January 2014

Rajeev Kohli
Joint Managing Director

Dear Industry Colleagues:

Here is another edition of the award winning "Creatively Yours" and Happy New year to our friends across the world.  

For us in the Creative Travel family, 2014 brings in our 37th year of being amongst India’s most respected travel companies. One thing that has stood the test the time is our sense of family. Family in our ownership, in our team and in the way we work with our partners and suppliers across the world. This team spirit helped us close our 2012-13 financial year as the best in the history of Creative. This was a tremendous effort in the face of a slowing market. We took on 2013 with the same vigour with the aim of replicating the success of the past. We still have a few months left to close our current financial year, so time will tell if the efforts have paid off. In our team of 148, in 2013 we had 5 joyous marriages, arrivals of 5 bouncing babies, 2 happy engagements. 3 team members completing 10 years, with the company and 8 completing 5 years of services (27% of the company have been with us 7 years or longer). Was a great year all around.

We have finally broken ground on our new home in the outskirts of Delhi. This 50,000 sq.ft. facility will be state of the art in space planning & technology while being explorative & funky in its design. This will after all be the home of ‘Creative’. We aim for the building to stimulate our creativity and attract the best of talent in the industry. With an estimated move in date of October 2014, this will be the most modern travel company office in the country. 

2013 was also a (another) record breaking year when it came to winning global accolades.

On October 1, at a glittering ceremony in Dubai. Creative Travel is proud to have been awarded as "Asia's Leading Destination Management Company" (which we also won in 2012) and "India's Leading Destination Management Company" (which we also won in 2012 & 2011) at the 2013 World Travel Awards Ceremony. The World Travel Awards serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry, and is described by the Wall Street Journal as "the Oscars of the Travel Industry". On October 3, in Bangkok, before an equally illustrious audience of tourism leaders from across Asia-Pacific, for the third time we were voted by the readers of TTG publications as the "Best Travel Agency in India" at the 24th Annual TTG Travel Awards 2013. TTG Travel Awards not only serves a benchmark for high standards across the industry but also as a trajectory for the travel industry's advancements. On December 8, 2013, we were honored with our 5th Site Crystal Award for Exceptional Motivational Travel Programs at the Site Crystal Awards Recognition Program during the Site Global Conference in Orlando, Florida, USA. This probably make sus the most globally awarded incentive company in Asia. 

We are indeed very, very proud of our team because they make this all possible.

India cannot be explained. It cannot be analysed. It cannot be stereotyped. India can only be experienced. We as a company and as a family feel privileged to be in a business where we bring to life the dreams and fantasies of travellers from across the world. Every guest we handle, every partner we work with, and every friend we meet allows us to do what we enjoy doing - being proudly Indian and showing it off.

So wherever you are and whatever your heart desires, on behalf of the Kohli family and the entire team at Creative Travel; JungleSutra Wildlife Journeys; Plan it! Meetings & Conferences & The Creative Academy of Tourism, we wish you and your loved ones a great and joyful 2014.  

www.travel2india.com
 www.creative.travel

Goa Heritage Festival- 09-12 February

Every year, the spirit of Goa comes alive for a few days, this is all because of the eagerly awaited Goa Carnival. During the Carnival, the streets are a rainbow of colour and a hive of excitement as they come alive with processions, floads and wonderful music. The event attracts thousands of people from around the world, as not only does the carnival create some wonderful memories, but in such beautiful surroundings these memories are sure to last a lifetime. So live, dance and sing at the amazing Goa Carnival.

Built in 1726 – Jaigarh was designed to demonstrate the military prowess of Jaipur. In fact the Jaigarh Fort was one among the three massive forts that were constructed to bolster the security of the city. read more...

Over all, Tamil Nadu received over 17.56 crore tourist footfall, including 30.81 lakh foreigners. Chennai's sprawling beaches, airport, seaport, good air connectivity, heritage and ancient temples are among the numerous attractions.

At the resort, guests are drawn into the social tapestry of the local Kadu Kuruba tribe, while having a wildlife experience. Visitors explore Nagarhole National Park (Kabini). The region hosts the largest congregation of Asian elephants in summer, along with housing other flagship species such as the leopard and wild dog. Mud-and-thatch huts at Orange County, Kabini built in ethnic style of the indigenous Kuruba tribes feature luxurious interiors while also minimising the environmental footprint. The lodge helps showcase the Kuruba heritage using interactive storytelling sessions, cultural performances, and coracle rides.

The forest officials, after their two to three months' research, confirmed that there are four or five adult tigers and three cubs in this zone. Besides, the zone also has some beautiful water bodies and the presence of panther is also an added attraction. So, what is rolling over your mind? Rejoice and as soon the booking opens plan for an adventurous and hustle free Tiger Safari at Ranthambhore National Park.

The Gateway Hotels & Resorts, part of the Taj Group, launched The Gateway Hotel EM Bypass Kolkata. The Gateway Hotels & Resorts caters to the upscale segment and with the opening of this hotel; The Gateway Hotels & Resorts now has 24 hotels in its portfolio. Commenting on the launch, Raymond Bickson, Managing Director & CEO, Taj Group of Hotels, said, "We are extremely proud and delighted to announce the opening of The Gateway Hotel E M Bypass in Kolkata. read more...

Duet Smart Hotels India, a Joint Venture (JV) between Duet India Hotels and InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), has announced the opening of their second Holiday Inn Express brand hotel in the country in the Mahindra World City, Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The 140-room property is part of the JV that the two companies signed a couple of years ago for developing 19 Holiday Inn Express international mid-scale hotels. The first Holiday Inn Express property was opened in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in November 2012.

The third Holiday Inn Express property will be operational in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh by March 2014, Jain informed. Four more projects under the brand are currently underway, including one property each in Chennai, Mumbai and Indore (Madhya Pradesh). These will be ready within the next three years, he informed. He added that the company is looking at brownfield development as well as acquisitions in Goa, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and NCR Delhi.

With a combined inventory of just under 500 rooms, Lemon Tree Premier and Red Fox Hotel were launched by Shivam Asthana, President (East Region), Ruchi Realty Holdings Ltd. - the first guest at Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport. Speaking on the occasion, Patu Keswani, Chairman & Managing Director, The Lemon Tree Hotel read more...

Hilton Garden Inn opened in Trivandrum on 27 December, 2013, with 134 guest rooms and suites and 2600 sq ft of event space. Located in the city centre on Punnen Road, Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum will be managed by Hilton Worldwide and Muthoot Hotels & Infrastructure

"The opening of Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum will be a significant step in Hilton World wide's expansion into prime city centre locations across India," said Guy Hutchinson, vice president, operations – India, Hilton Worldwide. "India is a key strategic market for Hilton Worldwide. Presently, we operate hotels and resorts in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chennai, Vadodara, Pune, Goa, Shillim and now Trivandrum. Over the next eight to 10 months, we anticipate extending our portfolio to include Bangalore, Agra and Jaipur."

Mihir Garh in Rajasthan has been chosen as the outstanding winner of the Boutique Hotel Awards 2013, London-based international awards, dedicated to recognising excellence among boutique hotels around the world. Mihir Garh, an exclusive nine suite boutique hotel, won the title of World's Best Boutique Hotel, with an upper hand over other luxury boutique hotels nominated from around the world. The property was also named one of the World's Best Romantic Retreats. read more...

Hospitality Company Laugfs Leisure opens the first four-star Anantaya resort on the western coastal town of Chilaw next month, offering rare room views of both the sea and the lagoon.

Laugfs Holdings (parent company of Laugfs Leisure) chairman, WKH Wegapitiya, said: "This is what is unique about the place. Nowhere in Sri Lanka are there rooms with such a dual view." read more...

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) recently organized a celebration at the airport to announce the renaming ceremony from Bengaluru International Airport to Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru and the inauguration of its terminal elevated in design, exteriors, facilities and infrastructure. The event was presided over by Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and Chief Guest Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh along with other dignitaries from the state. read more...

With the annual threat of low visibility conditions caused by fog looming large at the airports especially in North India, flight carriers operating out of the airports have either cancelled or re-scheduled their early morning and evening flights till January 31.
Each year, during the months of December and January, flight carriers are forced to cancel their flights from Chandigarh airport due to dense fog, which renders the existing Instrument Landing System (ILS) useless as visibility drops to below 500 metres. In such conditions, most flight carriers choose to either cancel or pre-pone their early morning and evening flights. read more...

Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, has recently launched its first flight to Trivandrum International Airport, commencing its operations of five weekly flights between Bahrain and Thiruvananthapuram in India. India is one of the key markets for Gulf Air and the airline shares a historical relationship with the country spanning over 40 years – with the first flight to Mumbai inaugurated in November 1971.

Gulf Air has also recently introduced brand new Airbus A321 aircraft into India which are equipped with the latest in-flight entertainment technology and fully-flat beds in Falcon Gold class. With the new addition of Trivandrum, Gulf Air now flies to five Indian destinations.

IndiGo has further enhanced its customer experience with the launch of 10 new flights on its domestic network. The carrier will now operate its fifth daily non-stop flight between Chennai and Hyderabad, fourth daily non-stop flight between Chennai and Kolkata, and daily nonstop flight from Hyderabad to Chennai, and Goa. 6E will also connect Chennai to Goa (via Hyderabad). Furthermore, the airline will operate its ninth daily non-stop flight between Delhi and Bengaluru and third daily non-stop flight between Delhi and Goa. The new flights will provide increased frequencies on the routes and offer greater travel options for its customers. read more...

With the new terminal at Goa International Airport, Dabolim inaugurated last week by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, the state is all set to march ahead towards becoming a world-class tourist destination. The new terminal, which will be operational in January 2014, has a total peak hour capacity of 2,750 passengers. This comes at a time when Goa is gearing up to expect increased tourist traffic into the state. read more...

The long-awaited $2 billion Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport's new Terminal-2 was unveiled on Friday. The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport boasts of arguably the largest art gallery at such a facility, depicting the vibrant mosaic of country's cultural heritage and varied collage of the city's life. read more...

Etihad Airways has scaled up capacity on routes to India and will launch new flights to the country, driven by escalating demand for more seat capacity.

The Middle Eastern carrier is scheduled to start a daily flight to Jaipur in 1Q2014.
It will also commence between seven and 14 flights per week to Kochi from June, to Bengaluru and Chennai from July, and to Hyderabad from October. New 174-seat Airbus A321 aircraft will be deployed on the Chennai and Kochi sectors. Capacities on existing flights have also been raised. Etihad in mid-December introduced a second daily service and wide-bodied Airbus aircraft on its routes from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi and Mumbai, effectively tripling overall capacity. On the Mumbai route, 136-seat A320s have been swapped out in favour of 292-seat A340-600 aircraft; while 254-seat A330-200s serve the evening flight on the Abu Dhabi-New Delhi route.

Vegetable Pakora is an extremely scrumptious light snacks It is very easy to prepare and hardly takes half an hour to be ready to be served. Click here to read the recipe.....