Tourism Ministry actively encouraging Hospitality Sector: Selja

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Ministry of Tourism ( MoT) is actively encouraging the Hospitality Sector to meet the highest international standards through setting up of world class infrastructure facilities, setting of new guidelines for classification and project approval, high priority to timely inspections of upcoming hotel units, five year tax holiday for two, three and four star hotels at UNESCO World Heritage sites, RBI de-linking credit for hotel projects from commercial real estate, and up gradation of human resources, said Ms Kumari Selja, Minister of Tourism, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India at the CII organised International Hospitality Fair (IHF)

Speaking at the third edition of (IHF), organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) supported by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and leading industry associations like Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), ARCHII and HOTREMAI in the capital she said that, the new guidelines for classification and project approval for hotels have already been issued by the Ministry and is according high priority to timely inspections of the upcoming hotel units and the units will now be inspected within three months of receipt of application and classification orders issued within 15 working days, if the Hotel & Restaurant Approval & Classification Committee gives a clear cut recommendation.

A five year tax holiday has been provided for two, three and four star hotels coming up in destinations having UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Union budget of 2008-9. Also RBI has de-linked credit for hotel projects from commercial real estate, thereby enabling hotel projects to avail credit at relaxed norms and reduced interest rates. The External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) norms have also been relaxed by the Ministry of Finance to solve the problem of liquidity being faced by the hotel industry due to economic slow down.

Tourism industry is based on certain core nationalistic ideals and standards which are Swaagat or welcome. Sahyog or cooperation, Soochanaa or information, Suvidha or facilitation, Safaai or cleanliness and Surakshaa or security added Ms Selja.

In his Welcome Address, Mr Vikram Bakshi, Chairman, Steering Committee, IHF 2010, said, “Indian Hospitality industry has huge potential which the industry needs to grab but what is needed is robust planning.”

The Hospitality industry has huge potential in India and it’s likely to grow to 200 billion USD by 2020 and will grow to 7.5 % of GDP from 6 % at present, said Mr. Rajive Kaul, Past President, CII and Chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council.

Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII said, International Hospitality Fair has grown tremendously during its three editions and this focused trade show with more than 75 national and international exhibitors along with Concurrent Events like Culinary & Pastry Challenges, Wine Tasting, Full Day Revenue Management & Dynamic Pricing Program by IIM,AHMEDABAD Seminars & Workshops on financial services, Food Safety, Green Building & Green Initiatives, Interior & Design, and Legal Issues will add value to the important event in the calendar of Hospitality industry.

IHF 2010 is an exclusive B2B event spread over 5000 sqms dedicated for the complete Hospitality related services. The fair would showcase the latest trends in the hospitality industry in Food & Beverage including Wines, Equipments, Housekeeping, Interiors & Design, Engineering and Technology.

French Rendezvous With Indian Travelers

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Sept 23: Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, held its road show in the national Capital on Tuesday along with its 15 partners. The show will travel to Mumbai later this week.

Launching the event, Director of Atout France India Catherine Oden, said India is a great upcoming market for us and our constant endeavour is to facilitate the increase of Indian tourists arrival to France.

Last year, 200,000 Indian traveled to France. This year we expect an increase of 10 to 15 per cent this year, added Catherine. She said French tourism is targeting honey mooners and independent family travelers from India.

She said Atout France would continue to launch campaigns, organize workshops, conduct training sessions and arrange tailor-made press-trips, all designed to best suit the interests of the target groups comprised of the members of travel trade, media and the general public.

The launch was celebrated on Monday with a cocktail evening at Flavors P’tit Bar, a French bistro, in Defence Colony market in Delhi where tour operators and travel agents and media persons along with the French tourism partners were present in large numbers.

French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont assured that his embassy would facilitate visas to the Indian public to visit France in large numbers to increase the people to people links between the two countries.

Ambassador Bonnafont advised the travel agents to educate their clients about the diversity of France. Like India, he said, France is like a Continent in itself.

Flavors P’tit Bar is the first authentic French restaurant in Delhi, said Jerome Cousim, Kitchen Manager and owner of the restaurant.

He said his endeavour is to offer authentic French cuisine to the Indians in India.

The road show showcased a multitude of French and Tahiti tourism products through its 15 exhibitors: Air France, Rail Europe, Accor, Citadines Apart’hotel, Disneyland Paris, Galeries Lafayette, Voyages Services Plus, Rhône Alpes Tourisme, Chamonix Mont-Blanc Tourist Office, Cheval Blanc – Courchevel, Dijon Tourist Office, Nice Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Boscolo Hotels Exedra, Lourdes Tourist Board and Tahiti Tourisme.

The exhibitors portrayed an eclectic mix of what France has to offer in terms of tourism opportunities, including high end destinations and products, ski and sea side resorts, transportation and hospitality partners, shopping and other attractions.

The workshop aimed at providing today’s affluent Indian traveler with a window to France.

At the workshop Indian Travel agents had a fruitful interaction with the visiting exhibitors.

This year, for the first time, Tahiti Tourisme participated in the workshop and showcased its products to the Indian market, said Catherine Oden.

In addition to being the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia, it is one of the most beautiful and enchanting tourist destinations of the world, , said Robert Thompson, Regional Director, Tahiti Tourisme Australia.

A famous celebrity get-away, Robert said Tahiti is emerging as a new attraction for the Indian traveler and Rendezvous en France 2010 grants the perfect platform for Tahiti Tourisme to capitalize on the opportunity.

Delphine Komorowski, International Marketing Manager, Galeries Lafayette, one of the world’s biggest departmental stores in the world, said the aim of our visit is to add value to French tourism. “We would like every visiting Indian to France to visit our store in Paris.

Delphine said Galeries Lafayette offers discounts and gifts to visiting tourists and also holds a private fashion show for them at the gallery every Friday all the year round.

Franck Delhaye, Director of Lourdes Tourism, said Lourdes is Mecca of world spirituality. Here one can rediscover one’s essence and feel serenity. Millions of people go for a pilgrimage to this holy town where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

He said the Holy Betharram caves are one of the biggest caves in Europe. In this holy town one feels good about oneself and at peace with the other people.

Soirée at P'tit Bar

Lourdes is a cosmopolitan town that proudly displays its origins. The XIth Century Fort, classed as a historical mountain and its Pyrenean museum as well as the Pic du Jer remind us of its key position at the entrance of the valleys of the Midi-Pyrenees.

He said Indian tourists, who are very spiritual, are coming in big numbers to Lourdes. There is an increase of over 20 per cent of tourists coming from India to Lourdes. He said our hotels now also offer Indian and vegetarian food. He mentioned the names of Hotel Vinnales and Viscos restaurant, which are popular with the Indians.

Antoine Burnet, Marketing and Sales Manager for Destination Chamonix, was seen actively promoting legendary Mont-Blanc, the highest mountains in Europe and Chamonix city at the foothills of the mountains.

He said a 20-minute ride on a cable car takes one to the height of 3,842 metres to Aiguille du Midi from where one can have a breathtaking view of Mont Blanc (4,810 metres) and the main peaks of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.

Similarly, another 20-minute railway ride takes one to the “Sea of Ice”, Europe’s largest living glaciers.

Chamonix also offers casinos, cinemas, ice rink, 18-hole golf course and 45 outdoor activities like para-gliding, summer sledging, rafting, canoeing, climbing, trekking and hiking. One can also take a day’s excursion to Milan in Italy and Geneva in Switzerland which are only one hour away.

Ria Kolembusova, Sales Manager, Nice, has been promoting the top tourist hub of France after Paris in India since 2002. We receive 4 million visitors annually even though we have only 380,000 inhabitants.

Ria said we have been holding Nice Carnival every February since 1294 and we receive one million tourists during this two-week carnival. Explaining about Nice, a proud Ria says “we sell emotions and you have to experience it.” She says the place has 20 museums and galleries and the city is very alive with lots of pubs and clubs. It’s a kind of art of living with our rich cultural heritage and picturesque Old City.

Atout France recently launched their French Specialist Training Programme which enables travel agents to earn the French Specialist title by logging on to www.formation.franceguide.com and taking part in a series of tests designed to better the candidate’s understanding and knowledge of France.

Rendez-vous en France is an invaluable platform to create awareness about the numerous touristic opportunities that France has to offer and Atout France hopes to bring to India the rich heritage and culture as well as the modern France, which so many Indians are yet to witness.

Drogba scores for God's Own Country

By Deepak Arora

LONDON, Sept 22: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba joined famous stars from cinema, music and fashion here last night to celebrate God’s Own Country, Kerala, as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

"Kerala is a dream place," said Drogba, who came to watch 'Your Moment is waiting,' a new three-minute ad film of Kerala Tourism, premiered at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. "It's my area. I am here to support anything that happens in my area," said the Ivory Coast national captain, whose team Chelsea's homeground Stamford Bridge is only 20 minutes of walk from the Saatchi Gallery. Drogba was accompanied by his wife Alla.

"Your Moment is waiting," which is directed by Vodaphone's ZooZoo ad-fame Prakash Varma for Kerala Tourism's new global publicity campaign, captured the imagination of a host of celebrities, including former England striker Gary Linekar, current 400 metres Olympic gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu and Indian-born British businessman-politician Swaraj Paul.

"It's a great film. There is magic in it. Now I feel I have to go back to Kerala to discover it again," said Malayalam mega star Mohan Lal, who posed for photographs with many members of the Indian community in London.

Linekar, who won the Golden Boot at the 1986 Mexico World Cup, said his model-presenter wife Daniele has been persuading him to visit Kerala. "It's a place you want to go," said Linekar, now a soccer commentator who arrived with Daniele.

Ohuruogu, who confessed to having never heard about Kerala before, said, “Kerala seems to be very colourful and lively. It is one place I am going to add to the list of destinations to visit before I die," said the London-born and Nigerian origin Ohuruogu, who clocked 49.61 seconds to win the 400 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The British athlete, will, however not be seen in action at the Delhi Commonwealth Games because of injury.

Smitha Tharoor, the sister of former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, described the film as “brilliant”. “It’s a brilliantly made film reflecting the true image of Kerala as place full of surprises,” she said. "Kerala is the opposite of what you expect in India," said famous British photographer Seamus Murphy. "Kerala is slow, less crowded and unspoiled."

One of the biggest draws of the Kerala night in London was British actor Bill Nighy, who plays the role of Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', the penultimate part of the magical saga which will be released in November before the second and last part next year.

And among the early guests at the premiere was Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger’s daughter Jade Jagger, a former model and jewellery designer.

“Kerala is a very interesting place, very spiritual. It is a very special place in India,” said Jade Jagger, who has visited Kerala “several times” before.

Former Duran Duran band member Simon Le Bon said he had heard "a lot about your great cuisine”. Among other guests were British MP Keith Vas and 'Slumdog Millionnaire' actor Dev Patel. "It's magic. The film really touches your soul," said Patel.

During the course of the evening, the guests were mesmerised by Kerala's classical dance forms 'Mohiniattam' and 'Ottamthullal' performed by Corinne Mathow from France and Hartmut Schmidt from Germany.

Kerala Tourism Secretary Dr Venu V, who was also behind the Incredible India campaign, explained that the film was about connecting with potential visitors. “We are trying to be different from others by saying pretty pictures don’t make a destination, but experiences make a destination.”

Kerala Tourism Director M Shivshankar echoed the comments. “Something in Kerala appeals to the visitors. Many people who came to the state have come across a self-discovering experience.”

‘Your Moment is waiting’, which is directed by Prakash Varma and conceived by Kerala Tourism’s brand agency Stark Communications Ltd, will hit theatres in the United Kingdom on September 23 and multiplexes in India on September 27. The film was shot over 11 days in locations at Thekkady, Munnar, Thalassery and Kannur. The film features upcoming international model Miriam Ilorah.

“Kerala is all surreal, raw and sensuous. I was trying to capture all these elements together,” said Varma. Famous Senegalese musician Baaba Maal sings in the film, which will hit the YouTube and iPad in United Kingdom, France and Germany targeting nearly 50 million viewers.

The UK is the largest source market for Kerala Tourism and the state’s nature-based experiences are a huge draw for British travelers seeking more intimate, village experiences. Baby boomers who are getting more interested in their health are also attracted to Ayurveda in Kerala.

The campaign will run in all of Kerala Tourism’s major markets around the world from October 2010 until mid 2011. The film will be shown in cinemas across the United Kingdom where the movie ‘Eat, Pray and Love’ is being shown and in CNN, Europe targeting viewers in the key source markets of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium.

Berggruen Hotels open ‘Keys Hotel' in Bengaluru

NEW DELHI, Sept 16: Keys Hotels, the mid-market brand of Berggruen Hotels, has now expanded its boundaries by setting up its third Greenfield project in Bangalore today.

With this launch, Berggruen Hotels is well on its way to establishing a strong foothold in the country. The state-of-the-art project situated in Bangalore's Silicon Valley near Electronic City on Hosur Main Road, comprises of a 159-room stylish hotel that is well-equipped with modern amenities and facilities, offering guests a truly world class hospitality experience.

Addressing the media at the launch Mr. Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director and CEO, Berggruen Hotels said “Keys Hotel – Hosur road, Bangalore is the third Greenfield project under the Keys Hotels banner after Trivandrum and Ludhiana and has seen some changes from the original design. We have used TID, Singapore to bring in a new flavor to the product. We are proud to launch “generation next” of the Keys Hotel model in the vibrant city of Bangalore to match up to the international, modern and cutting edge profile of the people of the city.”

Mr. Partha Chatterjee, CMO, Berggruen Hotels, added, “Keys Hotel is a young holistic brand that has been designed after carefully assessing the needs of travelers utilizing a young and dynamic hotel service team that ranks among the best names in the hospitality industry. We are very excited about the latest addition to our brand.”

Modern and stylish yet budget only in terms of price; Keys hotel is a trendsetter in the hospitality industry, particularly due to consumer demand for value of money and quality accommodation in the key business and leisure destinations around India. So whilst the product is upscale, the price positioning has been kept to suit the travel budgets of small and large corporates in line with their need to manage administration and travel costs more efficiently.

The company established its presence in India by successfully launching its first two Greenfield projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Ludhiana. The company also manages a popular resort in Lonavala – Khandala, The Dukes Retreat and a hotel near the international airport in Mumbai called Keys Hotel Nestor.

Keys hotels service and product philosophy is based on its brand world – Work Hard, Play Hard, Get back fresh. Word hard ensures 24/7-business center and boardroom, ergonomic chair and work table and conveniently located plug points in guest rooms and complimentary wifi throughout the hotel.

Play hard focuses on world cuisine menus with local favorites at Keys Café, a sporty restobar in Unlock, and a 24/7 unisex gymnasium.

Get back Fresh ensures high quality of linen not normally associated with this category of hotels, power showers, comfortable bed and duvet covers and a choice of pillows.

Security is of high order throughout the hotel with all public areas fitted with CCTVs and key card access in floors, business center and gym. Secure women’s rooms for the single lady traveler has additional videophones in the rooms to identify callers.

Berggruen Hotels, a venture backed by Berggruen Holdings Inc, New York launched a new brand called “Keys” in India in January 2007. The company was formed with the intent of focusing on budget and mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments across India.

Berggruen Hotels will build and operate many more hotels in the next five years in India. The company will be managed by a top management team led by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sanjay Sethi. The senior Management team also includes Mr. Partha Chatterjee, Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Atul Lall, Chief Operating Officer - International Division & Wholetime Director, Mr. Arif Khan, Director - Human Resources, Mr. Alex Joshi, Director – Operations; Mr. Biju Raj, Director – Projects, and Ms. Akhila Balachandar, Director – Finance.

Kerala Tourism to Launch Global Campaign in London

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Sept 15: Riding a wave of accolades for its stunning backwaters, pristine beaches and serene countryside, Kerala will soon launch a global publicity blitz to stamp its stature as one of the top tourist destinations of the world.

Kerala Tourism will launch its latest global advertising campaign in London, at the end of September, through the world premiere of a new ad film. The high-profile event will be attended by high-fliers, celebrities and the who’s who of UK, at an exclusive event.

Conceived by Stark Communications, the Brand Agency of Kerala Tourism and directed by acclaimed film-maker, Prakash Varma, of Vodafone Zoo Zoo ad fame, this new highly evolved campaign aims to make Kerala a ‘must visit’ destination for travellers around the world and experience its exquisite brilliance and top-rate hospitality.

Varma said he was immensely proud to be involved in the campaign.“Kerala is a superbrand and a highly acclaimed destination and I wanted to be part of the project straightway.”

“This film is really going to have everyone talking about the destination. It is surreal and communicates the languid beauty, the rawness, and the sensual and spiritual flow of the land in a stirring and moving way,” he pointed out.

Filmed with great sensitivity and dexterity, it is a key departure from the usual product-specific campaigns associated with tourism boards and this latest campaign targets the experiential traveller.

Following the premiere in London, the campaign will hit cinemas in the UK screening of ‘Eat Pray Love’. Also a runaway bestseller, the film starring Julia Roberts is based on the real life story of how an American divorcee and writer Liz Gilbert spent a year travelling in Italy, India and Bali in search of spiritual fulfillment.

The Kerala Tourism campaign will also roll out in other major markets in Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. A focus area of the campaign will also be domestic tourists, a fast-growing segment for tourism in Kerala. Kerala Tourism had staged road shows in all metros and major Indian cities earlier this year in a special domestic campaign.

In 2009, Kerala Tourism had launched an innovative campaign by wrapping 120 taxis in the UK in attention-grabbing imagery of Kerala. The campaign was a huge hit with the British, who account for a third of the 650,000 foreigners who visit the state every year.

Kerala's growth in tourism has been phenomenal and dramatic. A decade ago, this small southern state, though awash with scenic grandeur, was virtually unknown in the international tourism scene. Today, it is a globally acclaimed tourist destination, voted as ‘One of the Ten Paradises in the World’ by the National Geographic Traveller in 2000. Last month, subscribers of the online travel portal SmartTravelAsia.com voted Kerala ahead of Phuket and Bali as Asia’s best destination.

Early this week, the state was adjudged the ‘most preferred destination’ in India at the CNBC Awaaz Awards 2010, while Kerala Tourism walked away with the Best Tourism Board award. Last year. The National Geographic Traveler had listed the placid backwaters of Kerala as one of the 133 ‘World’s Greatest Places’, above the iconic Taj Mahal..

Naresh Goyal, Amitabh Kant honoured with top TAAI Travel Awards

By Deepak Arora

MUMBAI, Aug 7: Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal was conferred the lifetime achievement award and the TAAI President’s Award of the Year was given to Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Corporation, at the TAAI Travel Awards, referred to as Oscars of travel and tourism industry, during a two-day expo organised by Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) here.

The India Travel and Trade Expo (ITTE) 2010 that began Friday saw participation of representatives of various industries like airlines, hotels, tourism, technology partners and allied services. The awards were launched in Dubai last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was the Chief Guest at the award function, said: "I am happy to learn that TAAI is an ever-growing organisation which is currently enjoying membership of 2,500 companies with staff strength of over 15 lakh."

"I hope that the growth of tourism, a sector which is second largest foreign exchange earner for the country, will be reflected strongly in the choice of this year's awards," he added.

Bhujbal highlighted the potential of the Indian tourism industry and said “India has a wide variety of virgin beaches, forests, forts and cultural heritage sites, while most other nations have only one of these features. However, Indians are spending more money in international tourist destinations as compared to domestically.”

This year, TAAI also presented two special awards. The first special award was the Lifetime Achievement Award given to Naresh Goyal, Chairman, Jet Airways. He congratulated the TAAI managing committee for having the most honest selection of award winners.

“I have been associated with TAAI for a long time as I first attended a TAAI Convention in 1975 at Kolkata. I strongly believe that customers today cannot do without travel agents, who are now partners. This partnership covers all segments of the service industry,” added Goyal.

Second was the TAAI President’s Award of the Year which was given to Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Corporation.

While accepting the award, Amitabh Kant said “While in the 30 years of my career I haven’t accepted any award as I firmly believe that a government official shouldn’t accept an award. I am honoured to accept this recognition as TAAI is an innovative body and is a driver of travel and tourism in India.”

Other award winners included Taj Group of Hotels who won the luxury/deluxe hotel chain of the year award and Thomas Cook (India) for inbound tour operator of the year.

Initiating the event, Sunil Kumar, Secretary General and Chairman- Awards Committee, TAAI stated, “The winners of the awards were chosen by TAAI members this year. The travel agents received and formulated opinions on the winners of these awards, which has helped to reflect customer opinions. About 300 TAAI affiliated travel agents participated in the voting process.”

TAAI President Rajji Rai said that the TAAI Travel Awards 2010 are momentous and symbolic of the voice of the customers as travel agents represent what customers say.

Sunil Kumar said "TAAI, in its capacity as leader in the travel and tourism industry for close to 60 years, has taken up the responsibility to organise this annual event to award the best in the travel and tourism industry."

Earlier Friday morning, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Joint Managing Director Avinash Dhakne and India Tourism Regional Director (western India) Sujata Thakur inaugurated the expo that showcased all segments of this sector, including outbound and inbound tourism.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of ITTE 2010, Iqbal Mulla, Chairman, ITTE 2010 said “the expo was a golden opportunity to establish new customer contacts, create vital space for strategic partnerships and build a long term business relationships."

Rajji Rai said “the ITTE initiative is another feather in the cap for TAAI. The tourism industry in India is likely to soar up to almost USD 275.5 million with an average growth of 9.4 per cent over the next ten years. The tourism industry contributes 6.1 per cent to India's GDP and it is also bound to create almost 40 million jobs by 2018. In this light, the ITTE initiative is a significant ray of hope.”

Dr Avinash Dhakne said “ITTE offers Maharashtra Tourism an ideal platform to showcase what the state has to offer. The benefits of being present at ITTE will certainly help in promotion of Maharashtra as a tourist destination.”

The event also happened to coincide with the ‘Visit Golden Maharashtra’ promotion campaign in which TAAI has been proactive in commemorating 50 golden years of
Maharashtra. With ITTE being hosted in Mumbai, it provides an additional impetus to boost the Maharashtra tourism industry.

At this juncture, ITTE is not designed be state-centric. It is aimed at propelling a holistic development in the tourism industry of India.

Day One of ITTE event hosted an interesting CEO Conclave, followed by sessions on inbound and outbound tourism.

On Day Two, the sessions addressed the challenges faced by the industry and the outcome of the discussions would be submitted as a White Paper to the Central Government highlighting the operational problems like Service tax and airline commissions.

B2B exhibition, MICE, Medical tourism and other infrastructure related activities also constituted the important auxiliaries of the meet.

The winners of the awards are as follows:

Category Winners

Hotels: Resort / Spa of the Year Ananda – In the Himalayas
Hotels: Budget / Value Hotel Chain of the Year Ginger Hotels
Hotels: Luxury / Deluxe Hotel Chain of the Year Taj Group of Hotels (IHC)
State Tourism Board of the Year Maharashtra Tourism Dev Corp
International Tourism Organization of the Year Dubai Tourism Board
Global Distribution System: GDS of the Year Amadeus
Inbound Tour Operator of the Year Thomas Cook (India) Ltd
Outbound Tour Operator of the Year Kuoni - SOTC
America Based International Airline of the Year Continental Airlines
Europe Based International Airline of the Year Lufthansa Airlines
Middle East Based International Airline of the Year Emirates
Asia Based International Airline of the Year Singapore Airlines
Domestic Low Cost Airline of the Year Indigo Airlines
Domestic Full Service Airline of the Year Kingfisher Airlines

International Airline of the Year – Economy Class Emirates
International Airline of the Year – Premier Classes Emirates
TAAI President’s Award Amitabh Kant
Lifetime Achievement Award Naresh Goyal, Chairman, Jet

Dubai's Tourism Department bags top TAAI Award

By Deepak Arora

MUMBAI, Aug 7: Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) India Office, was awarded the ‘International Tourism Organization of the Year’ at the second Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Travel Awards 2010. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chhagan Bhujbal presented the award to Carl Vaz, Director – India at a grand ceremony held in Mumbai on Friday.

The prestigious TAAI Travel Awards were presented at Taj's Land End, Mumbai amidst a crowd of over 500 travel and tourism officials, recognizing the contribution made by the airlines, hotels spas, technology providers and tourism organizations.

A unique feature of the TAAI Travel Awards 2010 was that travel agencies across India voted across various categories. Travel agencies are the first point of feedback from customers and are involved in selling airlines, hotels and destinations.

Carl Vaz, Director, DTCM India commented, “From over 493,000 Indian guests that stayed at Dubai’s hotel establishments in 2008, the number of Indian hotel guests increased to over 529,000 in 2009, an increase of 7.34 per cent. For the first quarter 2010, the visitor figures to Dubai grew by an impressive 33.67 per cent crossing 169,000 from the corresponding period in 2008. DTCM has been operating a representative office in India during the past 14 years.

During 2009 and 2010, DTCM India had put in place several activities such as joint promotions with travel trade members, segment specific communication including launching Dubai specific supplements in key publications across India and effectively initiating unique promotions for ‘Dubai Shopping Festival’ and the ‘Kids Go Free to Dubai’ campaign.

Established in 1951, TAAI is India's largest travel trade body with over 2,400 active members comprising travel agents, tour operators, hotels, airlines and other travel allied service providers.

The primary purpose was to protect the interests of those engaged in the industry, to promote its orderly growth and development and to safeguard the rights of the traveling public.

The Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has had a representative office in India for over 14 years which has been functioning as an initial contact point and query-processing centre for the Indian travel trade interested in doing business in Dubai.

The India office aims at promoting commerce and tourism, through the organization of marketing activities such as presentations, road shows, advertising, brochure distribution, direct sales meetings and media education programmes, which include familiarization visits for business and travel journalists to Dubai.

The DTCM expects to play an important role in boosting bilateral ties by promoting a widespread awareness of the opportunities Dubai has to offer in both business and tourism. The presence in Mumbai brings to 18 the total number of offices in the DTCM’s international network.

Charson Advisory Services Pvt Ltd. (CASPL) is a leading destination representation and marketing communication management consultancy firm dedicated to the Indian travel and tourism industry.

Through in-depth marketing research, public relations and brand consulting services, Charson Advisory provides successfully tested and cost-effective marketing strategies to national tourism boards and private organizations.

CASPL offer a full range of consultancy services from brand strategy, industry research and analysis to media management and creative advertising solutions.

CASPL’s cumulative experience of 45 years, deep knowledge-pool of the advisory board members and passion for excellence has earned them a number of prestigious awards and professional reputation.

CASPL seek out fresh ideas, innovative methods and unusual opportunities to promote their clients with particular emphasis on niche markets. With the professionalism and creativity of their young and enthusiastic team, CASPL strive to meet and exceed their clients’ aims and objectives.

R.H. Khwaja Assumes Charge as Union Tourism Secretary

NEW DELHI, Aug 1: Mr R.H. Khwaja, IAS (A.P.-76) has taken over as Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. He succeeds Shri Sujit Banerjee, IAS (U.P.-72), who retired on 31st July, 2010 on superannuating.

Mr Khwaja was earlier Special Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.