A holiday to the picturesque valley of Leh this summer might be easier and cheaper with the launching of special charter flights to Ladakh tomorrow.
Touted as the first of its kind holiday charter flight for the domestic market, the initiative by travel agency MakeMyTrip.com includes a tour package to exotic destinations like Nubra valley, Pangong Tso lake and Khardungla pass.
"We are launching it as a travel package to Leh and Ladakh which is flight inclusive and is yet very competitively priced. The cost will be between Rs 25,000 and 30,000 per person. The flights will operate from Delhi every Sunday starting tomorrow, initially for a period of 10 consecutive Sundays," MakeMyTrip Chief Marketing Officer Mohit Gupta said.
The flights are in addition to the existing scheduled flights that offer daily departures into Leh.
SOURCE: PTI News
Date - May 8, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tourists flock to Kufri in Himachal to beat the heat
As the mercury rises across northern India, Kufri in Shimla is attracting lots of tourists.
The climate of Kufri is providing much-needed relief to many tourists who leave behind temperatures in mid to high 40s.
"I am from Ahmedabad, the temperature is 47 degree Celsius and here the temperature is very low and here we are enjoying the low temperature and the beauty of hills. The weather is very nice here," said Prateek, a tourist.
Locals involved in the tourism business say that this tourist rush indicates a good season for them this summer.
"As the summer is going up, tourists are rushing to Kufri. We are having a good business these days. As the mercury will rise in May and June, this rush will increase more. This is good for the hundreds of local youth involved in horse-riding business here," said Shiv Singh, who arranges horse-riding trips for tourists.
From Shimla and Kufri, tourists also move to other tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Manali and Dalhousie.
The maximum temperature in most hill stations of Himachal Pradesh varies from 24 to 27 degree Celsius. (ANI)
The climate of Kufri is providing much-needed relief to many tourists who leave behind temperatures in mid to high 40s.
"I am from Ahmedabad, the temperature is 47 degree Celsius and here the temperature is very low and here we are enjoying the low temperature and the beauty of hills. The weather is very nice here," said Prateek, a tourist.
Locals involved in the tourism business say that this tourist rush indicates a good season for them this summer.
"As the summer is going up, tourists are rushing to Kufri. We are having a good business these days. As the mercury will rise in May and June, this rush will increase more. This is good for the hundreds of local youth involved in horse-riding business here," said Shiv Singh, who arranges horse-riding trips for tourists.
From Shimla and Kufri, tourists also move to other tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Manali and Dalhousie.
The maximum temperature in most hill stations of Himachal Pradesh varies from 24 to 27 degree Celsius. (ANI)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Travel Gains Currency on Rising Rupee
A strong rupee has made international holidays cheaper by around 10 per cent. Enjoy it...
Summer holidays have become cheaper. Last year, a 17-day European tour was costing Rs 209,000. This year, the package is going for Rs 190,000, costing by 10 per cent less. Similarly, a 16-day US tour package costing Rs 242,000 is cheaper by 7.4 per cent.
In the past year, the rupee has been strengthening against major currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the British pound. A year ago, the exchange rate for the dollar was Rs 49.67. At present, it is Rs 44.44, a rise of 10.52 per cent. Similarly, the rupee has appreciated 10.47 per cent against the Chinese renminbi, 10.67 per cent against the Hong Kong dollar, 8.43 per cent against the euro and 7.96 per cent against the pound.
The strengthening of the rupee against the dollar is a key reason. Many currencies, such as the Hong Kong dollar, the Saudi rial and the UAE dirham are pegged to the dollar. When the dollar depreciates, so do these currencies.
No wonder outbound travellers are looking at longer destinations. "Due to the strong rupee, we are seeing an increased interest in long-haul destinations like Europe and the US," said Anand Kandadai, vice-president, outbound tours, Makemytrip.com.
A typical long-haul destination is one in which the air-ticket cost is around 30 per cent of the total expenses. Examples of such destinations are the US, Europe, Australia and Mauritius. Kandadai said though there had been an increase in air fares by around 5 per cent compared to last year, as fuel prices had risen, a traveller could easily save an additional 10-12 per cent due to reduction in hotel and other costs.
The top five destinations: The destinations that have benefited the most from the currency appreciation are the US, Europe, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. "If one goes by the number of bookings at the start of the season, there has been an increase of 20 per cent for Europe," said Kandadai.
Most tour operators take a portion of the money in the rupee. The major chunk is pegged to the US dollar, the euro, the pound or the Australian dollar, though the payment is in rupees. Take the example of an African package called African Grandeur. The 15-day tour is for Rs 79,000 and $2,650 (Rs 117,766 at an exchange rate of $1=Rs 44.44). This helps operators deal with currency fluctuations.
While exchange rates are one big factor, a person also needs to consider what the rupee can buy in the destination he is visiting. If the dollar has weakened against the rupee but inflation is high in the US, exchange rate gains will be wiped out.
Other destinations: That's not all. Saurabh Jaiswal, a Nagpur-based businessman who travels frequently to Europe for work, is planning to take his family to Greece during the summer vacation. "During my recent visit, I discovered that hotel rooms are available at huge discounts. In addition, the rise of the rupee against the euro saves me quite a sum," Jaiswal said.
With traditional tourists from the US or Europe cutting down on international travel due to the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, many destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia have become cheaper this year. A seven-day package to Singapore and Malaysia is 20 per cent less this year as compared to last year.
Travel advice: If a foreign destination is on your mind, travel advisors say you should rush to do the booking. "The exchange rate benefit is available for visitors booking their travel at least a month in advance. Else, air fare and last-minute hotel bookings can nullify the gains," said Veena Patil, managing director, Kesari Tours.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Tinesh Bhasin
Date - April 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
Summer holidays have become cheaper. Last year, a 17-day European tour was costing Rs 209,000. This year, the package is going for Rs 190,000, costing by 10 per cent less. Similarly, a 16-day US tour package costing Rs 242,000 is cheaper by 7.4 per cent.
In the past year, the rupee has been strengthening against major currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the British pound. A year ago, the exchange rate for the dollar was Rs 49.67. At present, it is Rs 44.44, a rise of 10.52 per cent. Similarly, the rupee has appreciated 10.47 per cent against the Chinese renminbi, 10.67 per cent against the Hong Kong dollar, 8.43 per cent against the euro and 7.96 per cent against the pound.
The strengthening of the rupee against the dollar is a key reason. Many currencies, such as the Hong Kong dollar, the Saudi rial and the UAE dirham are pegged to the dollar. When the dollar depreciates, so do these currencies.
No wonder outbound travellers are looking at longer destinations. "Due to the strong rupee, we are seeing an increased interest in long-haul destinations like Europe and the US," said Anand Kandadai, vice-president, outbound tours, Makemytrip.com.
A typical long-haul destination is one in which the air-ticket cost is around 30 per cent of the total expenses. Examples of such destinations are the US, Europe, Australia and Mauritius. Kandadai said though there had been an increase in air fares by around 5 per cent compared to last year, as fuel prices had risen, a traveller could easily save an additional 10-12 per cent due to reduction in hotel and other costs.
The top five destinations: The destinations that have benefited the most from the currency appreciation are the US, Europe, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. "If one goes by the number of bookings at the start of the season, there has been an increase of 20 per cent for Europe," said Kandadai.
Most tour operators take a portion of the money in the rupee. The major chunk is pegged to the US dollar, the euro, the pound or the Australian dollar, though the payment is in rupees. Take the example of an African package called African Grandeur. The 15-day tour is for Rs 79,000 and $2,650 (Rs 117,766 at an exchange rate of $1=Rs 44.44). This helps operators deal with currency fluctuations.
While exchange rates are one big factor, a person also needs to consider what the rupee can buy in the destination he is visiting. If the dollar has weakened against the rupee but inflation is high in the US, exchange rate gains will be wiped out.
Other destinations: That's not all. Saurabh Jaiswal, a Nagpur-based businessman who travels frequently to Europe for work, is planning to take his family to Greece during the summer vacation. "During my recent visit, I discovered that hotel rooms are available at huge discounts. In addition, the rise of the rupee against the euro saves me quite a sum," Jaiswal said.
With traditional tourists from the US or Europe cutting down on international travel due to the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, many destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia have become cheaper this year. A seven-day package to Singapore and Malaysia is 20 per cent less this year as compared to last year.
Travel advice: If a foreign destination is on your mind, travel advisors say you should rush to do the booking. "The exchange rate benefit is available for visitors booking their travel at least a month in advance. Else, air fare and last-minute hotel bookings can nullify the gains," said Veena Patil, managing director, Kesari Tours.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Tinesh Bhasin
Date - April 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
Monday, April 12, 2010
Going on a summer holiday?
Travel loans are easily available, affordable to help you and your family unwind.
Summer vacations are fast approaching and tour operators are leaving no stones unturned to advertise attractive tour packages for various domestic and foreign destinations. There are tour packages for every pocket. Many must have already planned their vacation. But if you are not taking a break due to budget constraints, here's how you can quickly plan a vacation -
Remember, when planning a vacation, do not do away with funds saved for meeting unforeseen expenses.
Work out your budget, first and then evaluate how much extra funds you have to help sponsoring the holiday. If you cannot spare enough from the savings and you still owe a holiday to your kids, a travel loan can rescue you.
Typically, a travel loan is nothing but a personal loan. But with increased awareness and marketing by the travel sector, many banks now a days, offer special travel loans. Some of these special schemes are - State Bank of India's Easy Travel Loan, Bank of India's Star Holiday Loan Scheme and Bank of Baroda's Desh Videsh Yatra Loan.
Travel loans promoted by banks are a good way of meeting all your travelling expense like ticket cost, lodging, visa, various taxes and many more.
While the loan amount may vary according to your income and repayment capacity, banks mostly offer a minimum of Rs 20,000 to as high as Rs 10 lakh as loan amount.
Travel loans are supposed to be repaid over a span of four years and can be easily obtained. Repayment policy for this loan varies from banks-to-banks in terms of the rate of interest levied on the loan availed. On an average the rate of interest is around 14-16 per cent.
When you apply for a travel loan, you are required to submit a copy of your passport for travelling overseas, rail/bus/air tickets, visas, residence proof, consolidated invoice of ticket, insurance costs and passport size photograph. Some banks may ask for some additional documents, but that is bank specific.
Salaried individuals need to submit a copy of the latest salary slip and Form 16. Self-employed individuals and working professionals will be required to submit a copy of Income Tax returns for last two financial years and a residence proof.
You need to fill an application form available with banks. A nominal processing fee is charged by banks, which may sometimes be waived off.
Banks offer some other benefits with travel loans like low processing charges, no administrative charges and security. And, minimal documentation and no prepayment penalties is what all customers look for.
Another option is to obtain a loan of maximum Rs 5 lakh only in case long-term saving instruments like National Savings Certificate (NSC), Indira Vikas Patra (IVP), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), policy from Life Insurance Corporation (Surrender Value), are provided as collateral security equal to at least 50 per cent of the sanctioned loan amount. Loan worth Rs 10 lakh is also sanctioned by submitting the same collateral security but the collateral amount should be equal to 100 per cent of the loan amount.
As personal loans are unsecured loans, the rate of interest levied is higher. But, if you are mortgaging long-term saving instruments, you can get a better rate of interest.
So, no matter which profession you belong to, whether you are salaried, working professional, self-employed, high net worth individual, agriculturist or pensioner, you are eligible for travel loans.
In short, travel loan is a financially smart decision as it will not only improve your credit score with good payment history but will also help you take a break from work by allowing a monthly payment of the expense you incurred on the long cherished vacation.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Bienu Vaghela
Summer vacations are fast approaching and tour operators are leaving no stones unturned to advertise attractive tour packages for various domestic and foreign destinations. There are tour packages for every pocket. Many must have already planned their vacation. But if you are not taking a break due to budget constraints, here's how you can quickly plan a vacation -
Remember, when planning a vacation, do not do away with funds saved for meeting unforeseen expenses.
Work out your budget, first and then evaluate how much extra funds you have to help sponsoring the holiday. If you cannot spare enough from the savings and you still owe a holiday to your kids, a travel loan can rescue you.
Typically, a travel loan is nothing but a personal loan. But with increased awareness and marketing by the travel sector, many banks now a days, offer special travel loans. Some of these special schemes are - State Bank of India's Easy Travel Loan, Bank of India's Star Holiday Loan Scheme and Bank of Baroda's Desh Videsh Yatra Loan.
Travel loans promoted by banks are a good way of meeting all your travelling expense like ticket cost, lodging, visa, various taxes and many more.
While the loan amount may vary according to your income and repayment capacity, banks mostly offer a minimum of Rs 20,000 to as high as Rs 10 lakh as loan amount.
Travel loans are supposed to be repaid over a span of four years and can be easily obtained. Repayment policy for this loan varies from banks-to-banks in terms of the rate of interest levied on the loan availed. On an average the rate of interest is around 14-16 per cent.
When you apply for a travel loan, you are required to submit a copy of your passport for travelling overseas, rail/bus/air tickets, visas, residence proof, consolidated invoice of ticket, insurance costs and passport size photograph. Some banks may ask for some additional documents, but that is bank specific.
Salaried individuals need to submit a copy of the latest salary slip and Form 16. Self-employed individuals and working professionals will be required to submit a copy of Income Tax returns for last two financial years and a residence proof.
You need to fill an application form available with banks. A nominal processing fee is charged by banks, which may sometimes be waived off.
Banks offer some other benefits with travel loans like low processing charges, no administrative charges and security. And, minimal documentation and no prepayment penalties is what all customers look for.
Another option is to obtain a loan of maximum Rs 5 lakh only in case long-term saving instruments like National Savings Certificate (NSC), Indira Vikas Patra (IVP), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), policy from Life Insurance Corporation (Surrender Value), are provided as collateral security equal to at least 50 per cent of the sanctioned loan amount. Loan worth Rs 10 lakh is also sanctioned by submitting the same collateral security but the collateral amount should be equal to 100 per cent of the loan amount.
As personal loans are unsecured loans, the rate of interest levied is higher. But, if you are mortgaging long-term saving instruments, you can get a better rate of interest.
So, no matter which profession you belong to, whether you are salaried, working professional, self-employed, high net worth individual, agriculturist or pensioner, you are eligible for travel loans.
In short, travel loan is a financially smart decision as it will not only improve your credit score with good payment history but will also help you take a break from work by allowing a monthly payment of the expense you incurred on the long cherished vacation.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Bienu Vaghela
Monday, March 29, 2010
Book your Summer Resort: Indians back to Travelling in Large Groups
If you are planning to spend the summer vacation in the hills this year, book your hotels in advance or you could struggle to find an accommodation of choice in destinations like Manali, Panchgani, Ooty, Munnar and Darjeeling.
Domestic tourists, which over the last two years took short breaks and switched to travelling as couples or as family of four after the economic slowdown hit consumer spends, are now back with the whole family for week-long trips.
"Indians are known for travelling in large groups and this season they are back on the roads," said Keyur Joshi COO of travel services firm Makemytrip. Domestic travellers outnumber big spending foreign tourists during the summer season.
Travel agents say just about a fifth of the summer tourists last year took long duration breaks and this season half of the overall bookings are for week-long trips.
The traditional Indian traveller who hops between destinations in 3-4 day breaks is also evolving, says Richa Goyal Sikri, director with Delhi-based travel company STIC Travels. "People now want to relax and savour the flavours."
Revival in corporate growth and salary increments have fuelled consumers travel spends, one of hardest hit by the economic slowdown. Tour operators are already reporting a 20-25 % increase in bookings compared to last summer.
"Kashmir, Ladakh, besides all-season favourites Kerala and Goa, have seen a surge in booking," said Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president, Cox & Kings.
In the off-season, a prominent four-star hotel in Goa that charged Rs 13,000 a couple for three-night-four-day package inclusive of all meals last summer has priced it at Rs 15,500 this year.
Agents, who book in bulk, say consumers will pay on an average 5-10 % more than last summer even as hotel rack rates have not changed in many destinations as the big discounts of last year has declined.
Prices vary significantly between hotels but a three-star hotel in Manali could cost about Rs 3,000-4 ,000 a night inclusive of meals for a couple.
Longer vacations is not restricted to local destinations. Tour operators say more travellers on short-haul destinations like Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore are opting for week-long trips rather than typical three night-four-day packages.
A seven nights package to Malaysia and Singapore inclusive of airfare, sightseeing, two meals a day and budget hotel accommodation would cost around Rs 40,000-45 ,000 per head.
Kashmira Commissariat, who heads outbound travel for Kuoni India, said long haul destinations like the US and Europe are also seeing more bookings.
"Indians had started giving a miss to these destinations during slowdown which has changed this summer" she said. The 10-15 % gain in value of rupee against the dollar and the euro over last year has made it cheaper to travel to US and Europe.
SOURCE: By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani,
ET Bureau
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Domestic tourists, which over the last two years took short breaks and switched to travelling as couples or as family of four after the economic slowdown hit consumer spends, are now back with the whole family for week-long trips.
"Indians are known for travelling in large groups and this season they are back on the roads," said Keyur Joshi COO of travel services firm Makemytrip. Domestic travellers outnumber big spending foreign tourists during the summer season.
Travel agents say just about a fifth of the summer tourists last year took long duration breaks and this season half of the overall bookings are for week-long trips.
The traditional Indian traveller who hops between destinations in 3-4 day breaks is also evolving, says Richa Goyal Sikri, director with Delhi-based travel company STIC Travels. "People now want to relax and savour the flavours."
Revival in corporate growth and salary increments have fuelled consumers travel spends, one of hardest hit by the economic slowdown. Tour operators are already reporting a 20-25 % increase in bookings compared to last summer.
"Kashmir, Ladakh, besides all-season favourites Kerala and Goa, have seen a surge in booking," said Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president, Cox & Kings.
In the off-season, a prominent four-star hotel in Goa that charged Rs 13,000 a couple for three-night-four-day package inclusive of all meals last summer has priced it at Rs 15,500 this year.
Agents, who book in bulk, say consumers will pay on an average 5-10 % more than last summer even as hotel rack rates have not changed in many destinations as the big discounts of last year has declined.
Prices vary significantly between hotels but a three-star hotel in Manali could cost about Rs 3,000-4 ,000 a night inclusive of meals for a couple.
Longer vacations is not restricted to local destinations. Tour operators say more travellers on short-haul destinations like Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore are opting for week-long trips rather than typical three night-four-day packages.
A seven nights package to Malaysia and Singapore inclusive of airfare, sightseeing, two meals a day and budget hotel accommodation would cost around Rs 40,000-45 ,000 per head.
Kashmira Commissariat, who heads outbound travel for Kuoni India, said long haul destinations like the US and Europe are also seeing more bookings.
"Indians had started giving a miss to these destinations during slowdown which has changed this summer" she said. The 10-15 % gain in value of rupee against the dollar and the euro over last year has made it cheaper to travel to US and Europe.
SOURCE: By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani,
ET Bureau
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Himachal Tourism Packages for Newly Weds
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has announced a special discount of 30 per cent in hotels for honeymooning couples visiting the state during the next fortnight.
The honeymoon package has been offered in Hotel Holiday Home (HHH) in Shimla, Palace Hotel in Chail, Manimahesh, Dalhousie, Hotel Macleodganj and Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamsala, Hotel Sarvari in Kullu and Hotel Renuka in Sirmaur.
In addition to the special discount, the facility of deluxe buses for local sight seeing, including meals for three days will also be provided by HPTDC.
The honeymoon holiday package will be available till April 5 this year.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Baldev S Chauhan
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi/ Shimla
The honeymoon package has been offered in Hotel Holiday Home (HHH) in Shimla, Palace Hotel in Chail, Manimahesh, Dalhousie, Hotel Macleodganj and Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamsala, Hotel Sarvari in Kullu and Hotel Renuka in Sirmaur.
In addition to the special discount, the facility of deluxe buses for local sight seeing, including meals for three days will also be provided by HPTDC.
The honeymoon holiday package will be available till April 5 this year.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Baldev S Chauhan
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi/ Shimla
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Globus Family of Brands releases survey on Indian Leisure Travel Trends to Europe
In order to better understand and chart the evolution of the Indian outbound market, Globus Family of Brands conducted a survey focusing on leisure travel trends to Europe. The survey report, which was released recently, categorised leisure travel to Europe in four segments: Indian-operated coach tours, international coach tours, independent travel and cruising. The findings of the survey which was conducted online and offline, with 1,500 experienced travellers, revealed that the top deciding factors when choosing a vacation were price, followed by itinerary choices and the brand name of the tour operator.
As per the survey results, the choice of hotels was varied, with 49 per cent preferring budget hotels and a tour price of less than USD100 a day, 23 per cent desiring at least first-class hotels and the rest choosing superior tourist hotels. Coach tours emerged as most popular with first time travellers (60 per cent) of respondents, while only 32 per cent of first time travellers wanted to explore Europe on their own. The remaining, according to the survey are likely to choose river or ocean cruises. With regards to choice of destinations, European panorama vacations combining three to four countries are favourites among first-timers and the top countries they want to visit are Switzerland, Italy, France, and Great Britain. The criterion of the sample set for the survey was the past international travel experience of the respondents. Those who did not own passports and had not travelled overseas before could not participate in the survey. 65 per cent of respondents were based in metros and 98 per cent owned cars and participated in at least one social networking site.
According to the survey findings, as many as 72 per cent of the respondents wanted a Tour Director to help on a tour to Europe, but only with certain things. This highlights the changing trend, as travellers want the conveniences of coach touring, but with some independence. 75 per cent wanted to have the must-see sites included while retaining some free time to explore on their own. With regards to vacation packages which include sightseeing, 47 per cent prefer that must-see sites are included but want a choice of optional activities for flexibility. This is in contrast to the 38 per cent who wanted all sightseeing included and 15 per cent who wanted to do everything on their own.
"These trends are comparable to international trends and are substantiated with the growth we have seen in our Cosmos and Globus coach vacations that offer balanced itineraries with the must-see sites along with free time to allow people to enjoy their own experiences during their vacation," informed Gauri Jayaram, Regional Director South Asia & Middle East, Globus Family of Brands.
The survey also brought out the changing pattern in the culinary requirements of Indians while traveling. While Indians are famous for taking along their food overseas when touring, the survey indicates that this is changing as only 14 per cent wanted to have all meals included and only Indian meals. As many as 66 per cent of respondents wanted few meals included in the tour price with the opportunity to sample local cuisine. (This could be due to demographics of the sample size, wherein those living in metropolitan areas are possibly more prone to sampling different cuisines.). "This is an important indication of the traveller maturing. Food is such an important part of a cultural experience and this shows the willingness of Indians to experiment and experience the destination for what it is. We offer only local/continental cuisine when it is included and we have grown our market share by highlighting this as our USP!" added Jayaram. She further added, "Our leading brand in India is Cosmos, a leader in budget travel. This year, our best sellers are from the 14 vacations that cost less than USD 1000 (prices on land basis only) per person, but our growth is with Globus, which offers premium escorted tours. This means that Indians don't always want the cheapest. They want the best value for their money." The Globus Family of Brands includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms, and Avalon Waterways.
SOURCE: Travelbizmonitor.com
By TBM Staff
Date - March 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
As per the survey results, the choice of hotels was varied, with 49 per cent preferring budget hotels and a tour price of less than USD100 a day, 23 per cent desiring at least first-class hotels and the rest choosing superior tourist hotels. Coach tours emerged as most popular with first time travellers (60 per cent) of respondents, while only 32 per cent of first time travellers wanted to explore Europe on their own. The remaining, according to the survey are likely to choose river or ocean cruises. With regards to choice of destinations, European panorama vacations combining three to four countries are favourites among first-timers and the top countries they want to visit are Switzerland, Italy, France, and Great Britain. The criterion of the sample set for the survey was the past international travel experience of the respondents. Those who did not own passports and had not travelled overseas before could not participate in the survey. 65 per cent of respondents were based in metros and 98 per cent owned cars and participated in at least one social networking site.
According to the survey findings, as many as 72 per cent of the respondents wanted a Tour Director to help on a tour to Europe, but only with certain things. This highlights the changing trend, as travellers want the conveniences of coach touring, but with some independence. 75 per cent wanted to have the must-see sites included while retaining some free time to explore on their own. With regards to vacation packages which include sightseeing, 47 per cent prefer that must-see sites are included but want a choice of optional activities for flexibility. This is in contrast to the 38 per cent who wanted all sightseeing included and 15 per cent who wanted to do everything on their own.
"These trends are comparable to international trends and are substantiated with the growth we have seen in our Cosmos and Globus coach vacations that offer balanced itineraries with the must-see sites along with free time to allow people to enjoy their own experiences during their vacation," informed Gauri Jayaram, Regional Director South Asia & Middle East, Globus Family of Brands.
The survey also brought out the changing pattern in the culinary requirements of Indians while traveling. While Indians are famous for taking along their food overseas when touring, the survey indicates that this is changing as only 14 per cent wanted to have all meals included and only Indian meals. As many as 66 per cent of respondents wanted few meals included in the tour price with the opportunity to sample local cuisine. (This could be due to demographics of the sample size, wherein those living in metropolitan areas are possibly more prone to sampling different cuisines.). "This is an important indication of the traveller maturing. Food is such an important part of a cultural experience and this shows the willingness of Indians to experiment and experience the destination for what it is. We offer only local/continental cuisine when it is included and we have grown our market share by highlighting this as our USP!" added Jayaram. She further added, "Our leading brand in India is Cosmos, a leader in budget travel. This year, our best sellers are from the 14 vacations that cost less than USD 1000 (prices on land basis only) per person, but our growth is with Globus, which offers premium escorted tours. This means that Indians don't always want the cheapest. They want the best value for their money." The Globus Family of Brands includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms, and Avalon Waterways.
SOURCE: Travelbizmonitor.com
By TBM Staff
Date - March 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
Friday, March 12, 2010
Heli-skiing back in Kashmir as violence dips
The awe-inspiring Himalayan slopes of war-torn Indian Kashmir represent one of the last frontiers for daredevil skiers.
Now, with violence on the wane and a new heli-skiing service offering access to incredible descents in virgin snow, the region is looking to attract the well-heeled practitioners of the extreme sport.
After securing government clearance, a Switzerland-based company started a heli-skiing service on Sunday, reviving a practice thwarted for years by violence and red tape that sees skiers taken by helicopter and dropped on remote peaks.
Priced at 9,000 euros (12,300 dollars) per person per week, trips will be available up to early April, forming part of a trend that has seen the violence-weary area revive its adventure sport industry as fighting declines.
The package includes flights from the client's country and also hotel and local transportation.
French skier Andre Bianchini, a 48-year-old mountain guide from the French Alps, was one of the first to head out this week and he plans to come back.
"I've fallen in love with the mountains here. Unlike Europe, they're mostly untouched and there are no crowds," he told AFP. "The view of the valley from a helicopter is out of this world."
Himalaya Heliski had been waiting for civil aviation ministry approval in the highly militarised zone since the start of the winter season.
More than 700,000 tourists, foreign and domestic, used to visit Kashmir annually before an insurgency against Indian rule erupted in 1989. Numbers are only now recovering after nosediving when the violence started.
"We are reviving heli-skiing as violence is declining," Nawang Rigzin Jora, the minister of tourism in Kashmir, told AFP.
Unrest has dropped sharply since India and Pakistan, which administer the region jointly but claim it in full, launched a peace process in January 2004.
The daily death toll has fallen from about ten in 2001 to less than two in 2009, according to police figures, though most Western countries still advise their citizens against visiting the Muslim-majority region.
Kashmir is host to Gulmarg, India's top ski resort, which has the highest ski lift in the world, climbing to more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet).
It drew a few thrill-seeking foreigners even during the worst days of the insurgency and this season saw hundreds more skiers from Britain, Scandinavia, Australia and North America come to sample its powder.
The resort boasts thousands of metres of untracked vertical descent and virtually no restrictions on off-piste skiing.
Sylvian Sudan from Himalaya Heliski, which heads to isolated peaks in a different area from Gulmarg, said he had 30 clients booked for this year and expects "many more" next year.
"This is the revival year. It will send out a message that today Kashmir is safe and everything is normal," says Sudan.
The company started heli-skiing in Kashmir in 1988, a year before the eruption of an anti-India insurgency that has claimed 47,000 lives according to the official count.
It suspended its activities in 1990 and since then it has struggled to establish a permanent service. In 2007 its chopper plunged into deep snow -- fortunately without causing injuries.
Next year a New Zealand-based company in collaboration with Gulmarg Heli-Skiing, a local company, will also step in to offer a competing service.
It had bookings from 200 foreigners for trips this winter, but was unable to get the clearances in time, said Abdul Hameed, the owner of Gulmarg Heli-Skiing.
Other activities such as hiking, river rafting and snow-cycling are also undergoing a revival in Indian Kashmir, with both locals and foreigners taking part.
"Trekking and mountaineering has picked up over the years and many foreigners and Indians can be seen enjoying the treks alongside locals," said Farooq Shah, head of Kashmir's tourism ministry.
SOURCE: By Izhar Wani (ANI)
Date - March 12, 2010
Location - Gulmarg, India (AFP)
Now, with violence on the wane and a new heli-skiing service offering access to incredible descents in virgin snow, the region is looking to attract the well-heeled practitioners of the extreme sport.
After securing government clearance, a Switzerland-based company started a heli-skiing service on Sunday, reviving a practice thwarted for years by violence and red tape that sees skiers taken by helicopter and dropped on remote peaks.
Priced at 9,000 euros (12,300 dollars) per person per week, trips will be available up to early April, forming part of a trend that has seen the violence-weary area revive its adventure sport industry as fighting declines.
The package includes flights from the client's country and also hotel and local transportation.
French skier Andre Bianchini, a 48-year-old mountain guide from the French Alps, was one of the first to head out this week and he plans to come back.
"I've fallen in love with the mountains here. Unlike Europe, they're mostly untouched and there are no crowds," he told AFP. "The view of the valley from a helicopter is out of this world."
Himalaya Heliski had been waiting for civil aviation ministry approval in the highly militarised zone since the start of the winter season.
More than 700,000 tourists, foreign and domestic, used to visit Kashmir annually before an insurgency against Indian rule erupted in 1989. Numbers are only now recovering after nosediving when the violence started.
"We are reviving heli-skiing as violence is declining," Nawang Rigzin Jora, the minister of tourism in Kashmir, told AFP.
Unrest has dropped sharply since India and Pakistan, which administer the region jointly but claim it in full, launched a peace process in January 2004.
The daily death toll has fallen from about ten in 2001 to less than two in 2009, according to police figures, though most Western countries still advise their citizens against visiting the Muslim-majority region.
Kashmir is host to Gulmarg, India's top ski resort, which has the highest ski lift in the world, climbing to more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet).
It drew a few thrill-seeking foreigners even during the worst days of the insurgency and this season saw hundreds more skiers from Britain, Scandinavia, Australia and North America come to sample its powder.
The resort boasts thousands of metres of untracked vertical descent and virtually no restrictions on off-piste skiing.
Sylvian Sudan from Himalaya Heliski, which heads to isolated peaks in a different area from Gulmarg, said he had 30 clients booked for this year and expects "many more" next year.
"This is the revival year. It will send out a message that today Kashmir is safe and everything is normal," says Sudan.
The company started heli-skiing in Kashmir in 1988, a year before the eruption of an anti-India insurgency that has claimed 47,000 lives according to the official count.
It suspended its activities in 1990 and since then it has struggled to establish a permanent service. In 2007 its chopper plunged into deep snow -- fortunately without causing injuries.
Next year a New Zealand-based company in collaboration with Gulmarg Heli-Skiing, a local company, will also step in to offer a competing service.
It had bookings from 200 foreigners for trips this winter, but was unable to get the clearances in time, said Abdul Hameed, the owner of Gulmarg Heli-Skiing.
Other activities such as hiking, river rafting and snow-cycling are also undergoing a revival in Indian Kashmir, with both locals and foreigners taking part.
"Trekking and mountaineering has picked up over the years and many foreigners and Indians can be seen enjoying the treks alongside locals," said Farooq Shah, head of Kashmir's tourism ministry.
SOURCE: By Izhar Wani (ANI)
Date - March 12, 2010
Location - Gulmarg, India (AFP)
Friday, March 5, 2010
Firefly offers Attractive Holiday Packages at MATTA Fair 2010
MATTA Fair 2010 will be a "must-go" event next week as community airline Firefly Sdn Bhd is offering attractive holiday packages to local and international destinations.
Firefly's head of marketing and communications department, Angelina Fernandez, said the airline was now able to offer more variety, including to destinations worldwide through connectivity with Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
"In the previous three years, we offered only Firefly destinations but this year we are offering over 100 MAS destinations worldwide, including London, Paris and Tokyo," she said at a press conference here Thursday.
With the slogan "Kick Off Your Holiday with Firefly Holidays", Angelina said the theme would be on football as the World Cup fever was already in the air.
The packages are categorised under "Striker" for the best value package deals, "Midfielder" for packages with complementary value-adds such as spa sessions, dinners and transfers, and "Defender" for free and easy packages.
Another offer is Firefly tickets at RM1 to all destinations via the newly introduced Firefly Mobile application.
Head of Firefly's distribution Lawrence Chai said this promotion would only be available onsite and visitors must make their purchases using their mobile phones.
Angelina said following the success in last year's MATTA Fair, the airline had decided to reward customers with attractive prizes worth more than RM500,000.
"There will be a 'penalty kick' for any customer spending more than RM6,000 on Firefly and MAS packages with the chance to win a Maxis-Blackberry mobile phone or flight tickets," she said.
The flying simulator, which was the main attraction on last year's event, will again be present to give visitors a chance to test their piloting skills.
"The top three best piloting and landing participants will stand to win two complimentary Firefly tickets each as well as MAS tickets to Los Angeles, Istanbul and Hong Kong as grand prizes," Angelina said.
MATTA Fair will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from March 12 to 14.
SOURCE: Bernama.com
Date - 4 March 2010
Edition - Petaling Jaya (Malayasia)
Firefly's head of marketing and communications department, Angelina Fernandez, said the airline was now able to offer more variety, including to destinations worldwide through connectivity with Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
"In the previous three years, we offered only Firefly destinations but this year we are offering over 100 MAS destinations worldwide, including London, Paris and Tokyo," she said at a press conference here Thursday.
With the slogan "Kick Off Your Holiday with Firefly Holidays", Angelina said the theme would be on football as the World Cup fever was already in the air.
The packages are categorised under "Striker" for the best value package deals, "Midfielder" for packages with complementary value-adds such as spa sessions, dinners and transfers, and "Defender" for free and easy packages.
Another offer is Firefly tickets at RM1 to all destinations via the newly introduced Firefly Mobile application.
Head of Firefly's distribution Lawrence Chai said this promotion would only be available onsite and visitors must make their purchases using their mobile phones.
Angelina said following the success in last year's MATTA Fair, the airline had decided to reward customers with attractive prizes worth more than RM500,000.
"There will be a 'penalty kick' for any customer spending more than RM6,000 on Firefly and MAS packages with the chance to win a Maxis-Blackberry mobile phone or flight tickets," she said.
The flying simulator, which was the main attraction on last year's event, will again be present to give visitors a chance to test their piloting skills.
"The top three best piloting and landing participants will stand to win two complimentary Firefly tickets each as well as MAS tickets to Los Angeles, Istanbul and Hong Kong as grand prizes," Angelina said.
MATTA Fair will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from March 12 to 14.
SOURCE: Bernama.com
Date - 4 March 2010
Edition - Petaling Jaya (Malayasia)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Lucrative Discount Packages to lure tourists in Kashmir
In an effort to revive tourism in Kashmir, hoteliers and houseboat owners in the valley have announced lucrative and discounted holiday packages to Kashmir for visitors.
Buzz up!
Tourism authorities have tied up with leading travel agencies to come up with packages and schemes, which offer lodging, boarding and sight seeing facilities for tourists at discounted rates.
The tariffs of the houseboats and the hotel room costs have been slashed by fifty percent in comparison to the government approved rates, to increase the influx of tourists in the upcoming holiday season.
"The government has set per room rate as 4500 rupees but now we are giving the rooms for 1500 to 2000 rupees to all the travel groups. Deluxe houseboat rooms are being rented out at cheap rates. We are doing all this to revive tourism which has been hit hard in the valley, said Tariq Ahmad, a houseboat owner.
However, tourists have welcomed this initiative and believe that media should inform the people about the holiday packages.
"This season we are getting discounted rates and we can avail them not just now but even in the summer holidays. People usually visit places during the summer holidays. But I think people should come to know about these discounted rates being offered here. We all think it will be very costly here but it is not like that. We can bargain here. The main thing is people should know they could bargain here. And discounted rate should be made known to everyone," said Sunita Kumar, a tourist from New Delhi.
Tourism, once a flourishing industry in Kashmir, has been badly hit by the ongoing conflict in the state.
But the state tourism department is using various tools like participating in India Travel Mart - a travel and tourism exhibition, to attract tourists to this heavenly destination.
"We have taken part in country's major Travel Marts. We have also done road shows in Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and we have got really good response from the people. We hope that the tourist season will see heavy influx this holiday season," said Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir.
"If the tourism industry in the state revives it could become the source of employment for 70 per cent of the state's population. It can again become the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir's economy," he added.
SOURCE:
By Parvez Butt (ANI)
Date - February 23, 2010
Location - Srinagar
Buzz up!
Tourism authorities have tied up with leading travel agencies to come up with packages and schemes, which offer lodging, boarding and sight seeing facilities for tourists at discounted rates.
The tariffs of the houseboats and the hotel room costs have been slashed by fifty percent in comparison to the government approved rates, to increase the influx of tourists in the upcoming holiday season.
"The government has set per room rate as 4500 rupees but now we are giving the rooms for 1500 to 2000 rupees to all the travel groups. Deluxe houseboat rooms are being rented out at cheap rates. We are doing all this to revive tourism which has been hit hard in the valley, said Tariq Ahmad, a houseboat owner.
However, tourists have welcomed this initiative and believe that media should inform the people about the holiday packages.
"This season we are getting discounted rates and we can avail them not just now but even in the summer holidays. People usually visit places during the summer holidays. But I think people should come to know about these discounted rates being offered here. We all think it will be very costly here but it is not like that. We can bargain here. The main thing is people should know they could bargain here. And discounted rate should be made known to everyone," said Sunita Kumar, a tourist from New Delhi.
Tourism, once a flourishing industry in Kashmir, has been badly hit by the ongoing conflict in the state.
But the state tourism department is using various tools like participating in India Travel Mart - a travel and tourism exhibition, to attract tourists to this heavenly destination.
"We have taken part in country's major Travel Marts. We have also done road shows in Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and we have got really good response from the people. We hope that the tourist season will see heavy influx this holiday season," said Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir.
"If the tourism industry in the state revives it could become the source of employment for 70 per cent of the state's population. It can again become the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir's economy," he added.
SOURCE:
By Parvez Butt (ANI)
Date - February 23, 2010
Location - Srinagar
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Egypt Tourism Authority focus on promoting Honeymoon, Heritage and Culture segments in India
With an aim to further attract Indian travellers to Egypt, the Egypt Tourism Authority will focus on promoting Honeymoon, Heritage and Culture segments in India. The tourism board is looking at promoting the same through travel agents, media campaigns through different mediums like outdoor, print and online, as well as conduct joint promotions with travel agents. Besides this, the tourism board is also looking at promoting MICE, Incentive, Golf and Safaris in the Indian market.
Speaking with TravelBiz Monitor, Samy Mahmoud, Under Secretary Head of The International Tourism Sector, Egyptian Tourist Authority said, "For Egypt, India is the second biggest emerging market after Japan and we will look at promoting the destination through travel agents and different marketing initiatives."
From the Indian market, the tourism board is targeting a total of one lakh Indian tourists this year, whereas last year the country witnessed 88,000 Indian visitors. Furthermore, the tourism board will also invest USD 130 million over a period of next three years to promote Egypt in the international markets.
SOURCE: TravelBizMonitor.com
By Krupa Vora | Mumbai
Date - February 10, 2010
Speaking with TravelBiz Monitor, Samy Mahmoud, Under Secretary Head of The International Tourism Sector, Egyptian Tourist Authority said, "For Egypt, India is the second biggest emerging market after Japan and we will look at promoting the destination through travel agents and different marketing initiatives."
From the Indian market, the tourism board is targeting a total of one lakh Indian tourists this year, whereas last year the country witnessed 88,000 Indian visitors. Furthermore, the tourism board will also invest USD 130 million over a period of next three years to promote Egypt in the international markets.
SOURCE: TravelBizMonitor.com
By Krupa Vora | Mumbai
Date - February 10, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
MakeMyTrip launches Fly Free Domestic Summer Holidays across India
MakeMyTrip, the leader in the Indian online travel space and provider of best-value holidays, has announced its all inclusive summer holiday packages for 2010. These holidays have been created to provide a great degree of flexibility to the traveller, for the first time in the Indian domestic travel space.
Demonstrating high customer focus & understating of modern travel needs, MakeMyTrip Summer Holiday Packages offer industry-first offerings such as:
- Packages inclusive of airfare with a flexibility to travel form 6 major cities across India
- Packages starting from major cities as opposed to traditional departures only from the hub cities of holiday packages
- Daily departures, so that travelers can select date as per convenience
Packages have been created for destinations in Himachal, Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, the North-East and South India. Departure hubs include Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Package cost and itinerary details have been elaborated upon in the annexure.
Elaborating on the new holiday offering, Mr. Keyur Joshi (COO and Co-Founder, MakeMyTrip.com), said, "We have created best-value holidays with elements that have never been offered in the Indian market before. For this, we have utilized our special relationships in the aviation sector as the largest sellers of air tickets in India. We have packaged the best of air and hotel deals to deliver great value & flexibility to Indian travelers.
Mr. Joshi added, "This will change the landscape of the domestic travel industry and how travellers buy holidays in India. MakeMyTrip has always offered greater choice and flexibility to travellers, and we are re-iterating our brand promise with these new products. Our new offering gives customers, the flexibility to choose any departure date against the traditional approach of 4-6 fixed dates of departure.
We will be offering "fly free holiday packages", at no extra cost, from various cities. Now travelers can choose to start their travel from 6 major cities and not pay extra for airfare to reach a fixed hub. For e.g. our flight inclusive Kashmir Package starts from various cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi as opposed to traditional fixed itinerary package which would start from only Delhi. Reaching holiday destination by flight not just saves time but also gives an experience to customer to have good time with their family.
SOURCE: Afaqs.com
Date - 28 January 2010
Edition - National
Demonstrating high customer focus & understating of modern travel needs, MakeMyTrip Summer Holiday Packages offer industry-first offerings such as:
- Packages inclusive of airfare with a flexibility to travel form 6 major cities across India
- Packages starting from major cities as opposed to traditional departures only from the hub cities of holiday packages
- Daily departures, so that travelers can select date as per convenience
Packages have been created for destinations in Himachal, Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, the North-East and South India. Departure hubs include Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Package cost and itinerary details have been elaborated upon in the annexure.
Elaborating on the new holiday offering, Mr. Keyur Joshi (COO and Co-Founder, MakeMyTrip.com), said, "We have created best-value holidays with elements that have never been offered in the Indian market before. For this, we have utilized our special relationships in the aviation sector as the largest sellers of air tickets in India. We have packaged the best of air and hotel deals to deliver great value & flexibility to Indian travelers.
Mr. Joshi added, "This will change the landscape of the domestic travel industry and how travellers buy holidays in India. MakeMyTrip has always offered greater choice and flexibility to travellers, and we are re-iterating our brand promise with these new products. Our new offering gives customers, the flexibility to choose any departure date against the traditional approach of 4-6 fixed dates of departure.
We will be offering "fly free holiday packages", at no extra cost, from various cities. Now travelers can choose to start their travel from 6 major cities and not pay extra for airfare to reach a fixed hub. For e.g. our flight inclusive Kashmir Package starts from various cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi as opposed to traditional fixed itinerary package which would start from only Delhi. Reaching holiday destination by flight not just saves time but also gives an experience to customer to have good time with their family.
SOURCE: Afaqs.com
Date - 28 January 2010
Edition - National
Monday, January 25, 2010
OTAs say Business Outlook for 2010 is Quite Positive
Going by conventional wisdom, the fall in tourism was most evident in the drop in traffic volume of airline companies and receding occupancy of hotels. This would have meant that Online Travel Agency (OTA) business also came under tremendous pressure. However, surprisingly, the OTA fraternity is presenting a contrarian picture. It is the only segment of the travel and tourism sector claiming that 2009 was not as disappointing for them as it is widely believed.
Online booking of travel products is escalating
According to leading players in the OTA segment, their businesses did not have to bear tremendous pressures because the volume of consumers switching over to online tools for their travel related buying is increasing every year. This trend picked up pace about three-tour years ago and has been consistently multiplying ever since. And while the story began with LCCs, consumers are now getting hotel and rail related options also online. "While the US market is clearly the largest online travel market in the world, the 'offline to online shift' has been the fastest ever in the Indian market, with over 40 percent of all air tickets being bought online in under three years. From $295 million in 2005, the market for online travel bookings is estimated to grow to $6 billion by 2010 and OTAs are expected to corner around 23 percent share of the total travel market," says Deep Kalra, founder and CEO of MakeMyTrip.com. According to him, although discretionary travel has been impacted by the economic slowdown, MakeMyTrip (MMT) has witnessed growth in both, the outbound and inbound divisions, of its holiday offerings.
For Travelocity also, 2009 has been a satisfactory year in the business sense. "We started our journey in India by focusing on the two most lucrative segments of travel - outbound and the hotel segment. We have reached a unique leadership position in both these segments in India in 2009," says Himanshu Singh, managing director, Travelocity India. He believes that Travelocity will continue to invest and grow in both of these segments in 2010. "Our expectations are that both these categories will witness tremendous growth at the rate of more than 100 percent in the next three years," states Singh. Hrush Bhatt, founder and director (Product and Strategy), Cleartrip also has no complains with 2009. "We're very happy with the progress our company has made in 2009. January 2009 was our first profitable month and we've maintained that profitability through the year; December has marked twelve straight months of profitability for Cleartrip," reveals Bhatt. Another player in the industry Ezeego1 commenced corporate travel distribution and added a significance client base in 2009. "In 2010, our focus would be on enhancing product offerings as well as to increase sales of non-air products," Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1 says.
Diversification of product portfolio is success mantra
Another reason for their success cited by online players is diversification of their product portfolio as a timely response to the crisis. Earlier, OTAs were focused mainly on the air segment; now the scene is gradually changing. After establishing themselves in the air segment, they have started diversifying into non-air segments. "While the initial growth driver for MakeMyTrip was air tickets, we also made efforts to grow the non-air business by offering holidays and online hotel bookings, since real growth and revenue would be achieved only by making inroads in these high margin categories. We have also added rail bookings to our expansive portfolio of online services," informs Kalra. Singh also expresses immense optimism about the growth in the hotel segment. "We expect the non-air segment to contribute about 30 percent of our revenues in 2010," concludes Bhatt. According to Neelu Singh, Ezeego1 has been witnessing a steady increase in the sales of non-air products since the launch of the website. "We have sold destinations online that generally are not sold even in the traditional travel companies," she informs.
Online hotel bookings to be the main locus in 2010
Much along expected lines, OTAs have identified hotels as the next big-ticket segment to draw consumer volume and enhance the baseline of their businesses. However, a major challenge being addressed by OTA payers are structural imbalances that have hampered the growth of online sales of hotels. With increasing competition for airline bookings in the online travel space, players of this faction are now looking to tap the next big segment which is hotel industry. Travelocity, which recently acquired Travelguru, is already looking to strengthen their position in the online hotel bookings segment. OTAs like MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip have also geared up for an improved the share in the pie.
Changing customer mindset
However, the moot question is: why are hotel bookings on the net not as popular as air bookings? Kalra opines that the success of online hotel bookings rests on influencing buying habits and purchasing behavior. "People are used to driving down to destinations, requesting acquaintances in off-station locations to assist with bookings, making the decision in an ad hoc fashion or walking into hotels to book directly. This will change if travelers are made to realize that it is better to take informed decisions by checking hotel pictures, videos and, reviews by other customers," he says. However, Kalra feels that in recent times, online hotel bookings have started picking up with hoteliers realizing the strength of this segment and partnering with OTAs to market their properties. "Initially, hotels - the budget and 2-3 star hotels in particular were oblivious to the internet as a viable distribution channel. However, with occupancies being low, they are realizing that the bookings they get through OTAs is incremental and the internet is a new way in which they can reach out to more customers. As more hotels list themselves on OTA sites and the end customer receives greater choice of offerings ranging from budget home stays to five-star luxury online, the .online side of the hotels business will pick up," he adds.
Travelocity bought Travelguru to complement its online business and help it access more than 4,000 hotels in India. "We have been constantly striving to provide the best of services and product offerings to our customers. We have strengthened our hotel offering after acquiring India's largest hotel distribution, network Travelguru and Desiya.com. We have had reasonably good success with international flights, hotels and dynamic packaging in 2009 and remain confident of the same " growth and success for
2010 as well," reveals Singh. For Cleartrip, the hotel business produced good results in 2009. "We have been much more active in the area of direct hotel contracting in 2009 and we will continue to do the same even more aggressively in 2010. Hoteliers are very excited about the opportunity to work directly with us due to the tool we provide them to manage rates and inventory on our sales channels," states Bhatt.
Analysts believe that the hefty commission which ranges between 9-25 percent charged by OTAs on every hotel bookings is the main deterrent for hoteliers to come forward and offer their inventories to OTAs. Contrary to this, the commission for air bookings is in the single digit. Secondly, the hotel industry is not as organised and it is difficult for OTAs to aggregate a huge inventory. The period till May 2009, there was a sharp decline in the industry, by almost 40-45 percent. The second half of 2009 has seen a considerable rise in business, demonstrating a 10-12 percent growth. However, it is still not enough to make up for the losses witnessed in HI. We are expecting a 5-10 percent year-on-year increase in the coming months and are bullish that businesses are likely to gain in the first quarter of 2010.
JBS: We did not have a good start this year what with the global financial crisis, the terror strikes the outbreak...of swine flu. The first half of the year experienced double-digit dip in arrivals. However, we are very hopeful for the coming year. The economy is picking up, we are seeing interest in India and, of course, we are looking forward to the Commonwealth Games to spur the boom in the industry.
SOURCE: Travel Trends Today
Date - January 2010
Edition - National
Online booking of travel products is escalating
According to leading players in the OTA segment, their businesses did not have to bear tremendous pressures because the volume of consumers switching over to online tools for their travel related buying is increasing every year. This trend picked up pace about three-tour years ago and has been consistently multiplying ever since. And while the story began with LCCs, consumers are now getting hotel and rail related options also online. "While the US market is clearly the largest online travel market in the world, the 'offline to online shift' has been the fastest ever in the Indian market, with over 40 percent of all air tickets being bought online in under three years. From $295 million in 2005, the market for online travel bookings is estimated to grow to $6 billion by 2010 and OTAs are expected to corner around 23 percent share of the total travel market," says Deep Kalra, founder and CEO of MakeMyTrip.com. According to him, although discretionary travel has been impacted by the economic slowdown, MakeMyTrip (MMT) has witnessed growth in both, the outbound and inbound divisions, of its holiday offerings.
For Travelocity also, 2009 has been a satisfactory year in the business sense. "We started our journey in India by focusing on the two most lucrative segments of travel - outbound and the hotel segment. We have reached a unique leadership position in both these segments in India in 2009," says Himanshu Singh, managing director, Travelocity India. He believes that Travelocity will continue to invest and grow in both of these segments in 2010. "Our expectations are that both these categories will witness tremendous growth at the rate of more than 100 percent in the next three years," states Singh. Hrush Bhatt, founder and director (Product and Strategy), Cleartrip also has no complains with 2009. "We're very happy with the progress our company has made in 2009. January 2009 was our first profitable month and we've maintained that profitability through the year; December has marked twelve straight months of profitability for Cleartrip," reveals Bhatt. Another player in the industry Ezeego1 commenced corporate travel distribution and added a significance client base in 2009. "In 2010, our focus would be on enhancing product offerings as well as to increase sales of non-air products," Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1 says.
Diversification of product portfolio is success mantra
Another reason for their success cited by online players is diversification of their product portfolio as a timely response to the crisis. Earlier, OTAs were focused mainly on the air segment; now the scene is gradually changing. After establishing themselves in the air segment, they have started diversifying into non-air segments. "While the initial growth driver for MakeMyTrip was air tickets, we also made efforts to grow the non-air business by offering holidays and online hotel bookings, since real growth and revenue would be achieved only by making inroads in these high margin categories. We have also added rail bookings to our expansive portfolio of online services," informs Kalra. Singh also expresses immense optimism about the growth in the hotel segment. "We expect the non-air segment to contribute about 30 percent of our revenues in 2010," concludes Bhatt. According to Neelu Singh, Ezeego1 has been witnessing a steady increase in the sales of non-air products since the launch of the website. "We have sold destinations online that generally are not sold even in the traditional travel companies," she informs.
Online hotel bookings to be the main locus in 2010
Much along expected lines, OTAs have identified hotels as the next big-ticket segment to draw consumer volume and enhance the baseline of their businesses. However, a major challenge being addressed by OTA payers are structural imbalances that have hampered the growth of online sales of hotels. With increasing competition for airline bookings in the online travel space, players of this faction are now looking to tap the next big segment which is hotel industry. Travelocity, which recently acquired Travelguru, is already looking to strengthen their position in the online hotel bookings segment. OTAs like MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip have also geared up for an improved the share in the pie.
Changing customer mindset
However, the moot question is: why are hotel bookings on the net not as popular as air bookings? Kalra opines that the success of online hotel bookings rests on influencing buying habits and purchasing behavior. "People are used to driving down to destinations, requesting acquaintances in off-station locations to assist with bookings, making the decision in an ad hoc fashion or walking into hotels to book directly. This will change if travelers are made to realize that it is better to take informed decisions by checking hotel pictures, videos and, reviews by other customers," he says. However, Kalra feels that in recent times, online hotel bookings have started picking up with hoteliers realizing the strength of this segment and partnering with OTAs to market their properties. "Initially, hotels - the budget and 2-3 star hotels in particular were oblivious to the internet as a viable distribution channel. However, with occupancies being low, they are realizing that the bookings they get through OTAs is incremental and the internet is a new way in which they can reach out to more customers. As more hotels list themselves on OTA sites and the end customer receives greater choice of offerings ranging from budget home stays to five-star luxury online, the .online side of the hotels business will pick up," he adds.
Travelocity bought Travelguru to complement its online business and help it access more than 4,000 hotels in India. "We have been constantly striving to provide the best of services and product offerings to our customers. We have strengthened our hotel offering after acquiring India's largest hotel distribution, network Travelguru and Desiya.com. We have had reasonably good success with international flights, hotels and dynamic packaging in 2009 and remain confident of the same " growth and success for
2010 as well," reveals Singh. For Cleartrip, the hotel business produced good results in 2009. "We have been much more active in the area of direct hotel contracting in 2009 and we will continue to do the same even more aggressively in 2010. Hoteliers are very excited about the opportunity to work directly with us due to the tool we provide them to manage rates and inventory on our sales channels," states Bhatt.
Analysts believe that the hefty commission which ranges between 9-25 percent charged by OTAs on every hotel bookings is the main deterrent for hoteliers to come forward and offer their inventories to OTAs. Contrary to this, the commission for air bookings is in the single digit. Secondly, the hotel industry is not as organised and it is difficult for OTAs to aggregate a huge inventory. The period till May 2009, there was a sharp decline in the industry, by almost 40-45 percent. The second half of 2009 has seen a considerable rise in business, demonstrating a 10-12 percent growth. However, it is still not enough to make up for the losses witnessed in HI. We are expecting a 5-10 percent year-on-year increase in the coming months and are bullish that businesses are likely to gain in the first quarter of 2010.
JBS: We did not have a good start this year what with the global financial crisis, the terror strikes the outbreak...of swine flu. The first half of the year experienced double-digit dip in arrivals. However, we are very hopeful for the coming year. The economy is picking up, we are seeing interest in India and, of course, we are looking forward to the Commonwealth Games to spur the boom in the industry.
SOURCE: Travel Trends Today
Date - January 2010
Edition - National
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Kumbh, Solar Eclipse bless Travel sector with Maha Gains
The millennium's longest solar eclipse tomorrow that coincides with the Mahakumbh Mela has proved lucky for the travel industry. Hotels and travel companies are cashing with special packages for the domestic tourists who throng Haridwar-Rishikesh circuit for a spiritual dip in the Ganga, as well as the international tourists who are interested in being part of the largest religious and cultural gathering in the world. Meanwhile others like Oberoi Hotels who have a luxury motor vessel at the Kerala Backwaters is organizing a special viewing session in collaboration with a team from Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE).
The total solar eclipse can only be in India in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. "Mahakumbh typically witnesses an inflow of foreign tourists to experience our culture and heritage.
We are receiving guests from US, UK and mainland Europe," said Leisure Hotels director-marketing Vibhas Prasad. Leisure Hotels is running its luxury tents and a heritage hotel in Haridwar and other spiritual places along the Ganga. He added that the solar eclipse has especially drawn a large number of domestic tourists over the weekend.
The high-end hotels and tents at Haridwar-Rishikesh circuit are available in the range of Rs 15,000- Rs 10,000 for two persons for 2 day/3 nights and usually include meals. While the mid-scale hotels and packages are available in the range Rs 6000-4000 for 2 days. The coming weekend has an especially large influx of tourists and last minute bookings because of the added attraction of the solar eclipse.
The Kumbh Mela, which started on Thursday, will end on April 14th and has seven auspicious bathing dates. Prices are usually hiked by hotels , tent owners and travel companies around these seven days. Added Kuoni India COO-outbound division Kashmira Commissariat, "We are customizing our packages around the solar eclipse which includes other leisure activities at Rishikesh besides the holy dip at the Ganges on Friday and other traditional ceremonies. But an event which happens once in 12 years is not just drawing families and spiritual tourists.
"There are a lot of youngsters as well as couples who are booking for this weekend as well as all through the Kumbh Mela, more out of the spirit of adventure and to experience something new," said Stic Travel Group director Richa Goyal Sikri. Most of these packages have devoted sightseeing for nearby tourist destinations. As per Sarovar Hotels vice president marketing Pradeep Kalra hotels in the region have already increased their rates by nearly 30-50%. A larger number of domestic tourists from Western Indian and Gujarat are expected to trickle in the months of March and April as schools close at that time.
SOURCE: The Economic times
Date - 15 January 2010
Edition - New Delhi
The total solar eclipse can only be in India in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. "Mahakumbh typically witnesses an inflow of foreign tourists to experience our culture and heritage.
We are receiving guests from US, UK and mainland Europe," said Leisure Hotels director-marketing Vibhas Prasad. Leisure Hotels is running its luxury tents and a heritage hotel in Haridwar and other spiritual places along the Ganga. He added that the solar eclipse has especially drawn a large number of domestic tourists over the weekend.
The high-end hotels and tents at Haridwar-Rishikesh circuit are available in the range of Rs 15,000- Rs 10,000 for two persons for 2 day/3 nights and usually include meals. While the mid-scale hotels and packages are available in the range Rs 6000-4000 for 2 days. The coming weekend has an especially large influx of tourists and last minute bookings because of the added attraction of the solar eclipse.
The Kumbh Mela, which started on Thursday, will end on April 14th and has seven auspicious bathing dates. Prices are usually hiked by hotels , tent owners and travel companies around these seven days. Added Kuoni India COO-outbound division Kashmira Commissariat, "We are customizing our packages around the solar eclipse which includes other leisure activities at Rishikesh besides the holy dip at the Ganges on Friday and other traditional ceremonies. But an event which happens once in 12 years is not just drawing families and spiritual tourists.
"There are a lot of youngsters as well as couples who are booking for this weekend as well as all through the Kumbh Mela, more out of the spirit of adventure and to experience something new," said Stic Travel Group director Richa Goyal Sikri. Most of these packages have devoted sightseeing for nearby tourist destinations. As per Sarovar Hotels vice president marketing Pradeep Kalra hotels in the region have already increased their rates by nearly 30-50%. A larger number of domestic tourists from Western Indian and Gujarat are expected to trickle in the months of March and April as schools close at that time.
SOURCE: The Economic times
Date - 15 January 2010
Edition - New Delhi
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
MakeMyTrip offers Fly Free Packages to US and Europe
MakeMyTrip, the leader in the Indian online travel space and provider of best-value holidays, has launched maximum-saver US and European holidays for April - September 2010. The packages span the range of value-to-luxury spectrum, covering all categories of holidays. As part of the promotional offering, packages booked till January 26th will exclude the entire airfare component (including taxes) - effectively rendering the to-and-fro air travel as free. This offer does not have any hidden costs. For the first time in India, the Alaskan Cruise has been included in an escorted group package to America. Another attraction is Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs - the world's highest cog railroad. Similarly, escorted group packages to Europe now include first-in-industry highlights like a visit to the Galleria Ferrari - the Ferrari company museum in Italy, and Disneyland, Paris. The Ferrari museum visit offers travelers the opportunity to see vintage cars and even test drive them.
There are four American Holiday packages newly launched between the range of Rs. 1,59,999 to Rs. 3,26,000. This is an all-inclusive cost with no hidden components. The four newly-launched Europe Holiday Packages are in the range of Rs. 59,990 to Rs. 1,99,990.
Elaborating on the new holiday offering, Mr. Anand Kandadai (VP - Outbound Tours, MakeMyTrip.com), said, "The sheer number of holiday offerings in the market can leave a traveler confused about the parameters on which to finalize a holiday. As a trusted service provider, our best-value guarantee assures customers of receiving the fairest deal in the market. Our new range of holidays caters to travelers looking for affordable holidays which do not compromise on any aspect of the holiday experience - comfort, adventure or scale. Each element of the holiday has been designed keeping in mind the needs of different age-groups to ensure relevance for every member of the family."
Mr. Kandadai added, "This initiative is in line with our strategy to expand the international holidays market and make international holidays more accessible to the value-conscious Indian customer. We will support this launch with aggressive on-ground and media marketing. We are offering feature-packed premium holidays accompanied with transparent pricing and real-value offerings."
The marketing activities planned around the launch of these Holiday packages include a comprehensive mix of ATL and BTL promotions. MakeMyTrip will promote these packages through road-shows across 31 locations in India where they have retail presence. The company has earmarked a significant budget to promote these packages through advertising in the print and television media as well as local marketing activities.
SOURCE: Afaqs.com
Date - 11 January 2010
Edition - National
There are four American Holiday packages newly launched between the range of Rs. 1,59,999 to Rs. 3,26,000. This is an all-inclusive cost with no hidden components. The four newly-launched Europe Holiday Packages are in the range of Rs. 59,990 to Rs. 1,99,990.
Elaborating on the new holiday offering, Mr. Anand Kandadai (VP - Outbound Tours, MakeMyTrip.com), said, "The sheer number of holiday offerings in the market can leave a traveler confused about the parameters on which to finalize a holiday. As a trusted service provider, our best-value guarantee assures customers of receiving the fairest deal in the market. Our new range of holidays caters to travelers looking for affordable holidays which do not compromise on any aspect of the holiday experience - comfort, adventure or scale. Each element of the holiday has been designed keeping in mind the needs of different age-groups to ensure relevance for every member of the family."
Mr. Kandadai added, "This initiative is in line with our strategy to expand the international holidays market and make international holidays more accessible to the value-conscious Indian customer. We will support this launch with aggressive on-ground and media marketing. We are offering feature-packed premium holidays accompanied with transparent pricing and real-value offerings."
The marketing activities planned around the launch of these Holiday packages include a comprehensive mix of ATL and BTL promotions. MakeMyTrip will promote these packages through road-shows across 31 locations in India where they have retail presence. The company has earmarked a significant budget to promote these packages through advertising in the print and television media as well as local marketing activities.
SOURCE: Afaqs.com
Date - 11 January 2010
Edition - National
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Downturn over, Delhiites loosen their purse strings and turn footloose
Bhupeshwar Dayal, 34, a corporate lawyer, calls himself a 'compulsive traveller', — one who cannot do without at least two holidays in a year.
In the past one year, he has had to put his holiday plans on hold, thanks to the economic meltdown that led to a sharp decline in his earnings.
But last month, Dayal finally booked a trip to Munnar in Kerala.
"Last month, I got my first fat cheque after a year. So, the time for 'homecation' is over. This Christmas, I am going to Kerala with my wife; and then I am off to Australia in January," said Dayal.
Neetu Gupta, 35, an IT professional who cancelled a trip to northeast last year, will be spending the New Year's eve in Arunachal Pradesh.
"Although we go on vacations every year, last year we thought it would not be prudent to spend money on travel. But this year, I will fulfill my dream of visiting the North East India," she said.
With the economy showing strong signs of recovery, Delhiites tired of what they call 'homecationing', are going on holidays in droves.
Travel agencies and tour operators say there is a surge in bookings for New Year and Christmas.
"There is a dramatic rise in travel bookings, as compared to the last holiday season in May and June. In fact, the bookings have gone up 45 per cent. Delhi is leading the recovery for us, as a large chunk of our bookings are from Delhi and NCR," said Amit Sabharwal, vice-president, business development, Makemytrip.com.
With the economy showing signs of recovery, Sabharwal said his company had anticipated this demand and pre-committed seats on airlines in October.
Neelu Singh, COO, ezeego1.com, said, "There is about 70 per cent increase in our bookings from Delhi this year. Unlike last year, when people were looking for budget travel, this year people are going for high-value bookings. It's because of the easing of financial worries," she said.
The spurt in bookings has led to the hotels and airlines, which were offering huge discounts until a few months ago, revising their rates.
"Business has improved considerably. In fact, hotel tariffs and airfares have gone up 15-20 per cent in the past one month. As always, Delhi is the hottest destination for inbound tourists, too," said Arjun Sharma, senior vice-president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), and managing director, Le Passage to India Travels and Tours.
So, where are Delhiites headed? Thailand and Malaysia are the favourite foreign destinations. Within the country, apart from Goa and Kerala, Andaman Islands are on top of the travel itinerary.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times
Date - December 2009
Edition - New Delhi
In the past one year, he has had to put his holiday plans on hold, thanks to the economic meltdown that led to a sharp decline in his earnings.
But last month, Dayal finally booked a trip to Munnar in Kerala.
"Last month, I got my first fat cheque after a year. So, the time for 'homecation' is over. This Christmas, I am going to Kerala with my wife; and then I am off to Australia in January," said Dayal.
Neetu Gupta, 35, an IT professional who cancelled a trip to northeast last year, will be spending the New Year's eve in Arunachal Pradesh.
"Although we go on vacations every year, last year we thought it would not be prudent to spend money on travel. But this year, I will fulfill my dream of visiting the North East India," she said.
With the economy showing strong signs of recovery, Delhiites tired of what they call 'homecationing', are going on holidays in droves.
Travel agencies and tour operators say there is a surge in bookings for New Year and Christmas.
"There is a dramatic rise in travel bookings, as compared to the last holiday season in May and June. In fact, the bookings have gone up 45 per cent. Delhi is leading the recovery for us, as a large chunk of our bookings are from Delhi and NCR," said Amit Sabharwal, vice-president, business development, Makemytrip.com.
With the economy showing signs of recovery, Sabharwal said his company had anticipated this demand and pre-committed seats on airlines in October.
Neelu Singh, COO, ezeego1.com, said, "There is about 70 per cent increase in our bookings from Delhi this year. Unlike last year, when people were looking for budget travel, this year people are going for high-value bookings. It's because of the easing of financial worries," she said.
The spurt in bookings has led to the hotels and airlines, which were offering huge discounts until a few months ago, revising their rates.
"Business has improved considerably. In fact, hotel tariffs and airfares have gone up 15-20 per cent in the past one month. As always, Delhi is the hottest destination for inbound tourists, too," said Arjun Sharma, senior vice-president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), and managing director, Le Passage to India Travels and Tours.
So, where are Delhiites headed? Thailand and Malaysia are the favourite foreign destinations. Within the country, apart from Goa and Kerala, Andaman Islands are on top of the travel itinerary.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times
Date - December 2009
Edition - New Delhi
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