Honeymoon Holiday Packages

Ladakh beckons: Special charter flights from tomorrow

2010-05-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

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

Tourists flock to Kufri in Himachal to beat the heat

2010-05-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

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)

Travel Gains Currency on Rising Rupee

2010-04-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

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

Going on a summer holiday?

2010-04-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

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

Book your Summer Resort: Indians back to Travelling in Large Groups

2010-03-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

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

Himachal Tourism Packages for Newly Weds

2010-03-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

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

Globus Family of Brands releases survey on Indian Leisure Travel Trends to Europe

2010-03-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

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

Heli-skiing back in Kashmir as violence dips

2010-03-12T03:28:00.000-08:00

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)

Firefly offers Attractive Holiday Packages at MATTA Fair 2010

2010-03-05T03:38:00.000-08:00

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)

Lucrative Discount Packages to lure tourists in Kashmir

2010-02-25T04:36:00.000-08:00

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

Egypt Tourism Authority focus on promoting Honeymoon, Heritage and Culture segments in India

2010-02-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

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

MakeMyTrip launches Fly Free Domestic Summer Holidays across India

2010-01-29T00:59:00.000-08:00

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

OTAs say Business Outlook for 2010 is Quite Positive

2010-01-25T03:40:00.000-08:00

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

Kumbh, Solar Eclipse bless Travel sector with Maha Gains

2010-01-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

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

MakeMyTrip offers Fly Free Packages to US and Europe

2010-01-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

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

Downturn over, Delhiites loosen their purse strings and turn footloose

2010-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

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

Christmas Rush in Himachal Resorts

2009-12-24T03:39:00.000-08:00

Most of the top hotels in the popular resort towns of Himachal Pradesh are already fully booked by holiday makers for Christmas this year due to extended holidays this weekend.

"The high-end hotels are offering Christmas and New Year packages and many of them are already sold out," said a leading travel agent Nitin Chauhan.

While five-star hotels are offering Rs 50,000 packages for three nights, the budget hotels are offering Rs 6,000 packages for couples.

"There will always be scope for walk-in customers as some hotels do not accept advance bookings, particularly the budget hotels," Chauhan told Business Standard.

"More holiday makers might visit the state for Christmas instead of New year as the latter falls on a Thursday this time," he said.

Bulk of the tourists will visit Shimla and Manali as they have most of the hotels in the state.

The Shimla police is opening up parking lots in the prohibited and restricted roads due to the heavy traffic volume for Christmas and New Years. Those looking for quieter environs are headed for Kasauli, Barog, Chail, Kufri, Kullu, Dharamsala and Dalhousie.

SOURCE:
Business Standard
Date - 22 December 2009
Edition - New Delhi and Shimla

Travel Industry sees Spurt in Traffic during Christmas, New Year

2009-12-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

What are your plans for Christmas and New Year this year? Will you be joining the growing number of people who ate taking advantage of the fact that the prices of travel packages for international destinations are either lower or at the same level as last year? Or that a number of new destinations are being promoted for Christmas and New Year, both of which incidentally fall on weekends?

According to Mr J.B. Singh, the President and Chief Executive Officer, Galileo India, there is likely to be a "spurt of 6-8 per cent" in traffic in December this year over the previous year. Industry analysts estimate that there has been a 10-15 per cent increase in the number of people seeking international holiday packages during this year's Christmas and New Year Breaks.

"Outbound is seeing a big change with people going beyond traditional choices like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to more exotic locations including Hua Hin in Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan and Cambodia," Mr Singh adds.

Another package, in the premium luxury range, that seems to be catching the fancy of the Indian market is winter cruises in the Antarctica and South America, Director - Group Business Development, STIC Travel Group, Ms Richa Goyal Sikri, says. Adds the Chief Operating Officer, Ezeego1.com, Ms Neelu Singh, "Apart from traditional tourist destinations like Dubai, Colombo and Malaysia, Cyprus is catching the interest of the Indian traveller." And then there are also the usual destinations with a few more attractions thrown in says Ms Sikri, "There are some really attractive holiday packages available to places like Hong Kong. Now a person can spend two nights and three days in Hong Kong with a tour to Disneyland for Rs 24,000." Analysts also point out that this spurt in traffic could be because of families that have not taken breaks during the year are now taking advantage of Christmas and New Year Vacations falling on weekends.

Besides, according to the Chief Operating Officer, Outbound Division Kuoni India, Ms Kashmira Commissariat, families going on holidays over long weekends is becoming a trend amongst Indians.

Source:
The Hindu Business Line
December 2009
Edition - New Delhi

Now Dubai Travel Packages get Cheaper

2009-12-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

Your holiday in Dubai just got a little cheaper. Thanks to Dubai World's crash, travel portals and agencies like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip and SOTC are offering packages at prices almost 40 per cent lower than a week or two ago.

"There will be some impact on outbound travels. Travel will become more affordable. With hotel occupancies dropping, less frequent business travelers, it's the leisure travelers that will have to be lured," said Tarique Khatri, VP - Business Development, Cleartrip.com.

For instance, MakeMyTrip.com charged between Rs 38,000-40,000 per person till early December for three nights and four days, including air tickets, visa, hotel accommodation and sight-seeing. This is now down to Rs 25,000-28,000 in a few days. Yatra is running a 25 per cent cash-back scheme on a companion travel for Dubai. SOTC, too, has brought its price down to Rs 13,800 per head for three nights and four days, from around Rs 15,000 a week earlier.

Travel agencies are happy, since these packages have got a positive response. "We can safely say that bookings have increased by 10 per cent with the new price offering. With the discounts we have managed to get from hotels and airlines, we are passing it on to customers," says Kashmira Commisariat, COO-Outbound Division, SOTC.

This has been possible because agencies are all negotiating harder with airlines to reduce air fare, say sources. Most of these portals have managed to get a 10-15 per cent price cut on airfare and 30-35 per cent cut in hotel accommodations, and so on. "By mid-December, we will witness prices coming down by almost 20 per cent," said Anand Kandadai, VP - Outbound Tours for MakeMyTrip.

Travel agencies are doing all it takes to lure leisure travellers, who made up for 10-15 per cent of all travellers. According to industry experts, over 70 per cent of the airline travels came from employment traffic to Dubai and another 10-15 per cent from business travellers. "With business and labour travel reducing, airlines are feeling the pressure. However, now the focus is shifting on to leisure class," said Ashish Kishore, Business Head at Yatra Online.

As for airlines, "There will be more clarity in the days to come. Airlines have been feeling the pressure since a year now. On an average, revenues during April to September this year have dropped by almost 25-30 per cent. Passenger traffic, too, has reduced by 20 per cent," said Pran Dasan, Manager - Marketing & Sales, Indian Subcontinent, Kuwait Airways.

Sources say airlines are considering reducing airfare by 15-20 per cent. "As of now, there is no immediate effect. However, in a month we may have to re-look at capacity and pricing," added a source from Jet Airways.

SOURCE:
Business Standard
December 2009
Edition - New Delhi and Mumbai

Kochi opens its account as the First Cruise Port

2009-12-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

Have you always dreamt of a holiday where you get to cruise but the add-on expenditure of flying to the nearest ports in Singapore, Hong Kong or Malaysia has you thinking? There is good news. Kochi has become the first port in India to start international cruise holidays to destinations in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Louise Cruises luxury liner Aquamarine MV set off on its maiden voyage to Male in The Maldives last week.

According to the Louis Cruises India, a subsidiary of Louis Cruise Lines, the fifth largest cruise operator in the world, there will be three sailings in a week: Kochi - Maldives (four days, three nights), Kochi - Colombo (four days, three nights) and Kochi High Seas (one night). The season for the first year will last till April 25. The second season will start in October 2010.

With 670 passengers and 350 crew on board, Aquamarine has many things to offer vacationers like enjoying a game of cricket on the deck, rejuvenating in the Swedish spa or splurging at the duty free shops on board. The ship also has two bowling machines and a cricket pitch for cricket enthusiasts. Apart from this, there are also three restaurants with a seating capacity ranging from 300 to 600 and a lounge with capacity of 600.

The ship will reach India from Colombo in 20 hours and from the Maldives in 24 hours. The cruise liner is selling its packages through a number of agents. There are two types of cruise packages - a one night option or a three night stay for which the price ranges between Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,000 per night per person.

The announcement has been enthusiastically received by the Indian travel industry who have been waiting for long to explore India's 7,000 km long coastline and strong port positioning.

Many even think that it is just a matter of time before a barrage of international cruise liners set their eyes over India. India's proximity to already popular cruise destinations in Southeast Asia just adds to its possibility of becoming a cruising hub shortly. Not that the footloose vacationers back home are complaining for they are always known to be looking for different options.

SOURCE:
Mail Today
Date - 6 December 2009
Edition - New Delhi

West Bengal eyeing Joint Venture to Develop River Tourism

2009-12-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

Buoyed by the success of the Ganga river cruise, the first in India along the lines of international standard cruises on the Nile in Egypt and the Irrawady in Burma, the West Bengal Government is inviting joint venture partners to set up a company to give river tourism a fillip.

"We want to put up a Rs 130-200 crore project to develop river tourism in joint venture with a private company," Mr T. V. N. Rao, Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, told Business Line. Tenders for this will be floated soon. The Government has also chalked out a plan to invest Rs 50 crore in building infrastructure such as jetties, heritage ghats and accommodation along the navigable stretch of the Ganga in the State, he added.

The immediate impetus for the new strategy is the runaway success of the 15-day, 1200 km voyage from the Sunderbans to Varanasi past the Farakka barrage, launched by Pandaw Cruises India in late September. The cruise operator is the Indian arm of an international cruise company that already operates in Myanmar, Indonesia and Cambodia. In a season that extends from September to March, it has four fully sold out voyages in India already under its belt, and is overbooked for every Sunderbans-Varanasi cruise, tagged at $5000, scheduled till March 2011.

Mr Raj Singh, Director, Pandaw, said the tourism potential is huge and that the attractions on this trip are virtually unparalleled. "It is a phenomenal trip. The diversity is mind-boggling. Here you have heritage (the route traverses former British, French, Dutch and Portuguese colonies), monuments, culture, natural beauty and wildlife all on the same trip," he said. The success of this venture has spawned plans to launch a second vessel on the stretch next year, he adds, indicating that there may be much merit in going full steam ahead.

SOURCE:
The Hindu Business Line
Date - 5 December 2009
Edition - New Delhi

Dubai Tourism to feel crisis pinch post Festive Season

2009-12-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

The impact of the Dubai crisis is expected to cast its spell on tourism fraternity not before January 2010 with airfares and hotel room rates expecting to fall by 10%-15%. However, no significant impact of the crisis will be felt till December since holiday makers have already booked their air travel and hotel accommodation.

Said Rajinder Rai, president, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), "Bookings for the Christmas and New Year Holiday Packages are isolated from the crisis since they were done well in advance (in October). The real impact of the crisis will be felt only by January when we expect prices to drop, making Dubai 20% cheaper than what it is today. Till then, we do not see any significant impact on the leisure and business travel or our business."

The average cost of a holiday in Dubai with airfare for two people works out to around Rs 35,000 for three nights/four days.

Neelu Singh, chief operating officer, Ezeego1.com, said, "With more than 100 flights from at least 10 destinations in India, per week, Dubai seems to be a very attractive place for shoppers, and it is a great weekend getaway. Further, the hotel rates in Dubai have come down as they are receiving fewer tourists from their other source markets. This has helped Indian travellers, as they are now getting attractive deals." She added, "Dubai has shown strong growth in terms of tourist traffic and the tourism industry is growing at a rapid pace. We feel that in the next one year, the meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) business in Dubai will grow by at least 25%."

An email sent to the department of tourism and commerce marketing (DTCM) in Mumbai went unanswered.

However, SP Jain, chairman, Pride Hotels, and president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, said, "There will not be any significant rise in outbound traffic to Dubai due to the expected price crash. Indians, at present, see Dubai more as a business destination other than a tourist spot."

Around 4,93,318 Indian travelers visited Dubai in 2008 as compared to 410,821 in 2007, a growth of 20%. According to DTCM figures, there was an increase of 8.3% in the number of hotel guests in 2008 to Dubai compared with the previous year. The guest nights rose by 9.2% in 2008 to touch 22,421,067. However, the average length of stay went down to 2.98 compared with 7.3 in 2007. The total revenues rose 15.1% with the hotel establishments reporting revenues of AED15,268,545.

Similarly, the number of hotel establishment rooms increased by 17.9% to reach 50,457 in 2008.

SOURCE:
The Financial Express
Date - 4 December 2009
Edition - New Delhi

Foreign Holidays Back in Season Despite Downturn

2009-12-01T01:10:00.000-08:00

Going on holiday is back on the cards again despite the recession, with a global survey showing one in five people plan to travel overseas, even if it's largely within their region. The survey by credit card firm MasterCard asked over 10,600 people in West Asia, Africa and the Asia-Pacific about their travel priorities for the next six months, and the findings are likely to cheer the global travel industry which has had a rough year due to global financial crisis.

Some 20 per cent of respondents said they plan to spend on international travel packages, with Hong Kongers topping the list of people planning holidays abroad, followed by Singaporeans and Saudi Arabians. African respondents were the most keen to travel long haul and go to the US, Canada or European destinations, but for the majority, their top 10 holiday destinations were largely within their own region. Japan, Australia and China were the most popular countries for prospective travellers in the Asia-Pacific, while West Asians were more likely to visit Egypt and the UAE, the survey showed.

Resilience of Industry

Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Asia-Pacific economic adviser for MasterCard Worldwide, said the survey showed the resilience of the travel industry in parts of the world not as badly affected by the global financial crisis as the US and Europe.

The survey involved 24 countries and territories, from Australia to Nigeria. "Although travel patterns have changed moderately, we see that consumers' appetite for travel has held up through the recession," Hedrick-Wong said in a statement.

"The fact that Asia has been the region that has been least affected by the global recession also means that spending on travel by Asian consumers will likely re-bound more strongly in the coming months as well."

Across the 14 markets surveyed in Asia-Pacific, 22 per cent said they were planning a holiday abroad, compared to 20 per cent six months ago. Nearly 60 per cent stated international travel was a priority non-essential, or discretionary, spend.

In West Asia, almost a Quarter were planning trips abroad, down from a third six months ago, but nearly 90 per cent said the strongly believed in spending money on travel. In Africa, some 17 per cent of respondents plan to spend on international air travel, the survey showed, a figure Hedrick-Wong said was likely to rise in the coming years in line with economic growth and rising incomes.

SOURCE:
The Hindu Business Line
Date - 29 November 2009
Edition - New Delhi

Indians Dare to go Rare, Remote and Slow in Global Tourism

2009-11-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

The traditional caricature of a boisterous Indian tourist, going through chartered trips equipped with food and snack is giving way to the picture of an adventurer stuck by wanderlust.

Says Vasundhra Sondhi of Outbound Marketing from Delhi, "The concept of slow life tourism is in now. Even in mass destinations such as Thailand, we introduce our clients to remote Buddhist havens, distant spas and resorts."

Essentially, this means that tourism has become a way of unwinding more than ever, superseding interests in sight-seeing or shopping. It also means that destinations become far flung, sometimes as far as Peru or New Zealand. Singapore Airlines has tied up with the New Zealand tourism board to launch a tourism campaign in India.

Thomas Cook's holiday package to South America has suddenly become popular in the past two years, according to the agency's chief operating officer Vishal Suri. "People who have visited South America so far have all travelled extensively in Europe and North America and want to spend a minimum of 10-15 days exploring the mysterious Amazon and the Incas of Machu Picchu now," he said.

The overpowering drive is to explore the unexplored rather than conquer the famous. Yes, the Indian traveller has arrived. According to Christy Rajan of Travel Agents Association of India, the world has recognised it and treats Indian tourists on par with American or European tourists now.

"Indians are not just international job seekers and migrant settlers anymore. They are travellers bringing valuable revenue," he says. "That is why you see countries opening up their Visa policy for Indian tourists along with their Chinese counterparts now."

For instance, Jordan, which opened up its tourism market for Europeans and Americans about 10 years back, has lifted its Visa regulations for Indians only this year. "We had 38,000 Indian visitors last year," says Jordan tourism board consultant Ashish Sharma. "It started with a large influx of religious tourists mainly from south India touring Jordan, Egypt and Israel."

Now, Indian tourists can obtain Visa on arrival, free of cost in Jordan and also Asian countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. But, some destinations are worth the trouble of a prior Visa. Visa Consultancy Services probably handles the most interesting destinations with Brazil, Turkey and even Uzbekistan on its list. "Uzbekistan and its capital of Tashkent provide a European cosmopolitan environment at Indian costs and so they are popular," its proprietor Vipul C Shah says.

These places are also meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) tourism destinations. Royal Film Commission of Jordan extended this concept to the film shooting industry by offering its deserts for shooting Indian Jones and Lawrence of Arabia movies. Cyprus is yet another tiny country which has been attracting Indian tourists. "Cyprus is the closest European destination for Indian travellers. Being a Mediterranean island destination, its appeal is to families, adventurers, couples alike," says Cox and Kings vice president Ashutosh Mehere.

SOURCE:
Financial Chronicle
Edition - New Delhi

Big Jump in Indians Travelling Overseas

2009-11-25T01:08:00.000-08:00

In a year when India's travel and hospitality business was hit badly by a sharp drop in the number of international tourist arrivals, and even after recession-hit corporate houses cut back on foreign travel by their executives, the number of outbound Indians jumped by a million in 2008-09 to cross the 10-million mark for the first time ever.

Figures released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the number of Indians travelling abroad in 2008-09 (April 1 to March 31) touched 10.8 million, which was up by a million over the 2007-08 figure of 9.8 million. And the global industry body is upbeat that the outbound India story is only going to get rosier.

"The Indian economy wasn't as badly hit by recession as many of the economies elsewhere in the world that are still feeling its effect," said Himmat Anand, cochairman, Ficci tourism committee.

"As a result, India's outbound travel pie is getting bigger and it is evident from the more than 25 countries and cities opening their tourism offices here in the past couple of years." The WTTC report says India now is the third largest outbound travel market in the Asia Pacific region. It also predicts that the world's travel and tourism economy's size will contract by 3.6 per cent this year, but economies such as India, China and Brazil will still be drivers of growth.

Singapore, incidentally, has emerged as the most visited country for Indians travelling abroad, followed by the UAE, UK and the US. Another reason for the dramatic rise in the number of outbound Indian travellers is the drop in airfares and hotel prices worldwide, which has made foreign vacation packages cheaper. "Hotel prices have come down by 25-40 per cent in south-east Asia and Europe, and air connectivity from various Indian cities is up considerably, making it cheaper to travel abroad," said Ashwini Kakkar, executive vice-chairman, Mercury Travels.

"Over the past year, the dollar, too, is almost 10 per cent cheaper, dipping from Rs 51 to Rs 46. For outbound Indians, it’s the best time to travel" he added.

The sense of optimism is also apparent from the pronouncements of tour operators. Cox & Kings (India), according to a spokesperson, is expecting a 10 per cent growth in the number of outbound Indian tourists in 2009-10.

"The cost of travel services around the world dropped as a result of recession, and overseas tour operators passed on the benefits to Indian tourists, resulting in more travellers visiting foreign destinations," the spokesperson said.

"What has kept the market going is the decision by hoteliers overseas to not hike prices even after the start of 'on-season'," added Kakkar. "So for all those who love the idea of travelling abroad on a vacation, the conditions are favourable because of the end of recession and it helps that prices haven't been any better." The message seems to have travelled across the outbound market.

The Figure
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says the number of Indians travelling abroad in 2008-09 (April 1 to March 31) touched 10.8 mn, up by a million over the 2007-08 figure of 9.8 mn.
India is now the third-largest outbound travel market in the Asia Pacific region.

Reason
The drop in airfares and hotel prices worldwide, which has made foreign vacations cheaper for Indians.

Prediction
The size of the world's tourism economy will contract by 3.6% this year, but economies such as India, China and Brazil will still be drivers of growth. Global travel giant Cox & Kings (India) is expecting a 10% growth in the number of outbound Indian tourists in 2009-10.

Most-preferred places
Indians prefer Singapore, followed by the UAE, UK and the US High on travel map.

SOURCE:
Mail Today
Edition - New Delhi

Indian tourists ride the slowdown

2009-11-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

One million more go globetrotting in 2008-09. A record 10.8 million Indian tourists went on a globetrotting spree in 2008-09, the worst year of the economic slowdown, as dipping airfares and lower hotel rates made holidays cheaper. This was one million more outbound tourists than the year before.

And the numbers are still rising. "This year (2009-10), we are expecting around 10 per cent growth in the number of outbound Indian tourists," said Ajay Kerkar, executive director, Cox & Kings (India) Ltd, a leading tour operator. He was here to talk about the company’s initial public offer (IPO) of shares.

"The cost of travel services in foreign countries came down due to recession, and overseas tour operators passed on the benefits of low cost to Indian tourists, resulting in more travelers visiting foreign tourist destinations," Kerkar added.

Agrees Manish Sharma, managing director, Akshar Travels, a subsidiary of Ahmedabad-based Shree Akshar International. "The prices of accommodation, local transportation and hospitality services, as well as airfare, have declined in major tourist destinations such as Singapore, Europe and Malaysia, which Indian tourists, especially Gujarati people, took advantage of."

Travel was also boosted by the fact that India was still a growing economy — though the growth rate had slowed — while many large developed countries were actually facing negative growth. "The impact of financial turmoil was relatively lower on India as compared to other destinations," said Sharma.

For Indian tourists, after Singapore, the UAE is the second most popular travel destination, followed by the UK and the US.

Research by the World Travel & Tourism Council says the travel and tourism economy's size will contract by 3.6 per cent in 2009, but emerging economies such as India, China and Brazil are expected to be the main engines of the travel and tourism sector’s growth.

"Generally, hoteliers in tourist destinations hike the prices during peak season. This time, they were forced to keep the rates unchanged due to recession, leading to higher inflow of tourists," added Mahesh Budakiya, managing partner, Shakti Travels, which has been in the travel industry since 1977.

SOURCE: Business Standard
Date - 20 November 2009
Edition - New Delhi

The time's ripe to open your Vacation Wallets for the trip of a lifetime

2009-11-17T03:41:00.000-08:00

A YEAR ago, Asheesh Vashishtha, a techie and self- confessed travel addict, gave his wanderlust a rest because he had to take care of a bigger need – that of holding on to his job at a time when the recession tsunami struck the IT industry. But now that recession is well and truly behind us, Vashishtha sees no reason for him to extend his 'staycation'. Now, he is all set to celebrate his fifth anniversary in Hong Kong with his wife, Shruti, who is also his co- worker.

"Last year, we settled for a trip to Mumbai, but I wanted to treat Shruti to something better this year," says the 32 year old techie who has been working with a telecoms MNC in Chandigarh for the past three years. "Also, this is the best time to travel to South East Asia because it's dirt cheap. The cost of our five- night vacation is working out to be Rs 50,000." With job losses becoming a thing of the past, and companies loosening their purse strings and rewarding their staff with incentives, foreign leisure travel is back in fashion. And the ones to benefit the most out of this turnaround are the short- haul getaways in the neighbourhood.

"We expect a 50-70 per cent growth in the outbound sector and most of it will be powered by short-haul destinations," Mayur Oberoi, vice- president, outbound division, MakeMyTrip.com, says.

"Travellers these days want cheaper and easy-to-connect destinations where they don't have to worry about the visa process." Domestic holidays continue to be an expensive option, with air fares and hotel rates heading north again, and this is also driving the resurgence in people's interest in outbound travel. "Our target audience comprises middle class working couples looking out for a weekend break," said Kashmira Commissariat, chief operating officer of the outbound division of Kuoni, a leading tour operator.

"Travelling to Kerala or Rajasthan with a stay in a star category hotel continues to be more expensive than a holiday in Thailand, Malaysia or Dubai." What has set the ball rolling is the fact that hotel prices in Southeast Asia have come down heavily over the past two years and the air connectivity has gone up.

"Hotel prices have dropped by 25-40 per cent in southeast Asian nations," said Oberoi. "A week's trip that was earlier priced at Rs 55,000 is now coming at Rs 40,000 and it includes airfare, food, hotel stay, local travel and taxes." The portal has seen a 30 per cent jump in the bookings for key short-haul destinations like Thailand, Dubai and Singapore.

A big change over the last year is the revival of the family vacation market. "Last year, only honeymooners and those who weren't affected directly by the recession opted for foreign vacations," said Sabina Chopra, cofounder of Yatra. com. "This year our most important segment, that is, families, is back in action. This is good news because they account for as much as 30 per cent of all bookings."

For agencies promoting international destinations, there couldn’t be better news. "It's a win-win situation both for Indian travellers and neighboring countries," said Sunil Puri, representative of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in India. "We gain from increased numbers and travelers get hassle free holidays powered by better connectivity, cheap hotels and visas on arrival." Predictably, neighbouring destinations have sensed an opportunity and are reinventing themselves to lure travellers.

Singapore, for instance, is promoting what it calls Asia’s biggest family destination, Resorts World Sentosa, which is opening early next year. With seven theme parks managed by Universal Studios and deluxe hotels, the resort is being built at an investment of US$ 4.32 billion. Dubai keeps reinventing with shopping festivals.

The brand lure of these shorthaul destinations hasn't dulled the traditional popularity of Europe among the well-travelled Indians. "Destinations like London, Paris and Switzerland have such high brand values that they will never go out of fashion. These are key destinations for honeymooners and backpackers," Commissariat said.

Most of these holiday destinations have shed their ludicrously expensive tag thanks to the recession and are luring the middle-class traveller with attractive deals. The authoritative travel guide, Lonely Planet, has just included London, Iceland and Las Vegas, hitherto seen as expensive, in its best value destinations list for 2010.

"Hotel prices are down by as much as 30 per cent in most of the Europe. This is the best time for Indian to look beyond Asia," said Rajji Rai, president, Travel Agents Association of India.

"We're seeing a high level of interest from our clients in European destinations and this is only bound to increase." Travelling abroad is back in fashion for the middle class, and how!"

Travel tales
The Indian outbound travel market has grown from 3.7 million in 1997 to 9.8 million international departures in 2007. International tourism expenditure by Indians has grown from US$ 1.3 billion in 1997 to US$ 8.2 billion in 2007.

The UN World Tourism Organisation predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020; the Kuoni Travel Report India 2007 predicts total outbound spending will cross US$ 28 billion in 2020.

According to the Nielsen India Outbound Travel Monitor 2008, most international travelers from India prefer travelling within Asia: Singapore (24 pc of all Indian respondents), Dubai, Australia and Malaysia (17 pc each) are the most popular destinations among Indians.

SOURCE: MAIL Today
Date - 16 November 2009
Edition - New Delhi

100 Free Holidays to Cyprus are up for Grabs

2009-11-10T04:31:00.000-08:00

With tourist numbers slipping abysmally in most European countries over the past year, many of them are scouting around for new markets like India to make up for their losses. This has meant that European tourism boards are lining up with announcements to lure outbound Indians.

The most recent entry is Cyprus, which has tied up with tour operator Cox & Kings India to flag off a slew of activities to sell itself as a year- round family destination. The operator has announced that 100 free holidays to the Mediterranean nation are up for grabs.

It has also promised to keep coming up with affordable holiday packages aimed at families and honeymooning couples. “It’s a mid- haul destination that has three strong points for the Indian market: moderate climate, pristine beaches and as many as 19 Indian restaurants,” says Ashutosh Mehere of Cox & Kings. “What works best is that there is no recommended time to go for this destination. One can travel throughout the year.” The absence of a direct flight to Cyprus could turn out to be a dampener but for those who are looking for something new, this may be just a small hurdle. Keeping in mind how the market works, the operator has promised to promote Cyprus as a value- formoney destination. “Unlike other European destinations, a family can easily go there for five nights for under Rs 50,000 per person. The sum includes airfare, accommodation, meals and sightseeing,” Mehere says. And if you want more, you can club Cyprus with other popular options in the region, such as Turkey or Egypt.

SOURCE:
Mail Today
Date - 8 November 2009
Edition - New Delhi