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Abu Dhabi is aBuzz Kerala invites new projects The Department of Culture and Tourism A high-level meeting presided by the new Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas Abu Dhabi has appointed Buzz Travel has decided on revival of the state’s tourism sector by rolling out new domestic tourism Marketing as its new India representative. packages that encourage Indian travellers to visit destinations in the state. Nisha Verma Manas Dwivedi also attended by Rani George, under RT will be aimed at Principal Secretary (Tourism) ensuring that the local population he Buzz-DCT Abu n a bid to restart and VR Krishna Teja, Director, benefits from tourism while fo- Dhabi three-year part- tourism in the state, Kerala Tourism besides top offi- cus continues to be laid on their Tnership will be aimed IPA Mohamed Riyas, cials of Kerala Tourism Develop- traditional and cultural values. The at supporting stakeholders Minister for Tourism & Public ment Corporation. Department of Tourism also plans and further enhancing Abu Works Department, Govern- to work with the local authorities Dhabi’s long-standing involve- ment of Kerala, has decided “In a month, the various approval/ to determine how the people of ment with the Indian market. It to finalise projects and imple- classification schemes under the region can be empowered will also focus on strengthening ment them at the earliest so Ease of Doing Business will go through tourism. A move in the Abu Dhabi’s trade and market- that people are inspired to visit online. Authorities will draft new direction is expected to be made ing strategies with a brand-new HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba the state and explore the wide COVID-19 protocols for tourists by mid-June. outlook, as part of the emir- Executive Director of Tourism PA Mohamed Riyas and Marketing, DCT Abu Dhabi range of offerings and regions Minister for Tourism & Public Works arriving from other states. This ate’s upcoming plans for the there. “The initiative, which is be- Department, Government of Kerala will be done after tourism officials At the meeting it was also tourism sector. ing carried out considering that hold talks with their counterparts decided that senior function- onboard Buzz Travel Market- the pandemic will take time for Kerala Tourism will work in close in the Ministry of Health,” Riyas aries and top officials will HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, ing as our new partner in India. authorities to promote interna- association with allied depart- added. One of the new schemes present project drafts that Executive Director of Tour- As we repurpose our strategy tional tourists, seeks to complete ments by initiating sustained is expected to lay stress on the can help revive tourism in ism and Marketing at DCT Abu on the road to recovery post select tourism projects in the dialogues with all parties,” the Responsible Tourism (RT) mis- the state that has suffered a Dhabi, says, “To further this leg- COVID-19, we look forward to districts on a time-bound basis. Minister said. The meeting was sion. The measures adopted Contd on page 16 acy, we are pleased to welcome Contd on page 16 Sectoral relief needed E-connect at Korea Travel Expo MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, HAI, believes the government should provide Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), New Delhi office is set to organise its first virtual B2B sectoral, comprehensive packages. event for India market - Korea Travel Expo - from June 22-24 this year. Young-Geul Choi, Director, Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, shares what to expect at the event. Hazel Jain Nisha Verma right time to reconnect with the them something positive to look ith extensive experience industry and introduce the latest forward to. “And, they can start in both Indian tourism ver 15 regional tour- products and offerings in South doing what they love, that is meet Wand hospitality, Madan ism boards, attractions Korea, which is preparing itself new people, make connections, Prasad Bezbaruah has seen both Oand DMCs of Korea are to reopen for inbound tourism these industry grow and evolve confirmed to exhibit at the Korea this year. We want Indian travel over the past few decades. A Travel Expo, including represen- companies to start focusing on retired IAS Officer and a Former tatives from Seoul and Busan South Korean tour products for Secretary at the Ministry of Tour- tourism boards, Jeju Convention outbound travel in the future.” ism, Bezbaruah now focuses on- & Visitor Bureau and Lotte World hospitality and getting the industry with its collection of theme park, Commending the resilience the Madan Prasad Bezbaruah its due, especially given how trau- Secretary General, HAI aquarium and observatory. Young-Geul Choi people of India have shown in and make exciting tour pack- matic the past one year has been Director, KTO, New Delhi office battling the second wave of ages & travel products for their for it. “Of course, the industry tinuing misery. It is devastating for Talking about the aim behind the infections in the country, Choi customers,” the Director claims. has learnt a lot over the last one our business and psychologically event, Young-Geul Choi says, exhibitors for the India market. adds that as people in the travel year. That learning I presume will very frustrating,” he says. The “In 2020, due to the unpredict- Currently, as the second wave industry in India start getting Choi also believes there is pent- continue. Because while from the industry has, of course, learned able COVID situation globally, we of COVID is getting under control back to their regular work life, up business travel demand that health point of view, it is a second some lessons. “We have learned were unable to organise any kind and many countries have started Korea Travel Expo will be like a will happen once the quarantine wave, for the industry it is a con- Contd on page 8 of B2B connect of our Korean opening up, we think this is the breath of fresh air, and will give Contd on page 14

BULLETIN IATO waives admission fee As part of its special drive for strengthening the pan-India membership base, IATO has waived off the admission fee of `10,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) for applicants from certain states and UTs. The Association is also motivating existing members to get MOT-recognised.

Manas Dwivedi financial year 2021-22 and they will not be charged the annual o strengthen its mem- subscription for the financial year bership base, the 2021-22. TIndian Association of Tour Operator’s (IATO) Executive Talking about the main objec- Committee (EC) has taken some tive of this membership drive, major and important decisions to Mehra says that his team wants increase membership in states to make IATO a strong voice of where the association has fewer Rajiv Mehra the tourism and travel industry members, and also to encourage President, IATO all over the country. “I request all allied members across the coun- try to change their status from has decided to give 50 per cent stakeholders in the tourism in- Allied to Active. discount on the admission fee for dustry to apply for IATO mem- the applicants from other states bership, and take benefit of Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, that are not mentioned above. This waiver waiver/discount in admission says that the EC has decided to There is no waiver/discount on or discount fee. We also want to encour- waive off the admission fee of the annual subscription and that age existing Allied members `10,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) is to be paid fully. This waiver / in admission who are MOT-approved and for applicants from some of the discount in admission fee will be have foreign exchange earnings states and union territories (UTs) for the applications received up to fee will be for of minimum `20 lakh during where IATO needs to encourage March 31, 2022,” Mehra shares. all the FY 2019-20, to apply for change stakeholders to join the asso- of status from Allied to Active cat- ciation to strengthen its mem- Earlier, the EC had decided to give applications egory. All help will be rendered by bership base. These states and relief to existing members in the the IATO Secretariat, New Delhi, UTs include Andaman & Nicobar category of tour operators, travel received up to so that after they get MOT rec- Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, agents, transport operators and March 31, 2022 ognition, they will be eligible to Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra hotel representation companies. change their status from Allied to & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, All these category of members, Active category after completion Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, who have paid their annual sub- of two years from the date of their Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Puduch- scription for the financial year members to support the EC in getting MOT recognition. This will erry, and the Northeast states. 2020-21, their membership will the membership drive, encour- also entitle them to take benefits “The EC has gone beyond and automatically be renewed for the age all their friends and other from MOT,” he says. guestcolumn Generating tourism demand Kingshuk Biswas, who is on the UNWTO panel of Tourism Experts, delves into how VIEWPOINT the tourism industry can generate demand in such a dismal scenario, and offers some suggestions for ‘creating’ this demand post COVID.

In the doldrums ccording to a recent The point I am trying to make tions interesting sections where customers can actu- Booking.com re- is that it is high time that hotels like ‘unique experiences’ ally shop, for example in Jan- but united Asearch report, 86% start promoting their (1) green/ and ‘outdoor activities’ path market in Delhi, and the Indian travellers will take more sustainable practices, (2) hy- goods can then be shipped health and safety related pre- giene factors, (3) COVID-free Tour Operators thus are per- directly to the buyers. It’s been more than a year since the first wave of cautions when travelling in the environment, etc., rather than fectly poised to promote and COVID-19 set off a desperate bid for relief, both future. It also states that more just offering price discounts. highlight the cultural identity of Promote community medical and financial, across the world and in India. than 70% Indians would avoid The entire marketing and the destinations. This strategic based tourism (CBT) certain destinations altogether Destinations belong to commu- In retrospect, year 2020 can easily be termed as the due to safety concerns. Seven- nities and tourists are merely ‘Year of Learnings’. It taught us to set funds aside for ty-seven per cent of Indian trav- Key Findings Inference visiting the location. Com- a rainy day, dig deep into the abyss of our imagina- ellers will only book a particular munity-based tourism is not accommodation if it’s clear Customised itineraries something new but it gets more tion in a sheer bid to survive, not put all our eggs in 54% of global travellers what health and hygiene poli- saying they want to go on one will emerge strong in the prominence post COVID-19. As one basket, and the list continues there on. Year 2020 cies it has in place, with almost long trip to a destination that post-COVID scenario such it was mostly the NGOs was also a year of urgent appeals to both Central and 80% favoring accommodations has all of their favourite activi- and a few passionate tour oper- that have antibacterial and sani- ties and sights close together. ators/boutique hotels who have state authorities to pull the sector out of a series of tizing products. In the wake of been promoting community- grievous consequences on business and livelihood in COVID-19 second wave in the based tourism till date. Post Go-local is the new mantra country the question the in- 71% of global travellers say COVID-19, given the changing the travel & tourism sector. The national associations in the post-COVID era dustry is asking is, “how does that eating locally-sourced mindset of the tourists, they of travel & tourism and hospitality had made sev- the tourism industry generate produce is important to them will look for more meaningful, eral representations to the government for financial demand in such a dismal sce- when on vacation. responsible and immersive aid and assistance in survival, then revival. But, the nario? ” Here are my few sug- experiences. CBT experiences Digitisation of tourism will pleadings may have been slightly mismanaged and gestions for ‘creating demand’ 60% of global travellers keen will boom. for the industry post COVID. to have access to a service accelerate at an even faster the tourism and hospitality bodies themselves were (app/website) that recommends pace post-COVID Market sustainable not sure-footed, having been faced by an event of Market safety, hygiene destinations where an increase luxury travel such magnitude and with no end on the horizon. and green practices in tourism would have a positive The COVID-19 crisis has led to (accommodation sector) impact on the local community. the behavioral change of social If anything, year 2020 prepared us, to an extent, for Interesting in the post-COVID distancing and seclusion. Cur- scenario, I am seeing lot of rently in India, boutique hotels/ the second wave of COVID, even though the dev- looking to take a longer Road trips, train trips, river hotels across India offering 61% homestays away from the city astating impact of the latter had not been foreseen. route to experience more of the cruises, etc: Slow tourism attractive packages focusing has a bright future are doing much better than city When business started picking up late last year, the primarily on the ‘price factor’. journey, such as the scenery. hotels. There is an emerging travel industry was hopeful of a good year ahead. I wonder that as a customer trend for booking the entire is ‘price’ going to be the moti- property just between fam- What ensued is for everyone to witness. But, this vational factor for me to travel branding of the hotels in the and smart investment in cre- ily and friends, and custom- time around, even though the appeals to the govern- with family post-COVID? For post-COVID era should be on ating new unique local experi- ers are ready to pay for that ment for relief and revival continue, the industry has customers’ family & friends, the lines of health, nature, dis- ences would go a long way in privilege and exclusivity. Tour learnt that united, they can face tough times and help health, safety, seclusion will covery, rejuvenation, solace, their recovery. operators are experiencing be key motivators, not ‘price’ going local, etc. more focus on customised each other out. Events so far have shown that the alone. Some results of a quick Explore virtual travel itineraries rather than coming together of the industry as one big family search of the major OTAs: Create culturally experiences & shopping large group bookings.Custom- has strengthened the resolve of everyone involved to immersive experiences I strongly recommend that ers want immersive experi- v Booking.com has a filter Having a cursory look at the so- tour operators/tours guides ences at one destination with fight the menace and survive! Miracles happen when for hotel search for ‘prop- cial media platforms of the state in India take a leaf out of In- guarantee of seclusion. Luxury people unite! erties with ‘additional tourism boards in India post trepid Travel’s foray into this travel has a new mantra of health & safety measures’ COVID-19, it is evident that most area. Customers pay and sign ‘seclusion & privacy’. This approach will set the tone for the future of the of them have been aggressively up for an online experience travel & tourism industry as a whole. When every v MakeMyTrip has a search promoting unknown/lesser led by someone in another segment of the sector has its policies, procedures, filter exclusively for ‘safe, known destinations. Again few country and spend an hour hygienic stays’ findings from the OTAs: or two interacting, learning a protocols and communication in sync with the other, new skill, asking questions, the flow of business and its impact become seam- v Expedia has a filter for v Thrillophilia, which is and learning about local cul- less. The shortcomings get ironed out and the indus- hotel search on ‘Enhanced majorly into experiences ture and traditions. The vir- cleaning - properties tak- and tours, has a sepa- tual experiences would also try, as a whole, becomes a force to reckon with. ing additional steps to rate section ‘Away from provide tour guides in India And, while the industry still awaits some relief from clean and sanitise’ the crowd’ with a new kind of product authorities, it is better prepared to face whatever may offering to help support eco- Kingshuk Biswas v Tripadvisor has a hotel v Viator, the international nomic recovery. The live vir- Panellist, UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts come its way. search filter for ‘electric OTA specialising in tours, tual tours can be expanded to (Views expressed by the author are his own. vehicle charging station’ has amongst many sec- virtual shopping experiences, The publication may or may not subscribe to them.)

Vikramajit Editorial Advertising Advertising (Mumbai) Mumbai: Devika Jeet Suchita Saran TRAVTALK is a publication of DDP Publications Private Limited. information contained in this publication which is provided The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any 504, Marine Chambers, 43, New Marine Lines, Chairman Nisha Verma Nikhil Jeet Branch Manager All information in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we for general use, and may not be appropriate for the read- material solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for Hazel Jain Director Opp. SNDT College, Mumbai - 400 020, India, Manas Dwivedi Harshal Ashar consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report ac- ers’ particular circumstances. Contents of this publication material lost or damaged. Arumita Gupta General Manager Ph.: +91-22-22070129; 22070130 SanJeet Senior Manager curate information. It is passed on to our readers without are copyright. No part of TRAVTALK or any part of the contents Editor & Publisher Tripti Mehta Priyanshu Wankhade any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any MIDDLE EAST: Desk Editor Gaganpreet Kaur Manager Advertising Durga Das Publications Middle East (FZE) Manager cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in transmitted in any form without the permission of the pub- specific product or services offered. The publisher reserves Z1-02, PO Box: 9348, Saif Zone, Sharjah, UAE Nitin Kumar the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with Advertisement Designer this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views lication in writing. The same rule applies when there is a Ph.:+971-6-5528954, Fax: +971-6-5528956 expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews copyright or the article is taken from another publication. all advertisements without explanation. Design: Nityanand Misra TravTalk is printed, published and edited by SanJeet on behalf Sudhir Mudgal are not necessarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to An exemption is hereby granted for the extracts used for the All advertisements must comply with the Indian and Inter- of DDP Publications Pvt. Ltd., printed at Modest Print Pack Pvt. Production: Anil Kharbanda advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities purpose of fair review, provided two copies of the same pub- may hold different views than those reported. Material used lication are sent to us for our records. Publications reproduc- national Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be Ltd., C-52, DDA Sheds Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Circulation: Ashok Rana Delhi-110020 and published at 72, Todarmal Road, in this publication is intended for information purpose only. ing material either in part or in whole, without permission liable for any damage or loss caused by delayed publication, New Delhi - 110 001 error or failure of an advertisement to appear. CIN: U22210DL2012PTC230432 Readers are advised to seek specific advice before acting on could face legal action. Ph.:+91-11-23234177 STATES june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 7 Linking agriculture with tourism The recently-held 14th International Conference on Agri-Tourism brought together various experts in the field who shared their experiences on how this segment can be developed and the benefits it can bring to not just the local community but to the destination as well.

Hazel Jain ister Dadasaheb Bhuse for women from 10 countries shared in- farmers is highly commendable. sightful information about scope he Agri-Tourism De- More than 60% of the country's and significance of Agri-tourism. velopment Organiza- population is engaged in agriculture Also part of the conference were Ttion Baramati with the and it is crucial to link agriculture Pandurang Taware, Founder, support of the Directorate of to tourism. Agri-tourism is instru- Agri Tourism Development Cor- Tourism, Government of Maha- mental for employment genera- poration (ATDC); Valsa Nair, rashtra, recently organised an tion and economic improvement Principal Secretary, Depart- international conference on Agri- especially in these pandemic times ment of Tourism, Government

Italy, USA, Uganda, South Africa, known tourist destinations in the Women in the field Aaditya Thackeray Dr. Dhananjay Sawalkar Steve Borgia Philippines, Scotland, Spain first phase, where it is difficult to The conference highlighted the Minister, Tourism & Environment Director, Directorate of Tourism Chairman & Managing Director and Thailand. get affordable accommodation. initiatives taken by women to Government of Maharashtra Government of Maharashtra INDeco Leisure Hotels Maharashtra has over 1,000 successfully run the Agri-tourism Planning underway Agri-tourism centres which are centres around the world, the Dr. Dhananjay Sawalkar, Direc- empowering farmers and rural development of these centres tor, Directorate of Tourism, Gov- communities to enhance their through their ingenious and in- One of the We have Rural tourism ernment of Maharashtra, said, economic viability. novative methods, thus empow- “Negotiations are underway ering rural women around the safest ways recently changes the with all the concerned depart- Also part of the discussion world. Another interesting fact to enjoy travel way the villages ments with Agri-tourism and was Steve Borgia, Chairman presented was that, because of approved the the administration is trying to and Managing Director, IN- successful Agri-tourism centres, right now is applications of are involved streamline the process of set- Deco Leisure Hotels, who has many urban tourists of these ting up agri-tourism centres by pioneered rural tourism in the countries are being able to in- to visit 86 Agri-tourism in Agri or issuing ordinances. We strive to southern region of India. He dulge in nature and experience rural areas farm tourism implement this policy success- said, “We have changed the tourism at affordable rates. Some centres fully with minimal administra- face of some villages in Tamil of them who addressed the tourism. This year’s theme was when people have lost jobs. Agri- of Maharashtra; Dr. Dhananjay ‘Women Farmer Entrepreneur- tourism has given us the opportu- Sawalkar, Director, Director- ship Development’ and brought nity to bring together the two major ate of Tourism, Government of together some of the prominent sectors: tourism and agriculture. Maharashtra; Dr. Harsh Verma, women entrepreneurs and ex- The current pandemic offers an Ex Technical Director, UNWTO, perts in the field of Agri-tourism. opportunity to grow Agri-tourism Spain; Ashutosh Salil (IAS), in India. One of the safest ways to Managing Director, MTDC; Sharing his view on this segment, enjoy travel right now is to visit ru- and D Venketesan, Regional Aaditya Thackeray, Minister of ral areas, experience rural life and Director, Western and South Tourism & Environment, said, enjoy a clean environment.” Region, Ministry of Tourism. “I am proud that our state has It also witnessed participation taken the lead in Agri-tourism. The two-day conference was at- of national and international ex- The concept of 30% Krishi Yojana tended by 500 participants from perts, researchers and farmers proposed by the Agriculture Min- 21 countries. About 30 speakers from various countries including

tive control. Interested farmers Nadu where rural tourism has conference included Dr. Mira will be given free training in become a socio-economic Gabor, Ex Principal Secretary, hospitality, marketing, etc. The tool. But why are we so slow Ministry of Tourism, Philippines; ideal Agri-tourism centres can in adopting farm or rural tour- Ravazzoli Elisa of Italy; Lisa Chase be included in the business ism? I believe rural tourism is and Jane Eckert from the USA; training/evaluation trips of the the future for a country like In- Maria Buryamujura of Uganda; tourism department. We have dia because it changes the way Nanda Kasar from Pune; and Dr. recently approved the applica- the villages are involved in Agri Ashwini Kotkar from Thane. They tions of 86 new Agri-tourism or farm tourism. We have to be shared their experiences, studies, centres and I am confident that so cautious today – we want to and various reforms undertaken the farmers will be inspired by have tourists inside those vil- in their respective regions to pro- this conference and register for lages and farms, but we don’t mote agri-tourism. They narrated more centres.” want to take it away. There- their experiences on how they fore, I also believe that tourism went out of their traditional roles He also suggested that it would that does not offer benefits to and started their own business, be more profitable to set up the local communities is not the difficulties they faced and Agri-tourism centres in well- fair tourism.” how they overcame them. 8 TravTalk june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 nto

Flybig starts flying between Pasighat, ‘We will tweak as per trend’ Guwahati & Kolkata Austrian National Tourist Office that recently concluded its three-day B2B virtual roadshow – Virtual Shangri-La Group atb 2021 – is finely tuned to the needs and trends of the Indian market and will tweak its strategy announces its family experience only once cross-border travel opens up. brand - Fam.ily Hazel Jain in attracting guests is never a Singapore approves coincidence, but the result of COVID breath test he Austrian Tourism hard work. The Tourism Days that gives immediate Days (ÖTT) that was are a strong sign of life from the results Theld from May 17-19, industry and an internal and ex- data and stats going forward will Trade engagements 2021 was dedicated to the re- ternal signal that Austrian tour- help in this to a certain degree for ANTO has already been engag- Crisis in Indian turn of travel, ahead of Austria’s ism is back –let’s go!” sure and we do refer to various ing with its network of agents aviation sector at reopening on May 19. The three- available data. We are finely tuned through various channels like ‘point of no return’: day conference focused on sales, Highlights of the B2B meets to the needs and trends of the In- its WhatsApp business group, CAPA India innovation, safe holidays and Christine Mukharji Giving a peek into the main dian market and work our strate- social media like Facebook and Market Manager, India, ANTO Bahrain suspends entry the future of travel to provide the concerns of the Indian buyers, gies accordingly,” Mukharji adds. Instagram and also through var- industry with short and medium- Mukharji says, “Given the current ied travel associations. “We have of Indian travellers term orientation. Part of this event looking forward to gaining fur- scenario, their only concern is run numerous contests where Maharashtra govt was the atb.virtual – a B2B plat- ther insight into Austria and its the rules and regulations of each we gave out gift packs and seeks World Heritage form for the Austrian industry products to be prepared once country once they open and most We have gift vouchers to agents which tag for 14 forts to present itself to international travel opens. Since we have importantly when will Austria be was a big hit. In addition, we have buyers, including 12 travel com- a limited amount of agents we open for Indian tourists to visit. started our started our ‘Visit Austria’ App MPTB to launch ‘Safe panies from India. could accommodate from each People seem eager to travel and where agents can keep abreast Tourism for Women’ country at the atb virtual, we are waiting for travel to open up.” ‘Visit Austria’ App of all developments in Austria project at 50 destinations Speaking about the response could not accept participation of and also renew/become an Aus- from India at this virtual show, any more Indian travel agents.” She adds that ANTO will continue where agents trian Certified Travel Specialist Kashmir tour operators Christine Mukharji, Market to target B2B and B2C like it has in can keep member,” Mukharji reveals, ask or revival package Manager, India, Austrian Na- Speaking on the sidelines of the the past. “For now, our plan once adding that as per the latest OTOAI waives off tional Tourist Office, says, “We event was Austria’s Minister for we restart promotions will be to abreast of all update from the Austrian gov- annual membership had 12 travel companies par- Tourism Elisabeth Köstinger, continue promoting all the destina- ernment, Covishield has been ticipate in Virtual atb 2021. The who said, “We are at the begin- tions as previously and then tweak developments mentioned as one of the five fee for FY 2021-2022: response was very encouraging ning of a big comeback in tour- our promotions as new trends in Austria recognised vaccines for its Riaz Munshi and enthusiastic with all agents ism. Our businesses’ success emerge. Getting latest research inbound travellers. Liquidity is the biggest issue

Contd from page 3 ism industry are SMEs so the SMEs. The biggest problem We have also talked about Mutual support main problem is with them,” for SMEs is payroll support for the Credit Guarantee Scheme The bottom line is, Bezbaruah that winning the confidence and Bezbaruah adds. their people. Many have been which is a very good scheme says, the problem is not the MOT. trust of the consumer is very retrenched because of this. We but it has a lot of lacuna It is only a facilitating ministry. important, and the industry must Level of impact understand that government for which it may not be to- “It cannot give the financial ben- go out of its way now and pro- Unfortunately, no assess- is thinking about the general tally beneficial to the industry. efits that we have asked for. So actively create that atmosphere of ment has been made so far, economic recovery, benefits we understand that. We have confidence to bring back guests. he says, adding, “It is very of which will come to tourism Many of the things that tried to strengthen the hands Most of the hotels that are important to make some sort also. But it needs to think about we have asked for in the of the ministry and have re- well established have already of assessment, an estimate. In Madan Prasad Bezbaruah this as well,” Bezbaruah adds. first wave like deferment of pay- quested that it should go stron- gotten into AI and digitalisation, the initial months of the pan- Secretary General, HAI ment have not come to us. They ger than it has done now, to while ensuring that they don’t demic, a McKinsey survey re- “We strongly believe that it is relate to the state governments focus on those demands and make people redundant, which vealed the hotel industry would ter and it is not a financing in- time for some sectoral, strong, try to get them from the FM. could lead to a serious problem. be down by 70 per cent. At that stitution, unfortunately. In time comprehensive package. Our We do see small developments But a very small section of the time the hotel industry had esti- though, if we do have sufficient members are also trying to do and we have been told that the industry can do this; almost 80 mated a revenue loss of `90,000 funds, we would like to extend their best, they just need a little What we export benefits will soon come per cent of the travel and tour- crore. HAI is guided by our char- financial help to our members. support like relief for electric- to the industry, and social infra- Our primary role is to highlight ity bills, etc. We have also asked are trying to say structure status will be extended problems, create advocacy and for benefits of social infrastruc- is that please to us. What we are trying to say Submission to the FM create a platform for PPPs.” ture to allow more hotels to is that please do something com- v Need for Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS reopen. Sooner or later, domes- do something prehensive, don’t do things ad 3.0) customisation to include: Liquidity – the biggest tic tourism will restart in a big comprehensive, hoc,” he explains. c State Financial Corporations problem way and when that happens c Asset Reconstructions Companies (ARCs) and Debt Funds The biggest problem of the in- we will have to go beyond the don’t do things Strong PPP initiative c Extension of moratorium dustry right now, no matter what metros for which we will need HAI has been emphasising on c Capping of interest rate at 8% the size of the hotel, is liquidity. ready infrastructure there,” the ad hoc two things: the government must c Increasing of delinquency period “Payments are due but they expert voices. come out with a very strong PPP v Hotels with no borrowings also be eligible for ECLGS 3.0 have no income. So we have initiative. “We have to think seri- v Allow hotels to utilise credit line for any business purpose been talking to the RBI, re- He clarifies, “Give what was so we have requested the Centre ously about the credit system for v Complete or partial waiver of statutory expenses payable by hotels questing them to restructure due. For instance, the Ser- to ensure states do this. We have SMEs, build some sort of insur- v Introduction of plan/policy where hotels can renegotiate lease these loans, give moratorium, vice Export Incentive Scheme created state chapters that have ance or security cover for them. rentals/licence fee and provide liquidity support extended to the industry actively been in touch with their And we have to do destination and credit support to these which we have not got as yet. respective state governments.” development,” he says. QUICKBYTES june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 9 Do you have a game plan? A strategy worked out in advance can make the future of a business more robust in these challenging times. Industry experts bring into focus the need for frequent research and real-time data that can prove to be a magic wand for decision-makers, encompassing factors like traffic, traveller behaviour, routes and destinations, etc.

The fundamentals of research Research and planning It is extremely important to and data has shaken since the are inter-connected. To conduct adapt to consumer preferences. pandemic. Companies can no proper research, we do need to There is a repository of customer longer rely on historical trends plan considering the geographi- insights that we dip into while to predict future growth. Rather, cal locations, the travel trend and creating travel experiences for companies now require to moni- several other factors and draw a customers. We conduct research tor real time trends more than research design. Research has with an objective to understand ever. Be it passenger traffic, varied dimensions. As a tech and obtain insights of the leisure traveller behaviour, operational support company for accom- traveller and their travel behaviour. routes and destinations – every Abraham Alapatt modation providers, we do the Nicholas Lim Our research is conducted across Tomoyuki Okagawa bit of the travel industry has been President & Group Head – General Manager (Sales) Asia Managing Director, JTB India Marketing, Service Quality, research on a broader scale ac- Norwegian Cruise Line metros and tier-II & III cities that upended, and things are only Value Added Services & Innovation cording to our research design. offer diverse perspective and in- At JTB, we pride ourselves in going to get more complex in Thomas Cook (India) After research, we plan the busi- Data has always been an sights. Findings help us custom- the business of generating value the short-term. ness strategy. important part of our planning, ise our offerings. to our customers and we believe Research and data has been and it’s especially critical in the that it is of utmost importance key to our foray into new markets/ current environment, where for us to study and conduct a re- segments, launch of new prod- funds need to be spent wisely. search-based business plan. This ucts, services or innovation in We start by looking at what we is especially true in the current sit- technology or processes; equally know through our own platforms uation where the business trends in refining/upgrading our existing and resources, like web visits and are changing constantly. We en- products and service delivery. enquiries, but also regular check- sure that a regular communica- Data analytics has proven in- ins to gauge the sentiment of our tion survey is conducted with our valuable. Our Holiday Readiness agent partners and past guests. client base to develop a relevant Surveys during the pandemic pro- Then we’ll look to fill in any gaps business strategy which will also vided critical insights and several Chetan Kapoor in knowledge through additional lead to the company’s evolution, initiatives that we launched were Binitha Sreejith Daniel D’souza Co-Founder and Business Development Head research. In today’s world, we President & Country Head development and growth. Chief Strategy Officer, Videc basis this research. StreetGooser Tech have to be flexible. Leisure, SOTC Travel Inputs by Hazel Jain Quicker results will count Wouldn’t it be great if companies can get real results at a fraction of the cost and more than 70 per cent faster than traditional research companies? Rahim Penangwala, Founder, UserQual, shares

more details about his start-up and how his product can help the industry. Rahim Penangwala Founder, UserQual

Hazel Jain give travel and hospitality com- your customer, product, compet- panies real results at a fraction itors and market. Acting on this How UserQual is disrupting market research Tell us a bit about your product. of the cost and more than 70 data will lead you to identify new v Interactive and feature-rich product testing platform with powerful There will UserQual is a feature-rich prod- per cent faster than traditional opportunities for your business video analytics, transcriptions, translations, and AI tools be process uct testing platform for digital research companies. by creating delightful experiences v Offers feedback within minutes product creators as well as con- for your customers. The mistake v Allows remote mobile and desktop testing re-evaluation; sumer packaged goods compa- Why is market research/data a company makes is assuming v In-depth target audience selection and screeners nies to gain valuable consumer key in predicting market trends, that they know their customers v Ideal for user engagement pre/post product launch companies feedback. It has powerful video especially in current times? and building products that don’t v Quick turnaround and increased conversion velocity may focus on analytics and some mind-bend- Data can help you gain key in- reach their full potential. Data v Enables 15-min unmoderated video sessions to 60-minute moder- ingly awesome AI tools, that can sights and information about gathering very often happens ated group sessions a differentiator v Ideal for website/app UI/UX testing and offline CPG product testing factor v Provides in-depth analysis and richer insight v Offers real reactions and honest feedback from users v Sentiment analysis, wordcloud, net promotor scores, statistics be enhanced due to 360-degree feedback from potential cus- tomers. Post product creation, post product launch in terms of product launch, is key to keep- you can engage with custom- heat maps, funnel analysis etc. ing pace with market trends and ers throughout their journey by But most of the time it is too late. keeping your competition at bay. interacting with them at every An average customer takes less micro-moment of booking a than 5 seconds to decide if she How can your product guide travel travel related activity, conducting wants to spend time on a prod- and hospitality companies? A/B tests and incorporating all uct. Once a customer deletes an A customer’s decision journey is the feedback received to en- App, you have to spend 3x the divided into hundreds of micro- hance a customers’ product amount to get him to re-install moments across devices and experience. This will be key in your App. Hence, acquiring rich channels. With UserQual, your planning ahead given the current and steady data, pre and post product ideation and creation will volatile times. 10 TravTalk JUNE 1ST Fortnight issue 2021 nto

Experiencing In order to ensure a continuous and seamless interaction with the travel trade in India, the Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai has been conducting a series of webinars on fun and exciting topics which will spill into June as well. Attend all three of the upcoming webinars, participate in the educational quiz and stand a chance to win Amazon gift vouchers.

TT Bureau Following the way of How many of Andalucia. Coming to Málaga Saint James during Spain's heritage and Costa del Sol means finding he Tourism Office of the Xacobeo cities do you know? beautiful landscapes, fabulous Spain – Mumbai or- Holy Year 2021-2022 Thursday, 08 July @ 3pm IST beaches, delicious food, inter- Tganised a series of Thursday, 01 July @ 3pm IST Visiting Spain brings you into esting customs and traditions. It three webinars in April 2021 The Xacobeo Holy Year direct contact with the history means discovering a rich cultural to engage and educate travel is an incredible experience of its civilizations. There are 15 heritage, amazing coastal areas, trade professionals in India. that will delight you, a date stunning UNESCO World Heri- and charming white hinterland The National Tourism Office that is eagerly awaited by tage cities to be seen in Spain, villages. A short presentation by continues with its webinar pilgrims from all over the world. each with its exceptional sights the Tourist Office of Costa del series exclusively designed and unique scenes. Take the Sol unveiled these aspects of for the Indian travel trade with The well-known Jacobean time to explore their local cui- the destination. one-hour webinars in June- pilgrimage routes of The Way sine, learn about their customs, July on Thursdays. of Saint James (Camino de and take part in their fiestas for The answers from the attendees a complete experience and an to the poll questions were very Webinars in June 2021 unforgettable trip. The webinar insightful, especially Costa del Reasons to scheduled on 08 July, 3PM IST Sol as a venue for destination Visit Valencia will inspire you to plan a cultur- weddings from India. Thursday, 10 June @ 3pm IST ally oriented journey into the art Valencia is a city worth and splendour of Spain. AVE Cities Network taking time over, exploring The final webinar in April every detail and discovering Webinars in April 2021 was titled ‘I Travel Because the places you might miss on Starting with Sevilla, the webi- It’s My Turn’ and it focused a first trip. The famous City nar titled ‘Returning to Sevilla’ on holiday options using of Arts and Sciences and the was conducted on April 8 and the wide network of Span- Miguelete Tower are always showcased MICE experiences ish trains. It was conducted in great places to visit. But to see in Sevilla. This webinar was collaboration with the AVE what really makes a city tick, conducted in collaboration with Cities Network and was at- you have to pause and enjoy Santiago) are full of events the Congress and Convention tended by 541 persons. the atmosphere in its sunny throughout the year: concerts, Bureau Sevilla and was attended AVE Cities Network offers a squares and its markets, dis- art exhibitions, conferences, by 513 persons. unique service providing clients cover the legends behind its talks, films, educational and 1522, with Seville as the origin This webinar was conducted in with more than 500 products and monuments, explore restored academic activities, tour- The content of the webinar, and destination point. They also collaboration with the Tourist Of- experiences in Spain to suit all neighbourhoods like Cabanyal, ism, volunteering, cuisine, etc. presented by Sevilla Congress shared information on 30 new fice of Costa del Sol along with types of travellers and budgets. or see the light of the Mediter- It is for the first time, the celebra- and Convention Bureau (SCCB) hotel projects that are about their partners and 418 persons ranean suffusing the landscape tion of the Xacobeo Holy Year was a virtual visit in the form of to open in Seville and the new attended the webinar. The 33 cities that form part in La Albufera. If you’re looking will be extended over two a familiarisation trip. It included works in San Pablo Airport of the network and the experi- for intriguing, unusual activities consecutive years (2021 and an artistic walk through the city which will double its capac- The webinar began with a mes- ences offered at the destinations that let you see the city in a dif- 2022) because of the pandemic. and the Guadalquivir River, in- ity in the near future, both in sage from the celebrated inter- are what make travelling by ferent way, we suggest you to Join our webinar on 01 July, volving the protagonists who terms of connections as well national actor and a resident train in Spain so appealing. AVE please attend the webinar on 10 3PM IST to listen to experts inspired the feat of the first re- as passenger management. June, 3PM IST. share their experiences. turn to the world from 1519 to The active participation from Spain Specialist Programme restarts attendees in asking questions After a gap of two years, Spain Tourism has restarted its Spain about Sevilla proves the desire Specialist Programme (SSP), its e-learning platform designed by to travel and to experience new Turespaña to familiarise tourism professionals with Spanish culture, emotions in a destination that the regions of Spain, and its tourist attractions. The SSP is designed motivates the Indian traveller in to give professionals the expertise they need to improve their rela- a special way. tionship with their customers and increase their sales. All the SSP courses are free of charge and the travel trade can take it at their own Costa del Sol-Malaga convenience and earn a Spain Expert Certificate issued by Turespaña. The next in the series was Its online campus is available at http://campus.spain.travel/en-in/ focused on ‘Costa del Sol- Malaga: The Real Gateway to Andalucia’ that was held on April of Malaga, Antonio Banderas, Cities offers not just train 15 and highlighted holiday expe- inviting everyone to visit and journeys but a chance to riences in Costa del Sol-Malaga. enjoy life in Costa del Sol/ Contd on page 11 QUICKBYTES june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 11 Winners rejoice! The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai announces nine winners who won Amazon vouchers on participating in all the three webinars that were conducted in April 2021. Those who missed out – worry not. The National Tourist Office will be organising another series of webinars focusing on interesting topics in June as well.

The webinars were extremely I strongly believe that All three webinars presented engaging and informative. I par- in such stressful times, by Spain were really amazing! ticularly enjoyed the one on Costa these virtual workshops keep Through them they managed to Del Sol–Malaga. Though it is a us motivated and reinforce in introduce us to new dimensions small place, it has a lot to offer to us the belief that the travel in- of tourism in Spain. As a lover of visitors, like fabulous landscapes, dustry will rise again. Apart from Spain, I have a long list of desti- beautiful beaches, a shopping helping us enhance our skills in nations that I would want to learn paradise, amazing gastronomy, preparation for the future, these about like wine culture with spe- and the best place to party in virtual experiences are also cial focus on 'La Rioja' and ‘Albari- Europe! The Spain luxury trains Sonal Swamy Priyanka Satam Kulkarni Sachin Sata Managing Director, Syrisa Travels thoroughly educational and very Proprietor, WonderGlobe Holidays ño’, famous museums of Spain, Operations Manager are also worth experiencing in or- appealing. I enjoyed all three the mystic life of the gypsies (los Trailblazers Adventure Travel der to explore a variety of places All the webinars conducted sessions and look forward to It was great to have native Gitanos) with a reference to their and attractions the country has to by Tourism Office of Spain - attending more of their similar presenters for first-hand informa- India connection. offer, easily and seamlessly. We thank Spain Tourism and Mumbai in April were amazing! workshops in future. tion. The destination videos were DDP Webinars for organising They were incredibly interac- stunning, although English audio tive, very interesting, had practi- would help in easier understand- these informative webinars. The cal information that was useful ing. I request Spain Tourism to series managed to introduce all for us, and were packed with try and cover these destinations the participants to the wonderful great content. I enjoyed every in future webinars: Las Baleares, history, culture and experiences bit of it, especially the one that specially Mallorca and Menorca, one can have in this beautiful focused on Seville. It brought Cordoba, Tarragona, Salamanca, country. Whether it is Seville or back pleasant memories of my Zaragoza, Valencia, and experi- Costa del Sol or any other part own trip around the coast of ences related to football, wine- of Spain, it was fun experiencing Spain. I can’t wait to get back to tasting, adventure sports, and it and travelling virtually in the Jainendra Kumar Rai Mrunmayi Magare Spain once cross-border travel Gopesh Sharma cultural workshops on flamenco Marketing Manager high speed AVE trains amidst Executive – Tours, JTB Travels resumes safely! Director, PRAD Travels & Hospitality or Spanish cuisine. Magical India Journey the pandemic.

Continued Travelling within Spain The excitement continues

Contd from page 10 accommodation and experi- Attending the three These webinars had a lot discover and experience ences. Trips are tailored to suit webinars conducted by Tourism of valuable and practical infor- 33 interconnected de tinations all people, availability and tastes. Office of Spain - Mumbai was a mation about various destina- in Spain. avexperience.es is the truly wonderful experience for tions in Spain. I found them new portal to the AVE Cities A representative from AVE Cit- me. The entire series added a to be extremely informative. Network, not only for the end ies Network explained these lot of value to what I can now All the speakers were very customer but also for the travel features of the portal during offer to my clients. Not only articulate and knowledgeable, agent, who have a direct access the webinar. The webinar series were they very educational, but and it helped that they were from the homepage, so they can from the Tourism Office of Spain Voucher, worth `4000 each, were also one of the most enjoy- from Spain. Not only did I purchase their trips and experi- – Mumbai concluded with an one had to not only have all cor- able and informative webinars I Namita Sattee learn a lot but the entire expe- Tour Consultant, MR Tours & Travel have attended so far. I would like rience was wonderful with a to thank Spain Tourism for or- lot of practical information and ganising them. I would also like I thank Spain Tourism for guidance from the presenters. I to extend a very special thanks to organising such informative would like to suggest some top- the amazing speakers from Spain virtual sessions on Spain – the ics and destinations for the next who took time out to share their various destinations, things Spain webinars. It would be nice knowledge and expertise with to do and, of course, how to if the team could cover some the India market! This definitely get around Spain on AVE. The main tourist attractions, espe- helps understand the destina- team at Tourism Office of Spain cially for budget travellers who tion better. Now, I look forward as well as the various destina- can then travel within their bud- to another series of these webi- tions in Spain helped us recon- get while indulging in various nars in the following month(s). nect with the destination and experiences, and help manage were effective in sparking my in- I’m sure they will be also be the expenses as well. as exciting. terest to explore different regions of Spain virtually. The knowl- edge I have gathered will help me in offering new and smooth experiences to my clients for their next holiday in Spain when- ever international travel re-opens. I request them to continue organ- ising such webinars at regular ences in a user-friendly way. exciting educational quiz for the rect answers but also be quick intervals so that we get an op- The portal also offers dynamic travel trade. Over 300 entries to submit the answers. The portunity to enhance our knowl- packaging, which enables the were received with over 100 most important criterion was, edge, even if it is virtually, till such Vipul Kumar Tour Executive, Aastha Travels user to design their own trip, all-correct answers. To qualify of course, attendance at all the KD Singh a time when international travel combining different journeys, as winner for the Amazon Gift three webinars. Director, Avtar Travels is permitted. Inputs by Hazel Jain 12 TravTalk june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 ASSOCIATIONS reconstitutes its team The Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA), on the occasion of its seventh Foundation Day, reconstituted its Executive Team, and has announced Jagdeep Bhagat of Vee Bee Tours, Delhi, as the National Coordinator for the second time and Gajesh Girdhar from Paryatan, Muzaffarnagar, as Chairman Emeritus.

Nisha Verma Clear objectives Bhagat says that when the pandemic began last year, it took IMA’s new team, be- them time to see how things NIMA Executive Team (2021-2022) sides Jagdeep Bhagat were developing. He adds, Name Designation Company Nand Gajesh Girdhar, “Whatever interactions we had also has SanJeet from DDP with our members, our focus Jagdeep Bhagat National Coordinator Vee Bee Tours & Travels, Delhi Publications as the Mentor for was very clear—we wanted the Association, and Vikas them to sustain and stay afloat. Gajesh Girdhar Chairman Emeritus Paryatan, Muzaffarnagar Khanduri of Holiday Merchants This was the basic agenda, SanJeet Mentor DDP Publications, India as the Advisor. Talking about Jagdeep Bhagat which we passed on through- National Coordinator, NIMA Vikas Khanduri Advisor Holiday Merchants, New Delhi the new team and its agenda out last year to our members. Rakesh Arora Coordinator Administration Nina Universal Tours, Sahibabad ahead, Bhagat says, “The Vi- & Finance sion 2025, which was declared With the new regional coordina- Whatever business our Ritesh Joshi Coordinator Membersh ip Incentives & Conference Planners, Dehradun last year, remains the same. The tors in place, NIMA is targeting members could manage was new team is the extension of our at least 12 states on its MoU good for everyone—them, the Mukesh Jain Coordinator Marketing Sterling International Tours & Travels (P) Ltd, New Delhi agenda we had last year. With list by the end of this year, i.e. industry and livelihoods of so Tushar Jain Coordinator – Northern Region BTC Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd, Delhi this restructuring, we are doing at least three states per region. many who depended on all K. Vijay Mohan Coordinator- Southern Region Holiday World, Visakhapatnam away with our state chapters or “Currently, we have MoUs with our members. The idea was Vinay Agarwal Coordinator- Eastern Region Victoria Travels Private Limited, Kolkata state coordinators and now we five states, and we will be add- that the pandemic gave us a have constituted regional coor- ing seven more states within this different perspective of how Aschok Jhaveri Coordinator – Western Region Pratamesh Events and Holidays, Mumbai dinators. Their role is to carry on year. This is the immediate task of the state will perform post- Dammanjit Singh Member Oberoi Tours, Raipur our agenda, develop the states the regional coordinators—to fix pandemic. This is what we had Swaytank Maheshwari Member Rainbow Trade Fair Tours Pvt Ltd, Jaipur and strengthen the local state up, coordinate, handhold, plan, been preaching - that things Avinash Khanapur Member Avni Holidays, Hyderabad tourism bodies, align with the strategise and get those MoUs have changed and one may not Amar Kumar Sahu Member VWV Tourism Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneswar government bodies locally and done. We are not in a hurry to be able to go solo in all his ven- develop the MICE segment in implement these things unless or tures or what they were doing SeldonTenzing Coordinator Education & Training Zing Reps, Delhi those states,” he informs. until results are there,” he adds. pre-COVID.”

that guests are able to get the most personalised experi- ences. This is supported by Being event-ready a detailed playbook and event checklist. Another hallmark is the EventReady’s exten- Hilton Chennai’s approach has been to offer flexible event solutions in an optimum pricing band, sion, ‘Hilton EventReady thus encouraging clients to feel confident to restart physical and hybrid events, even on a small Hybrid Solutions’. The new suite of offerings continue to scale to begin with, says its General Manager Ruban Das. evolve and adapt intelligently to new meeting needs of

Hazel Jain been able to marry our ‘Even- Have your corporate clients band thus encouraging our cli- tReady by CleanStay’ solutions begun planning for this year? ents to feel confident to restart Do you see corporates book- with customer aspirations ef- We have been in touch with our physical and hybrid events, ing for this year for their fectively while accommodating regular corporate client roster even in small scale to begin M!CE has M!CE needs? evolving health-related govern- comprising of companies in with, and to help them with been impacted At Hilton Chennai we are ap- ment advisories. Thus, wedding manufacturing, SMEs, pharma, business continuity in a safe, proaching 2021 as the year and social events have con- technology, BFIS and real estate mindful manner. permanently, of road to recovery. Our focus tinued to stay active as a seg- segment to ascertain require- remains to retain trust amongst ment followed by hybrid events ments and plans. Our approach How have you prepared your hence, we stakeholders as a reliable, re- Ruban Das and small-sized corporate has been to offer flexible event hotel for the future? launched ‘Hilton sponsible hospitality brand General Manager, Hilton Chennai day meetings. solutions in an optimum pricing At Hilton, we quickly learnt known for our warm hospitality. that the M!CE segment had EventReady with We have started seeing green What segment of M!CE do you been permanently impacted shoots in 2021. While we are think is opening first and why? by the pandemic, hence, we CleanStay’ in far away from a fully active Weddings and social events launched the ‘Hilton Even- July 2020 M!CE segment till Q4 2021, we had started to take place early tReady with CleanStay’ pro- are definitely seeing an upswing this year, though in a modi- gramme in July 2020, to ad- when it comes to month-on- fied service design to suit the dress the evolving needs of month actualisation in this seg- new normal, where less has this segment. The ‘EventReady customers, thus, directing ment which contributes to over become more. Our team of with CleanStay’ programme event planners to Hilton’s 30 per cent of our total revenues. wedding specialists are sea- delivers event experiences Hybrid ready hotels while also We also see our ‘Hilton Even- soned team members who that are clean, flexible, safe providing them with plan- tReady with CleanStay’ solutions bring a strong understanding and socially responsible. The ning resources- including to be a true differentiator when of social and religious wedding program provides curated so- an expanded Hilton Event it comes to delivering mindful & traditions of different commu- lutions for every step of event Ready Playbook and flexible memorable safe events for all. nities in the city. So we have planning. The process ensures customer offers. aviation june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 13 Airline industry will be smaller Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association (IATA), has said that the global aviation industry will emerge smaller from the COVID-19 crisis, unable to recover all the capacity it enjoyed pre-pandemic, in 2019. He also believes that the sector should remain more cautious in the future.

Nisha Verma over when the recovery starts,” Walsh believes that there will be speed with which vaccination Nearly 70-80 per cent of the he explains. consolidation through some air- programmes are being rolled population will be fully vaccinat- he pandemic has lines shrinking their operations out in parts of the world. “Most ed and that really does provide badly affected the air- Cash crunch and others failing.“It's going to airline executives probably ex- the opportunity.” Tline industry and as Walsh added that airlines are take airlines time to repair their pected to see a recovery start- a result, many aircraft either more likely to see a cash crunch balance sheets. They will focus Dealing with restrictions remain grounded or continue when they begin ramping up op- on strengthening their cash posi- The IATA head claimed that there operating at very low load factors. erations. “For some airlines, the tion and be in a place to survive is strong underlining demand, cash crunch is ahead of them, what may be a couple of cold especially in major domestic Willie Walsh says that aviation because they will face real chal- Willie Walsh winter months ahead,” he said. Cash-poor, markets such as China, the US Director General, IATA will be a smaller industry. “We lenge when they start trying to under capitalised and Europe. However, it is be- are not going to recover all the ramp up because they don't have Return of demand ing suppressed by restrictions. capacity. They cannot build back the traditional cash reserves that been eliminated. But, all these IATA has forecast global travel airlines have up to the scale of 2019. It will you have from sales in advance costs will ramp up very quickly demand to return to 2019 While he said that some restric- be a more cautious indus- of carriage. There's nobody sell- once the aviation sector returns pre-pandemic levels in 2024. to be cautious tions have to be introduced, try. I don't expect to see M&A ing tickets,” he shared. to normalcy. If airlines don’t get Airlines that survive would fill when they see he requested the governments (merger and acquisition) activity, the imbalance between cost the gaps left by those that fail. to not just blindly impose principally because people will The Director General also added ramp-up and revenue build-up However, they would have to be evidence of restrictions now as they did be guarded about the cash they that the debt of international right, the cash burn is going to careful how quickly they rebuild, last year at the outset of the have. It's just too risky to spend airlines, which has increased be quite significant. Under-cap- he added. “Airlines are not going recovery COVID-19 pandemic. He be- your valuable cash resources to $220 billion, will continue to italised and cash-poor airlines to be able to take the risk of op- lieves that the crisis has under- trying to acquire something increase further as the carriers have to be very cautious when erating unprofitable routes in the mined airline business models at this stage. It'll be a smaller, would continue to shrink and be they see evidence of recovery,” short term,” he claimed. ing in the first quarter and cer- such as those for regional or more cautious industry, and more cautious. “A lot of costs he added. tainly, we're optimistic about a low-cost carriers among others. I think that caution is justi- such as not paying for fuel, sala- Walsh is optimistic about air strong second quarter. There are “Nothing has changed the com- fied, because nobody wants to ries of employees and not pay- And though there will be risk travel recovery in the sec- reasons to be optimistic when petitive nature of this industry,” survive this crisis only to fall ing airport charges, etc., have in spending cash for airlines, ond half, especially with the we looked at the second half. Walsh concluded. What procurement must entail ‘Consolidated procurement strategies are the effective way forward to survive in post-COVID scenarios,’ says Dr Amit Sharma, Vice President - Contracting and Product Development, Abercrombie & Kent and Expert (Roster), UNWTO. Dr Sharma has also been teaching in various management institutes and universities for the last decade as a visiting faculty.

n the current crisis, SOPs for vendors to be the the 2008 global financial tourism and hospital- key focus areas for contract crisis, the total return to Iity companies are re- management. At present, the There will shareholders for companies al-time examples of the Charles world, where information, pric- with top-quartile procurement Darwin concept of “survival of ing, product reviews are readily be process capabilities was 42% higher the fittest”. While many organ- available for all, customers have re-evaluation; than for companies whose isations may be able to sustain varied options to select a niche procurement operations themselves, albeit with a deep for their next holidaymaking. To companies may were in the bottom quartile. hole in their pocket, the bigger meet expectations, the tourism Consolidated procurement question after the pandemic value chain can be channelised focus on a strategies are the effective would be – What could be the to low-carbon and resource- differentiator factor way forward to survive in effective business strategies to efficient execution for best con- post-COVID scenarios. be back on track as quick as sumption practices, and can possible? For sure, there will promote relevant products. In this will help to maintain the be process re-evaluation and a scenario, the right procure- ments for decision making and order to have these expectations supplier code of conduct for companies may focus on a ment strategies can play a vital business consolidation. fulfilled, a company that cannot best practices at ground level. differentiator factor (aka USP) role to meet the short as well manage its costs and high-value This will in turn help the former as per their brand’s value. The as long-term business goals of Different verticals may have deliverables will not thrive. to establish itself as an effec- competition in the travel and the organisation. While short- varied subsets of requirements tive value chain service pro- hospitality industry, however, term goals give in-year impact and operational parameters; the Procurement professionals vider and to be a global leader. will be fiercer! focusing on the P&L state- preferences may be piloted to carry more responsibility than There are enough evidences ment, long-term goals promote centralised procurement cen- ever, not only to be pricing ef- to mention that procurement Dr Amit Sharma There will be pressure on resilience. For both scenarios, tre for effective consolidation, fective but also to carry out has helped companies to sur- Vice President - Contracting and maintaining price competi- it is imperative to understand as well as for best sustainable right-fit buying strategies that vive various global predica- Product Development, Abercrombie & tiveness along with delivering how the top management procurement practices. Effec- should be a win-win for or- ments before. According to a Kent and Expert (Roster), UNWTO products as per the changed adopts different standpoints tive service level agreements, ganisations as well as sustain McKinsey study, in the five (Views expressed are the author’s own. customer behaviour. In such on procurement engage- green certifications, stricter procurement practices. Later, years immediately following The publication may or may not subscribe to them.) 14 TravTalk june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 agents

Jaisalmer which is really making the destination open and acces- sible at night to all tourists, so The tough get going! that they can beat the heat and plan interesting activities at a city level that would have kept SpiceJet reinstated its flight from Delhi and Ahmedabad to Jaisalmer after an unprecedented people engaged through the airline-citizen partnership. Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, MD, Suryagarh and Founder, I Love summer. “Also, because it’s our shoulder period, extra revenue Jaisalmer, who was instrumental in getting the travel community together, shares the success story. doesn’t hurt. However, all these plans have slightly been post- poned because of cities going Nisha Verma Shekhawat sees such an initia- working proactively to promote enue for the city, which would under lockdown. We are going tive as a positive change. “This the destination and making it not have been there, or at least to review the situation in a month he travel community shows how each stakeholder more tourist-friendly. “If tourists the major part of it would not in India’s Golden City in the tourism community was come in and demand grows, air- have been there, if there were T– Jaisalmer– came able to pool intent and resourc- lines would have more incentive no flights. We are, in fact, now together early this year to give es. This has given a whole to connect Jaisalmer to the rest proposing that the Government We will again join a bank guarantee to fill the new dimension and exposed of the country. The community of Rajasthan underwrite some losses that SpiceJet was suf- people to the possibility that will come together and catalyse of the funds that have been al- hands with the fering on the Delhi-Jaisalmer, when everyone gets together, this,” he adds. Shekhawat says located for tourism for such Ahmedabad-Jaisalmer routes. many wonderful things happen Manvendra Singh Shekhawat that they are looking at expand- initiatives, where airlines have a tourism fraternity The suspended routes were and we can take on large-scale MD, Suryagarh & Founder, I Love Jaisalmer ingthe Golden City’s connectivity guarantee that there is going to for large-scale thus reinstated and flights be- challenges that are posed to the to other markets beyond Delhi be business, or at least their loss gan operating on February 12. tourism industry. If we all join festival with all COVID norms and Mumbai, like Bengaluru, Hy- is covered to some extent. Then projects for the Talking about the experience, hands, we can do many won- in place. Within 15 days, they derabad and Chennai. they will continue and connect Manvendra Singh Shekhawat derful things. There is reassur- sought permissions from the the destination to the rest of the benefit of tourism says, “We were very confi- ance that the success of this government. They have planned The ‘I Love Jaisalmer’ Founder country, which will indeed have in Jaisalmer dent that there cannot be a campaign will pave the way for a lot more things in the coming also believes that there exists a cascading effect on the local loss operating on this sector many other things in the future,” time, after the COVID situation only a ‘perceived’ notion of loss. economy. The government is given Jaisalmer’s brand value. he hopes. becomes better. We will again “In this initiative, there was no our 18 per cent partner in ev- SpiceJet operated over 82 per join hands with the entire tour- loss to anyone. Everyone who erything, so it’s going to benefit and plan our next steps. How- cent load on the sector and He adds that the entire tourism ism fraternity and do some had contributed money for the them as well,” he explains. ever, I can assure you that in the flights were profitable.” Pres- fraternity also got together on large-scale projects for the ben- initiative got their money back next year, there are going to be a ently, while the Delhi flight is one platform, under the District efit of tourism in Jaisalmer,” he and all the tourists who had vis- Initiatives for 2021 lot of community-led, city-cen- not part of the summer sched- Collector, and pulled off the Jais- claims. The idea would be to ited Jaisalmer must have spent Shekhawat says they were really tric interesting experiences that ule, the Ahmedabad route con- almer Desert Festival. “It was again convince airlines that the on food, services and hotels. All hopeful of launching Jaisalmer Jaisalmer is going to roll out,” tinues to be in operation. perhaps the most visited desert local community in Jaisalmer is of that was just additional rev- 99—the summer programme at he concludes. Korea: A good post-COVID option

Contd from page 3 open for all Indian travel agents it on to the rightful authorities so who want to meet our Korean that they know Indian demands stay requirement is removed and exhibitors. The platform offers and expectations while framing it may happen this year itself. the option of both pre-scheduled revised tourism policies for the “However, realistically speaking, meetings as well as on-spot new era of travel,” he explains, in the Indian context, I feel actual meetings by visiting the exhibi- adding, “We are yet to frame re- free travel will start from spring tor booth as you would do in a vised policies for inbound travel next year, i.e. March-April 2022,” physical exhibition. While people and the incentives that we would he says. wait for their meetings, we will offer to promote leisure, business also have an interactive fun page and MICE travel to South Korea. The format of the event is very where people can get interest- Hence, for this expo, we will be simple, to mimic a real-life ex- ing Korea-related information, treating all travel as a single en- hibition. “It is a three-day event, watch videos and participate in tity and evaluating the demand in and the first day we have re- quiz/ activities to win exciting each category.” served for 'by invite only' buyers prizes. We have kept everything who we would be inviting per- very practical and business-fo- Opening for tourism sonally. The next two days are cused, and avoided having any While there is no official com- preloaded or live presentations the kind of marketing activities size, from which region of India munication available on this or too many interactive features, we will do in the rest of 2021,” prefers or has done business to subject, Choi feels that South Exhibitor profile which at times slow down the Choi says. South Korea and of what nature & Korea will open for inbound tour- Currently, there are 16 confirmed exhibitors, says Choi. “My office interface,” Choi shares. size. That will help us understand ism by the last quarter of 2021. will also have a virtual booth, so that makes it a total of 17 as of now. Catering to Indian travel demands the type of demand in different “Once that happens and COVID/ The exhibitors are a mix of regional tourism organisations (RTOs), With tourism guidelines already Indians from different regions parts of the country. Secondly, vaccine guidelines are framed, we DMCs and tourist attractions. Regions represented by RTOs are Seoul, being framed and South Korea travel for different reasons, in- we have invited a lot of regional will conduct Fam trips if possible,” Busan, Incheon, Gyeonggi, Jeju and Gyeongsangbuk-do. In DMCs, expected to open its borders for cluding business, leisure, VFR, tourism offices who are experts he predicts. Requesting Indian inbound tourism this year, the etc., and they have different de- in their region and have all the in- travel trade to participate in the some of them are participating for the first time in the India market and expo is aimed to help recon- mands. To better serve the Indian formation of all unique things that show, he says, “I would like to are excited to meet Indian buyers. For tourist attractions, we have the nect Indian buyers with Korean clients KTO has devised ways their region has to offer. This way, encourage Indian buyers to par- famous Lotte World, which will have a three-people team and show- suppliers so they can start pre- to get analytical data post the when our Indian buyers meet the ticipate in huge numbers and case their array of theme park, aquariums and observatory. They are paring their tour products and event. “Firstly, we have kept a de- RTOs, they will get a lot of clarity show our exhibitors the strength also exhibiting in India for the first time. In fact, a third of the delegation packages for sale in the future. tailed registration page, through on their queries. Lastly, we will and capacity of the Indian market, is coming to explore the India market for the very first time or after “The response we receive from which we will be able to know be using the feedback that we and why they should focus on it many years,” he adds. this expo will set the tone for what travel company, of which receive from the expo and pass as their top priority.” TECHNOLOGY june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 15 Scale up with technology Adapting technology will help companies scale their business globally through greater market footprint, optimised cost and processes with great profitability and return on investment, thereby powering this sector with exponential growth trajectory. Where are you in the technology curve?

Hazel Jain thereby powering this sector uncover trends that would oth- with exponential growth trajec- erwise remain hidden, the use echnology has be- tory.” However, he cautions, it is of technology will deeply affect come the backbone important for technology to sync how both industries grow post Tof our business today. with the overall business vision. the pandemic,” Mathur says. And with the pandemic, many In today’s competitive environ- businesses globally are feel- ment, businesses need to be ag- Enhanced communication ing the heat, as they realise the ile and smart enough to use the However, some technol- need to use technology as an benefits of technology such as ogy experts feel technology enabler in their business as one convenience, speed, and accu- Karthik Venkataraman Jerrin Jos Samarth Kholkar played a key role even before CEO & Co-Founder Founder & CEO CEO & Co-Founder of the key requirements. A huge racy. Only then can it be a great Sublimis Technologies Verteil Technologies BLive the pandemic in terms of flight proponent of this is Karthik time and cost saver. bookings, hotel reservations Venkataraman, CEO & Co- and exploring social media for Founder, Sublimis Technolo- Reshaping business model marketing and lead generation. gies, who feels that companies Having the right technology in Arun Bagaria, Co-founder, should adapt technology across place is essential for travel com- Adapting Frictionless For us, every TravClan, says, “COVID-19 has their business and look to re- panies to reshape their business tech not only purchasing, part of consumer brought about a change in the model their platforms to enable model as the need arises. On the way things operate in every walk Virtual Systems, Automation distribution supply side of the scales business inspirational experience is of life, and technology is now of Workflow across the Value travel business – airlines have becoming the backbone of the Chain, Product Setup, Distribu- been traditionally constrained but also shopping are by leveraging tourism industry. Customers are tion, Operations, Customer Ser- with 40+ years old legacy dis- helps control spilling over into technology to the seeking completely contactless vice, Improving Customer Ex- tribution technology that inhibits service. This implies that right periences and Anywhere Work superior shopping and travel operating costs the travel market maximum from the initial conversation to Culture with an eye for secure, experience. Jerrin Jos, Founder booking, payments and follow- up guidance has to be done to adopt technology platforms customised e-bikes through Co-founder and CTO of Upswing through digital means. Custom- that can fulfil such expectations an integrated back-end system Cognitive Hospitality Solutions, ers are also looking for contact- related to real-time updates, which helps track the bikes, re- feels that the pandemic has less check-in at hotels. As a re- personalised offers, etc,” duce downtime and makes as- brought remarkable innovation sult printed tickets, vouchers and Jos explains. set allocation more efficient. We and changes in the way the passes are a thing of the past.” are also set to introduce AI/VR hospitality and travel industry He also feels that travel com- capabilities as part of the tour, has been operating. “The hos- Bagaria sees strong signs that panies struggle to keep pace which will make the experience pitality industry (and individual in the new normal, the new with the constant flux in travel more engaging for our consum- operators within the ecosys- contact-less communications Harsh Mathur Arun Bagaria business due to the lack of agile er. Every travel business needs tem) generates vast amounts of and processes will be preferred Co-founder & CTO, Upswing Co-founder Cognitive Hospitality Solutions TravClan technology platforms that can to keep innovating. Technology data. Industry participants are by travellers. “However, the role ensure real-time information is an enabler for the same. Our constantly seeking technology of travel advisors and in-person updates, dynamic rendering of e-bikes are also smart e-bikes, solutions, embracing latest con- interactions that build trust will new product offerings. Verteil’s which help us track their move- cepts and technologies, to help come back once people start raison d'etre is to promote NDC- Pandemic It has based direct connect distribution has called for become technology for airlines which will unlock full range of air retail- a serious essential for the ing possibilities. “We are in the driver’s seat now helping airlines understanding travel business and travel companies adopt NDC of anticipatory to create digital technology to create a superior supply chain technology,” Jos measures presence claims, adding, “Without doubt, this technology transformation will enable travel companies, device agnostic (including mo- and CEO of Verteil Technologies, irrespective of their business bile solutions) and stable plat- feels that existing legacy-based models, to adapt to the changing forms, without compromising distribution technology gener- times and stay relevant.” on quality and on-time service ally lacks innovation in offering to clients. enhanced shopping capabilities Technology an enabler that go beyond a simple cryp- As an Electronic Vehicle experi- He says, “Adapting technology tic fare or rate display due to its ence platform, BLive offers im- not only scales their business technology limitations. “As con- mersive experiences on electric but also helps control operat- sumer expectations increase in bikes. It’s CEO and Co-Founder, ment and also help us achieve them stay ahead of competitors planning their holidays. At the ing costs. All mundane jobs the retail sector to include more Samarth Kholkar, says, “We the best range to cover more and consumer trends. The pan- same time, the level of access should be automated, and choices, frictionless purchasing, wanted to introduce this in India distance!” he explains. demic has called for a serious and communication will have to people are needed to focus on inspirational shopping and other and make it more sustainable. understanding of anticipatory be enhanced and digital tools of core business and exceptions. personalised services, these For us, every part of consumer No matter the size of the com- measures for every business, ir- communication such as What- Doing this will help companies expectations are beginning to experience is by leveraging tech- pany, innovation in technology respective of their size. Whether sApp and social media will make scale their business globally spill over into the travel market. nology to the maximum. Wheth- affects the growth of business, it is the use of contactless mo- it happen. It has become essen- through greater market footprint, Against this backdrop, it is abso- er it is for acquiring customers operations, customer service, bile check-in systems at the air- tial for travel businesses to cre- optimise cost and processes lutely paramount for travel agen- online by deploying smart digi- employee satisfaction and ports and hotels or harness the ate and maintain a strong digital with great profitability and ROI, cies and other travel companies tal strategies or to manage our brand loyalty. Harsh Mathur, power of big data with AI and presence,” Bagaria adds. 16 TravTalk june 1st Fortnight issue 2021 AVIATION LCCs to benefit post re-start Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Group, has said that low-cost carriers would benefit when the aviation sector resumes in a post-COVID world, thanks to a strong domestic demand in the US, China and Europe. He adds that business travel will return in absolute terms, but airlines have to be ready to adapt to a changed nature of demand.

Nisha Verma Future of business travel just better than what we thought turer that it would refuse deliv- performing 100 per cent to con- Talking about business travel, he we would be when we looked at ery of 777X jets if they can’t tract, for the same reason they ir Tim Clark is optimis- said, “Business travel will return it in the Spring of last year. We fulfil contractual performance expect us to pay 100 per cent to tic that the aviation sec- in absolute terms, but segments activated passenger aircraft as commitments.“There are issues contract at delivery,” he shared. Stor will soon recover to will change. Airlines will have to soon as we could and cargo was on that aeroplane, and I’m not 2019 levels. “The ideal situation adapt to the changing nature of always on.” Emirates has a fleet of around is that the vaccine programme demand. An a la carte menu for 140 Boeing 777-300s and 115 beats the virus by Autumn of Business Class, which allows That said, he dismissed the pos- Airbus A380s. It has ordered 126 this year, and we get some re- you to pick and choose products sibility of a merger with budget 777X and 30 787s worth over lief when demand comes back Sir Tim Clark at various price points that go carrier flydubai, and claimed that It’s a question $50 billion at list prices with Boe- at a staggering rate. Low-cost President, Emirates Group with it, is a smart idea.” the two airlines will continue to of how we ing. Emirates was supposed to (airlines) will benefit from intra- operate independently. “The receive its first 777X last July, and European travel, the US domestic concerns about variant strains of In terms of a more long-term brands would remain separate navigate the now Sir Clark says that they have market, China’s domestic market the coronavirus. Giving India’s outlook, he added that the world but, going forward, the airlines concerns that it will start receiv- and international travel will (also) example, he said that the situ- will eventually overcome the would operate far closer than next 6 months ing the jets by 2024 though Boe- return in large numbers. But, the ation is creating a ripple effect pandemic, however, according they have perhaps done in the with vaccine ing promised them delivery in the problem (with this scenario) will across the global economy. “It’s to him, the most important thing past. There will be a rationalisa- backend of 2023. He also said be twofold: one, the ability of air- a question of how we navigate is to “crack the problem”. tion of networks. Notwithstand- distribution, that he has told Boeing to only lines to meet the demand when it the next six months and if we ing, the competitive issue is simplified testing start commercially producing a comes and two, the conditionality do it right with equitable vac- A word on Emirates something that we have to be new aircraft once it had been fully of country access requirements,” cine distribution, testing regimes Claiming that Emirates is per- careful about,” he said. tested and certified. he said, speaking at Virtual Ara- simplified and made cheaper, all forming better than was initially bian Travel Market 2021. of this lends to the theory that expected, Sir Clark said, “We are Jets, jets & jets entirely clear as to when we’re Sir Clark has also said that it by the end of the year, we’ll be a lot further on and much better Emirates is one of Boeing’s big- going to get them. What I’ve is not easy for Emirates to Sir Clark further said that despite back in business in some scale,” than we would be at this time. I gest customers. Sir Clark has said to Boeing is, we will not operate its A380s in the a pent-up demand, there may be he added. am not saying that’s good. It is warned the American manufac- accept an aeroplane unless it is current scenario.

A fresh outlook is key Infrastructure to expand

Contd from page 3 Beach on Reem Island, a unique Contd from page 3 beach concept; Soul Beach on working with Buzz to increase Saadiyat Island’s coastline and massive blow owing to the the number of visitors and the opening of Hilton Abu Dhabi COVID-19 pandemic’s recent drive growth for Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, a five-star hotel fea- second wave. Kerala Tourism Indian operations across differ- gerly look forward to working turing 545 rooms. will also coordinate the func- ent target segments of leisure with DCT Abu Dhabi to imple- tions of allied departments to and MICE.” ment their renewed strategy in develop a tourism circuit, and the Indian market.” infrastructure will be accorded We will ensure a more prominent status with The partnership with Buzz Travel a focus on building efficient Marketing is a strategic move by that Abu Dhabi’s roadways. Another key fo- DCT Abu Dhabi to align with the cus for the state would be the new norms of travel behaviour wide range of fairly less-explored Malabar and to bring a fresh outlook to tourism offerings offer the most memorable and safe experiences. India has seen reach the incredible growth in recent years travelling Indian In a month, the Nikhil Jeet and remains one of the larg- Director, Buzz Travel Marketing est key source markets for Abu various approval Dhabi, welcoming over 450,000 or classification region that has been on the them that the government will hotel guests from India in 2019. DCT Abu Dhabi has nine rep- state tourism department’s unveil various projects focus- Nikhil Jeet, Director, Buzz Abu Dhabi offers breathtaking resentation offices across the schemes under agenda for some time now. ing on the revival of the vital Travel Marketing, delighted to landscapes, rich culture, and globe (Australia, China, India, sector, including special mar- represent DCT Abu Dhabi in In- many offerings and experiences Germany, Italy, France, Russia, Ease of Doing Officials are also exploring long- keting campaigns, and will dia, adds, “I am confident that befitting the discerning traveller. UK and the USA). The offices Business will terms projects that would benefit work closely with the industry. together we will successfully These offerings range from the work with global trade, aviation, tourism in the long run. Riyas He hopes that 2022 will turn strengthen the destination’s newly-launched Emirati Cuisine consumer partners and brands go online also recently held a meeting out to be a “COVID-19 Free reach in the Indian market. With Programme, which is aimed to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s with stakeholders, assuring Tourism Year.” a widespread network and a at promoting Emirati culture position as a leading tourism team of dynamic profession- through culinary experiences; destination by showcasing the als, Buzz Travel Marketing will Hudayriyat Leisure and Enter- emirate’s unique proposition According to Safe Travel Barometer’s Safe Travel Score of worldwide LCCs for the month ensure that Abu Dhabi’s wide tainment District, which features of Emirati culture and heritage, of April, India-based IndiGo and SpiceJet were tied with the same Score of 3.9 out of 5.0, range of tourism offerings reach a wide range of indoor and out- nature and adventure paired with matched by both JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines. every travelling Indian. We ea- door activities for families; Cove modern cityscapes. AGENTS June 1st Fortnight issue 2021 TravTalk 17 Register for IITF e-course Hybrid ATM sets bar high More than 200 registrations have been received for the online IITF Arabian Travel Market 2021 has successfully concluded both its certification programme for tourist guide training in Maharashtra. in-person and virtual elements. The two exhibitions highlighted the More can still sign up as registrations are open. need for collaboration and a growing need for being sustainable.

TT Bureau available on the http://iitf.gov. Online Course Completion TT Bureau nars, live conference sessions, in portal in Hindi and Eng- Certificate (OCC) once they roundtables, speed-networking n February 2021, the lish with seven modules. successfully complete all sev- he in-person element events, destination briefings, as Directorate of Tour- en modules of the programme, of Arabian Travel well as make new connections in Iism, Government of The overall programme fee is after which the candidate TMarket (ATM) 2021 one-to-one meetings. A key and Maharashtra had announced `2,000, while the examination will be eligible to apply for was hosted from May 16-19 relevant topic discussed during an online IITF (Incredible India fee is `500. In order to encour- the exam. in Dubai, with the virtual ex- the exhibition days was exploring Tourist Facilitator) certifica- age more candidates to pursue hibition being conducted later, the changes afoot amid the rise tion programme for Guide Post the exam, the candidates between May 24 and 26. At Training designed by the Min- will have to attend seven-day the first event, exhibitors from Danielle Curtis istry of Tourism Government behaviour skill training con- 62 countries and travel profes- Exhibition Director ME, ATM of India for citizens of India. ducted by IITTM (Indian Institute sionals from over 100 coun- of Tourism & Travel Manage- tries were represented, and has undoubtedly made huge Sustainability More than 200 registration- ment). Furthermore, the IITF highlighted that collaboration at strides in this area, with a will be crucial shave been received from Basic Certificate would be government level was crucial range of initiatives across the Maharashtra for the online pro- the course, the Directorate of awarded to the candidates who for tourism recovery. Another sector positively impacting the to meet the gramme because of the suc- Tourism has decided to refund successfully undertake the popular sentiment at the event environment,” said Danielle cessful promotional campaign. the programme fee of `2,000 mandatory internship of was the importance of sustain- Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, expectations of Registrations are still open for to the first 1,000 candidates seven working days with ability in tourism products and Arabian Travel Market. local and int'l the online programme for in- who successfully complete all tour operators approved by actions of stakeholders, a req- terested candidates who want the modules. Ministry of Tourism (MOT). uisite that the COVID-19 pan- Pushing the agenda further, the visitors to pursue career as trained demic accentuated in its wake. three-day ATM Virtual event tour guides. The eligibility criterion for Successful candidates will “Putting sustainability at the saw discussions on aviation, the programme is: in the be allowed to give guide heart of the future development regional tourism, destinations of online travel agencies (OTAs) The certification programme is age group of 18-40 years services anywhere in of the tourism industry will be and technology. Those unable and what this means for tour and for candidates who are looking should pass minimum twelfth Maharashtra as a Maha- crucial to meet the expecta- to attend the in-person event attraction operators. Other inter- to become part of the tourism grade. And, candidate aged rashtra Tourism Certified/ tions of local and international this year had the opportunity to esting subjects discussed were industry to serve as high qual- above 40 years should have licensed guide except at Ar- visitors, who are now more view sessions recorded from ‘Cultural Tourism for Growth’ ity tour guides at the state level. passed minimum tenth grade. chaeological Survey of India socially aware and informed the in-person event, as well as and ‘Responsible Technology for The basic online course is They will be awarded an (ASI) monuments. than ever before. The industry participate in a range of webi- Travel & Tourism’. 6 tech start-ups to watch for We put the spotlight on six of the most innovative and exciting travel technology start-ups that the industry should look out for in 2021 who can together contribute to the industry's recovery and help people to feel confident enough to travel again. From more efficient booking systems to managing travel commissions, the travel tech world is brimming with ideas!

Hazel Jain APIs helps online travel agen- with safer, more secure and payment brands to each cies augment specific aspects seamless journeys. Airside is a merchant in a simple format, Trip Ninja of their booking flow with ma- provider of privacy-based digi- allowing customers to make Trip Ninja’s technology increas- chine learning. tal identity solutions, for busi- payments on their smartphones es agent efficiency by empow- nesses and individuals, helping though a QR code. It sup- ering them with the tools to Airside them verify, share, and manage ports more than 100 payment construct complex itineraries Proving who you are when trav- personal information, including methods and works cross- in seconds. It’s an all-in-one eling can mean repetitive and COVID-19 lab results. Airside of- border O2O (online-to-offline) flight booking platform helping time-consuming manual checks fers a privacy network that gives with added value to SMEs. agents find more competitive of paper documents. Digital individuals complete control of itineraries, while their suite of identities will help unlock travel their digital identity. It is an Ama- Travaxy deus Ventures investment. Have you ever had difficul- ties in planning a holiday that CitizenPlane would accommodate the Finding extra sources of revenue needs of travellers with dis- and maximize airlines’ load fac- abilities and senior travellers? tor is more important than ever. Sion and contractors. Users can We bet you have! Travaxy’s CitizenPlane acts as a market- Sion’s cloud-based web ap- now use this software with a APIs solve the problem so ing carrier for distressed inven- plication is a perfect tool for strong user experience to auto- that travel aggregators can tory of airlines. It re-markets travel agents. It claims to offer mate invoicing and easily filter provide accurate informa- airline’s remaining air content on the simplest way to track and reporting and GDS integration. tion on accessibility details competitive routes to increase manage travel commissions. and match the right service their load factor. It connects Its software tracks, manages, TakeMe (flights and hotels) to the right empty seats from airlines, tour- and processes commissions Taking the burden out of disabled/senior traveller. It helps operators and charter brokers to for the travel industry. Sion’s cross-border payments isn’t travel agencies offer disabled more than 120 distribution system is a transparent tool easy. TakeMe's solution con- and senior travellers a worry- channels seamlessly. between accounting, agents nects numerous international free holiday experience. associationtalk TK Jose re-elected Chairman Media Partners: After a much delayed AGM and election, the Madhya Pradesh Chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has now announced a new team which will be led by TK Jose as the Chairman. The association will now prepare to conduct its national election. June 2021 Hazel Jain concerned departments and the that though, we want to initiate Date Event Time airlines,” Jose said. discussions with various airlines n an event conducted to start a new direct international 1 IATA sustainable aviation restart Webinar 10:30 am through e-voting, Highlighting the agenda of the flight from Bhopal to Bangkok 1 Digital Travel APAC Virtual Summit TBA Ithe Madhya Pradesh new committee members going 1 PATA Youth IGLTA Webinar 01:30 pm Chapter of Travel Agents Feder- forward, he added, “We want to ation of India (TAFI) was finally work as a team for the better- 1-4 Routes Asia 2021 11:30 am able to announce its new team ment of the region. We will look We want to 2-4 Ace of MICE Exhibition Istanbul after a much delayed AGM and at various key issues such as election. It was the last chapter TK Jose initiate 3 IATA Cost Efficiency Webinar 12:30 pm to conduct elections. The na- MP Chapter Chairman, TAFI discussions with 4-6 CMT China Nanjing tional body of TAFI will now get 7 Honoring Departed Soul- Prayer Meet 04:00 pm ready to conduct its elections. ers of MP chapter for the year airlines to start Sharing the reason behind the 2021-2023: Hariom Jhunjhun- 9 CAPA Live from Seattle 09:30 am delay, TK Jose, MP Chapter wala as the new Secretary, and coordinating with VFS and the a direct flight to 10 Tourism Spain Webinar 0:300 pm Chairman, TAFI, says, “Our Mandeep Singh Duggal as its embassies to open their office Bangkok and 10 CAPA India Webinar 04:00 pm election was delayed due to new Treasurer. “As the chairman in Indore (Bhopal) for the conve- some legal issues. It had to be of the chapter, I hereby assure nience of the agents as well as Maldives 10 UNWTO Asia-Pacific Recovery Webinar 01:30 pm virtual because of the current my members that the new team passengers. We will coordinate 8-12 Bali & Beyond Travel Fair Nusa Dua lockdown in the state.” will collectively work for the bet- with the tourism board of vari- terment of our chapter and will ous countries for a presentation and Maldives. We will coordi- 15-17 IATA Slot Conference Online TBA The following persons have take up various issues faced and roadshow in future. This will nate with Air India to reinstate 17 PATA Spotlight Live Webinar 01:30 pm been elected as the office bear- by our travel fraternity with the help educate our agents. Before the Indore-Dubai non-stop flight 21 International Yoga Day Celebrations Pan-India once the situation improves. And most importantly, we want 23-24 Virtual Korea Travel Expo 10:00 am The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned of potential airport chaos to work more actively with Mad- 29 Tourism New Zealand Webinar 11:00 am unless governments move quickly to adopt digital processes to manage travel health hya Pradesh Tourism Board to promote the state as a pilgrim For more information, contact us at: [email protected] credentials (COVID-19 testing and vaccine certificates) and other COVID-19 measures. & eco-tourism destination." IN MEMORIAM seeks help for trade The Andaman Association of Tour Operators (AATO) has reached out to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Union Tourism Minister and the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory seeking help and relief for the island’s travel trade. The second wave of the virus has been especially devastating.

Amit Suhas Pradhan Manas Dwivedi adversity striking us again, with Amit Suhas Pradhan folded hands, I, on behalf of the passed away on Sat- n a letter to the admin- tourism industry, once again Some suggested measures urday, May 29, 2021 istration, government seek the urgent implementation after bravely fighting Iand the Ministry of of various measures to succour v All EMIs be deferred for may kindly be put on fast nancial year due to the clo- for his life in hospital. Tourism (MOT), M Vinod, Presi- us. Prevailing circumstances is a period of 1 year. After a track mode through single sure of tourism last year. He was the General dent, AATO and President, IATTE beyond anyone’s control and period of 1 year, all such window system. v The technical Human Re- Manager for Products (Andaman Chapter) first appreci- loans may have their inter- v Any and all fees/charges/ source that are engaged at Ottila International ated that efforts of the Andaman est rates slashed to half rents levied by the govern- in IV vessels/adventure based in Mumbai. His & Nicobar administration for the levied rate at the time ment bodies such as mu- water sports activities wife, Aditi Pradhan, had adopting proactive measures of sanction of such loans. nicipals, panchayats etc on owned by private firms/ started a fundraiser for in containing the menace of the v All travel & tourism-related tourism establishments be individuals that have their a lung transplant and COVID-19 in the second wave. businesses be exempt waived off for a period of 1 competency licences/cer- funds had poured in from However, he emphasised that the from GST for a period of 3 year starting from 1st April tificates such as Power all quarters. He was a second wave has wreaked havoc years till March 2024. 2021 for existing as well as Boat Handling, Life Saving well-known face in the nationwide and has caused dou- v All tourism establishments upcoming establishments. Techniques, First Aid, CPR, industry and was well- ble the damage to an already- that have their govern- The same may be done for Parasailing master, SLST M Vinod liked by all. The industry crippled tourism industry of the President, AATO and ment permits/ license the previous financial year etc due for renewal in the came together to help as islands that had barely revived in President, IATTE (Andaman Chapter) renewals from Directorate due to the closure of tour- next 1 year starting from much as it could to save the beginning of this year. of Tourism, PMB, DSS, ism last year. 1st April 2021 may have the life of a loved mem- Forest, PBMC, ZSI etc. v Port charges be waived off their license renewal fees ber of the travel frater- “With bankruptcies, unemploy- has rendered the whole industry be automatically renewed for a period of 1 year start- waived off. nity. Pradhan had been ment and closure of businesses helpless. The trauma this wave till 31st March 2022 sub- ing from 1st April 2021 for v Registration certificates/ with Otilla International around once again, the impact of despair shall leave will be long ject to an undertaking all private boats operating form 12/form 12A/form for almost two decades, this time is so grave that without lasting,” he said. The measures from the owner that all in the islands under IV or 8 of IV vessels be auto- contributing to the com- government intervention and ur- suggested by the Association norms have been com- MS Act. The same may matically renewed till 31st pany's growth. gent aid, the lone industry of the include term loans and overdraft plied with. These renewals be done for the previous fi- March 2022. islands shall wither. In the face of facility among others.

20 TravTalk june 1ST Fortnight issue 2021 movements oberoi HOTELS REGENTA SUITES ELEMENT ONE PULLMAN & NOVOTEL AEROCITY New Delhi Gurugram New Delhi Sanjiv Kapoor has taken over as President of the Oberoi Hotels and Sujan Ganguly has been appointed as Area General Manager at Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity have appointed Vineet Resorts group. He is an aviation veteran who has worked as Chief Regenta Suites Element One, Gurugram, by Royal Orchid Hotels. Mishra as the Complex General Manager. A seasoned hospitality Strategy and Commercial Officer at Vistara He was earlier based in Amritsar, taking care of professional, Mishra brings on board an and Chief Operating Officer at SpiceJet. An Punjab as AGM. Ganguly has over 28 years of illustrious career spanning over 22 years alumnus of Wharton School and Dartmouth rich experience in the hotel industry, and is a and an exceptional network in the industry. College, Kapoor has also worked at Bain & turnaround specialist for operating hotels and He joins from Marriott International where Company, Oracle and North West Airlines. establishing brands in new markets. In the new he launched The Ritz-Carlton, Pune and In the new role, he looks forward to keeping role, he will focus on expanding market share offered strategic council for five other hotels the ethos of the Oberoi brand alive – that to maintain market dominance and aim for of the brand, as a Cluster General Manager. of quality, brand, operational & service significant growth in topline and In his new role, he will be aligning his excellence and above all, basic bottom line, implementing the efforts to strengthen the hotel human decency. standards and procedures to positioning as the capital’s operate on minimum expenses. premium hospitality brand.

THE FERN BRENTWOOD RESORT & SPA NOVOTEL INFOPARK Pavan Kumar is the new Director of Sales & Marketing at Pullman & Mussoorie Kochi Novotel New Delhi Aerocity. He will be heading the sales, marketing Arindam Bahel has joined as the General Manager at The Fern Novotel Kochi Infopark has appointed Samit Kazi as their new General and brand communication mandate for the hotel and will take charge Brentwood Resort & Spa, Mussoorie, suitable for both nature and Manager. A seasoned hospitality professional, Kazi comes with of driving commercial objectives as well as enhancing the brand religious travel being conveniently located with easy almost 18 years of industry experience in positioning. He has worked with leading Indian access to major sightseeing attractions. He has operations and sales while being based in and global players in the hospitality domain. completed his Diploma in Hotel Management various cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kumar recently completed 14 years with from IHM Goa & has over 18 years of work Bengaluru, Pune as well as Delhi-NCR. Accor. In his last role, he was responsible experience in the hospitality industry with brands He has previously worked with hospitality for developing and implementing sales like Rodas-An Ecotel, Mumbai; Meluha The Fern brands like Taj, Marriott, Leela and Starwood. strategy for 51 multi-branded hotels of Accor – Mumbai; Amber - San Francisco; Rasam's IC In the new role, he will focus on spearheading in India and South Asia. Kumar's experience Lounge – Sunnyvale; Concept Hospitality; key operations for the 128-room Novotel in customer-facing hospitality is rich in sales, Holiday Inn, Jaipur; Yak & Yeti, Kochi Infopark and will supervise the distribution and revenue management. Kathmandu, etc. hotel’s growth and expansion.

ROYAL ORBIT THE FERN HYATT REGENCY THE FERN RESIDENCY Jabalpur Chennai Vijyapura Megnath Padamlal Gautum has been appointed as the General Anirudh Sanjeev has been appointed as Director of Sales and Imityaz Ansari has been appointed as Operations Manager at Manager at 111-room Royal Orbit The Fern, Jabalpur. He is a Marketing at Hyatt Regency Chennai. He brings with him over 10 The Fern Residency, Vijayapura, the 67-room, centrally-located mid- well-known Hotel Management & Catering years of hospitality experience, and will be seen scale business hotel that caters to both corporate Technology professional with level-three spearheading Sales & Marketing teams and as well as leisure travellers. Ansari brings with HACCP certification and 20 years of experience laying focus on key account management, him over 10 years of work experience and a in the hospitality industry. Gautum has earlier strategic planning and business development degree in Bachelor of Arts in English. In the past, held top management positions in hotels in the new role. Sanjeev joined Hyatt Regency he has worked with brands like Hotel Green like Kamat Hotels, Hivision Foods, Victoria Chennai as Sales Coordinator in January Park, Chennai; The Lalit Grand Palace, Srinagar International Hotel in several countries, 2011 along with the hotel pre-opening team. and Welcome Hotel Pine N Peak, Srinagar. His last including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United He was responsible for soliciting market employment was with Fortune Resort Arab Emirates and India. He brings information and was instrumental in setting Heevan, Srinagar. with him advanced management up the sales function. techniques as well.

Souvagya Mohapatra, Managing Director (India, Nepal, Anup Manjeshwar, Head - Sales and Distribution, For as long as he can remember Subhabrata Roy, Bhutan and Sri Lanka) of Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, AirAsia India, prefers to write out his to-do list and General Manager at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton feels it is important for everyone to take care of their also encourages his team to do so. “It's simple, Bangalore, finds solace in the quiet of his room health during this pandemic. He but it helps me de-stress. I love reading. “Since childhood, it was says, “I spend quality time with my lists! Since the lockdown books that got me through my family and do daily exercises I've started investing time challenges, helped me relax and like yoga and walking. I to eat right and stay fit. took my mind off anxiety. Now, as also have a special interest Fitness helps me handle a GM with stress levels at an all- in gardening and this challenges and pressures time high due to the pandemic, lockdown has without feeling burnt out,” he reading is my real indulgence. allowed me says. Kerala is his favourite It’s guilt-free, calorie-free and a to spend holiday destination. He adds, great way to soothe time doing “Why bother taking an my mind.” Roy that. The international trip loves travelling lockdown when your and he had has made own country planned to many of has so visit Galle in us tech- much to Sri Lanka savvy.” offer. ” in 2020.

lastpage Commitment can only grow Alex McEwan, Country Manager, South Asia, Virgin Atlantic, says they are on their way to upgrading their aircraft on the India routes, ensuring more comfort and benefits for the end user. The airline will also work more keenly with the travel trade.

Nisha Verma had full flights departing from India and the new aircraft would irgin Atlantic is pres- allow us to add extra 80 seats ently operating five per flight, which is extra rev- Vweekly flights from In- enue for us. It also has customer dia to the UK, and Alex McEwan benefits,” he shares. says that they want to operate information about the service, delivered a refinancing package more but there are constraints. travel restrictions and any other worth £1.2 billion as our recapi- Learnings from the COVID India continues to be a crucial relevant update. We are grate- talisation plan, which was with pandemic market for the airline and he ful to the travel trade for their the support of our creditors and According to McEwan, one of adds, “We have been in India support and look forward to shareholders to ensure to have the most important learnings for 21 years, which shows how working closely with them on the confidence. Besides steps for every business and for ev- committed we are to this market. recovery,” he shares. And, with to protect the business, we sig- ery crisis has been that ‘cash is India was a very fast-growing travel restrictions being plenty nificantly reduced our costs. We king’. “Another thing for airlines market before the pandemic, and varied, McEwan highlights had to take some very painful to understand is that passenger but I still feel that it has a lot of how the importance of the decisions. For example, we behaviour has changed radi- growth potential for us. The great travel agent has grown mani- reduced our workforce glob- cally. We need to ensure that we thing about the UK market for In- fold. “With our relationship with ally from 10,000 people to 5,000 reflect that in the offer that we dia is that it has a mix of traffic the travel agents, we can push people,” he shares. give to our customers. It’s im- that includes business, leisure this message out to the custom- portant for us to offer a flexible and VFR travel, which has been They also simplified the fleet. booking process, something prominent for us since we start- “We retired all our four-engine they would appreciate. We need ed in September 2020.” aircraft. This was already in our to have some temporary mea- With travel fleet plan, but we accelerated it sures apart from the long-term Dependence on the trade both to reduce costs and to im- ones,” he says. For Virgin Atlantic, the travel trade restrictions being prove sustainability,” McEwan has been a huge support for the says, adding, “We had to close last 12 months, claims McEwan. complicated and down our Gatwick base, which “It has allowed us to survive es- dynamic, it’s even saved us some cost, but it also sentially as a business, because ensured that we have better con- we don’t have a large direct more important nectivity at Heathrow. We can channel, so we are very depen- now take advantage of con- dent on our travel agents. Hence, for us to have that nections from India to these with travel restrictions being very relationship with fantastic destinations.” complicated for passengers and with things changing all the time the travel trade Virgin Atlantic is now upgrad- and being very dynamic, it’s ing its aircraft from 787 to been even more important for us A350 on Indian routes. “The to have that relationship with the ers and make sure that they are A350 is our newest and larg- travel trade and make sure that we prepared, because if passengers est aircraft. Customers from can demystify and simplify some miss just one of those steps India are going to love it, as we of these travel restrictions so that (travel requirements for travel- get very good feedback from our customers fully understand ling into the UK or back to India customers across the rest of the what’s required when they travel.” from the UK), they may be denied world when they fly on this air- boarding and they may not be craft. This change has been He shared that they have hosted able to travel,”he says. driven by a strong webinars and conference calls demand from In- for the trade. “We stay in contact Making it work dia. We’ve with our travel agents over email Last year was one of the most and WhatsApp. We also have difficult years financially in the a dedicated trade portal called airline’s history, claims McEwan. VSFlyingHub, and we encourage “The most important step for us all our trade partners to sign up was to ensure that we secure Alex McEwan for that. It has all the important the future of the airline, so we Country Manager, South Asia, Virgin Atlantic

Postal Reg. No.: DL(ND)-11/6044/2021-22-23; WPP No.: U(C)-178/2021-23 for posting on 1st-2nd and 16th-17th of the same month at New Delhi GPO, New Delhi-110001, RNI No.: 53492/1991 Date of Publication: 30-05-2021