stay arrivals and between 1.5% and 2.5% in cruise passenger arrivals.

Dominican Senator Francine Baron said, “The impact of more severe hurricanes and the destruction of our most valued tourism assets, our beaches and coral reefs and the damage to our infrastructure threaten to reverse the developmental gains that we have made. Our efforts to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations cannot be achieved without dealing with the causes of climate change.”

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has received a much-needed boost with a 460,000 euro grant from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to imple-ment a project to increase the Caribbean tourism sec-tor’s resilience to natural hazards and climate-related risks.

CTO’s Secretary General, Hugh Riley said, “Global climate change and its impacts, including the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, pose a significant risk to the Caribbean region and threaten the sustainability of Caribbean tourism. The CTO is pleased to have the support of the CDB to implement this project which will contribute to enhancing the resil-iency, sustainability and competitiveness of the region’s tourism sector.”

CDB President, Dr Warren Smith noted that the tourism sector makes an enormous contribution to the region’s socioeconomic development. He said, “Tour-ism, given its multi-sectoral nature is a very effective tool for promoting sustainable development and pov-erty reduction. However, maintaining this critical role calls for adequate safeguards to be erected against the enormous threats that climate change and natural haz-ards pose to the sustainability of our region.”

Melia Hotels International, with 27 years of oper-ations in Cuba including Camagüey province, has signed a contract for managing the Gran Hotel, Colón Hotel and Camagüey Hotel, three iconic facilities in Camagüey.

Operated thus far by Islazul, a local firm, which will maintain ownership of the properties, the hotels will benefit from financing provided by the Spanish hospitality group to remodel them and raise their standards.

The contract with Melia, which will be effective in January 2018 will bring great benefit to Camagüey as a future city destination, since it will increase the quality of its accommodation capacity, which ranges third-fourth in terms of tourism demand in Cuba.

The motivation for Melia to work in Camagüey is said to be based on the invaluable historical and cul-tural heritage of the city, where the old, traditional and modern converge in the same scenario.

In addition to improved standards resulting from the agreement with Melia, Camagüey is also working on the expansion of its accommodation capacity, with more than 100 new rooms under construction or ren-ovation, between the town and Santa Lucia beach.

The tourism industry of Jamaica recently marked a his-toric milestone when the Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett welcomed the millionth stop-over visitor to the island for the year to date. The tourism sector, along with this landmark achievement has earned in excess of $1.2 billion for the same period.

“This is the first time ever that we have recorded a million stopover arrivals before the middle of the year. We are very excited about that because it feeds into the growth projections that we have,” said Bartlett after greeting Paulette Murray and her husband Henry, who arrived at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) on a flight out of Philadelphia, USA.

Previously it was projected that the millionth visitor would arrive much later, however, Bartlett said all pro-jections were being exceeded and at the end of May there were 970,000 visitors, rising sharply to one million.

He said incrementally, on top of last year’s tourism earnings, an additional $850 million had gone into the Jamaican economy and it tells that tourism does have the potential to drive economic growth and to bring foreign exchange into the country and create stability.

Bartlett further added, “We’re excited about what can happen to an economy like Jamaica where investment, remittance and tourism can combine to give foreign exchange security.” Last year remittance was just over $2.2 billion while tourism produced $2.5 billion and for-eign direct investment (FDI) was well over $500 million.

A Cuban tourism official has said that Cuba will wel-come 4.2 million tourists this year, 200,000 more than 2016.

In recent years, Cuba has seen a tourism boom with tourist arrivals hitting a record high of just over 4 mil-lion in 2016, said Dalila Gonzalez, Deputy Director of Marketing for the Cuban Tourism Ministry, following the announcement that Spanish airline Plus Ultra will open a new direct flight route between Barcelona and Havana.

As per the Cuban Tourism Ministry, four million foreign visitors arrived in Cuba in 2016, a 14.5% rise

over 2015.Plus Ultra’s Vice President Julio Martinez Ultra also

announced the airline would start this code-shared trip with state-owned Cubana de Aviacion once a week, with the inaugural flight on July 1, originating in Barcelona. The company will become the fourth Span-ish airline to fly to Cuba, a destination that already has regular flights with Iberia, Air Europa and Evelop.

Gonzalez stated that this new route will undoubt-edly contribute to the increase of thousands of tour-ists coming not only from Spain but other European countries as well.

Cuba plans to welcome more tourists in 2017

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 27global

Created by The Ritz-Carlton and maritime experts Douglas Pro-thero and Lars Clasen, in collabo-ration with Oaktree Capital Man-agement, L.P., The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is entering into the cruise industry with the launch of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

The first ship will cruise a wide variety of destinations depending on the season, including the Med-iterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Due to the intimate size of the vessel, the yacht will call at unique loca-tions typically not accessible to large cruise ships, from Capri and Portofino to St. Barths and the old town of Cartagena. With a relaxed pace, that includes both overnight and daytime ports of call, guests will be offered a uniquely curated destination experience.

The yacht measures 190-meters, can accommodate up to 298 pas-sengers and feature 149 suites, each with its own private balcony. The yacht will also feature two 138 square-meter lavish duplex pent-house suites, with modern crafts-manship and interior finishes jointly designed by The Ritz-Carl-ton and leading cruise ship design firm, Tillberg Design of Sweden.

Throughout the journey, guests

will indulge in a cruising style that is unparalleled in the ultra-luxury cruise and private yachting sec-tors. The Ritz-Carlton yachts will feature a restaurant by Sven Elver-feld of Aqua, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg; a signature Ritz-Carlton Spa; and a Pan-orama Lounge and wine bar, offer-ing a wide variety of on-board entertainment.

The first of three lavish cruising yachts in this series is scheduled to take to sea in the fourth quarter of 2019 for which Marriott Inter-national will be the only provider of luxury accommodations both on land and at sea. Reservations will open in May 2018. The ships of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection are also available for private charter.

Based on a recent report by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the global Travel & Tourism sector directly sustains twice as many jobs as the financial sector and five times as many jobs as the chemi-cals manufacturing sector.

It also shows that the power of Travel & Tourism to create jobs is higher than that of financial services in comparison to their contribution in GDP. Financial services generated 19.4% of the world’s GDP compared to 10.2% by Travel & Tourism but, the latter supports twice as many jobs worldwide.

The WTTC Benchmarking Report 2017 compares Travel & Tourism to eight other sectors, which are considered to have similar breadth and global pres-ence, across 27 countries and six regions.

Travel & Tourism generated a total of $7.6 trillion in GDP in 2016, which makes

the sector’s GDP contribution larger than that of banking ($4.8 trillion), min-ing ($5.0 trillion), agriculture ($5.8 tril-lion), automotive manufacturing ($6.1 trillion) and chemicals manufacturing ($6.5 trillion).

In 2016, Travel & Tourism supported 108 million jobs directly and 292 million in total, taking the direct, indirect and induced impact into account. The report shows that both on direct and total level, travel & tourism employs more people than the automotive manufacturing, banking, mining, chemicals manufac-turing and financial services sectors.

Global Travel & Tourism is forecast to grow by four percent per year over the next decade, which is significantly faster than the global economy at 2.7% and all other sectors covered in the study apart from the financial sector and banking.

Cruise industry to witness the new Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection soon

Global tourism contributes a major share in the financial sector

Global Medical Tourism Market expected to grow and reach $46.6 billion by 2021According to the report published by Market Data Forecast, ‘Global Med-ical Tourism Market’ is projected to reach $46.6 billion by 2021 from $19.7 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 18.8% from 2016 to 2021.

Medical Tourism involves trav-elling outside the country of resi-dence for the purpose of receiving medical care. Growth in the popu-larity of Medical Tourism has cap-tured the attention of policy-mak-ers, researchers and the media. Originally, the term referred to the travel of patients from less-devel-oped countries to developed nations in pursuit of the treatments not avail-able in their homeland.

But now, there are both qualita-tive and quantitative shifts in patient mobility, as people travel from richer to less-developed countries in order to access health services. This is due to relative low-cost of treatments in less developed nations, the avail-ability of inexpensive flights and increased marketing and online con-sumer information about the avail-ability of medical services.

In tourism context, people often stay in the foreign country even after the medical procedure gets over. Travellers can thus take advantage of their visit by sightseeing, taking day trips or participating in any other traditional tourism activities.

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TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 28technology

Treebo and TripAdvisor enter into a partnership

International trip from tier 2 cities becomes cheaper

Treebo Hotels has announced its association with TripAdvisor, which will open up a global audi-ence of 390 million monthly users looking to make hotel reservations for a budget hotel chain.

Commenting on the partnership, Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder, Treebo Hotels, said, “Tri-pAdvisor is one of the key touch points for us to connect with our users. These users have already been posting and reading reviews of Treebo’s top-rated properties on TripAdvisor. Now they’ll also see be able to see the best available prices and book hotels on TripAdvisor itself. We are expecting TripAdvisor to contribute close to 5% of monthly bookings in the next three months, becoming a key distribution channel for us.”

Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvi-sor India, commented, “TripAdvisor’s aim is to help the Indian traveller save time and effort when planning their travel with tools that make it easy to find the best hotel offering that suits their needs wherever they are going. With Treebo on board, both local and international travellers will be able to find good quality budget accommodation in India they know they will have a good experi-ence at.”

For travellers planning on taking an international trip, travel search marketplace ixigo, has recom-mended booking flights from tier 2 cities such as Jai-pur, Lucknow, Amritsar, Kochi, etc. By doing so trav-ellers are likely to save up to 41% on their air tickets. As low-cost airlines such as Scoot, AirAsia, Tigerair, Thai Smile, Air Arabia and Air India Express begin operations from tier 2 cities, more and more people are opting to fly out of these cities to fit their interna-tional trips in smaller budgets.

Commenting on the latest trends, Aloke Bajpai, CEO & Co-Founder, ixigo, said, “We found that the difference in international airfares from tier 1 & 2 cit-ies is drastic enough to urge travellers to modify their travel plans and fly out of these cities. If planned in time, at an average one can save around 41% on flight bookings, which is much more than the cost that one would have to bear to travel to these tier 2 cities to take their flight. For instance, if you live in Delhi and are planning to travel to Singapore, catching a flight from Jaipur will prove to be cheaper despite the cost involved in reaching there.”

One of the world’s largest online travel companies, Expedia, with about 200 sites under its umbrella in 75 countries has decided to shift its focus to Asia. More than half of the world’s millennials live in Asia and a younger demographic lends itself well to online travel as digitally savvy people are more used to online transactions.

Expedia says, “Younger travellers want to travel on their own, they want to decide who to fly (with) and where to stay, which Expedia provides.”

The Asia-Pacific, according to market research firm Euromonitor International is the fastest-growing region for online travel

intermediaries– companies that connect businesses to customers.

Expedia Group’s Senior Vice-President for Com-mercial Strategy and Services, Greg Schulze said, “Singapore is a very fast-growing market for us. It’s a strong market with high online adoption.” He said that heavy investment in technology is key to Expe-dia’s success.

According to Schulze, “We’re in travel, but we’re a technology company and our edge is that we invest more than $1 billion a year in technology. Of our 20,000 employees, we have 5,500 engineers and data scientists.”

Expedia shifting its focus to Asia-Pacific

Lufthansa Group’s #DigitalAviation supports the green transformationThe Lufthansa Group, in order to make the travel experience more efficient, sustainable and attractive for its passengers, is focusing more strongly on digi-tal solutions and innovations. The 10 page title story of the Sustainability Report ‘Balance,’ published recently, introduces the diverse digitalisation proj-ect of the Lufthansa Group and its key importance for a sustainable company management, under the title ‘#DigitalAviation.’

“Our goal is a comprehensive and sustainable mobility concept, tailor-made to the customer’s indi-vidual wishes. To achieve this, digitalisation along the entire travel chain plays a central role. It is not least our digitalisation programs that allow opti-mised processes, improved services and faster com-munication and they support the green transforma-tion,” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, in the foreword of the report.

The Lufthansa Group was listed once again on numerous sustainability indexes in the reporting period, with a Climate Scoring result of ‘B’ in the CDP

climate change reporting, the group further achieved the status of ‘Sector Leader Transportation’ in the DACH region and is thus one of the eco-friendliest companies of the industry in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

With ‘Balance’, the Lufthansa Group provides annual information in a transparent way on the diverse activities, aims and progress of the group in the areas of the economy, social issues, environment, product and society.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 29REsPONsiBlE TOuRisM

UNWTO Manila Conference sets roadmap to measure Sustainable Tourism

Zimbabwe adopts sustainable theme Travel, Enjoy and Respect for 2017

Iceland leads the way on Responsible Tourism with a unique pledgeIceland has announced a new initiative to positively affect visitor behaviour and promote a happy and meaningful travel experience by launching a first-of-a-kind pledge for visitors.

‘The Icelandic Pledge’, an online agreement invites travellers to sign up to be a responsible tour-ist when visiting the country this summer. The eight-point pledge encourages tourists to experience Ice-land the way that Icelanders do by agreeing to a set of guidelines. These include directives such as ‘when exploring new places leave them as they are’, take photos ‘without dying for them’, to ‘never venture’ off- road, a direct call response to the total ban on off-road driving in Iceland, to adhere to allocated campsites when ‘sleeping under the stars’, to when nature calls, ‘not answer the call on nature’ and to be ‘prepared for all weathers, all possibilities and all adventures’.

Tourism Minister Thordís Kolbrún R Gylfadóttir announced the Icelandic Pledge at a special launch event in Borgarnes in West Iceland. She said, “The type of people who come to Iceland want to be responsible tourists, it’s just that they aren’t always aware of what that entails. So as part of our welcome, we wanted to create a pledge which we’ll encourage all visitors to take, creating an army of people who know how to stay safe and also how to look after our delicate nature.”

The Icelandic Pledge follows on from Ice-land Academy, a fun interactive online educa-tion tool launched by Inspired by Iceland in 2016

that encourages informed behaviour from visitors through inspirational, playful yet informative video classes.

An impressive 973 participants from 88 coun-tries, among which Ministers, Chief Statisti-cians and key decision makers from international organisations, gathered in Manila to discuss how to advance a rigorous, statistical approach to the measurement of Sustainable Tourism.

To better measure is to better manage and thus a common and robust set of data is critical for governments and stakeholders to design, imple-ment and monitor effective Sustainable Tourism policies.

UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, said, “The Manila Conference constitutes a milestone for tourism measurement, not only by extending the current statistical standards beyond their eco-nomic focus to cover the social and environmen-tal dimensions, but because it represents a global commitment to sustainable tourism and a rec-ognition of its contribution to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Universal 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development.”The Manila Call for Action reflects the collec-

tive vision and commitment to collaborate on the further development and implementation of a Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MTS) statistical framework. The document will be formally pre-sented by the Secretary of Tourism of The Philip-pines, Wanda Teo to the UNWTO General Assem-bly taking place in Chengdu, China this September.

The Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST) initiative has received full support of the United Nations Statistics Commission and is geared towards shaping and sharing a common under-standing of how to measure the economic, envi-ronmental and social aspects of tourism across relevant spatial scales–global, national and sub-national levels while incorporating the possibil-ities opened by technological advancements and continuing to advocate for the sustainability prin-ciples of our sector.

In line with the United Nations’ (UN) International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, Zim-babwe has recently launched the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development under the theme, ‘Travel, Enjoy and Respect’.

According to the latest Africa Tourism report published in 2015 by the Africa Development Bank Group, tourism industry in Africa showed tremen-dous progress with 65.3 million visitors generating $43.6 billion in 2014 compared to a mere 17 million visitors in 1990. South Africa, their neighbour to the south is the third tourism destination in Africa with 9.55 million visitors compared to a little over two mil-lion visitors to Zimbabwe.

According to Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident Coor-dinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Zim-babwe, if people remain vigilant in protecting the environment, they will preserve Zimbabwe’s heri-tage to the next generation while ensuring the coun-try becomes a preferred tourist destination and achieve its national plan of earning $5 billion by 2020 from $1 billion in 2015.

His perspectives through which Sustainable Tourism could contribute significantly and accom-plish the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe are:

- First, Sustainable tourism’s direct effects, a myriad evidence show that tourism is more labour-intensive than other non-agricultural sectors.

- Second, indirect effects occur through the tourism value chain.

- Third, tourism has a wide range of dynamic effects.

- Fourth, tourism has proven impact on development.

By bringing key partners together for increasing aid for sustainable tourism, the sector can produce development results.

A recent announcement by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) states that the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi will be the Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017.

“Tourism is a sector that is vital to the livelihoods of our people and touches all the three dimensions of sustainable development, the social, economic and environmental aspects. As a people-to-people activity, it has helped and continues to contribute to the revitalization of our culture, customs and tradi-tional crafts, and plays a pivotal role in the preserva-tion of our cultural heritage and is a force that pro-motes peace and understanding,” stated the Prime Minister.

“The International Year is a unique opportunity to promote common action and enhance the power of tourism to build a better world. We thank Samoa for leading the initiative for the adoption of the UN resolution declaring the International Year and for its sustained, exemplary contribution in promoting the value of our sector towards the achievement of the 2030 Development Agenda, particularly for the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS),” said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO.

Other Special Ambassadors of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development include Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colom-bia; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, President of Costa Rica; Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of the Bah-rain Authority for Culture and Antiquities; Simeon II of Bulgaria; Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organisation; Huayong Ge, CEO of UnionPay and Michael Frenzel, President of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry.

PM of Samoa to be the Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | july 2017 • 30EVENTS

IMEX America slated for October 10-12, 2017 in Las Vegas

TAAI to organise its annual convention in Kunming, China

13th edition of ITE HCMC foresees to be the game changer for the Asian tourism market

The 64th Annual Convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), ‘India Travel Congress’ is all set to be held from August 18-20, 2017 at The Inter-continental Kunming in the Yunnan province of the People’s Republic of China. The final decision in this regard was made by the TAAI Managing Committee.

Commenting on this development, Marzban Antia, Vice President, TAAI, said, “The 64th Convention & Exhibition of TAAI will focus on the vision, ‘Discovery as an important option’. The Convention is being hosted by the Yunnan Government of the People’s Republic of China. The event is being coordinated by MFITS (Mao Fa International Travel Services). It is a unit of Service Bureau of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China.”

Elaborating on the Convention, Antia said that its endeavour is to ensure members of the trade ‘discover’ newer options to promote and sell to their clients. “Kun-ming being only a 2-hour flight from Kolkata is a des-tination worth promoting among Indian travellers,” he said.

Talking about China as the Host Country for the Convention, Bettaiah Lokesh, Secretary General, TAAI, said, “Today, China leads the world as far as tourism is concerned with 120 million outbound visitors, and con-sistently growing inbound travellers. Therefore, it is an apt time for TAAI to bring its Convention to China and also for the industry to focus on this market.”

The registration process for the Convention began on July 5 and would close on July 20. “On August 18, we will begin the India Travel & Trade Expo, the B2B networking platform and officially inaugurate the Convention. The second and third day will include knowledge sessions on issues pertaining to the industry along with the India Travel & Trade Expo. We have proposed to organise pre and post Con-vention tours to Shangri-La, Li-Jiang, Dali City and Puzhehei,” stated Jay Bhatia, Hon. National Treasurer, TAAI.”

The International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), is excited to return for the 13th year from Sep-tember 7- 9, 2017 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). The annual ITE HCMC is the key inter-national tourism event in Vietnam and the largest event of its kind in the Mekong sub region for both inbound and outbound markets. Recognised as Vietnam’s one and only national tourism event by the Ministry of Cul-ture, Sports & Tourism; it is also the only travel event endorsed by the Tourism Alliance of all five countries in the Mekong Region.

The theme for International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2017 is ‘Your Gateway to Tour-ism in Asia’. The first two days of the event are catered to trade professionals and the third day to trade visi-tors as well as the public. Following the success of last year’s edition, and the positive positioning of Vietnam as the latest tourism hotspot, the organisers of ITE HCMC 2017 are expecting an overall increase of 20% in partici-pation from last year.

Stating his views on this year’s edition Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tour-ism, said, “Last year’s event was a spectacular one with more than 26,000 trade and public visitors and 3,633 meetings arranged between buyers and sellers. There was a diverse variety of travel destinations and options available to both trade professionals and the public. We are certain this year will be no different, if not more rewarding. We look forward to introducing our tradi-tional Vietnamese warmth and hospitality to our inter-national friends and guests.”

Jack Wei, General Manager of Informa Exhibitions and Co-Organiser of ITE HCMC, added, “In addition, Vietnam’s booming tourism industry is reaching even greater heights. The country saw a 24.6% surge in the number of foreign visitors in 2016 compared to the pre-vious year. This is an extremely encouraging trend that we believe will be sustained, and ITE HCMC will be the bridge to bring world to Vietnam, and vice versa.”

This year’s event will host a multitude of national pavilions. Current confirmed participation includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand and many more. The confirmed exhibitors

currently include airlines, hotels and resorts, tour companies and travel representatives from countries like Australia, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam.

Companies like Ben Thanh Tourist, Berlin Touris-mus and Kongress GMBH, Fidi Tour, FLC Group, India Tourism, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organisation (KTPO), Lien Hoa Group, Medical Excellence Japan, Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, Ministry of Tourism of Repub-lic Indonesia, Minor Hotel, Muong Thanh Hospitality, Penang Tourism, Plumeria Maldives, Prince Hotels, Saigon Tourist, Taiwan Tourism, Thailand Author-ity Tourism, Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tour Diamond Travels & Tours, Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO), Traveltek, TTC Hospitality, Turkish Embassy Tourism and Infor-mation Office, Union of Myanmar Travel Association, Vietravel, Wendy Tour and more will also be present at the event.

More than 3,600 meetings were conducted between buyer and sellers last year, and the Organisers expect the number to grow 15% this year. Hosted Buyers & Media Programme Organisers of the ITE HCMC will also invite and host at the event 300 international and regional travel buyers from 50 major markets like Aus-tralia, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singa-pore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, US and many others.

ITE HCMC is organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT); HCMC Depart-ment of Tourism; Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock (VINEXAD); and Informa Exhibitions Pte Ltd. It is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Cambo-dia; Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR; Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, Myanmar; as well as Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Kingdom of Thai-land; and endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam; and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

Event Details & Pre-registrationDate: September 7 & 8 (Trade Visitors)September 9 (Trade and Public Visitors)Time: 9AM – 5PMVenue: Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC)

Pre-registration for the event can be doneat www.itehcmc.com

Hot on the heels of a big success with the 15th edition of IMEX in Frankfurt last month, global and U.S. event industry professionals are now being invited to register for IMEX America 2017 in Las Vegas this fall.

Meetings and events industry professionals can meet and do business with destinations and venues from across the world at the show which will take place from October 10-12 in Las Vegas, preceded by Smart Monday, powered by MPI on a day before the event.

Hosted Buyer and attendee registration is now open for the show which includes many first-time exhibi-tors from across the world, the U.S. and from all sec-tors of the meetings and events industry. They will be among over 3,200 organisations exhibiting at the show this year.

New booths include many North American destina-tions like Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bos-ton Convention Marketing Center, COMO Hotels New York, Visit Dana Point and Planet Hollywood. Among other exhibitors new to IMEX America are Memora-ble Costa Rica, Viking Cruises and Velas Resorts, with Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

Langkawi has been selected as the venue for PATA Travel Mart 2018 (PTM 2018). This signature Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) event is being hosted by Tourism Malaysia and Langkawi Development Author-ity. The announcement was made by the Association’s CEO, Dr Mario Hardy during the PATA Annual Sum-mit in Negombo, Sri Lanka.

PTM 2018 will take place at the Mahsuri Interna-tional Exhibition Centre (MIEC), the island’s largest convention venue.

Dr Hardy said, “Tourism Malaysia and Langkawi Development Authority have been a valuable PATA member and partner since 1959 and 2017 respectively and we look forward to the opportunity of showcasing the culture, heritage and beauty of Langkawi. Delegates to PTM 2018 will experience one of Asia’s most remark-able and attractive destinations.”

Tourism Malaysia Director General, Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said, “Malaysia is proud and honoured to be given the opportunity to host another PATA event again, this time in the beautiful island of Langkawi. We are pleased to be co-hosts of PATA Travel Mart 2018 with Langkawi Development Authority and look forward to welcoming all PATA members to

Malaysia for a fruitful and memorable meeting and net-working session.”

According to Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin, CEO, Lang-kawi Development Authority, PTM 2018 is a much-awaited tourism event to be organised in Malaysia especially in Langkawi. He said, “It is a great honour for Langkawi Development Authority and Langkawi tourism industry players to jointly host this presti-gious event with Tourism Malaysia. PTM will further promote Langkawi as an international resort island destination.”

PATA Travel Mart 2018 to take place at langkawi, Malaysia