June 2013

Rajeev Kohli
Joint Managing Director

Dear Industry Colleagues

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

It's been a hot summer here. It seems the weather is changing all over the world.
Summer has now set in. There are some exciting offers we have for travel industry professionals who want to come and explore what an incredible destination we have. Just contact us for these to be sent to you. We would love to have you as our guest.

We have some exciting summer initiatives available for you. Some are meant for travel industry professionals to come and experience India and Creative's award winning services first hand at a very special offer. 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.

www.travel2india.com
 www.creative.travel

Rajasthan will home a third tiger reserve in the Mukundra Hills, as notified by the Government of Rajasthan.

It covers four districts of Kota, Bundi, Chittorgarh and Jhalawar. Its reserve area will spread over 759 sq km. Nearly 417 sq km have been earmarked as the core tiger habitat, while 342.82 sq km has been notified as the buffer zone where human interference is prohibited. Read more...

In a brand new initiative to attract more tourists to Uttar Pradesh, the state government is planning to set up two resorts based on rural themes similar to Jaipur's famous Chokhi Dhani. The resorts, are to come up enroute to Taj Mahal via Yamuna Expressway, and are expected to be a unique mix of tradition and five-star facilities along the 165-km-long expressway. Government officials said the government will borrow from Chokhi Dhani, which attracts a large number of foreign as well as domestic tourists. The resorts, once they come up, will depict the culture and village life of UP.

According to the state tourism department, the Chokhi Dhani management has shown interest in developing concept-villages in UP along national highways and near tourist places. The government said these models will be developed on a public-private-partnership model, with the management of Chokhi Dhani or any other interested groups who are willing to promote UP's tourism. At present, the government has proposed the setting up two such village-styled resorts near Noida and another between Agra and Mathura, to cater to the visitors of Taj Mahal and temples of Mathura.

Growing number of farmers are turning entrepreneurs and earning big bucks from something they offered free to friends and relatives- a healthy and relaxing weekend to unwind in lush green farms, drive a tractor, ride a bullock cart, milk a cow and pluck fresh fruit from orchards.

Farm tourism, once a small niche, is expanding rapidly and getting a big push from the tourism ministry. Read more...

Shilpgram will give a fillip to the regional handicraft and handloom products. As in other districts the Shilpgram will organize exhibitions and craft bazaars of handicrafts and handlooms of tourist interest as well as public utility. It will, as and when require also organize cultural events to showcase the regional cultural heritage.

The department of culture is mulling ways to renovate and promote ancient temples and shrines that come along the 75.2 km circumference of Panch Kosi Yatra of Varanasi. In this regard, the regional cultural centre, Varanasi received a fund of Rs 5.60 crore sanctioned under the 13th finance commission recently.

According to the in charge of the regional cultural centre Ratnesh Verma, the funds have been sanctioned under the Heritage Development of Panchkosi Yatra Marg. In the first installment, Rs 61 lakh will be released followed by an amount of Rs 1.97 crore in the second installment. Read more...

Yet another historical city is witnessing the value addition to one of its monuments with special Sound & Light Show. The tourists and visitors to Akbar Quila in Ajmer can now see a 45-minute sound and light show with special effects. This show began on 12 April. It was inaugurated by the Tourism, Art & Culture Minister, Ms. Bina Kak. Read more...

In 2012-13, The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa registered a record arrival of 27.8 lakh tourists in the state of Goa out of which, 4.5 lakh were foreigners as against 26.7 lakh, which includes 4.45 lakh foreigners during 2010-11, showing an increase of 4.4per cent inflow. Read more...

Standing majestically with the Aravali ranges forming an enchanting backdrop, Kumbhakgarh Fort near Udaipur is considered the second most important citadel in the Mewar region and is a must visit destination on any tour to Rajasthan.Built in the 15th century, Kumbhalgarh Fort was named after Rana Kumbha, who got the fort erected. One of the most beautiful Forts and Palaces in Rajasthan India, Kumbhalgarh Fort holds the distinction of remaining unconquered till date. Read more...

JAIPUR/GWALIOR: The search for a home led a young male tiger from Ranthambore to travel through villages and agricultural fields, cross the Chambal river and 'settle' 220km away in a patch of forest in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh.

This is the farthest any big cat from the national park is recorded to have travelled. The journey has been documented by Ranthambhore's deputy conservator of forest YK Sahu, field biologist Dharmendra Khandal (of tiger watch), and Ayan Sadhu, a junior research fellow at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Read more...

Jaipur is all set to receive yet another spot for tourist as well as local visitors attraction. The forest department of Jaipur is planning to start a Jungle Safari for the locales as well as tourists in the Jhalana Jungles of Jaipur. The report has been submitted to the tourism minister, Ms. Bina Kak to sanction it and execute the whole plan. Read more...

Unesco World Heritage Kalka-Shimla rail line is going to have two new added attractions for tourists as catering to the need of high-end tourists, Indian Railways has decided to introduce chartered lounge card and tourist coach facility. Attached with compact pantry, these two coaches have been fitted with sofas that would make the 97-km journey from Kalka to uphill Shimla more comfortable. Read more...

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had announced the revised procedure for foreign tourists in groups of four or more arriving by air or sea and sponsored by Indian travel agencies approved by the Ministry of Tourism and with a pre-drawn itinerary in April 2013. Now, IATO has sought clarifications from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Group Landing permits, so that all inbound players can make use of this facility. Some of the issues for which clarifications had been sought include how and where to apply and papers/documents required for submission by the recognised tour-operator, and what will be the format of undertaking to be given by tour operators to ensure nothing is left out. Some of the other issues that were raised are where and when fees is to be paid, along with various options, and also if Group Landing Permit is refused, what will happen to the air-ticket and tour cost which has been paid by the tourist.

Udaipur, the city of tranquil water lakes and the city of dawn is one of the most enticing cities of India. The opulent cultural, social and natural heritage is impeccably preserved through the surrounding majestic lakes and serene Aravalis. The magical beauty and numerous tourist spots allure visitors again and again. The lakes, mountains and the habitats of the city set an excellent example of harmony between nature and the built surroundings. The city continues to attract domestic as well as international tourists owing to a number of historical and religious landmarks within the city as well as in the vicinity. Adding to the numerous tourist hotspots is the new open-air terracotta museum, which is soon going to be built in Udaipur. Western Region Cultural Centre in the Shilpgram of Udaipur city will set up the museum in the city of lakes. Well-known experts of Terracotta will make the museum. The experts will be staying in the city and will be designing exquisite artifacts to be showcased in the museum thereafter. Interestingly, Artifacts will also have the information about the artists who make them. So, the city of lakes, besides having an array of tourist spots will have another enticing place to visit that will add to its tourism.

Data released from the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that 93,232 tourists arrived in the country, compared to 83,549 in February 2012, which is an 11.6 percent increase.

Tourist arrivals recorded an impressive 12.5 percent increase in the first two months of this year with 190,643 tourists arriving in the island.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has announced that its second mega joint promotional campaign, 'Get Sri Lankaned', was held in Mumbai from May 17-20, 2013. The campaign, which aims to showcase Sri Lanka as a tourist destination for Indians, was first held in Bengaluru earlier this year. The announcement was made by Bashwara Gunarathna, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism, along with Muthu Sivalingam, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Government of Sri Lanka and Sanath Jayasuriya, Member of Parliament, Sri Lanka and Brand Ambassador of Sri Lanka Tourism, at a press conference. The campaign is scheduled to cross over to Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad in the next few months. Get Sri Lankaned will begin with a press conference and will be followed by 'Sri Lanka Night', which will see participation from Indian film and sports celebrities, and will include a Sri Lankan Cultural Show and food festival.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is considering to bring its high-end lifestyle brand 'Hotel Missoni' in India as it looks to expand presence in the country. Without specifying the timeline for introduction of the brand in the country, Simon Barlow, President-Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said, We would like to introduce our luxury brand, Missoni in India but we are not time bound. We do have plans to introduce the brand in another three to five years and this brand would be introduced in one or two cities in India possibly Delhi and Mumbai. As it is difficult to get land in cities like Mumbai, we could also do a conversion of the existing building but it would be an iconic landmark because this is where the positioning of the brand stands.

Banyan Tree Holdings, which manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas, is eyeing around 20 properties in India in the next six years, a company executive said. "We are planning 15-20 properties in India under our brands, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts and Angsana Hotels & Resorts, mostly constituting 100-150 rooms each. We have recently announced the launch of our first 60-room property under our flagship brand Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in Kerala," Abid Butt, CEO, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, was quoted as saying in a PTI report. Angsana Hotels & Resorts is the sister brand of Banyan Tree, and was launched in 2000. It has more than ten resorts and over 40 spas globally.

Besides its Kerala property, Banyan Tree has three properties in the pipeline for Goa, Bengaluru and Ludhiana (Punjab) under both its brands, Butt said.
 

For the first time since its inception, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has unveiled a new brand identity, including a new logo and a revamped website, designed to express the brands transformation over the last 25 years. A comprehensive plan will guide the transition of the new identity at existing and upcoming properties which also includes signages, advertising creatives, guest facing materials, sales and marketing collaterals, stationery and amenities.

The new brand identity is a result of a great collaboration with internationally renowned branding experts, Landor Associates, Paris; an acclaimed digital firm for Fortune 500 companies, Rare Medium, Atlanta, US; and a master Indian calligrapher, Satya Rajpurohit.

The innovative change marks a highpoint for the Group, which in a short span of time, has evolved from one hotel on the outskirts of Mumbai, into a network of eight award-winning properties in prime destinations across the country.
 

HILTON Worldwide has made its maiden foray into Pune with the signing of a franchise agreement for DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad, slated for opening in June. The franchise agreement with Panchshil Hotels secures the fourth DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in India. The 115-room property is located in Chinchwad, which forms one of the country largest industrial hubs together with neighboring suburb Pimpri. Read more...

Continuing with its expansion plan, Carlson Rezidor Hotel is slated to open 13 hotels in India in 2013.We have opened 35 new hotels and added 48 hotels to our pipeline over the last two years. We have had a strong start in 2013 and will carry that momentum into the rest of the year, said Simon C. Barlow, President- Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Currently, the Group has 92 properties in the Asia Pacific, including 57 in India. In the Delhi market alone, the Group operates 19 hotels. Apart from two new hotels in Mumbai and Davao, the Group will add another 13 properties before the end of the year, bringing their operating portfolio to 107 in the Asia Pacific.
Read more...

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) plans to focus on the mid- scale hotel space in India. It has a pipeline for 47 hotels in India under various stages of development, the second largest in the Asia Pacific region after China.

At present, it has 13 hotels in nine cities under the Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

Douglas Martell, Vice President- Operations, South West Asia, IHG, Told business, We want to open 150 hotels across the country by 2020. Our expansion plans in India are focused on the mid- scale segment which for us is the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

The Indian hotel market is being driven by the boom in domestic travellers with year on year double digit growth and 850 million domestic travellers and 6.3 million inbound tourists.

Banyan Tree is set to add to its portfolio with Angsana Club & Spa in Ludhiana by 2015. The property will follow the debutant Kerala establishment, slated to open by the end of the year, and the Goa property which is a couple of years in the making. According to Abid Butt, CEO, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, tier II cities in India are growing rapidly and Indians with the wherewithal to travel will travel both abroad and within India. Domestic consumption, he opined, will be huge. Quality accommodation will be provided by Banyan Tree. Read more...

US-based hospitality major Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced the debut of its two hotel brands, Aloft and Four Points by Sheraton in Ahmedabad. The opening marks fifth Aloft hotel of the company in India, which are developed with the Urbanedge Hotels, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Auromatrix Holdings, an anchor partner of Starwood. Combining the two brands, Starwood has 10 operating hotels in India. It has executed deals for five more hotels which are under development. Aloft in Ahmedabad is a 176-room hotel with tariff starting from Rs 7,000. The Four Points is a 104-room hotel, converted from an existing hotel and will be Starwood's first managed Four Points by Sheraton in India.

Proving once again that their brand of traditional Sri Lankan hospitality is their greatest strength; Jetwing Hotels has been awarded 10 new Certificates of Excellence from the worlds largest travel site, Trip Advisor. Having received 8 last year, the following Jetwing hotels were certified recently. Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, Jetwing Beach, Jetwing Blue, Jetwing Lagoon, Jetwing Sea, Haridra Resort & Spa by Jetwing, Era Beach by Jetwing, Jetwing Lighthouse, Jetwing Warwick Gardens, and Jetwing Vil Uyana. An accomplishment in its own right, the total of 10 Certificates of Excellence marks Jetwing Hotels as one of the most acclaimed resort chains in Sri Lanka. The criteria for the certificates are simple, yet complex, as they require a consistent high ranking in quality reviews as well as user rating. The vision set forth 40 years ago has undeniably grown, with this family-owned company embarking on a remarkable expansion drive to double room inventory within the next 3 years. Read more...

Sarovar Hotels has announced the opening of R.K. Sarovar Portico in Srinagar. This 55 key property is the first hotel of the group in Jammu and Kashmir and is owned by Royal Khazir Hotels & Resorts. Commenting on the opening of R.K. Sarovar Portico, Srinagar, Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, I am delighted to announce the opening of our very first hotel in J&K state. Srinagar attracts a large inflow of business as well as leisure travellers. There is a limited choice of upmarket accommodation for them. R.K. Sarovar Portico bridges this gap.

The hotel is strategically located in close proximity to local tourist destinations including the Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens and Pari Mahal. In addition it is easily accessible from the Srinagar Airport which is 12kms from the property.

INDIA'S Ministry of Civil Aviation has given the green light for Indian carriers to unbundle certain services and charge separate fees for each of them, including check-in baggage, seat preference, selection of meals and beverages, and carriage of sports equipment.

The government rolled out the new guidelines on the assumption that the basic fares will be kept low for price-conscious clientele, while enabling airlines to develop more sustainable operations in an increasingly competitive aviation environment.

To ensure transparency of charges, the ministry's acquiescence also comes with a corollary that carriers will have to fix and announce their charges in advance. Read more...

In a move that would raise the cost of air travel, the government said it has allowed airlines to charge passengers for preferred seats on a flight, check-in baggage and meals, among other things.

"Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has decided to permit scheduled airlines to unbundle certain services and to charge fees for these services separately," an official release said.

The services for which the airlines would be free to charge passengers include preferential seating, meals, snacks, drinks (barring drinking water), check-in baggage, use of airline lounges, carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments and valuable baggage which have higher carrier liability.

"The objective of the decision is to facilitate airlines to offer low base fare for price sensitive travellers, while at the same time offer choice to service seekers at a price," it said. Read more...

Air India will flag off its first flight between Dehradun and Lucknow from Dehradun's Jollygrant Airport on May 2.

Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said decision to introduce a flight between the two state capitals was taken two days after Union civil aviation ministry gave a nod to a joint proposal given by Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the ministry's officials a couple of weeks ago. Bahuguna said proposal was finally cleared after he visited Delhi last week. Read more...

Air India would lower the free baggage allowance from 20 to 15 kgs on the domestic sector and start charging a flat rate of about Rs 200-250 per kilo on excess baggage from next week, airline sources said yesterday, the PTI reported. This follows a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) circular last week allowing the airlines to charge fees for 'unbundled services' like check-in baggage, preferential seats, meals, snacks or drink (barring drinking water) and sports and musical instruments on their domestic flights.

Passengers travelling on Air India flights would from next week be allowed to carry only 15 kgs of free check-in baggage and pay a flat rate of about Rs 200-250 per kg on excess weight, the sources said. Currently, the excess baggage charges vary between Rs 150-400 per kg depending upon the sector.

There would be no charge for hand baggage up to seven kgs, they said, adding that registered frequent flyers would be allowed to carry up to 20 kgs of checked in baggage as is prevalent now.

With a view to encourage foreign tourist arrivals the government has decided to provide collective landing permits as per a government release. According to the revised procedure, foreign tourists in groups of four or more arriving by air or sea and sponsored by Indian travel agencies approved by the Ministry of Tourism and with a pre-drawn itinerary may be granted collective landing permit for a period not exceeding 60 days, with multiple entry facilities to enable them to visit neighbouring countries. In order to avail of this facility the tourists or travel agencies shall mandatorily fill in an application online. Read more...

Visa on arrival facility for tourists will now be available at five more international airports across the country, besides the four existing metro cities.

It was decided at the third inter-ministerial Coordination Committee meeting to extend facility of tourist Visa on Arrival (VOA) at Goa, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi airports, said a senior Tourism Ministry official.

Currently the VOA facility is operational at four international airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Read more...
 

British Airways (BA) commenced its sixth direct service to Hyderabad from London with effect from 5 April 2013. Connecting the rest of the UK, Europe and over 200 destinations in North America, BA will provide a choice of three cabins, Club World business class, World Traveller plus premium economy and World Traveller economy to its customers from Hyderabad. Read more...

The two iconic brands Jet Airways and Etihad Airways announced a strategic alliance for a unique and modern travel experience offering everyone ease of travel, seamless airport facilities and best in-flight services around the globe.
Over the past few months, Jet Airways has been hard at work building a strong framework and foundation for this partnership wherein Etihad Airways subject to regulatory and shareholders approvals will not only be an investor but also a strategic partner to Jet Airways. This partnership will bring significant benefits to our guest through extensive code share; offering a combined network of 140 destinations including 52 cities in India. Read more...

Buoyed by the upswing in air traffic, the government is likely to give its nod to a wide- ranging policy to create international and regional aviation hubs in the country in the coming days.

The policy, which is likely to be considered by the Union Cabinet tomorrow, not only focuses on developing global airline hubs in India but also on establishing domestic regional hubs to cater to the emerging air traffic from non- metro destinations in remote areas, including the Northeast, official sources said.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has already initiated steps like revisiting the policy and enhancing bilateral air service agreements with different countries.

Simultaneously, the government has been according high priority to provide air connectivity to remote, difficult and interior areas of the country. Read more...
 

Days after the Indian government allowed carriers to unbundle charges, airlines have flocked the media with announcements of services that are going to become chargeable.

Two airlines,Jet Airways and national carrier Air India have lowered free baggage allowances for domestic passengers. Air India was the first carrier to cut free baggage allowance to 15 kg from 20 kg, with Jet soon following suit. Read more...

SpiceJet Ltd has restored its agents commission, days after withdrawing it, as per a Business Standard report. On Monday, the airline informed travel agents it was restoring Productivity-Linked Bonus (PLB) with effect from May 1, 2013.
The decision to withdraw the PLB was taken hoping that (the) Civil Aviation Ministry will come up with a solution for travel agents remuneration as guided by the Supreme Court. As there has been no solution till now, SpiceJet has decided to reinstate the withdrawn PLB effective May 1, the airline said.

This means the earlier incentive components will continue. After the Ministrys pending decision on transaction fees, SpiceJet would come up with a comprehensive incentive which will be mutually beneficial, it added.

SpiceJet had withdrawn the commission. This led to protests from travel agents who feared that other airlines too will follow suit.

SpiceJet is starting a direct service between Delhi and Dharamshala. Booking of tickets for this route is now open with inaugural fare of Rs 2,999/ one way inclusive of all taxes. The commercial flight on this route will start from June 7, 2013. Dharamshala is SpiceJets 46th destination in India. With the addition of Dharamshala, SpiceJet now operates to 54 airports across its network. The airline would be deploying its state-of-the-art Bombardier Q400 aircraft on this route.

THE first seaplane service in Kerala is off to a flying start, with four more seaplane operators expected to launch such services by 4Q2013, connecting state cities to its extensive network of backwaters. Kerala tourism minister, A P Anil Kumar, said: Seaplane services will allow tourists to travel from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Mangalore to several points in the backwaters like Alleppey, Kollam, Allapuzha, Kasargode and Ernakulam. Water dromes with floating jetties (for seaplane landings), have been built.Tourists can now travel between destinations and access the destinations and hotels located along Kerala's backwaters without relying on the state's roads, which are patchy in places. Air Travel Enterprises chairman, EM Najeeb, said the new means of transport would up the quotient for higher-end tourist inflow and allow quicker and more scenic transfers, and enhance Kerala's image as a special place to visit.

Kerala Seaplane Services is one of four seaplane operators slated to begin service later this year. It plans to commence business on August 1, after the monsoon season, and offers three 10-seater and one four-seater planes for transport and charter rentals.

It also intends to sell packages for transfers, including a City Joyride package traversing Kochi-Trivandrum-Calicut-Alleppey, a 20-minute ride at Rs3,000 (US$53) per pax.