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1. A wild time in India's tiger territory

My elephant has stumbled across a tiger. It sounds like the least used line in a Hindi phrasebook, but it’s the truth. And instead of being safely down around the elephant’s feet, the tiger is at eyelevel, on a ledge just 8ft away. He watches our panic with disdain, his thick fur spilling in golden folds over his rocky perch, his whiskers catching little rainbows in the dappled sunlight, as the mahout, or elephant jockey, frantically tries to back up.

At least 100lb heavier than Africa’s biggest lion, the tiger is the true king of the jungle. His head is as big as my chest; his fangs are long enough to skewer me from sternum to scapula; and his paws look big enough to scrape a shallow grave for me, the mahout and the elephant, if need be. His eyes look straight into mine, reflecting something between the nonchalant and the psychotic, making it perfectly clear that if he wanted me, he could have me, and there’s nothing I could do about it.

In the shadows behind his stare lies his sister, sprawled over a rock like a mafia moll in furs. This is their manor and I’m at their mercy, but, for the moment, these natural-born killers seem content for me to admire their fearful symmetry. IT’S NOT easy to come face to face with a tiger in its natural habitat. Worst accounts reckon on as few as 2,500 remaining in the wild, spread out in rapidly shrinking populations from Siberia to Bangladesh. Shamefully, the nation with the world’s highest concentration of panthera tigris is the United States, with an estimated 10,000 of the beasts banged up on ranches, or caged in the fashionable homes of American millionaires. God knows how many more are languishing in compensation for the flaccid egos of Russian businessmen and central Asian gangsters — 6,000 by some accounts — and then there’s the abhorrent fact that a vast part of the world still believes that the only good tiger is a dead one.

The current value of a tiger corpse is about £20,000, which is more than a poor Indian farmer will earn in a lifetime. Tiger bone fetches up to £350 a kilo in South Korea, and in Taiwan a pair of tiger eyes — used to treat epilepsy — costs £65. In the Chinese city of Lanzhou, a phial of ground tiger tail — supposedly effective against skin cancer — will set you back £170; and in Japan, virility tablets containing tiger penis have been found on sale at £13,000 a bottle.  And despite the efforts of all the soft-hearted celebrities and well-meaning charities, the killing goes on — by poachers, by big-game hunters and by local populations who can’t think of another way to stop tigers taking their stock.

These days, your only chance of seeing a tiger, outside a pharmacy or a cage, is in a national park. India’s Ranthambore National Park is by far the most popular, but the best place to spot this critically endangered predator is in Bandhavgarh, in the little-visited central state of Madhya Pradesh. Cradled between the Vindhyan highlands and the eastern flanks of the Satpura Range, this remote reserve is currently home to 58 Royal Bengal tigers and there’s still room for a dozen more. “Visit in the summertime and the park is a choking place of heat and dust, but in the springtime it is sublime,” says Deepak Kashani, a local writer. “The birdsong is at its sweetest: the most divine call is that of the Indian cuckoo, a plaintive, mournful whistle. The flame trees have burst into blossom and, at night, the flowers of the mahua tree fall. The travelling people — the Gond and the Baiga — collect the flowers at sunrise to make wine, sometimes meeting sloth bears who also like to get drunk on the nectar.”

He paints a pretty picture but glosses over the troubling reality of poverty-stricken locals, who quite rightly feel that the preservation of a vast swathe of firewood and grazing land for the benefit of rich western tourists does them no favours at all. To them, the tiger is at best an irrelevance and at worst a lurking, cattle-rustling, murdering menace.

Raj Sharma, who runs the Nature Heritage Lodge outside the park gates in Tala, nearly had his throat ripped out by a tigress in 2003. The attack left him with a shredded shoulder and a badly damaged arm, but failed to kill his passion for the beasts. “Only tourism can save tigers,” he says, “but only if that tourism directly benefits the people living around the national park.” He sips his marsala chai and fixes me with an evangelist’s eye.

“Down that road lives a 10-year-old girl called Nisha.” He points down a potholed track bordered by lushly forested, fenced parkland on one side and dusty, denuded pasture on the other. “Her father is unemployed, her mother is bedridden with tuberculosis and the family can’t afford treatment. Each day she hikes five miles to a school with no toilets and no electricity, with no hope whatsoever of improving her life. Every morning she is passed by 4WDs full of rich tourists on their way to see the tigers, and every evening they pass her on their way back to dinner at their distant hotels, but they’re irrelevant to this little girl. “Back home, there’s no firewood because the only source is inside the park, so she cooks the family dinner on a fire made of cow dung. Somewhere nearby a tiger roars, but she couldn’t care less. He too is irrelevant to her, until he kills a neighbour, steals her father’s cattle, or a poaching gang pays the family a few hundred rupees to keep quiet.”

But Raj had a solution. “I thought about what would happen if, instead of staying far away from the park, the tourists stayed here in Tala, and each one donated a few hundred rupees to the school. Now, the roof is repaired, there’s a brand-new toilet block and a computer room. There are new teachers, too, attracted by the facilities, and there’s a chance that Nisha will make something of her life. Things are looking up at home, too: her dad has got a job at one of these local lodges and, because he can now afford medicine, her mum is up and about. The firewood is still hard to find, but Nisha doesn’t blame the tigers. These days, she couldn’t imagine life without them.”

At sunrise the next morning, I’ve already been in the park for an hour, crawling through the mist in a 4WD they call a Gipsy and watching the stars fade. It’s cold enough to see your breath and monkeys sit shivering in trees, staring impatiently at the ridge over which the sun’s first rays will appear.

We’re following an aural trail, tracking the barks of sambar deer among the dripping trees and damp, sandstone crags. These alarm calls mean a tiger is on the prowl, but with just a few dozen of the beasts in a park the size of Bedfordshire, there’s no guarantee that the predator will be seen. But you can improve your chances by choosing a good guide, and mine is among the best. It’s rumoured that Dipendra’s somewhat disturbing ability to predict and anticipate tiger movements was learnt in a former career as a poacher, but he just smiles bashfully when I ask him for the truth.

He parks the Gipsy near the junction of two tracks and settles down to play with his mobile phone. Other guides speed past, their passengers wrapped in blankets in the pre-dawn chill, but Dipendra says: “We’ll just wait here. She’s near.” Thirty minutes later, the alarm calls rise in a panicked crescendo, then cease. Even the birds stop calling for a few moments, until the awful stillness is broken by Dipendra’s solemn voice. “She’s killed,” he murmurs. Blood trails at the scene show the victim has been dragged deep into the jungle. After an agonising wait for the elephants to arrive, we climb aboard and lumber into the woods. The smell of gore upsets the wrinkled behemoths but the mahouts urge them onwards, breaking branches and bashing down bushes. Suddenly, my elephant stops, and in the shadows, six paces in front, the bloody faces of a tigress and her two cubs look up from the remains of a spotted deer, their expressions more of indignation than anger at our intrusion on their breakfast.

It’s a brutal, terrifying scene, and as I watch the still-warm body of the deer devoured, something stirs inside — a long-buried emotion swaddled by the sterile insulation of risk-free western life. It’s the primeval fear of predation, of being caught, killed and consumed by a creature faster, stronger and crueller than me. And as bone cracks, flesh rips and those golden eyes stare back, unblinking, I see what Raj saw a decade ago. The tiger is an anachronism: a near-mythical beast too powerful, too dangerous and too beautiful to live freely in the modern world. Tourism alone can save the few that remain, but only if tour operators can persuade local populations — to whom a poacher’s money is as good as anyone’s — that this cattle-killing cat could become a cash cow.

It’s a long shot, though, and as the train pulls out of Katni for the 14-hour drag to New Delhi, I stand in the doorway watching the sun go down behind the plain. Broken clouds obscure the bloody orb, painting stripes across its face, and as I watch its decline, I can’t shake the fear that by the time my own daughter is Nisha’s age, the sun may have for ever set on the tiger.

Chris Haslam travelled as a guest of Exodus (0870 950 0029, www.exodus.co.uk), which supports the Tala school project and offers a 17-day Land of the Tiger itinerary from £1,655pp, visiting Kanha, Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh national parks. The price includes flights from Heathrow to Delhi, B&B accommodation and transfers. Other operators supporting local conservation projects include Explore (0870 333 4001, www.explore.co.uk), which has a 17-day tiger-spotting trip from £1,429pp, also with flights from Heathrow and accommodation; and Tribes Travel (01728 685971, www.tribes.co.uk), which has a seven-night full-board package in the exclusive Anant Van ecolodge for £2,185pp, again with flights from Heathrow
September 9, 2007
Source: Timesonline

Travel and Transportation Infrastructure

Sector: Aviation

1. US-based Nortel to develop communication infrastructure for the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) has selected Nortel, a US-based solutions provider, for developing an extensive and comprehensive IP communications network for the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), as per an official release. The network will consolidate MIAL's data, telephony and video systems onto a converged wired and wireless IP based network using the Ethernet-based Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB) and Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) technologies. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), MIAL's long-term technology partner, will provide systems integration for the project.

Once operational, the wired and wireless infrastructure will provide network coverage throughout the airport terminal buildings and outside maintenance areas. Passengers, airline staff, retailers, security and operations-handling staff will benefit from the services. The solution includes implementation of a new emergency notification system for public safety. GV Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, MIAL, said "The state-of-the-art system will help raise CSIA to global standards, equipping it with technology that meets or even exceeds what is currently present at top airports across the world.
September 14, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

Sector: Hotels and Restaurants

1. Oswal Motels and Resorts to set up The Orchha Palace by 2009

Agra-based Oswal Motels and Resorts Ltd., is all set to own and manage its second venture called The Orchha Palace at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh by 2009. The company is making an investment of about Rs eight crores for developing the property that will house 72 air-conditioned rooms, a convention centre with a capacity to accommodate 600 people, two restaurants, a bar and two inter-connected banquet halls. Apart from that, it also plans to develop a 15-room resort spread over an area of 550 sq. mts. of land near the Bandhavgarh National Park in order to cater to wildlife tourists.

At present, the company has a 32-room property called The Orchha Resorts at Orchha, which is operational only from October to March and caters to the mid and high-end segments. Recently, a Kerela ayurvedic centre was added to the property, while the existing fitness centre, deluxe tents and swimming pool were revamped.

Anoop Khullar, Vice President, The Orchha Resorts, said, "Currently, our occupancy rate is 60 per cent, of which the inbound segment accounts for 80 per cent, while the domestic segment accounts for the rest. The ratio between the Average Room Revenue (ARR) and Food and Beverages (F&B) is 1:1." He added that the company plans to tap on the corporate and leisure clientele from Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bhopal, and Ahmedabad by taking part in various travel trade events like India Travel Mart and others.
September 14, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

2. Starwood to introduce St. Regis and W Hotels in India

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a global hospitality player in the luxury and upscale segment, is planning to introduce two of its brands, St. Regis and W Hotels, in India. "We are in an advanced stage of discussions with developers to introduce St. Regis and W hotels in the gateway cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad or Pune and the project should be ready in about three years. We will be able to make an official announcement in a couple of months," said Stephen Ford, Regional Vice President, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd.

Starwood had recently introduced two brands - The Luxury Collection brand and Aloft - in the country. "Considering that tourist arrivals in India is at an all-time high and that there is a shortage of rooms in all segments, be it luxury or mid-scale hotels, the company sees great potential in increasing its presence in India to capture a bigger share of one of the fastest growing hospitality industry in the world," maintained Ford.

St Regis is a 104-year-old brand of luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences, under which at present there are only 13 properties worldwide, while W Hotels is a luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats and residences brand with 21 properties globally
September 13, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

3. Lack of rooms takes its toll on India’s tourism industry
While there has been a giant surge in in-bound business and leisure travel in recent years thanks to low airfares and the growth of services industry, the Economic Times has reported that 30 to 35 percent of airline cancellations have been a result of lack of rooms in India.

India experienced a 15.5 percent rise in international passenger traffic in the first six months of this year. However, this growth is not matched by the addition of hotel rooms. Experts say the lack of hotel rooms may affect the country’s future tourism potential.

“Open skies allow us to fly in more tourist but where are the rooms. What we have today is the challenge of plenty. The flow of tourists is increasing but we do not know where to keep them,” the Vice-President, Travel Agent Association of India (TAAI), Rajji Rai said.

“It is quite clear that the hotel sector has not kept pace with the aviation sector,” said Praveen Chugh, chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI). Chugh believes that rigid land use laws, high real estate prices and unnecessary formalities have prevented the industry from building the hotels required to accommodate the increase in tourist arrivals.

According to a survey by HVS International, 155 hotels are currently under active development. Kamal Taneja, MD, TDI Group which plans to build three five star hotels said, “We see a huge potential in the hospitality space. India today is experiencing a 20-25% growth in tourism and a 14% growth in international arrivals. As a result, Taneja believes that site location, accessibility, visibility and proximity to key attractions will be the determining factors for the long term feasibility of hotels. 
September 12, 2007
Source:www. etravelblackboardasia.com

Niche Tourism

Others

1. Goa Tourism keen to promote traditional cuisine

Goa Tourism is keen on offering tourists more than its famed sun-kissed beaches and is looking at promoting traditional Goan cuisine. It recently hosted a four-day international cuisine conference called 'United We Eat' organised by Indology Goa, showcasing Goan cuisine among other international cuisines. Also, a year-long campaign has been planned to promote authentic Goan cuisine in India and abroad.

"Goa offers a unique food culture, which needs to be taken around the globe so that maximum number of people can experience the joy of Goan cuisine," said Mickky Pacheco, Tourism Minister, Goa. The tourism industry in Goa contributes Rs 1,500 crore annually to the State's revenue.

For long, experts have been mulling over Goan food losing its authenticity to western culinary practices. "Over the years, Goa has evolved from a quiet little state with beautiful virgin beaches to a bustling tourist epicentre. This has enticed a lot of business, consisting primarily of restaurants, which started serving fusion cuisine. And, eventually, Goan cuisine began to lose its originality," rued Dr Anjali Rao, Chairperson, Indology Goa.

The organisers maintained that the aim of the conference was to examine the evolution, benefits and state of research vis-à-vis Goa's traditional food, as well as the potential and problems associated with its survival. "The focus of the conference was on healthy traditional cuisines and their relevance and integration with today's modern fast-paced lives," said Rao.
September 15, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

2. Slum tourism is a way for travelers to taste the exotica of squalor.

There was a time not long ago when India was synonymous in the popular imagination of the west as a place of numbing poverty, streams of beggars and teeming slums. Now that the image is shifting to silicon-fueled growth, Bollywood glamour and call-center empires, tourists – and the 300 million-odd members of India’s burgeoning middle class -- may worry that the India of their nightmares (or their youth) is gone.

Do not fear. In addition to the Taj Mahal, magnificent palaces and echoes of the raj, India-bound vacationers can plump for a radically different travel itinerary – slum tours. A big draw for foreigners keen to experience the “real India,” slum tourism is the latest buzzword in Indian travel. Take your pick, it’s all real and it’s all on offer. A new company offers a close-up view of life at Mumbai's Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, with uncensored – if brief   glimpses into the dark underbelly of urban India. In New Delhi, enterprising street children have formed their own informal tour guide operation, picking up visitors from the train station for a walk about through their world. In both places, children still trawl through garbage mounds and open sewers. Mounds of rotting refuse and musty alleys lined with shanties crammed against each other remind the visitor of bad times. Emaciated rag pickers comb through discards at railway stations   India's clichéd impoverished exotica is on full view for public consumption, either just another commodity along the tourist trail or a consciousness-raising experience.

Bus tours of the shanty towns of Soweto in South Africa or guided walks through the favelas of urban Brazil have attracted curious tourists for years. In Kenya, the mean streets of Kibera, Nairobi’s biggest slum, have become a must-see for tourists, even drawing international celebrities.

Following a similar template, tours to Delhi's railway underworld and Dharavi have been running for about a year and are immensely popular with Western and Indian visitors. “We think that Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia, is one of the most interesting places to see in Mumbai,” says the website of Mumbai-based Reality Tours and Travels. “The beauty of Dharavi lies not on the main roads but in the small alleys where thousands work and live in a number of small enterprises, where goats roam freely and where children play with carefree abandon.” Reality Tours and Travels, which began operations in 2006, offers assorted slum tours of Dharavi. Reality Tours' short trips – just three hours with a guide and then back to the hotel for a good shower, presumably   cost Rs 400 (US $10) per head. The longer experience lasts five hours and costs Rs 2,400 for four people. The longer tour includes an air conditioned car but still tourists have to get out of the vehicle and amble through the labyrinthine alleyways accompanied by their guide if they want to really see the place. The walk is not strenuous, the company says. "Our slum tours have been a great success," states Krishna Poojari of Reality Tours, who along with his young British friend Chris Way, launched the company last year. Peddling Dharavi, Mumbai’s pride and shame is certainly an ingenious business. Located between two of the city’s largest railway stations, Dharavi hosts over one million people in about 175 square kilometers of swampy land. The slum's residents live in cramped quarters with little or no sanitation. But despite this, a shack at Dharavi can cost as much as US$40,000 and will have more than 10 people squeezed into it at any given time. The sheer density of humanity can be revolting and gut-wrenching. No matter. The gargantuan slum is also a productive crucible for handmade goods like clay pots, craft items and garments. It provides a livelihood to millions.

"Our tours are not aimed at showcasing Dharavi's poverty but its spectacular growth, industry and production," Poojari insists. With almost 80 per cent of the slum tour profits going to a local charity, MESCO (Modern Education and Social Cultural Organization), the Dharavi residents also don't object. MESCO operates an English-speaking and vocational school in Dharavi. The company also bans cameras on the tour and takes only five people at a time so as not to turn the stroll into a spectacle. “We are very aware of not wanting to invade and disturb the residents of Dharavi,” the website explains.

But isn’t showing the slums degrading for its inhabitants? The primary purpose, says Poojari, is to dispel the view that Dharavi is only a place of squalor. Dharavi, he says, is a productive epicenter for many industries. This makes the area truly unique because even in Brazil or South Africa   where slum tours are well-established   there isn't this kind of productivity. "That's what we highlight to the visitors," he says.

In New Delhi, slum tours are usually conducted by erstwhile street children who show visitors what life is like for the city's most deprived inhabitants – at railway stations, bus stations and pavements. The money raised (200 rupees a ticket - £2.50) goes to local charities which rehabilitate street children.

The day I went to the railway station for a tour, there was none scheduled, but Salauddin, a youth guide and a former pavement dweller, nevertheless offers to fill me in on the drill. Each platform, he explains, is controlled by a gang leader, one of the older street children, who protects the younger boys under his wing. He says the railway station offers refuge to kids who are absconding from their homes in other towns – usually escaping poverty, ill treatment or family violence. Gang leaders spot a new arrival as soon as he steps off the train and help him find food and a place to sleep.

The new arrivals are shown how to survive by making money through selling plastic bottles and silver foil picked up from rail carriages. The day's pickings are taken away by the leader who then redistributes it every Saturday, the kids’ day off, when they are allowed to eat out and watch Bollywood movies. Platform one, explains Salauddin, is where the luxury tourist trains stop. This is also the most heavily policed area but also the most lucrative. Often gangs fight over this territory. When I ask why there no girls in the gangs, Saluddin explains that they are picked up by pimps and taken to brothels as soon as they arrive.

Saluddin says that a dozen odd boys like him conduct slum tours around Delhi's railway stations. Each trip, he says, is tailored as an awareness-raising venture and not a voyeuristic outing for the rich to gape at the lives of the poor. "These visitors," elaborates Salauddin, "are genuinely interested in the lives of the underprivileged and often help out monetarily or leave their business cards behind for the local charities."
September 10, 2007
Source: Asia Sentinel

Policy

Travel and Tourism Support Industries …and much more

Service providers

1. Dreamland Launches Incredible India Special Promotion

The Indian Ministry of Tourism has launched Incredible India with the aim of providing standardized world class services to tourists visiting India and offer an authorized feedback portal to provide accurate and timely help and information regarding all aspects and services related to tourism in India.

Dreamland Tours, in partnership with authorized hotels and tourism logistics managers in India now launches a special promotional package which follows Incredible India guidelines for a complete tourism package. Statement from Dreamland Tours CEO Zach Thomas, “Incredible India is more of brand, a symbol of quality as regards to India and tourism. All we are doing is streamlining and tweaking our existing package deals to make sure that the services and packages we offer to our tourists are in tune with the Indian Ministry of Tourism’s vision and what it aims to achieve with the launch of Incredible India. Nearly 4½ million tourists visited India in 2006 and the current rate of growth is phenomenal. We agree that there needs to some kind of standards compliance to ensure that tourists enjoy their stay and are able to visit India without facing any hassles, starting from VISA issuance to local travel and hotel stay. You must also understand that it is impossible to regulate the hundreds of thousands of companies providing services to tourists. The only solution is to provide a set of standards which can be adapted voluntarily by all the tour operators and tourism service providers. Hopefully, more companies will follow in our footsteps and make an Indian holiday truly incredible for every visitor.”

About Dreamland Tours: The company, based in Manhattan, New York, was created to cater to the growing flow of visitors from all over the world to India. Dreamland’s parent and holding company, is Indo American Tours Inc. The company promotes customized tour packages to India, including wildlife and safari expeditions, religious tours, resort and relaxation tours (Goa), Taj Mahal (North India) , palace on wheels (Rajasthan) and medical tourism packages (Kerala). These are in addition to standard tourism packages such as first time tourists, honeymoon packages, group tours, etc.
September 13, 2007
Source: PR.com

Travel ecommerce

1. Kerala Tourism unveils common logo and branding for its ecotourism offerings, launches online portal

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism and Home, Kerala Government, recently unveiled a common logo and branding - Kerala by Nature - for the State's ecotourism offerings and also launched an online portal - www.ecotoursimkeralam.org - in order to aggressively market the ecotourism initiatives launched in the State. According to Dr Venu V, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, the common logo and branding will help create a unified brand and make it easier to market eco-tourism initiatives. The website has information on 16 ecotourism projects, apart from information on ecotourism certification norms and tips for people visiting forest-based projects.

At present, 56 sites across the State have been identified for ecotourism projects, of which work on 47 sites is already underway in collaboration with the Kerala Forest Department. Besides, in a recent development, Kerala Tourism gave the go ahead for the eco-tourism project at Sasthamcottah Lake, the only fresh water lake in Kerala. It is expected to be implemented in the current financial year itself. However, no boating service will be offered at the lake.
September 13, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

Events

1. 'North-East India - A Gateway to South-East Asia' summit focused on the importance of developing tourism infrastructure

'North-East India - A Gateway to South-East Asia', a three day summit was held at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala from September 7th-9th, 2007. Apart from discussing the possible communication links for connectivity within the North-East as well as to link it with South-East Asia, the summit highlighted the importance of developing tourism infrastructure in the North-East as well as developing tourism links with South-East Asian countries.

Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister, Tripura, emphasised that Buddhist heritage and pilgrimage circuits contributed a major share to North-East's tourism industry. In context to the recent infrastructure developments taking place in the region, he said that the setting-up of more hotels in the region along with better air-connectivity with the South-East Asian countries will lead to a huge increase in the number of inbound travellers visiting the North-East. Aimed at improving connectivity between the regions to promote trade, the event was jointly organised by the Institution of Engineers (India) Agartala Local Centre and the Public Works Department, Government of Tripura.
September 15, 2007
Source: Travel Biz Monitor

2. ACTE plans executive forums in Delhi and Bangalore

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is marking its third year in India with two executive forums planned for October. According to the Association`s Executive Director Susan Gurley, Delhi (9 October 2007) and  Bangalore (11 October 2007) will each host a four-part educational program positioning travel management as a strategic corporate asset.

"These forum programs will define the role travel management can and should play within a corporation, how data translates to corporate growth and professional influence, the significance of a strong payment medium, and the impact the privatisation of India airports will have on the business travel industry," said Gurley. "For the investment of a day, forum participants in these two cities will explore advanced management theory, proven techniques, new product options, and the impact of a developing trend."

The programs for both Delhi and Bangalore are identical, and are based on membership surveys and requests submitted by members in the region. The first session, Making Corporate Travel A Strategic Corporate Function, focuses on the expectations of upper management from a travel program. The session will illustrate how to develop the most appropriate value metrics, KPIs and dashboards that clearly depict cost avoidance. There will be an emphasis on building supplier relationships with clearly delineated roles and responsibilities. The session will answer the question of how a managed travel programme is more effective that booking a trip on the web.

"These issues are very significant to ACTE`s growing constituency in India," said Aditya Loomba, the association`s Delhi City Champion and a Director of Tour Mart India and Eco Rent A Car. "They were chosen for their relevancy and importance for bringing the travel department to the limelight in the board room."

The second presentation -- Data: Just Take What You Can Get, Rudimentary and Refined Data -- deals with identifying the best sources of data, how to evaluate it, and how to use it as an effective measure of achievement. According to ACTE research, the four hardest questions to answer are:
What options are available when you have no data to begin with?
What sources of data are available in India?
What type of data do you need?
How do you evaluate the reliability, validity, and accuracy of data?
Each of these questions will be answered by experts, with examples and sample anecdotal experience in dealing with the issue.

The luncheon topic will be "Do All Credit Cards Grow Up To Become Corporate Cards?" The answer is surprising. Corporate card programs are as individualized as the companies they serve. And not all are equal. This session will detail the difference between a credit card and a payments solution product. It will also identify the critical elements of a corporate card programme and run through the steps of matching a card programme to traveller`s needs.

The final item on the agenda will be a roundtable discussion regarding the privatisation of Indian airports. The real issue facing travelers of all levels is, "Will the current trend toward the privatisation of Indian airports meet consumer needs, and how will it impact business travel. Privatisation experts will discuss the success of these measures in other countries, what India can expect, and possible recourse.

ACTE leadership is anticipating a surge in the number of educational programs it will offer in India, considering both the growth of the industry and the association in the region. Indians, along with Australians and Chinese, constituted a third of the attendees at the recent ACTE Asia-Pacific Education Conference in Singapore last month.

"The market is demanding more frequent and specialized educational events," said Rajesh Rakheja, of Serwizol, ACTE`s City Champion for Bangalore. "Our forum program is geared to react to industry developments, answer the immediate questions, and predict new activity. It`s really suited to meet industry needs in India."
September 14, 2007
Source: Travel Daily News

3. India's biggest tourism fair opens in Ahmedabad

The 58th Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) was inaugurated by the Rajasthan Tourism Minister Usha Punia at Rajpath Club here today.

The three-day long fair, which is the biggest tourism fair organised in the city, has attracted over 200 participants from all over the country, including representations from 17 states, union territories and two foreign countries.

TTF provides a platform to all the tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, and other members of the travel trade to interact with prospective tourists from Ahmedabad and Gujarat. It also provides a forum, to the travel trade in the region, to interact with their counterparts from all over country as well as abroad.
September 14, 2007
Source: UNI

4. Upbeat about India at IATO meet

IATO, celebrating its silver jubilee, held its convention from September 1, 2007 at The Ashok. Livened up by with colourful displays, folk musicians and dance, the meet was chaired by Vijay Thakur and co-chaired by Arun Anand. The 1800 delegates included tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, restaurants, tourism consultants, government bodies, airlines and other service providers.

Mr Thakur expressed IATO's special thanks to the minister for tourism and her team for the 75% abatement of service tax for the travel industry. Torism minister Ambika Soni, in her inaugural address, said guest houses in Delhi have been regularized and can be registered at one third the regular fee. Regularisation of guest houses have been simplified and in the B&B scheme, electricity and water will be charged at normal, not commercial, rates.

In his keynote address, Lt Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna said, “Inbound tourism is growing rapidly and tourists should take back happy memories of their visit. IATO should develop high level of commitment to service.” He mentioned Delhi will have a totally new look for the Commonwealth Games.

Delhi Tourism Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely reassured IATO delegates that his ministry will take up the issue of luxury tax on actual tariff and not printed tariff. J&K tourism minister, Mohd Dilawar Mir, Rajasthan’s Ms Usha Punia, Sikkim’s Mr RB Subba and MP Tourism MD Mr Ashwani Lohani also mentioned IATO's catalytic role in boosting tourism. IATO’s Sr. Vice President Major Murli DharT thanked Mrs Soni, all state ministers and guests and requested all delegates to help in drawing up an IATO action plan.

Madhya Pradesh was the partner state, Delhi Tourism was the host state. Gujarat, J & K, Orissa, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Chandigarh sponsored the convention; Kerala, Assam, Sikkim, and Utttar Pradesh also participated. Other sponsors included InterContinental Hotels Group, Air India and Kingfisher, Choice Hotels, Clarks Group of Hotels and SATTE.

The opening day lunch was hosted by the tourism ministry and the dinner by Delhi’s chief minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit. Foreign participation came from Nepal, Vietnam, China and Kenya.

The Industry Round Table to brainstorm issues affecting growth, challenges and bottlenecks, globally and locally had the heads of IATO, TAFI, TAAI, ITTA, ADTOI, ATOAI, TFGI and UHF taking part, Business sessions included discussions on Indian Tourism - Global Challenges, The Toursim Plan 2020, Managing Growth in Aviation & Tourism, HRD and Capacity Building and Perception of Tourism by the Media and Global Challenges, Madhya Pradesh was declared the most tourism friendly state, and also got awards for Best Booth and Best Video CD by a State. The award for best poster was won by Rajasthan Tourism while the Best Brochure prize went to Uday Tours and Travels. The award for best Video CD by a hotel and Best Brochure by Hotel went to the Taj Group of Hotels and Best Brochure by a State Tourism board was conferred on Indiatourism, North.

In the valedictory session, Mr Praful Patel, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation was honoured with the IATO Hall of Fame Award
September 13, 2007
Source: Economic Times

5. Abacus wins Best Ethical Business Practices Award

After the grand success of the 1st and 2nd Edition of Hospitality India Annual Awards in 2005 and 2006, the 3rd Edition of ‘Hospitality India Annual International Awards-2007’ lived up to its expectation of being a major event in the calendar of Tourism industry. The event honoured achievers in 28 categories in the hospitality, travel & tourism sector.

A galaxy of leaders across all the segments of travel and tourism rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of the industry.Mr. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Union Civil Aviation Minister, the Chief Guest at the award function and Mr. Peter de Jong, President, PATA Worldwide, the Guest of Honour, addressed the 500-plus industry leaders and participants about the opportunities and challenges the booming Indian travel and tourism sector presents. Mr. Viiveck Verma, MD, Abacus India was presented the Award for Best Ethical Business Practices by Mr. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Union Minister for Civil Aviation They also gave away awards to the winners hailing from various segments of the travel and tourism industry.

“We are definitely pleased to receive an award once again but this time, it holds a special value as the category in which we were nominated “Best Ethical Business Practices” – is something from the core of our hearts at Abacus India. We have been engaged in trying to practice fair business and involve others in other process. This award is a recognition of our efforts which have been ongoing for quiet some time now and has really helped in boosting our morale up in keep on the fight to keep the industry as clean as possible.”, said Mr. Viiveck Verma, MD, Abacus India on the occasion.

Mr. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation, said “All segments associated with the tourism industry such as civil aviation, the hospitality sector, travel agents and tour operators, transporters and other service providers etc. must work in unison for the success of the several initiatives taken for the promotion of tourism. This awards function honours achievers who have made significant contribution to the success of the tourism story.”

Addressing the gathering, the Managing Editor of Hospitality India, Mr. DL Kalra said, “The Vision of Hospitality India Annual International Awards is to stimulate competitive spirit towards qualitative growth of the Indian hospitality, tourism and travel industries, an award that recognize efforts of institutions and individuals in providing value to products and enhancing professionalism in services”

Speaking on the prospects of tourism in the country, Mr. Peter de Jong, President and CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said, “India's emergence as a tourism powerhouse is also due to its strong, consumption-driven economy, a large and increasingly affluent middle class, and the on-going liberalisation of air transport. This has not been without challenge however and there will undoubtedly be more to come. In order to remain competitive in this highly volatile world and to realise the full potential of India as a premier destination, our industry needs individuals and organisations with not only the foresight to create appropriate strategies but also the talent and determination to see those strategies successfully executed.”

Adding further he said, “It is encouraging that Hospitality India identifies those who have contributed substantially to the continued development of travel and hospitality services and publicly recognises their achievements at the Hospitality India Annual International Awards”

This year the Annual Awards format has been given a broader scope, courtesy requests and suggestions from various quarters of travel and hospitality trade. The awards were no longer limited to the domestic segment of the industries and covered the international majors operating in India. Thus the title of the Award has been re-christened as ‘Hospitality India Annual International Awards’, which was organized in association with Singapore Tourism Board.

The reason for expanding the platform being that India is now increasingly getting integrated to the world economy and movement of services and trade make it imperative to focus on the broader picture where India plays a bigger role.

The Awards are symbols of honour for institutions/organisations/individuals both governmental and private in the field of tourism, travel and hospitality for their excellent services, products, and practices.

In addition, this year institutions/organizations were included from the international region, including Asia Pacific to make it a truly international platform.

The awardees/participants have come from different countries, besides India, such as Britain, Austria, Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Egypt and so forth, besides ambassadors from various countries.

This event is supported by Tourism, Travel and Hospitality organisations such as PATA, FHRAI, TAAI, TAFI, ATOI, ADTOI, HRANI, HAI, IATO, and so forth, apart from the captains of the industry and other international associations and organisations. The event drew participation from all the State Tourism Ministers/ Departments, Hotels, Airlines, Travel Agents and Tour Operators and all those connected with the tourism and hospitality industry across the country.
September 10, 2007
Source: Moneycontrol.com via ICPAR

Research and Market reports

1. The new leisure class
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), India is expected to be the third fastest growing country in the world over the next ten years, as far as travel and tourism demand is concerned. That growth potential, coupled with the 19.8% increase in the number of Indians living in India with financial assets of more than US$1 million, (compared to the 6.5% growth worldwide) are important factors in promoting the growth of leisure real estate in India. Leisure real estate means planning mixed-use development and fractional ownership to boost tourism in India.

Leisure real estate also entails owning a second home, which many Indians are going in for today after satisfying their need for a first home. The demand for a second home is more in tourist destinations like Goa, Uttarakhand and Himachal. Says Radhika Shastry, Managing Director - Indian Subcontinent, Group RCI, "With land bank choking in mega cities and people already having fulfilled their requirement of owning a home, the next step is to look for a second home. This comes under the purview of leisure real estate, which also encompasses timeshare/fractional ownership."

As far as the scope of this field goes, Arindam Kumar, general manager, Marketing & Retail Sales, Mapsko Builders Pvt Ltd says, "The scope for leisure real estate is very good. People want to enjoy their leisure time and for that they want a few good options. Nowadays, with the growing economy, the income status of the people is growing, leading to a change in tastes and wants.The demand for resorts, amusement parks etc. is soaring in the market."

Adds Kaushik Sengupta, VP-Sales & Marketing, Eros Group, "The scope of leisure real estate is immense in India. With stress levels at their peak both at work and home, people are looking for weekend getaways such as resorts, water parks, spas, nature cure centers eating joints etc. Moreover they are also looking for a home away from home which can be a private home, a farmhouse or a cottage on the outskirts of the city or in the hills." Says PK Sanyal, President, OSB Group, "Growth prospects of this segment are really good. With customer preferences changing, everyone needs a different option. Therefore, developers have to invest seeing the rise in demand."

In fact, property experts opine that this segment will be a key driver of real estate in the country in the coming years. Says KP Singh, DGM-Marketing, Pearls Infrastructure Projects Ltd., "Seeing the current development in the residential, commercial and retail real estate industry, the need for growth for leisure real estate has risen and the increasing demand is leading to its growth. The scope has arisen due to larger disposable incomes, a growing economy and a changing and diversified lifestyle."

Adds Prem Adip Rishi, Chairman & Managing Director, MVL- Real Estate division, "One of the key drivers of leisure real estate will be tourism. India is expected to be the third fastest growing country in the world in travel and tourism demand over the next ten years. That growth, coupled with the 19.8% increase in the number of Indians living in India with financial assets of over $1 trillion, are important factors to promote the growth of leisure real estate here. Hectic lifestyle is leading people to splurge on leisure activities to be able to unwind in the short respite time that they get. Companies have also substantially increased their spent on employee delight initiatives."

In fact, Indian tourism is expected to grow at the rate of 20-25% per annum till 2017, posing a huge opportunity for wealth creation in our country. This makes leisure real estate a good investment option for developers. Says Kenneth May, Chairman and CEO, Group RCI, "India is poised for growth in leisure real estate and is at the helm of an explosive economic growth in tourism. The market for leisure real estate today is expected to gain further momentum over the next few years. With growing disposable incomes and consumer aspirations and the enormous tourism potential in India, the time could not be better for the industry to launch new leisure real estate models that will meet the needs of the evolving consumer."

Amitabh Kant, Principal Secretary (Industries and Commerce), Government of Kerala and former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism recently said at a 'Leisure Real Estate Symposium' held in the Capital, "With the growing purchasing power of Indians, holidays are evolving into experiential and aspirational experiences for the affluent traveller. Through the Incredible India Campaign, we are focussing on opening up newer destinations and new experiences like rural tourism and medical tourism for both the inbound domestic and international traveler."

A number of small and upcoming builders have already announced projects in places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ramgarh, Vrindavan, Solan, Shimla etc. with bigger developers too getting ready to foray into these areas. Says Sengupta, "Getting into such avenues will be a very lucrative investment option as the target audience for such projects will be middle income group couples and their families. With both members of the family working, the disposable income available with them for such investment is higher and hence they can invest in such options."
September 9, 2007
Source: Indian Express

Travel Characteristics of Indians