India Tourism Mart to help double foreign tourist arrivals to 20 million
By Deepak Arora
NEW DELHI, Aug 25: The India Tourism Mart (ITM) to be held in September would help in doubling the number of foreign tourists from the current figure of 10 Million to 20 Million by the year 2020, accordidng to senior office bearers of FAITH (The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality).
Addressing a press conference here, Subhash Goyal, Chairman, Organizing Committee and Honorary Secretary, FAITH, said the Tourism Ministry, in partnership with FAITH, is organizing the three-day India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2018 from September 16 next in New Delhi.
The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) announced a donation of Rs. 11 lacs for the victims of the unprecedented flood havoc in Kerala.
Subhash Goyal informed that FAITH is the apex organization of important trade and
hospitality associations of the country. The tourism industry through FAITH will drive the event whereas support will be extended by the Ministry of Tourism, with the objective of positioning the tourism destinations and products of the country in international source markets thereby increasing jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry.
This, he said, would help in doubling the number of foreign tourists from the current figure of 10 Million to 20 Million by the year 2020.
The Honorary Secretary said the objective of the Mart was to create a Global Tourism Mart for India on lines of major international travel marts being held in countries across the
world.
"The Mart will provide a platform for stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries to interact and transact business opportunities," he added.
The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate the India Tourism Mart 2018.
International buyers are being invited from important and potential source markets such as North America, West Europe, East Asia, Latin America and CIS countries to participate in the Mart.
Subhash Goyal said “the main strength of the event is that out of 620 international buyers’ applications received, we have selected 272 buyers from 65 different countries across the globe and another 98 applications are under process who are going to interact with 17 Indian States, 13 hotels and 90 Tour Operators representing different verticals of tourism.
Nakul Anand, Chairman FAITH, informed that “International buyers who are already selling India and those who have the potential to sell Indian destinations will have B2B meetings with their Indian counterparts.”
The event, through its FAM tours, will provide an opportunity for them to experience Indian hospitality, culture, cuisines, heritage monuments, infrastructure, niche products from various Indian states and MICE facilities.
Chander Mansharamani, Vice Chairman – Organising Committee, said that “Such events will continued to be organized every year”.
This is for the first time that so many decision makers, Indian States, tour operators and hoteliers are going to be available under one roof for foreign buyers to interact with.
India to promote Buddhist Circuit in China: Alphons
NEW DELHI, Aug 13: India is all set to promote its Buddhist Circuit to attract tourists from China which provides the biggest outbound visitors in the world at 144 millions a year, Tourism Minister K J Alphons said.
The number of Chinese tourists visiting India reached 2,47,000 in 2017, a mere two per cent of the total 10.18 million foreign tourist arrivals, according to data available with the Ministry of Tourism.
"China provides the biggest outbound tourists in the world. I want to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting India to 14 million in the next five years. We will conduct promotional roadshows and continuously engage with the people so that we can build confidence," said Alphons who will be visiting Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou during his trip.
Alphons, speaking at an event here, said that the ministry was taking a lead out of the UAE's strategy which increased its footfall of Chinese tourists by 119 per cent in the past three years by conducting 40 roadshows across the country.
"We will promote our heritage, the Buddhist Circuit will indeed be the focus. However, we need to improve our infrastructure and we will start with Sarnath. I have already had discussions with Roadways and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and we are set to build a four- lane highway connecting the Buddhism-related cities," he said.
The minister also said that given that there are around 490 million Buddhists across the world and since Buddha lived only in India -- in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, a big chunk of these tourists should be attracted towards the country.
"They are big spenders. For them it's a pilgrimage, not just a journey."
The Buddhist Circuit is a route that follows in the footsteps of the Buddha in India. The sites on the route — all over 2,500 years old — are among the most significant and revered for all Buddhists. They include Bodh Gaya in Bihar where the Buddha attained enlightenment, and Sarnath and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, where he gave his first teachings and died.
ICONIC Forum 2018 stress on 'Improving Passenger Experience' and 'Infrastructure Development'
By Deepak Arora
NEW DELHI, Aug 8: Aviation and Travel & Tourism are two important components of the increasingly globalized world economy. While the travel and tourism sector accounted for around 9.6% of the country’s GDP in 2016, India is also expected to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2020. Technology in general has acted as an enabler for both these industries and improved operational on-ground efficiencies up to a great extent in recent times.
Highlighting the cross-sectional perspectives from the Aviation, Tourism, and IT & Technology sectors of the nation, a one-of-its-kind conference, ICONIC 2018, was held recently at Hotel Le Meridian, New Delhi. The forum was hosted and curated by Red Hat Communications, a company specialized in high-level events and networking across multiple segments.
Chairman of the Indian Railway Board Ashwani Lohani, who was present as the Guest of Honour, mentioned that the Indian Railways is investing hugely in “technology for passenger security and convenience” by introducing new-age automatic door closers, fire sensors, entertainment systems inside trains, smart card ticketing, etc.
“While the ‘personal touch’ cannot be ushered by technology, it can be used as a tool for passengers to enhance their experience,” added Lohani.
In her welcome address, Honorary Secretary General, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), and the organizer of ICONIC Forum, Jyoti Mayal said, “We at TAAI, as an industry association wish to work closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other stakeholders to draft the guidelines for better policies and governance for the future."
In terms of GST implementation, Jyoti Mayal said "we want a proper document draft to set the right processes in place. We also request the government to give us a deemed export industry status for foreign exchange earnings from travel trade, and demanded exemption of GST for outbound tour and travels services from India.”
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Suman Billa, said, “in India, there is probably no other sector that is getting as much impacted as the tourism sector due to proliferation of technology. It is important for government stakeholders to adapt and become sensitive towards these changes.”
Economic Advisor in the Civil Aviation Ministry, Vandana Aggarwal, emphasized that the Ministry is committed to make the general passenger experience smoother and robust, while constantly adding value to capacity building and profitability of airline companies.
“We are making the passenger experience easier by removing regulations and/or associated costs attached with any of the regulations,” said Vandana Aggarwal.
Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, Vistara Sanjiv Kapoor said “In recent times, we have a growing temptation to regulate the airline business much more than any other. I am in favour of regulation as it is a constant to safety and security of passengers. At the same time, if we need to build truly global aviation hubs and attract more domestic flyers, we must add massively to existing airport infrastructure and capabilities.”
IXIGO Founder Aloke Bajpai also spoke about the urgent need seen for better airport infrastructure development and facilities like “valet parking” at our country’s urban airports.
Other aviation industry stalwarts stressed on the aspects of manpower and in-house infrastructure in order to better serve passenger needs and maintain profitability of airlines.
Two enlightening panel discussions were held on the day successively on “Technology and Tourism: Boon or Bane” and “Aviation: Challenges for Growth or Decline”.
Among other noted personalities who spoke were Kapil Kaul, Director South Asia & Middle East, CAPA Centre For Aviation; Ashish Kumar, Managining Director, Agnitia Consulting; Dipak Deva, Managing Director, Travel Corporation India Ltd; Rakshit Desai, Managing Director, FCM Travel Solutions India; Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Operating Officer, InterGlobe Technology Quotient Pvt. Ltd; Gilbert George, VP-Sales, Jet Airways India Ltd; Wolfgang Will, Director-South Asia, Lufthansa German Airlines; Suresh Nair, General Manager-India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal; Sanjay Kumar, Former Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo.
ICONIC 2018 acted as a melting pot of ideas, deliberating on the myriad operational, technology integration, and governance-related challenges for the tourism and aviation sectors of India. The way forward for better functioning and uninterrupted growth of these industry sectors was highlighted through the dialogue.
Global Tourism Council to hold first convention in Egypt from Sept 16: Iqbal Mulla
By Deepak Arora
NEW DELHI, Aug 6: India-based Global Tourism Council is holding its first three-day tourism & investment convention at Cairo from September 16, according to Iqbal Mulla, President of the GTC.
Speaking to this correspondent, Iqbal Mulla said the Global Tourism Council (GTC) has Indian roots with global outlook and the theme of the convention is to “Innovate & invest and New Challenges”.
With its first convention in Egypt, President Iqbal Mulla plans to achieve three targets viz Tourism Conclave; Investment Summit and Film Industry Connect with one arrow.
Enunciating further on the theme, the President said “with new challenges emerging every day in our industry, we need to innovate and create new ideas and opportunities.”
He said “we must connect with those who think out-of-the-box for the development of the entire industry, leading to more profits, a better competitive stand or strategic renewal of an existing business.”
He said “innovative technologies and business models will revolutionize the hospitality, trade and tourism industries.”
Iqbal Mulla said “one needs to undertake new challenges, tap untouched areas, and bring newer elements to the existing arena to attract the ever growing market of new generation travelers for greater returns.”
He said “one needs to invest in Digital marketing to reach out and connect better with our customers which largely comprises of young, upbeat tech friendly travellers. This is what will add value to the evolution and future of the hospitality, investment and tourism industry.”
When asked why Egypt, Iqbal Mulla said the name 'Egypt' immediately creates exotic images of ancient pyramids housing pharaoh's tombs and lush, palm-fringed oasis that emerge within sprawling deserts.
He said this country in the far northeastern corner of Africa bridges the continent with Asia and is traversed by the mighty Nile River, dotted with ancient temples and whose waters feed the rich agricultural lands of the Nile Delta. To the north, the Mediterranean Sea coastline is infused with European influences, while the Red Sea to the east is famed for its magnificent coral reefs and marine species.
From being immersed in the bustling city-life of Cairo to the desolate expanses of the country's great deserts, he said Egypt stands as one of the world's favorite tourist destinations.
He said Egypt seems to veil a lot of potential, which is due to the largest consumer market the country has. Making investments in Egypt is great to ensure substantial growth.
Sound reforms, public initiatives and an educated and healthy labor force, plenty of natural resources and more such factors have helped in Egypt, becoming a prime destination for global companies and investments.
The country that expands in all directions from Greater Cairo, filled with impressive landscapes, natural wonders and historical sites to deserts, met with perfect stretches of white sand offering a quintessential resort getaway while ancient ruins are draped in an enticing history that spans millennia.
Whether you are after sun, sea and sand or a cultural-infused holiday, Egypt offers a taste of everything. Though most visitors are drawn to Egypt by its monuments, the enduring memory is likely to be of its warm people and their way of life. Egypt truly feels like a home away from home.
President Mulla said Global Tourism Council aims to be the world's biggest Nongovernment organization recognized by government of India Charitable Trust. It is the brainchild of the best professionals from India and across the world who are committed to the advancement of the global trade and tourism industry.
While Iqbal Mulla is the President of the GTC Governing Council, his Deputy is Rajiv Duggal and other members are Sheldon Santwan (Media); Sriram Rajmohan (Tourism) and Ismail Hamid Amer ( Egypt Tourism).
The members of the Advisory Council are Ankush Nijawan (Tourism); Sujit Nair (Tourism); Rahim Aslam (Tourism); A. Basheer Ahmed (Tourism); Ramji Natarajan (Tourism & Bollywood); Partha Chatterjee (Tourism & Investment); Sunil Kalliyat (Airline Emirates); Sachin Nene (Airline Air Arabia); Kuldeep Bhartee (Hospitality) Ms. Archana Tracy (Events & Bollywood); T. S. Guruprasad (Forex); Kaushik Joshi (C.A. & Investment Finance); Suhas Tuljapurkar (Investment Project); Danny Carroll (Investment Capital); Vikash Mittersain (Investment); Kunal Sampat (Cruises); Sandeep Khosla (Media); Jilesh Babla (Tourism Board Africa); Carl Vaz (Tourism Board); and Ms. Salwa Abdel-Aziz (Egypt).
Best minds at Iconic Forum to take India forward in Tourism, Technology and Aviation
By Deepak Arora
NEW DELHI, Aug 5: The first ever Iconic Forum, a platform to discuss and debate the battling and thought provoking matters of the Tourism, Technology and Aviation industry, is being held here on Thursday at the Hotel Le Meridien, according to Ms Jyoti Mayal, CEO of Red Hat Communications.
Jyoti Mayal said the forum would engage some of the finest and brightest minds from across the speactrum of Governsment, Policy and Aviation under one roof platform for the discussion on the current situation in the Tourism, Aviation & Technology Industry.
The first session would discuss the Two T's ie "Technology and Tourism -- Boon or Bane" and the second session would cover Aviation -- "Challenges for growth or decline".
She said the key note speaker and guest of honour would be Ashwani Lohani, Chairman, Indian Railway Board.
The participants in the first session would include Ashish Kumar, Aloke Bajpai, Suman Billa, Avijit Arya, Dipak Deva, Rakshit Desai and Sandeep Dwivedi.
The second session on aviation would see participants Kapil Kaul, Sanjay Kumar, Gilbert George, Wolfgang Will, Vandana Aggarwal, Suresh Nair and Sanjiv Kapoor.
Red Hat Communications holds Iconic every year which is a premium luxury event and an initiative that brings together the worlds of Luxury, Aviation, Travel, Hospitality and beyond.
An industry first, Iconic is both a forum for discussion as well as a stage to recognize the stalwarts of the industry. Iconic 2018, aims to become bigger and bolder taking the Travel, Aviation, Hospitality and Luxury confluence to the next step.
The Iconic Forum will be the first step to discuss the future of Travel, Technology and Tourism Industry, added Jyoti Mayal.
Alphons highlights role of tourism in socio-economic development
SAN SEBASTIAN (Spain), June 1: Indian Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) KJ Alphons has stated that technology adoption in tourism should not be just for sales and distribution but also for discovery, planning, booking, execution, operations and post-trip relationship management. He was addressed the 108th session of UNWTO Executive Council here.
With a view to scaling up innovation and digitisation in the sector as the focus of UNWTO Executive Council, the minister discussed the role of tourism in socio-economic development through job creation, enterprise and environment development and foreign exchange earnings.
He also brought out the impact of innovation and new technology, which have become key factors for the competitiveness of every economic sector including tourism.
During a meeting with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, the two leaders discussed to develop a joint action plan focused on tourism innovation and digital transformation, including the positioning of India on the action plan of UNWTO.
The discussions also included developing tourism as a strong agent for the better future of the world and establishing the global public-private partnerships.
In a discussion with Spanish Tourism Minister Álvaro Nadal, Alphons discussed cooperation in the field of tourism primarily pertaining to the synergy between India’s iconic destinations and Spain’s smart destinations.
This would include setting up a centre of excellence for tourism technology, training programme for tourism professionals (central / state employees) management of pilgrim destinations and also the management of UNESCO Heritage sites.