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Top Travel Destinations

Places in the news

Engaging India: Touting tourism
The magnificent Taj Mahal is deservedly one of India’s biggest tourist attractions. But the gleaming white marble tomb strikes a startling contrast with the decrepit surrounding city of Agra. Even the highly competent travel agent who coordinated my recent trip bluntly affirmed this view. ”I love my job - I meet people from all over the world,” he told my friend and me soberly. ”But I hate Agra.”

He continued with the kind of candour that I appreciate in India. ”If you drive through the small streets of Agra for an hour with your windows rolled down, you will never want to come back here.”

He said these words after a day of sight-seeing as we waited for our train back to New Delhi, just two hours away on an excellent express service. The platform at Agra station was dark and dirty and as we spoke, a man without legs sat by our feet with his palm outstretched for money.

Unbidden, our travel agent, a native of the south-eastern state of Orissa, said the far higher admission fees that foreigners pay for the Taj Mahal are unfair (the entry fee for foreigners is Rs750 while Indians pay Rs20). He disgustedly attributed the lack of progress in Agra to the city’s low literacy rate.

In the next breath he alluded to his boss, an illiterate man who plays computer games for ”seven hours a day” but has several cars and owns the tour company because of his connections. On that note, our tour guide bade us farewell as our train pulled into the station.

The broken, muddy roads, dangerously narrow streets lined with ramshackle shops, and aggressive souvenir hawkers of Agra are not uncommon in India. But Agra’s eyesores surely surprise the millions of tourists who each year flock to the Taj Mahal, considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Nearly 600,000 foreign tourists visited the Taj Mahal in 2005, a total equivalent to roughly 15 per cent of all overseas visitors to India, according to new figures released by the Ministry of Tourism last month.

Yet even many Indian friends had sheepishly warned me of the downtrodden city that hosts their country’s most famous tourist attraction.

This is even more of a surprise given the amount of tourist dollars that must flow into the city, which is just a four-hour drive from New Delhi.

However, little of these funds seems to be invested in paving roads and improving facilities. There are several five-star hotels in Agra that charge rates on par with those of developed countries.

But because one can pack in most of the city’s sights in a day, including a visit to the impressive ’ghost city’ of Fatephur-Sikri, there is little reason for tourists to linger long in Agra. One wonders at the enormous potential income lost when millions of tourists beat a fast escape after just a day or two because the city is so unappealing.

Well aware of this problem, India’s tourism ministry has outlined a plan to improve tourism to the Taj Mahal, including ”wayside public conveniences” (ie, public toilets), signage and tourist maps, tourist police and the certification of tour guides and agents to ”avoid unscrupulous activities, fleecing, overcharging, etc”.

Foreign exchange generated by international tourism to India increased 17 per cent year-on-year to $744m and for the whole year, the number of tourists is projected to rise about 13 per cent. This would be a substantial increase but officials say these are relatively small numbers given the tourism that India should generate from the wealth of sites and activities it boasts.

The country lays claim to diverse landscapes of beaches, Himalayan mountains, deserts and jungles. India has historic forts, temples, wildlife parks, religious festivals, a vibrant arts scene and of course, bustling cities. Yet the popular perception of travel in India is that it is for hardened travellers who can withstand discomfort, illness, distressing displays of poverty and general chaos.

To change this perception and more fully capitalise on its tourism assets, India launched an ambitious $10.7m ’Incredible India!’ advertising campaign in 2002 aimed at overseas travellers. The tourism ministry sponsored billboards and ads in newspapers and glossy magazines worldwide featuring tigers creeping in jungles and women in skin-tight outfits holding yoga poses against landscapes of snow-capped mountains.

The marketing push, along with a fast-growing economy, helped to grow international visitation from about 3.4m in 2004 to nearly 4m a year later. But the campaign’s ”Incredible India!” tagline has become something of an inside joke for people living in India. The declaration is often used to describe the hassles of travel or the decrepit surroundings of some of India’s most treasured sites instead of the country’s wonders.

Tourism may seem the least of India’s worries, what with daunting deficiencies in infrastructure, education, health care and basic government services such as water and power. But tourism not only brings in valuable revenue but helps shape the world’s perception of a country and what it has to offer.

In a survey of Americans’ perceptions of India, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that those polled ranked India dead last among nine countries in terms of future world influence behind China, the UK, Russia and France. Other countries expect India to rise but not by much. Surprisingly, India is not seen as a top source of innovation.

This despite the fact that India is the world’s second-fastest growing economy; that it is the second-most populous country in the world, with half of its inhabitants under the age of 25; and that its star home-grown businesses are emerging as world-class companies.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs attributed this sharp misperception partly to the influence of tourism. China reported 46.8m international tourist visits in 2005, far more than the meagre 3.9m India claimed that year, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

In addition to bringing in revenues, tourism also acts as a valuable form of marketing and public relations. If the Taj Mahal is expected to represent some of the best India has to offer, its surroundings fail miserably to live up to that standard.

It is a bad situation indeed when even a travel agent whose job is to sing the praises of a place frankly admits as much. Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal, is very likely turning over in his grave.
April5,2007
Source: The Financial Times

Travel and Transportation Infrastructure

Sector: Aviation

Maharaja may reign over a bigger sky

The brand name of the mega-airline emerging from the merger of Air-India and Indian is likely to be ‘Air-India’, and the government may keep the Maharaja mascot intact, a top civil aviation ministry official said on Thursday.

While Accenture, the consultant assisting the government with the merger, will prepare a detailed analysis on the brand name for the merged entity, Air-India seems to be the preferred option, the official said.

One major aspect in favour of brand Air-India is that it will help the merged entity maintain top position in the ABC directory, which lists airlines alphabetically. Air-India is also considered to have high recall value, the official said. When asked about the proposal to brand the new company as ‘Air Indian’ as reported by sections of the media, he said no such option has been considered.

As for the new entity’s logo, Air-India’s famed ‘Maharaja’ seems to be the most preferred choice, while the 'Ashok Chakra' is also a front-runner. The interior of the new aircraft is expected to have a strong tinge of orange.

The official said the government will soon select the CMD of the new company. He ruled out the possibility of an outsider being selected. The civil aviation ministry will require approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet to finalise the CMD. Speaking about the present ban on the Gulf routes, the official said the ban will be lifted from January 1, 2008 to allow private players to fly to the Gulf sector.

“The government does not intend to extend the restriction on Gulf routes beyond December 31, 2007,” he said. The opening up of this lucrative sector would allow Jet Airways and Air Sahara to fly to the Gulf countries even as it will end the monopoly of public sector airlines Air-India and Indian over these routes.

Currently, among the private carriers only Jet Airways and Air Sahara fulfil the criteria of having completed five years and a fleet of minimum 20 aircraft to operate internationally.

About the proposed modernisation of the Chennai airport, the official said the state government has given additional 700 acres of land for construction of the second runway. However, the government would require to carry out a techno-feasibility study before going ahead with modernisation, he added. The civil aviation ministry has also moved a Cabinet Note on the proposed greenfield airport at Navi Mumbai.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Source:Economic Times

Court asks govt to submit papers on Jet-Sahara merger
Private carrier Jet Airways, whose plans to acquire Air Sahara fell through due to absence of security clearance, on Thursday secured a direction from the Bombay High Court, under which the Centre has to furnish documents related to the merger process.

A single member bench of Justice Anoop V Mehta directed the ministry of civil aviation and the director general of civil aviation to produce documents, including those on security clearance and internal notes, regarding the failed merger of Jet Airways and Air Sahara.

The bench directed the government to present its plea on April 11. Jet had on Monday filed an application under section 27 of the Arbitration Act demanding documents from the ministry and the DGCA. According to Janak Dwarkadas, Jet counsel Jet, these documents are related to the security clearance and internal notes made by the authorities during the merger.

The two member arbitration tribunal had on March 28, granted permission to Jet Airways to file application seeking documents before the court. The tribunal is hearing Jet’s plea seeking refund of Rs 1,500 crore it had deposited in an escrow account in the run up to the merger.

The arbitration tribunal will resume hearing arguments on April 9 — when the final hearing is scheduled to be held non-stop for two weeks.

Friday April 6, 2007
Source: Economic Times via PTI

Jet Airways loses 5 top managers
Five top managers in Jet Airways, India’s largest private air carrier have quit the organisation citing "poor management practices", a TV channel said Wednesday.

Jet Airways' vice president (South East Asia) V Raju, head of training Michal Tan, vice president (communications) Nandini Verma, senior general manager Vijay Sethi and head of training Ravindran were among those who put in their papers, the CNBC-TV18 channel said quoting unnamed sources.

"They have resigned citing poor management practices, lack of authority to take discussions and centralisation of power in London, as the reasons of their resignations," the TV channel report said.

The channel quoted sources to say that a number of other key employees were likely to follow.

The resignations come as a severe blow to the airline and its operations are likely to suffer in the highly competitive domestic aviation sector.

The senior managers have quit at a time when Jet Airways is preparing to face the legal battle over the failed merger with Air Sahara.

Jet Airways had signed an agreement in January 2006 with Air Sahara to acquire 100 per cent stake in the latter.

Jet Airways had paid Rs 1.8 billion for the revival of Air Sahara and Rs 5 billion for the Air Sahara shares, besides depositing Rs 15 billion in the escrow account opened for the purpose.

However, the deal fell through in June following Jet Airways' failure to get regulatory clearance from the government. Air Sahara then moved court in Lucknow seeking to bar Jet Airways from operating the escrow account.

Thursday, April5, 2007
Source: Economic Times via IANS

QA and Indian airline in loyalty programme pact
INDIA’S premier domestic private carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has entered into an arrangement with Qatar Airways to share each other’s loyalty programme.
The arrangement would allow members of both Privilege Club and King Club, the loyalty programmes of the QR and Kingfisher, respectively, to redeem their points with either carrier.

This was announced at a product presentation held on Wednesday jointly by Kingfisher and its recently-appointed general sales agent (GSA) Regency Travel & Tours. The appointment “is a significant development that can open new avenues for the travel and hospitality industry in Qatar”, said GSA general manager Tareq Abdullatif Taha. He highlighted that as “the number one travel agent in Qatar”, his organisation had partnered with Kingfisher, “the fastest-growing airline in India”, and this had resulted in an excellent synergy of capabilities and interests.

The presentation covered the salient features of Kingfisher such as its expanding network of destinations, its all-Airbus fleet of aircraft, and special amenities for business class and first class passengers.

Operations manager of Regency N Shafiq guided the audience through the airline’s present capabilities and plans that would eventually impact the business of the travel and hospitality industry in Qatar.
Friday, 6 April, 2007
Source: Gulf Times

Sector: Railways

Sector: Hotels & Restaurants

Aloha! A New Twist in Travel Arrives in India
Aloha! Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and W Hotels have done it again. Infused with the DNA of W - aloft hotels formally launched in India today at the 3rd Hotel Investment Conference South Asia in Mumbai.

Drawing on the power of W Hotels - a global lifestyle brand with 21 properties in the most vibrant cities around the world, inspiring and indulging its guests with thoughtful, refreshing and stylish experiences, signature restaurants, bars and destination spas - aloft will raise the bar in the select-service category, offering urban-inspired, loft-like guest rooms, leading edge technology services, and an energetic lounge scene.

“We say aloha! to ‘the land of all seasons’ with the introduction of aloft hotels in India,” said Ross Klein, President of Starwood's Luxury Brand Group and aloft hotels. “aloft will bring style, convenience and a social atmosphere to the diverse and bustling Indian landscape, offering a fun new way to play and stay to a global community of business and leisure travelers."

“We are excited to be introducing aloft to South Asia and are looking forward to offering a fresh, inspiring and ultimately more fun experience to visitors,” said Miguel Ko, President Asia Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Our key development partners have assisted us in refining our prototype and signature features to create a product that travelers to aloft in India will love.” added Ko.

Results from surveys indicate a preference for hot food options and a full service restaurant in India, as well as extended banquet facilities. As a result, the North American aloft prototype will be adapted for the Indian market to incorporate a full service restaurant as well as banquet services which will be provided by qualified third party operators. In addition, re:fuel by aloft will offer enhanced food offerings including a range of hot food options.

As a Vision of W Hotels, aloft is shaking up the lodging industry with urban-influenced design, accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere. aloft offers a total sensory experience, with guest lofts featuring loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows to create a bright, airy environment. The centerpiece of the loft room is the ultra-comfortable signature bed, and large stylish bathrooms complement the guest experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by bliss spa®. Each guest loft is also a combination high-tech office and entertainment center, featuring wireless internet access and plug & play, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops - all linked to a large flat panel HDTV ready television for optimal sound and viewing.

Designed in conjunction with world-renowned David Rockwell and The Rockwell Group, aloft stays true to W’s heritage, offering atmospheric public spaces designed to draw guests from their rooms to socialize and make friends. Guests can read the paper, work on their laptops via hotel-wide wireless internet access, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mix communal lobby area and bar w xyz. The re:charge fitness center and splash, the indoor or outdoor pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize; while re:fuel by aloft, a one-stop food and beverage area, offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24-hours a day.

Starwood® anticipates the first aloft hotels to open in early 2008, and is targeting 500 properties globally by 2012, with locations expected all across the globe. With over 100 franchise deals in the pipeline worldwide, aloft has announced properties in locations ranging from Beijing to Brussels to Bay Harbor, Florida. To view a complete list of aloft locations, please visit the website at www.alofthotels.com.

About aloft

Infused with the DNA of W Hotels, aloft is a new destination sensation featuring loft-inspired design, accessible technology and a stylish urban attitude. Starwood anticipates the first aloft hotels to open in early 2008, with 500 properties worldwide expected by 2012.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 870 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien and the recently announced aloftSM and Element HotelsSM. Starwood Hotels also own Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
April 05, 2007
Source: Business Wire via Google News India

Medical Tourism

Religious Tourism

Holistic Healing Service Providers

Travel characteristics of Indians

China woos Indian tourists
New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) China is the latest country to woo the high-spending Indian tourist, mounting a glittering presentation at a five-star hotel here to promote its high-growth areas - Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai provinces.

China's tourism sector, which is betting big on India this year, earmarked as the China-India Tourism Friendship Year, wants almost one million of the seven million Indians that travel abroad to visit China.

'Every year, almost seven million Indians travel abroad, let's aim at bringing at least one million of them to China,' Sun Yuxi, China's ambassador to India, told a gathering of Chinese tourism delegates late Monday at the presentation.

He also referred to the fact that during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao last year in November, an agreement was reached for China and India to set up tourism offices in each other's countries.

Presentations of short films on Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, regarded by the Chinese as the 'The Golden Yangtze River Delta', were also shown amidst enticing Chinese delicacies and music.

According to the Chinese delegates, the opening up of the tourism sector between the countries, the two Asian giants, will not only fuel tourism but also give tremendous impetus to bilateral trade.

Sino-Indian bilateral trade is likely to touch $50 billion by 2010, according to an estimate by industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM).

'With the fast development of China's economy, the tourism industry in China has experienced a full-throttle and healthy development period,' said Yao Shenghou, deputy director, Provincial Tourism Bureau.

For India's several small and medium enterprises, China has become the most preferred destination. Also, over 6,000 Indian students are currently pursuing higher degrees in the universities there.

All these have given a major thrust in leveraging the tourism and hospitality potential
Tuesday April 3, 2007
Source:IANS via Yahoo News

Road trippin’
IT’S the holiday season and exam weary students are gearing up for the long break ahead. While the city swelters this summer, teens across Chandigarh are all set to pick up their duffels to hitch-hike around India, and the world. And while some prefer trusty travel agents, others choose to wing it on their own and start planning their trips almost six months in advance.

“Tight budgets, local buses and dingy hotels, we’ve sweated it out on all vacations,” coos Manisha Pandey who is all set to pack her bags for Leh this time. “See, the thing is that you can’t possibly do all this at 50, so this is the time and age to rough it out,” Manisha earns her own money through teaching French and other odd jobs for her sabbaticals. It’s all about learning and exploring, charting on unknown territories that gives these young guns a kick.

“We go to the hills, actually vroom up on our Enfields for that much needed fresh air and break,” says theatre design freelancer, Gyandev who hops on at the spur of the moment and doesn’t “believe in planning.”

Archana Thakur, a 20-year-old media student and a die-hard adventure addict says, “I have visited Dalhousie and Manali through the Youth Hostels Association of India. They usually run six-day camps for students that combine adventure with education. The best part is that we stay in camps pitched amidst the majestic snowy peaks of the Himalayas and meet youngsters from various parts of the country.”

Amit Pisat, an 18-year-old engineering student, finds the plains unbearable in the summer. “Last year, my friends and I had visited Manali through Icarus Holidays. We stayed in tents and took part in trekking and rock climbing.”

Many companies have summer specials for teenagers that coincide with the vacations—like seven-day Himalayan camps, customised packages to Goa and Rishikesh and four-day trips to Leh and Ladakh. Nalin Khanduri, CEO, Great Indian Outdoors, says, “These tours are designed as multi-adventure programmes where participants can try white water rafting, slithering and camping. They are ideal for adventure activities.”

Thomas Cook offers packages to New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Spain, the UK and Far East. MTV in association with Travelguru has even started youth packages called MTV Backpack Holidays. Travelguru CEO, Ashwin Damera says, “We offer special discounts for college students and visit campuses to publicise them. We organise camps and treks to Ladakh, Kara Lake at Bhaba Valley and Kolad for activities like hot air ballooning and micro light flying.”

Internationally, the most popular destinations for cheap travel have been Europe and Australia-the most common being the low budget backpacking holidays. Twenty-year-old Radley Andrade says, “Though there are lots of travel agencies providing structured holidays, I would prefer to travel at ease with my friends. Recently we were in England as backpackers exploring the country on our own terms.”

Three days of pure adventure, that’s what Sahil Buddhiraja has just experienced with his large group of friends at Rishikesh. “Rafting, rappelling, water-fall climbing, nature walks, it’s been one swell experience,’’ smiles this former student of PEC, who thinks summer’s the ideal time to take these refreshing breaks. “Budget always is a constraint and so, at times eight of us have parked ourselves in one room, after all, it’s not really the place that matters, but the friends and fun,’’ smiles Sahil, who agrees that more and more youngsters are venturing out to discover a whole new world.

“The thrill of going out with friends is unbeatable,” says city-based Gaurav Ohri who made a trip from Rajasthan to Bangalore with his buddies last year.

Apart from fun, travel instills a sense of responsibility, inculcates social skills as well as love for culture and heritage among teenagers. It’s time to pack your bag and explore the world.
Friday , April 06, 2007
Source: Indian Express

Investment related

Travel and Tourism Support Industries …and much more

Policy Related

WHO chalks new rules for international travel
Don’t be surprised if you are asked for a blood test or are told to take a vaccine shot at the international airports this summer.

This June, new international health norms of the World Health Organisation (WHO) would force the countries to increase disease surveillance especially at the border crossings, airports, ports and other points of international crossings. WHO member countries, including India, will also be required to provide quarantine facilities at these points.

As per the new norms under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, countries will have to report all diseases and public health emergencies to WHO, unlike previous the IHR where only small pox, plague, cholera, relapsing fever, typhus and yellow fever were to be reported. The term public health emergencies would also include biological, chemical or radio-nuclear risks.

It will be mandatory for the countries to have a transparent capacities throughout their territories and collaborate with the WHO.

Countries will also have to assess their public health capacities and facilitate technical co-operation and logistic support for capacity building in surveillance, and response at border crossings.

The IHR 2005 is a legally-binding, international agreement for all WHO member states. Those nations that do not adhere to it are liable to face sanctions.

Friday, April 06, 2007  
Source: DNA India

Service Providers

Grupo Aldeasa ties up with ITDC

Grupo Aldeasa, global leader in souvenir, novelty and gift items, apart from duty-free business, is gearing up to set foot in Indian market. The Madrid-based group has tied up with India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) for providing consultancy for three speciality souvenir outlets, apart from duty-free shops at airports across the country.

The public sector undertaking (PSU) is planning world-class souvenir outlets at Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Qutab Minar, according to highly-placed government sources. A proposal to this effect has been submitted by the ministry of tourism for consideration of the Union Cabinet.

A 50:50 joint venture by the Aldeasa-ITDC combine will bid for duty-free outlets across Indian airports besides providing management and branding consultancy for the souvenir shops which will promote Indian handicrafts. At a later stage, the Madrid-based group may look at investments through the single-brand FDI route.

The souvenir outlets of ITDC will market local items under a single brand and various concepts are being considered for this purpose. Based on feedback on the first three outlets, ITDC would expand the footprint of these speciality outlets to other parts of the country.

The Aldeasa-ITDC joint venture for duty-free items would not be restricted to India alone. Markets under consideration include south Asia and countries like Mauritius and Fiji which have a sizeable ethnic Indian population. The joint venture has already won a contract from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) for setting up duty-free shops at the Mumbai airport. The consultancy for souvenir shops is being seen as a ‘by-product’ of the duty-free business as handicrafts would be a key component of airport retail, the sources said.

The souvenir shops planned by ITDC is part of the company’s expansion plans based on booming business and spurt in profits during 2006-07. During the first 11 months of ’06-07, the PSU has made a net profit of nearly Rs 58.8 crore. In particular, the hotels division of ITDC has turned out exceedingly good performance and this has created adequate scope for investment in expansion as well as upgradation. The public sector company is now planning to set up spas, speciality restaurants and revamp some properties.

The souvenir shops proposed by ITDC would also retail books on culture, tourism and historic places. However, the focus would be on handicrafts, especially local ones. The composition of merchandise at the first three outlets would be different from each other, the sources said. Even though the outlets at Red Fort and Qutab Minar would be located in the same city, they would be different from each other.

These outlets would reflect the flavour of their locality and customers would find enough scope for shopping even if they visit both outlets on the same day, they added

Friday, April 06, 2007
Source: Economic Times