Special Vol. XXXI Issue 9; May 1st fortnight i ssue 2019 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 40 ` 20/- April 28 - May 1, 2019 com TalkIndia. TravTalkIndia.com ddppl.com TT_May-1st-2019_FINAL.indd 1 4/26/2019 10:28:27 AM TT_May-1st-2019_FINAL.indd 2 4/26/2019 10:28:30 AM Vol. XXXI Issue 9; May 1st fortnight i ssue 2019 A DDP PUBLICATION Pages : 40 ` 20/- ddppl.com ddppl.com TravTalkIndia.com ME shot to medical tourism As a growing sector in India, medical tourism has now been taken over by hospitals and corporate houses, although it was started by tour operators. India receives good numbers from the Middle East, and this growth is aided by state-of-the-art medical facilities and 30-day e-visa facility for selected countries. TT Bureau )RUWKHÀUVWWLPHZHKDYHJHWWLQJ Wellness and medical tourism in a medical tourism board established, India has witnessed tremendous With excellent hospitals, world- of which I am a member. We are going LQFUHDVHLQWUDIÀFLQWKHUHFHQWSDVW,Q class doctors and experienced para- to have a common website with all the IDFWGXULQJWKH.HUDODÁRRGVODVW\HDU medics, medical tourism is a great op- hospitals, accreditation and specialisa- there were cancellations for leisure portunity in India. A CII-McKinsey study tion. Secondly, we have requested tours but medical centres along with reports that Indian medical tourism is KRVSLWDOVWRÀ[WKHSULFHVIRUPDMRU wellness and Ayurveda centres were VXUJHULHVZKHUHWKHSULFHFDQÁXFWXDWH running full. In terms of source mar- expected to grow 30 per cent annually Subhash Goyal Sejoe Jose to grow to USD 9 billion by 2020. India Managing Director between 4-5 per cent and not more Chairman NHWVSHRSOHDUHPRVWO\ÁRFNLQJIURP Stic Travel Group WKDQWKDW027PDGHDÀOPWKDWKLJK- IATO Kerala Chapter the Gulf and Middle East who visit the EM Najeeb currently accounts for around 18 per Senior Vice President cent of the global medical tourism mar- lights state-of-the-art medical facilities country for various check-ups. As far Indian Association and affordability of surgeries available at one-third the price or as Ayurveda and spiritual tourism is concerned, we have a great of Tour Operators ket. Locations like Kerala has a great opportunity to grow as a recuperative even less than the cost of what is available in other movement from Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Russia. The leisure destination in the years to come. PDMRUFRXQWULHV medical visa has worked in favour of this sector. Contd on page 8 ‘Indian inbound will certainly grow’ Satyajeet Rajan (IAS), Former Director General, Tourism, shares the biggest achievements and challenges for inbound tourism in an exclusive interview with TRAVTALK. Nisha Verma in the country. growth. In fact, the the stakeholders in the tourism is growing more rapidly However, entire short-haul sector need to look at these than the inbound market. he association with the employ- market needs to be short-haul markets for faster Sharing his views on the TMinistry of Tourism (MOT) ment data in tapped, right from the growth as well as for faster state of inbound tourism in is one of Satyajeet Rajan’s India tells a different Middle East market to the employment generation.” India, he said, “The inbound Satyajeet Rajan (IAS) best assignments as he feels story altogether, on which, he biggest market in the world, market will grow from the Former Director General honoured to be a part of the commented, “Tourism needs which is China as well as the The outbound market of countries from where the Tourism largest employment generator to grow at much larger rate of Southeast Asian market. All ,QGLDDFFRUGLQJWR5DMDQ income growth is faster. Contd on page 6 TT_May-1st-2019_FINAL.indd 3 4/26/2019 10:28:32 AM TT_May-1st-2019_FINAL.indd 4 4/26/2019 10:28:34 AM BULLETIN Maya makes its way to Chennai The sixth edition of India Travel Awards- South 2019 will be held at Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa in Chennai on May 27, 2019 to felicitate tourism and hospitality industry’s frontrunners in South India. TT Bureau we are glad to host this event at our recently opened hotel. s a recognised all-India Tourism is a crucial industry Aplatform to reward and for India and an integral part celebrate the success of travel of the socio-economic de- and hospitality industry profes- velopment. The awards are a sionals, India Travel Awards is standard of excellence and an setting new benchmarks in the ideal platform to recognise and industry with every passing inspire colleagues from our edition. Nikhil Jeet, Convener, industry for all the hard work, India Travel Awards (ITA) dedication and achievements,” LQIRUPVWKDWWKHVHDUHWKHÀUVW he says. and only regional awards to Nikhil Jeet Shibil Malik Convener General Manager, Sheraton Grand reward achievers from every India Travel Awards Chennai Resort & Spa Located on the East region, who have collectively Coast Road in Chennai and supported the growth of the spread over 10 acres, the tourism industry and taken it to recognition and acknowl-wl- As thethe host of the black-tie KRWHOLVWKHÀUVW6KHUDWRQ newer heights. edgement of the effortss put award ceremony,c Sheraton resort in India. in by industry players isis a GrandGran Chennai Resort “Growth of the tourism catalyst for this growth.h. & SpaS in Chennai is all and hospitality industry in With these awards, wee preppedprep up to put up a The the country is a mark of intend to boost their goodgoo show. Shibil Malik, 125-room progress and development spirit, recognise their ssig-ig- GeneralGen Manager, Sheraton of the country itself. Every QLÀFDQWUROHLQWKHRYHUDOOUDOO GrandGrand Chennai Resort & Sheraton Grand Chennai entity contributes to the overall development of tourismm Spa,Spa, feels that ITA is an Resort & Spa is inspired by development of these sectors. and hospitality, and inspirespire excellentexcell forum to recognise four Ss, namely, sun, sand, With a forecast of 20 million them to be future leaders.ers. talenttalent anda reward the efforts sea and South India, and inbound tourists in 2020, the We hope the tourism sectorsector put in byb colleagues who WKLVLVUHÁHFWHGLQ growth of tourism is going to gets its due share in thehe contributecontrib to the growth the design of escalate and we are going to coming years, leading thethe of theth industry. “It’s very the hotel be a prominent name on the way for an even better ethoseth is to honour indus- global tourism map. Constant tomorrow,” he says. trytry achievements and THINk TT_May-1st-2019_FINAL.indd 5 4/26/2019 10:28:39 AM TRAVTALK brings to you news and events that years made headlines 25 years ago with relevance even today. Let's look at a page from our archives. VIEWPOINT Then (May, 1993) Jet crash lands Jet Airways commences operations s In May 1993, Jet Airways started its operations with a fleet of he beginning of this year has descended a pall of four B737-300 aircraft, which was to be expanded to eight aircraft Tgloom over Indian skies. However, the crashing within one year of operations. of Jet Airways comes as no surprise to those who s It was reported that in the first month, two B737-300 aircraft were KDYHEHHQIROORZLQJWKHDLUOLQH·VMRXUQH\VRIDU-HW V to join the Jet Airways fleet. The aircraft were leased from Ansett Worldwide Services Australia. troubles started when its then Chairman, Naresh s Jet Airways was planning to operate in new tourist and Goyal, decided to buy Air Sahara in spite of many commercial operations in Maharashtra. experts warning him against it. After Jet acquired s Also, the airline along with Government of India, was looking at restructuring the airports to allow safe landings of the loss-making Air Sahara for about `1,450 crore the state-of-the-art aircraft and similar jet aircraft. in 2007, it was branded as the budget carrier JetLite. Around the same time, India witnessed a surge of ORZFRVWFDUULHUVOLNH,QGL*RDQG6SLFHMHWZKRZHUH Jet suspends operations Now (April 2019) offering cheaper tickets. This acquisition made Jet On April 17, 2019, Jet bleed and the airline wrote off its entire investment Airways announced the temporary shutting in 2015. Also, in spite of low-cost carriers making down of its operations Á\LQJ DIIRUGDEOH IRU D SULFHVHQVLWLYH PDUNHW OLNH after failing to get any India, Jet continued to focus greatly on corporates. emergency funding for keeping the airline However, this debacle may now help turn the govern- afloat. Vinay Dube, CEO, Jet Airways, wrote ment’s attention towards including aviation turbine an emotional letter to fuel (ATF) under the purview of Goods and Services its employees, which Tax (GST). Today, fuel makes up about 40 per cent said, “After 25 years of sharing the ‘Joy of Flying’ with Indian and international guests, Jet Airways and its of the cost of running an airline in India; little wonder Board of Directors have been forced to take this extreme measure, as prolonged then that airlines struggle to make money even as and sustained efforts with lenders and authorities to ensure the sustainability of the airline did not yield the desired results.” SDVVHQJHUWUDIÀFFRQWLQXHVWRJURZDWGRXEOHGLJLW pace. Currently, ATF prices vary from state to state. In Maharashtra and Delhi, it attracts a tax of 25 per FHQW+RSHIXOO\WKLVZLOOVHUYHDVDUXGHMROWWRWKH powers that be! The inbound growth trajectory Contd from page 3 The economic growth from India was ranked as the more in number as well as in tourism has also grown Eco-exhibitions? short-haul markets has been world’s third most powerful the receipts than the average considerably. Further, e-visa increasing. The Asia income country for travel and tourism world growth.” reforms have also been a he recent Très 2019, organised by RARE India, growth has been much more in 2018, according to World PDMRUVXFFHVVVWRU\µ set standards on how responsible tourism can be than Europe and America, Travel & Tourism Council’s 2QWKHPDMRUDFKLHYHPHQWVRI T and it is this market that (WTTC) new T&T Power and 027GXULQJKLVWHQXUH5DMDQ He insisted that the raising of practised even at the exhibition space.