Vol. XXXI Issue 5; March 1st fortnight i ssue 2019 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 52 ` 20/- com alkIndia. T TravTalkIndia.com ddppl.com TT_March-1st ITB_FINAL.indd 1 3/4/2019 9:57:17 AM TT_March-1st ITB_FINAL.indd 2 3/4/2019 9:57:20 AM Vol. XXXI Issue 5; March 1st fortnight i ssue 2019 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 52 ` 20/- ddppl.com ddppl.com TravTalkIndia.com India to be closer to Asia The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme is set to go international with the launch of new flights from Guwahati to Bangkok and Dhaka, thereby reaping the benefits of international ties. Nisha Verma going to be a game changer as It was also revealed that hati is getting connected with now depends purely on these connections would bring SpiceJet had taken a very two destinations at a nominal connectivity, including land he results for UDAN 3 were the Northeast closer to the rest competitive underwriting of cost of `11 crore per annum connectivity that can be Trecently announced and of the world. Resultantly, there the seats. The per annum to the state government.” used to go to Myanmar or Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister will be a tremendous scope 9*)ZRXOGEH`11 crore, Bangladesh. A lot of railway of Commerce & Industry and for tourism and economic which would be borne by the Elaborating on the need for projects are also getting Civil Aviation, revealed that development in the region.” state. The frequency would be the new route, Prabhu said H[HFXWHG&RQQHFWLQJWKH IRUWKHÀUVWWLPHLQWHUQDWLRQDO seven times a week, while the that the Northeast, after Northeast with the rest of the routes had been introduced Rajiv Nayan Choubey, JRYHUQPHQWKDVJLYHQDÁH[- 1947, had become land- world would offer tremen- under UDAN by launching Former Secretary, Civil Avia- ible template where it will start locked and there was only dous scope for tourism and ÁLJKWVIURP*XZDKDWLLQ$VVDP tion, revealed, “We are happy ZLWKWKUHHÁLJKWVDZHHNVHW the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ that economic development. to Bangkok and Dhaka. Both WRDQQRXQFHWKDW*XZDKDWLLV WRLQFUHDVHDQGEHÀQDOLVHG Suresh Prabhu connected it to the rest of Similarly, the introduction of Union Minister of Commerce & Industry routes will be served by Spice- now going to be connected ZLWKLQVL[PRQWKV&KRXEH\ and Civil Aviation the country. “As a result, the water aerodromes is a game Jet, he said, and added, “It’s with Bangkok and Dhaka.” H[SODLQHG´&XUUHQWO\*XZD- development of Northeast changer,” he asserted. plans huge expansion The company, founded in early 2000, has huge expansion plans and a new vision under the new management led by Parag Thakker. Its goal now is to expand its agent base across India. Hazel Jain India and is looking to boost and tap into the growth of are foraying into pre-purchased $U]RRLVDOVREULQJLQJPRUHÀ[HG We have also created fantastic the strength of its sales these emerging regions. Our air tickets and rolling out GHSDUWXUHWRXUVWREHQHÀWFXV- educational and vacation tours umbai-based Arzoo.com teams across India by add- emphasis lies on empowering domestic money transfer tomers by reducing their travel to help children gain insight into MLVORRNLQJDWH[SDQGLQJ ing at least 200 sales staff agents through technology services, utility payments, and H[SHQGLWXUH´:HDUHSODQQLQJWR XQH[SORUHGDVSHFWV7KHUHDUHD in the B2B arena in a big way. LQWKHÀUVWSKDVH7KDNNHU that is easy-to-use and sup- helping power more digital pay- increase our specialty offerings lot of plans in the pipeline but it Now promoted by Parag says, “We have a registered SRUWHGE\H[FHOOHQWURXQG ments through Aadhaar-enabled by introducing trendsetting is too early to reveal them now. Thakker, Managing Director, agent base that is upwards the-clock service.” Payment System (AEPS) soon. holiday packages, themed and All we can assure the agents at Arzoo.com, the company has of 100,000 and awareness 2XUH[SDQVLRQSODQVKDYHD special interest tours that will WKLVPRPHQWLVWKDWDORWRIH[FLW- a new management team and of brand Arzoo is quite high. He says that the company has VSHFLDOIRFXVRQH[SDQGLQJ help highlight destinations that ing surprises from Arzoo are a renewed vision. Its goal is We’re looking to develop our ambitious plans and the wheels the IRCTC agent base,” have much to discover in terms going to come their way soon,” WRH[SDQGLWVDJHQWEDVHLQ agent base in Tier II, III cities, are being set into motion. “We Thakker adds. of photography, adventure, etc. KHDGGVH[FLWHGO\ TT_March-1st ITB_FINAL.indd 3 3/4/2019 9:57:23 AM TT_March-1st ITB_FINAL.indd 4 3/4/2019 9:57:25 AM BULLETIN Inbound takes centre stage In a significant step to boost the arrival of tourists in India, the government here has decided to increase the validity of the e-visa from 60 days to one year whilst allowing multiple entries to the country. TT Bureau He further informed that since easy to access, to 166 November 2014, India has countries. Billa also spoke iberalising the e-visa opened its e-visa service, about the call centre for Lregime to make India more which is simple and inbound tourists, which is tourist-friendly, Suman Billa, Contd on page 32 Joint Secretary, Ministry of 7RXULVP*RYHUQPHQWRI,QGLD has said that the ministry has Ashwani Lohani been working closely with that of Home Affairs to ease e-visa reappointed Air India CMD norms for tourists coming into the country. “The govern- Former Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani has been ment has now increased the Suman Billa reappointed Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India. duration of stay for foreign Joint Secretary Lohani headed the carrier from August 2017 to September 2017 Ministry of Tourism tourists holding e-tourist and when he was moved to the Railway Board as the chairman, from where he retired in December 2018. It was during his tenure that Air ,QGLDPDGHLWVÀUVWRSHUDWLQJSURÀWRI`105 crore in FY17 since the More than 10 million foreign tourists merger of Indian Airlines and Air India in 2007. travelled to India last year; if we add the Touted as the ‘Turnaround specialist’, Lohani’s appointment will be crucial after Air India’s people of Indian origin to the tally failed divestment attempt last year. This year, according to the global standard, the the government has already decided to transfer over `29,000 crore of AI’s huge `55,000 debt to number jumps to 14.5 million a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). e-business visas to up to a revolutionary change in Lohani succeeds Karnataka cadre one year with multiple entry, the Indian tourism scenario,” IAS Pradeep Singh Kharola, who subject to stay stipulations. he said at the Knowledge was earlier appointed as the We are trying to remove Conclave on Travel, Tourism, Civil Aviation Secretary several bottlenecks to make and Hospitality organised by following the superannuation it easier for them to travel to *OREDO$VVRFLDWLRQRI&RUSR- of RN Choubey. India. E-visa has actually been UDWH6HUYLFHV *$&6 TT_March-1st ITB_FINAL.indd 5 3/4/2019 9:57:28 AM STATISTICS Maximum aircraft for IndiGo VIEWPOINT Out of the 1123 aircraft that are currently on order for India, a bulk of them are slated for delivery to IndiGo, according to a recent ‘Project Rupee Where is Indian Raftaar’ report by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. aviation headed? Aircraft currently on order – Indian airlines ith much being said about India being the Wfastest growing aviation market in the last IRXU \HDUV WKH DLU SDVVHQJHU WUDIÀF JURZWK ÀJ- XUHV E\ 'LUHFWRUDWH *HQHUDO RI &LYLO $YLDWLRQ '*&$ LQ -DQXDU\ UHDFKHG LWV ORZHVW SRLQW LQ WKH ODVW \HDUV 7KH QXPEHU RI GRPHVWLF ÁLHUV rose 9 per cent on a yearly basis in January, the VORZHVWSDFHLQPRQWKVZKLFKZDVWKHÀUVWWLPHLW recorded single digit growth since July 2014. '*&$KDVDWWULEXWHGWKLVVOXPSWRWKHHQGRIWRXULVW season, which wasn’t that good for the airlines either. Another factor that contributed to this decrease was airline fares increasing to adjust higher costs. Usually, airlines increase fares to recover the losses they suffered in previous quarters owing to higher The numbers are evidence of the optimism and positive outlook for the sector, providing some insights as fuel costs and a weaker rupee. This hampered the to the near-term evolution of the market. GHPDQG IXUWKHU VLQFH DLUOLQHV SUHIHUUHG Á\LQJ RQ There are range of new and alternative investment and alliance or partnership structures emerging low PLF than reduce their fares, which according JOREDOO\ZKLFKDGGDQHZGLPHQVLRQWRWKHLQGXVWU\DVDLUOLQHVWU\QHZDQGLQQRYDWLYHZD\VWRH[SDQG to CAPA would further dampen growth. India, in their networks and their product offering. In some global markets, the changing industry structure is one the last four years, saw an average air passenger RIFRQVROLGDWLRQUDWKHUWKDQH[SDQVLRQ Source: CAPA growth of 20 per cent, but now it may slow down DELWZLWK&$3$H[SHFWLQJLWWRJURZDWSHUFHQW in 2019-20 against the estimated 18 per cent in 2018-19. However, we hope that the regional ARR up by 8.5% for 2-star hotels connectivity scheme and the development of new DLUSRUWVPLJKWFKDQJHWKHVHÀJXUHVJRLQJIRUZDUG Despite registering a decline in occupancy rates, two-star hotels witnessed maximum growth in average room rates (ARR) and increased by about Going sustainable 8.5 per cent y-o-y during FY18, according to a report by Hotelivate. Three-star hotels registered a akeMyTrip recently achieved the milestone Performance of Hotels – Overall average growth of about 5 per cent y-o-y Mof planting a million trees as part of its CSR LQ)<)RXUVWDUDQGÀYHVWDU activity. While many corporate giants have been hotels also recorded a growth of doing their bit by contributing to the environment, 3 per cent y-o-y each in average there is a lot that needs to be done at the planning room rates. Five-star hotels, however, registered the lowest stage of creating tourism products.