April 2015

Rajeev Kohli
Joint Managing Director

Dear Industry Colleagues

Welcome to another edition of award winning 'Creatively Yours'.

It's April, the end of our traditional peak season. Summer brings in some breathing space for our teams as business slows down, but it is also the opportunity for us to re-invent ourselves for the next season to come. We have a new strategy in place for upgrading our offering of experiences across our region. In addition, the JungleSutra Wildlife Journey team has seen a new specialist head come in, so those of you interested in exploring our outdoors, watch this space.

The news is that the e-Visa system will be expanded in June to include a lot of those source markets that were not included in the first round. France and Canada have already been added (but yet to be implemented) earlier this month when our Prime Minister was in those countries.

With the end of the season approaching, we are working on some special options for industry professionals to come and visit India. Under our 2015 "Be our Guest" program, we have some exciting options at very special prices. Ask us for details.

Other initiatives are special offerings for you to market on to your client base. We encourage you to send through your thoughts on what you think could work for your markets, so that we can have the team customize a product set for you. We at Creative intend to aggressively push the price competitiveness of India in its shoulder period as we feel the market is turning around for us all and let's use that to gain some interaction and make up for lost business.

You shall see some new and exciting initiatives in the next season from Team Creative. New experiential inclusions, new circuits, new concepts... We take pride in our ability to make a trip to the Indian sub-continent something very different.
 

Take care

www.creative.travel

The government is set to give a major push to the e-tourist visa scheme by extending it to 31 more countries and allowing foreign tourists to avail of the facility at seven more airports by June 15. 

France and Canada were already annoiunced earlier this month when Prime Minister Modi was in those couintries. 

Among the countries reprted that will benefit from the latest extension are the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Malaysia, Tanzania and Argentina. The airports to be added to the existing list of nine where foreign citizens from eligible countries can land with an e-tourist visa are Jaipur, Amritsar, Gaya, Lucknow, Trichy, Varanasi and Ahmedabad. The airports have been chosen due to the large number of foreign tourists they receive on account of their proximity to major tourist spots.The e-visa scheme presently covers 45 countries and can be availed across nine international airports. With the expansion of the scheme by June, the list will go up to 76 countries and 16 airports.

Among the countries whose citizens will now be eligible for e-visas are Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Surinam, Sweden, Tanzania, East Timor, Turks & Caicos Islands, the UK, Uruguay and Venezuela. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had in the Budget 2015-16 proposed extension of e-visa scheme to 150 countries.

To read more please click here http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/E-tourist-visas-for-31-more-countries-by-June-15/articleshow/46939644.cms

Agra's tourist attraction Taj Mahal has emerged as the most popular in Asia for global "virtual travellers", according to Google. "Taj Mahal has emerged as one of the most popular Asian places for global virtual travellers. The fascination with this grand, symmetrical white marble mausoleum also holds within Asia, with the Taj Mahal ranking as one of the most globally viewed destinations by people in Singapore, Australia, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia and of course, India.

Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from positions along many streets in the world. Though Japan still attracts many of virtual tourists, cultural monuments and temples across the region are also taking centre stage, it said. Other top Google Street View destinations in India include Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Agra Fort, Lavasa, Lovely Professional University, Humayun's Tomb, Shaniwar Wada, Jantar Mantar and IIT Bombay

With summer vacations round the corner, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has hastened the process of installing Wi-Fi at tourist spots. After Varanasi, now Taj Mahal and Khajuraho are set to get the free internet service this week, possibly with additional services. The tourism ministry plans to use this facility to provide information, and even interactive content, about the location.

The government is keen on tackling low internet penetration in the country by introducing public Wi-Fi hotspots to enable users to surf the web, check email and bank online. About 25 such hotspots would be set up around tourist locations, by June 2015.
To that effect, the government has prepared a request for proposal (RFP) to invite telecom service providers also to participate in the project, for which operators won't have to pay any entry fee. The government will also provide infrastructure, and help with security clearances.

According to latest research by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism industry in India will grow by 7.5 per cent in 2015, fueled by visa reforms. Last year, the industry contributed Rs 7,642 billion to the Indian economy and created 36.7 million jobs in the Indian market. read more...

AJust days after Srinagar was pounded by heavy rain, a much-needed sight for sore eyes - 90 acres in full bloom in the city's tulip garden, the largest in Asia. The gardens are already attracting tourists, though they formally open for the public on Monday.

"Tulips in Srinagar beginning to bloom. It's a 1 hr flight from Delhi so why wait!'' tweeted former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has been for days urging travellers not to shun the state, which is heavily dependent on tourists for its economy.
Located in the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains, the garden has over 100 varieties of tulips in various hues. The garden was developed by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in 2007 when he was Chief Minister, with the intention of advancing the tourist season in Kashmir, and it seems to be working. Earlier, the historic Mughal Gardens used to be the first choice for tourists visiting the valley. Now, it's the tulip garden that has become the place to visit.

Kerala Blog Express 2.0, the second edition of the campaign hosted by the Kerala Tourism to enable some of world's foremost online travel writers to explore the state, was flagged off by Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Devaswom, Shri V S Sivakumar from the capital city recently.Kerala Blog Express takes selected, ace bloggers from around the world on a two-week road trip across God's Own Country to discover the beauty of the region and experience its unique culture.

First organised in the financial year 2013- 2014, the campaign was a huge success and drew very positive response from the participants, Kerala Tourism Additional Director (General), Smt Anupama T V told reporters following the flag off. Kerala Tourism, known for its innovative and creative projects, is the first tourism board in India to organise an event of this kind with the aim of reaching out to a wide international audience.

As part of its growing popularity as an international destination, the Kingdom of Bhutan has positioned itself as a destination that thrives on making Happiness its key denominator. In sync with the Tourism Council of Bhutan's thrust towards international source markets tourist arrivals for 2014 grew to 133,480 tourist arrivals demonstrating an impressive growth of 14.85 per cent over the corresponding year. Whilst international travelers grew to 68,081; India continued to be its top source market with an additional 62,129 arrivals. Recently, the tourism council of Bhutan also unveiled the ‘Visit Bhutan 2015' - dedicated to His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has been the pioneer of tourism in Bhutan.

In Myanmar, the targeted visitor showed historical record of an increase of 50% from 3.5 million last year for the country which opened its doors to tourist in 2011.

Thailand, Japan and China are the top tourist countries from Asia visiting Myanmar making up 67% of visitor arrivals. In 2014 Myeik Archipelago in Kawthoung District, Taninthayi Region, generated more than USD 85,000 through ocean tourism creating a new record as per the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism in Kawthoung district. read more...

Four Indian cities - Jaipur, New Delhi, Mumbai and Jaisalmer - have emerged as popular choices among globetrotters as these tourist attractions have featured in the TripAdvisor top 25 destination in Asia. Pink city Jaipur has been ranked 12th in the list, followed by New Delhi (15th), financial capital Mumbai featured (20th) and Jaisalmer (22nd), according to the 2015 Travellers' Choice Asia list for Destinations by global travel site TripAdvisor.

These Indian cities are rich in history, culture and beauty and offer something for all kinds of travellers. TripAdvisor 2015 Travellers' Choice awards for Destinations honour 600 top travel destinations worldwide, including dedicated lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, China, Middle East, Russia, South America, the South Pacific, the UK, the US and India, based on the millions of reviews and opinions from travellers.

A Bangalore-based aviation firm, has launched helicopter joy ride to enable tourists to get a bird's eye view of Kochi and its scenic surroundings. The company has now positioned one helicopter at the Cochin International Airport Limited, which when not used for long haul is spared for helicopter rides. Officials said the most preferred time for operating the sortie was between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm, when the airport is closed for daily maintenance to operate the helicopter service and users can take full advantage of the service during this time.

For, the possibility of the air traffic control holding up the chopper in the air is much higher, which will add to the overall time the visitor has taken for the ride. The overall charges including airport charge for a ride for six persons for half an hour is Rs 50,000 while for one hour it is Rs 85,000.

The charge will remain the same even if only a single individual travel in one sortie.
The fun sorties mainly take off from the airport and can land at a few places in the city including the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor, Hotel Le Meridien, Bolghatty and Adlux Convention Centre at Karukutty.

Sarovar Hotels has signed a 50 room and cottages Sarovar Portico at Mashobra Hills, Shimla. It is a running hotel which will be rebranded as a Sarovar Portico by May 2015 this year, or earlier. Owned by AB Tools, the hotel will be named as Marigold Sarovar Portico, Mashobra. This development represents an important link in Sarovar's expansion in the leisure segment.
read more...

Fortune Park Hotels expanded its bouquet of hotels with the opening of the brand's 44th hotel, Acron Waterfront Resort, Baga, Goa- a Fortune Resort. This is the second hotel of Fortune in Goa after Fortune Select Regina that was launched in December 2010. Acron Waterfront Resort is a boutique resort property, strategically located right where the Baga River meets the Arabian Sea. An exclusive resort along the Baga Riviera, the property offers 29 well-appointed contemporary rooms equipped with modern amenities, with views of the river, the sea and the courtyard.
Each room has been meticulously designed with hand-painted motifs to reflect an individual touch. There are rooms for differently able guests, and ramp access has been provided to the restaurant and other common areas. Sprawled across an acre on the Baga peninsula, the Resort is owned by property developer Acron, which has over 45 residential and hospitality developments in Goa and Mumbai since 1988.

The Taj Group has launched Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi. With this, Taj operates 30 Vivanta by Taj now and seventh hotel for the Taj Group in the National Capital Region. Strategically located within close proximity to the airport and the business district of Gurgaon, the hotel is a short drive away from Lutyen's Delhi, ideal for business as well as leisure travellers. The Indian hospitality industry is at an interesting stage where demand is burgeoning across the country. Vivanta by Taj is well poised to capture this growing demand with its broad set of offerings and its culture of service excellence.

Contemporary in style, Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka's architecture and interiors have been conceived by the Hong Kong based RAD that sets out to re-define urbanism, with its cutting edge architecture, for emerging cities in South Asia. Spanning seven acres, the hotel unfolds like an Origami. The unique theme running through the hotel is geometric patterns mirroring Indian motifs. The lushly landscaped lawns and sunlight pouring in give the hotel a bright and airy feel.

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group is to sink its roots deeper into India with plans to grow its portfolio in the country – particularly in the south and west – to over 170 hotels within the next five years. The group currently has 117 hotels in operation and under development across 45 cities in India.

From last year to 1Q2015, it had opened a total of 10 hotels and signed six new hotels in India. In April 2014, a partnership with Bestech Hospitalities was also inked for 43 more Park Inn by Radisson hotels in north and central India by 2024.
For the rest of 2015, it expects to open eight to nine hotels and sign 12 to 15 new ones in cities across the country. It seeks to broaden brand presence in India with the introduction of its upscale Radisson Red and modern luxury Quorvus Collection.

SpiceJet Ltd is set to add a new route to its international route network by introducing direct daily flights between Pune and Dubai. The flight will begin on April 15, 2015 and will replace existing service on Pune-Sharjah sector which operates four days a week.
SpiceJet will accommodate all affected passengers who have been booked on the Pune-Sharjah and Sharjah-Pune flights on this new service to Dubai (Dubai and Sharjah are less than 20 km apart). With this move, SpiceJet will no longer operate any service to Sharjah, consolidating its UAE service to focus on Dubai.

The new flight will depart Pune daily at 8:15 pm and arrive in Dubai at 9:45 pm local time.The return flight will depart Dubai at 11 pm and arrive in Pune at 4 am. Pune is the sixth Indian city from where SpiceJet will be serving Dubai. At present, SpiceJet connects Dubai with Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kochi, Madurai and Mumbai. Two more cities of Amritsar and Mangalore, will also be connected to Dubai by SpiceJet in the coming weeks, taking to total to eight cities.

Tatas' full service airline Vistara on Thursday forayed into the north-eastern part of the country with its inaugural flight to Guwahati and Bagdogra. Vistara will now operate daily flights on the Delhi-Guwahati-Bagdogra-Delhi route, the company said. Vistara is based out of Delhi and launched its services on January 9 with its first flight on the Delhi-Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Delhi route. The latest full-service airline, after state-run Air India and private carrier Jet Airways, Vistara currently flies to seven destinations including New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bagdogra.

Vistara will add another centre when it commences flights to Pune from April 9.
With six aircraft already in operation, Vistara plans to increase its fleet to nine, by the end of the year, the company said. Vistara - a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines also plans to fly international.

Oman Air has launched four flights a week between the Omani capital of Muscat and Goa. Goa is the airline's 11th destination in India, and the service meets the demand of leisure travellers for the destination. The service has already been greeted by strong demand from the customers and bookings are running at an encouraging level. Goa is noted around the world as a beautiful destination for leisure travellers. Its relaxed pace, beautiful scenery and outstanding hospitality sector make it an ideal destination for holiday-makers. It is therefore a much-appreciated addition to Oman Air's network, as their 11th destination in India.

The new destination is the latest to be announced as Oman Air undergoes a major expansion, which will see the airline increase the size of its fleet from 30 in 2014 to 70 by 2020. Oman Air will also be adding destinations to its network, as well as increasing frequencies on many established routes.

Click here to read the recipe of Besan Laddoo. These laddoos are popular all over North India.