July 2014

Rajeev Kohli
Joint Managing Director

Dear Industry Colleagues 

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

The rains are playing truant. The global warming effect of the El Nino has led to an underperforming monsoon in the country. Being an agrarian economy, this will not have the most durable effect on prices and other commodities pricing. But what’s worse is that its hot ! Delhi last week experienced the hottest day in July of all recorded July's. We have had a few showers up North that have been welcome and down South the weather has fared a bit better. I guess Mother Nature has a mind of her own.

The new Indian National Budget was released on July 10. What a great day it was for the tourism industry. As we mentioned in our June edition, we have a new national government with a focus on tourism as one of the drivers of economic growth. They have put their money where their mouth is.

We have been given some rationalisation in our taxation structure which will help our operations. But most important and globally significant is the official announcement of the "Electronic Travel Authorisation" system (ETA) which will go live within the next 6 months. This will allow our travellers from a comprehensive list of countries to apply for an Indian visa online and get their approval within 3-5 working days. Behind the scenes work has been going on for months and the software is almost ready. This will truly be a game changer for the Indian tourism industry as the ease in access to India will help all segments of travel & hospitality.

Just a small reminder for your support -  We in Team Creative are also very proud to have been nominated again for THREE World Travel Awards for a fourth year running. This is a tremendous honour. With our wins in 2013, 2012 & 2011, we hope you will support us this year as well. Every vote helps count towards our success, for it is only the support from our friends and partners across the world that make us what we are today. Details on how to vote are below.

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.

www.travel2india.com
 www.creative.travel

"A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new…India discovers herself again." – Jawaharlal Nehru

On August 15, 1947, India won its independence from the British rule, and that independence is celebrated every year, although in a much more subdued form than on Republic Day. The Independence Day of India is much more than commemorating the anniversary of India's free statehood. It is a moment of celebration, a day to pay tribute to the martyrs because of whose struggle and sacrifice we are breathing an air of freedom. "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom," said Jawaharlal Nehru about this, one of the most important days in the history of the Indian nation.

Independence Day is acknowledged as a national holiday in India. This year, India will celebrate its 66th Independence Day.

This is the time of year the royal city of Jodhpur welcomes over 250 musicians and performing artists from all over India and abroad. The Jodhpur RIFF will be taking place soon in October, so get ready to feast your eyes on some spectacular performances from extremely talented artists.

RIFF is known as India's first annual folk festival that celebrates traditional folk music and art. Every year a platform is created for Indian artists and international artists who combine their brilliance to put on a spectacle for the audiences. The music festival is set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Mehrangarh Fort and features a variety of events such as a jazz night, a Rajasthani night, gypsy and traditional dance forms and early morning ragas.

If you are a music fanatic then you must attend the RIFF to experience divine music flowing through each corner of the magnificent fort. The RIFF always promises to be an enchanting experience amidst the beauty and opulence of the ‘blue city' of Jodhpur.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Asia/article1430936.ece
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The Taj Mahal is world famous, but India is struggling to attract foreign visitors (INDIA TOURIST BOARD) read more...

Railways held a trial run on Thursday of a train at a speed of 160 kmph on the Delhi-Agra route as it looks to launch a semi-high speed service between the two destinations in November.

The train would come as a boon for tourists visiting Taj Mahal as the travel time between Delhi and Agra is expected to come down to 90 minutes from the current 120 minutes. The state transporter is making the semi-high speed train -- the first of its kind in the railways -- operational using its own resources.

It is estimated that a cost of Rs.15 crore would be incurred to make the track ready for the semi-high speed train, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project. There will be fencing for a stretch of 27-km along the track between Delhi and Agra to prevent obstruction and ensure speed. After the Delhi to Agra service, Railways will run similar trains for Kanpur and Chandigarh from the national capital.

Citizens of 40 countries will be able to apply online for visas to enter India beginning December. According to a press release from the prime minister's office, the government has given the nod for phase one to be introduced. India earlier this year announced it will implement an online system for visa issuance in a major initiative to liberalise its visa regime.

Electronic visas will ensure a 20 per cent jump in visitor numbers from 2015 onwards. More importantly, both FITs and MICE businesses will get a boost as visa approvals prior to departure will make it easier for tour operators and DMCs."

Meanwhile, India is opening its doors to Afghan nationals and now allows them to stay for up to two years on humanitarian grounds. A Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson said: "A system of biometric enrolment and photography will be introduced to ensure that such facilities are not misused by unscrupulous elements."

During the peak travel season of October to May in 2013-2014, Goa received 1,128 charter flights, carrying a record number of 2.61 lakh passengers, as per a release. The corresponding figure for the previous year was 996 charter flights carrying 2.15 lakh passengers. This is a 13.25 per cent increase in the arrival of charter flights year-on-year basis, a record for the state.

There was a 21 per cent increase in the number of foreign tourists who arrived by charter flights compared to the same time period last year. Goa also received state-of-the-art Boeing Dreamliner flights from UK as charters.
 

Tourism officials have proposed the launch of a new fast train connecting Mumbai with Goa. The Economic Times reported Union Tourism Minister, Sripad Naik, as saying that he would request the new service with the Union Railway Ministry, in an effort to attract more tourists to Goa.

India's Ministry of Railways announced plans to expand its premium train services to more tourist destinations this summer. The new high-end carriages, which offer soft seating, hot food and air-conditioning options, will be rolled out to 36 new destinations this summer. These include services to popular hill stations and religious sites, including Shimla, Jammu, Kathgodam, Mahabaleshwar, Puri, Shirdi, Varanasi, Tirupati and Guwahati. In addition, 11 more regular services will be launched on high-volume routes this summer, including routes connecting Bihar with Delhi and Mumbai with Punjab.

Leh town and Ladakh region in general are two amazing places to visit, especially during the monsoon season. These regions do not experience rains like anywhere else in India, making monsoon a perfect time to travel here. Leh Ladakh takes a priority on the wish list of almost everyone. Ladakh or the ‘Land of High Passes' is a barren yet beautiful region located in Jammu and Kashmir. Cut off from the rest of the country for major part of the year, Ladakh shares its east border with Tibet, Lahaul and Spiti to the south and Valley of Kashmir to its west. Strategically placed on ancient trade routes, Ladakh lies between the Kunlun Mountains in the north and the Himalayas in the south. read more...

The Maldives welcomed more than half a million tourists in the first five months of the year.

According to the latest data from the country's Tourism Ministry, the island nation saw 518,166 international visitors in January-May 2014, 11.9% more than the same period last year. And this growth was driven by arrivals from China, which increased 23.3% year-on-year to 141,249, accounting for 27.3% of total visitors.
Overall, the Asia Pacific region contributed 229,847 arrivals to the Maldives in the five-month period, marking year-on-year growth of 24.7%. Following China, India, Japan and Korea are the largest source markets from this region.

The Nepal Tourism Board will issue free mobile SIM cards along with permits to solo trekkers as a stronger safety precaution beginning March 2015. First proposed in 1Q2014, the initiative was formally announced last week. SIM cards will be issued to trekkers visiting during the peak climbing season between March and early June each year. About 14 per cent of 800,000 tourists a year visit Nepal for mountain climbing, with solo trekkers making up 30,000 of this number. Said Subhash Niraula, CEO of the NTO: "It is easy for us to locate individuals if they are lost by tracking the SIM card. If in distress, they can call us on some pre-loaded numbers for rescue or help."

Bijay Amatya, COO of Kora Tours Kathmandu, welcomed the move, saying: "Safety is a major concern that we as host nation must address when we welcome guests. This connectivity will assuage fears of availability of help options in emergencies. I believe that adventure travel will rise by at least 10 per cent because of this."

Kerala is blessed with pleasant and equitable climate throughout the year. With the sweet fragrance of the wet mud and the sparkling greenery everywhere, this season is the prime period of the year to visit Kerala. One can also enjoy a serene vacation in Kerala as Ayurveda during monsoon is the best way to rejuvenate your mind and replenish your body.

Kerala is blessed with pleasant and equitable climate throughout the year. With the sweet fragrance of the wet mud and the sparkling greenery everywhere, this season is the prime period of the year to visit Kerala. One can also enjoy a serene vacation in Kerala as Ayurveda during monsoon is the best way to rejuvenate your mind and replenish your body. Travellers, today, have definitely evolved and are more open to experiencing new and off beat offerings. So in order to meet their demands and to generate more occupancy levels during the monsoon, many hotels in the region introduce special packages, offers, festivals that perhaps attract more people.

An enchanting retreat in Thekkady that's off the beaten path - Poetree Sarovar Portico, Thekkady

Sarovar hotel is in its phase of opening a new property in mid August 2014. Perched on a mountain top, at one of the highest points in Thekkady, Poetree Sarovar Portico offers something truly unique - a grand vista of the endless Sahyadri range and a 360 degree view of the enchanting silver ridges and wooded valleys. The new resort seamlessly blends ethnic ambience, eco-conservation practices, tribal architecture and contemporary luxury to create an uncommon hospitality experience.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has opened Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park situated in the city's new tech hub. Owned by real estate developer Prestige Group, the hotel offers 191 guestrooms including 13 suites. Brian McGuinness, senior vice president, specialty select brands for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, commented: "Pioneering initiatives in music, design and technology have positioned Aloft as the must-have brand for the next generation of travellers, and we're quickly gaining traction in the Indian market among the country's young and tech-driven society." read more...

After witnessing a growth in Indian travellers to its properties outside the country, European luxury hotel chain Kempinski Hotels plans to operate three hotels in India by 2020. Currently, it has one property operational in India—Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi. "We plan to operate three new hotels in India by 2020. We already have an operational hotel, the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, and these additions will take our total strength to four hotels in the country in the next five to six years," said Duncan O'Rourke, COO, Kempinski Hotels at a press conference held at the Delhi property recently. The three hotels will come up in Mumbai, Kolkata and Kerala through management contract model. Each of these hotels will feature 150-250 keys and the property in Kerala is planned to be a resort, the first for Kempinski Hotels in India.
read more...

Marriott International is set to make a mark with a slew of new properties, including a debut of it's Edition brand in India in Gurgaon. Speaking on the sidelines of the announcement of Mumbai's first Ritz Carlton, Paul Foskey, Executive Vice President, Hotel Development, Asia-Pacific, Marriott International revealed that, while there are no further developments slated under the Ritz Carlton brand, the company definitely has further plans for it in the Indian market. When the time is right, Foskey added, Delhi would be a target for a Ritz Carlton property read more...

Etihad Airways has unveiled the latest stage of its expansion in India, with the addition of more connections to Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kozhikode and Hyderabad.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline said that "strong demand from business and leisure travellers" has led it to introduce double-daily frequencies to Bengaluru, Chennai and Kozhikode, all of which start from today. Then from 1 October 2014, the Hyderabad route will also be served twice a day. read more...

Myanmar and India are working together to promote tourism through a new charter service linking Mandalay and the north-east state of Manipur in India, the launch of which has been postponed.

Golden Myanmar Airlines' commencement of a twice-weekly charter service on Airbus A320 and a 69-seater ATR 72-690 aircraft was slated for June 27 but is now to take off on July 3 while the airline finalises preparations with Indian authorities. read more...

Putting an end to months of speculation, Air India is set to become the 27th member of Star Alliance on July 11, announced India's civil aviation minister at a news conference yesterday.

Minister, Ashok Gajaputhi Raju, said: "Air India's entry into Star Alliance would facilitate its access to a vast global network, offering it wider reach and seamless transfers for its travellers. The alliance will benefit Air India in terms of adoption of global best practices and branding. The extensive Star Alliance network will strengthen Air India's overseas operations, linking it to its extensive domestic network." read more...

"Emirates plans to deploy an A380 on one of its existing daily services between Dubai to Mumbai, starting from July and is working closely with Mumbai Airport Authorities to make this deployment," an airline spokesman told the Economic Times.

The airline also plans to step up the existing aircraft to larger capacity Boeing 777s to Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai starting from 1 June. From 30 May, Singapore Airlines will be the first airline to begin A380 operations to India, on Singapore-Mumbai route.

SpiceJet will resume services on Dubai-Mumbai and Dubai-Madurai routes with effect from July 21, 2014, as per a release. SpiceJet had launched flights on these two sectors in June 2012 and November 2013, respectively, but had to temporarily suspend the services in May this year due to runway work at Dubai airport, during which time airline was asked to reduce some flights. The runway work is completing as per schedule and SpiceJet is now resuming its flights from Mumbai and Madurai to Dubai.
With the resumption service to Dubai from Mumbai and Madurai, SpiceJet will provide connectivity to five cities from India to Dubai, including Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Kochi. In addition to Dubai, SpiceJet also operates flights to Muscat and Sharjah in the region.