August - Travel News Digest

Volume I • Issue 19 Pages 32 www.travelnewsdigest.in` 50 / us $5 16-31 August 2012India 07 n Asia 15 n Europe 20 n Americas 22 n Africa 24 n Caribbean 26 n Oceania 27 n Events 28Event AlertTTF West India SeriesEco tourism:Pitfalls and potentialTTF, India's largest travel tradeshownetwork, is kicking off its WestIndia 2012 Series with a bang atAhmedabad, followed by the othermain cities in the region. Mark yourdiary.TTF Ahmedabad : 24 - 26 AugustTTF Surat : 31 August - 2 SeptemberTTF Mumbai : 7 - 9 SeptemberTTF Pune : 14 - 16 SeptemberRetrospective:TTF Kolkata, 13-15 JulyTTF Hyderabad, 20-22 JulyThe 96th and 97th edition of India’sbiggest travel show, TTF, opened inKolkata and Hyderabad respectivelyin July. Visitors thronged the venuesto take part in these travel fiestas thatbrought together national and globalplayers and activated cross-verticalnetworking. This year’s events onlywent to show how platforms such asthe TTF act as booster shots for thetravel and tourism.Read more... 28According to a report by theAssociated Chambers ofCommerce and Industry, India’stourism sector is expected to grow byaround 8.8 percent every year till 2019.That kind of growth places India in thirdplace in world tourism stakes, generatinga capital investment of US$94.5 billion.While all this is good news, one mustalso take certain innovative measures toavoid the negative impact of tourism onnature, culture and the local community,caused by mass tourism. Initiating ecotourism at all levels is the need of thehour.What is eco tourism?Eco tourism is any tourism relatedactivity that balances the needs of theEco tourism doesn'tsimply guide peoplethrough scenic naturalbeauty but, whenproperly practised, alsoengages the localeconomy and encouragesinteraction betweenguest and host.environment, the local community andthe tourist. This means that eco tourismdoesn't simply guide people throughscenic natural beauty but, when properlypractised, also engages the local economyand encourages interaction betweenguest and host. The whole objective of ecotourism is to have purposeful travel tonatural areas to understand the cultureand history of the environment, takingspecial care not to alter the integrity of theecosystem, while utilising the economicopportunities that make conservationof natural resources beneficial to localpeople.Eco tourism in IndiaIndia, with its diversity in terms oflandscape, culture, traditions, cuisines,art, architecture and heritage hasimmense potential to position itself asan eco tourism destination.Read more... 4Finland enjoys fastesttourism growthTravel TechnologyBusting 5 myths aboutmobile apps for hotelsBrazil rolls out newtourism campaignA record year is expected for tourismin Finland as 'World Design CapitalHelsinki 2012' and other events areexpected to attract more visitors.Tourism has already increasedsignificantly in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaaand Lahti, the co-hosts of the ongoingevent.Read more... 20Read more... 10Future host of the Olympic Games,Brazil, has launched its new marketingcampaign in London.Read more... 22

2 ⋅ COVER TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012Trend SpotterTravel search site, Skyscanner recently conducted a global survey which revealed that more than two-thirds(67 percent) of Indian travellers found their airport experience the most stressful part of their journey. Theinternational survey, conducted by Skyscanner, with over 20,000 respondents from 12 nations, asked respondentswhich elements of travel were the most stressful.Brazilians and Brits join Indians in voting airports, with their queues and security checks as the numberone stress factor; for the Germans, Italians and Spanish, it’s the hunt for cheap flights, and for Russians it’sorganising visas and travel documents. The survey also highlighted that the third most stressful aspect for Indianswas the search for cheap flights. The analysis of over 3,100 Indian respondents reveals that finances, findingaccommodation and arranging travel documents were the least stressful factors for Indians planning their travel.Off the ShelfIs space a "playground for the rich?" Well, the vision isto make space tourism affordable and available to themiddle class in just a few, short years.Know HowGlobetrotting entrepreneurs are turning their passionfor travel into successful businesses.Adventure tourism may not be incredibly lucrative,but the industry provides an inviting environmentfor entrepreneurs, and passion is key to cultivatinga successful adventure tourism business. LaurenHefferon's success story sets an example.Hefferon's year-long Rotary scholarship to Italyevolved into a three-year cultural immersion,which included hanging out at Mario Conti's bikeshop in Florence, racing for his team and exploringevery road of Tuscany with her new network ofItalian cycling friends. That's how she started‘Ciclismo Classico’, a cycling tour company thatbrings in $3.5 million a year. "I found a niche thatI knew very well, and knew that I wanted to bein business for myself, so I made the leap," saysHefferon. Hefferon developed social networkingpresence for Ciclismo Classico, allowing thecompany to connect with more than 4,000 peopleon Facebook. To garner even more fans, CiclismoClassico will randomly select one person for a freetrip once the page reaches 5,000 fans. Bottomline:When experiences come alive for clients, adventuretravel businesses have a strong chance to thrive.Abstracted from an article by Alaina AbbottExpert SpeakRamiah Daniels, Director, Hospitality Paradigm,has over two decades of operational expertise in theHospitality Industry.The hospitality sector recognises the need forconstant upgradation of human skills. It realisesthat training is one of the many reasons for staffwanting to stay with an organisation. So here’s theupside of training - while the principal reason isfor improving skills, (technical or behavioural),the subsidiary reasons of employee motivationand employee retention are enough to justify thetraining efforts… in fact, a lack of adequate andquality training is considered a “dissatisfier”for Gen Y, if one were to refer to Herzberg onmotivation. In a recent training session, it wasinteresting to note how the participants felt that theguests they engaged with were targets for achievingtheir revenue budgets. Traditionally, this wouldnot be viewed as a gaffe since the bottom line of allbusiness is profitability. However, what if we wereto try another approach… service the customerand watch how he helps you with your revenueand conversions? Hence training is not just aboutcramming ideologies and skills – it is also abouthelping them relearn… for as the world is fastchanging, so is our industry.Space tourism is a recent phenomenon wherewealthy individuals or corporations are spendingup to $25 million for a chance to travel in low Earthorbit and beyond. California multi-millionaire,Dennis Tito, spent $20 million on space tourismto become the first paying tourist in 2001. Tito, thefounder of Wilshire Associates and former JPLscientist, travelled aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule,launched by US company, Space Adventures, Ltd,where he spent seven days aboard the InternationalSpace Station (ISS). Space tourism has become abigger goal over the past few years as NASA hasannounced they are cutting down on the venturesand the Shuttle was retired in 2011. NASA hopesto rely on the commercial orbital transportationsystems to shuttle astronauts and cargo to theISS thereafter and it looks like commercial craftwill be available by then. Bigelow Aerospace andthe X-Prize Foundation are getting in on the actby offering monetary awards for breakthroughtechnology in space tourism. So, if you've alwaysdreamed of going beyond the confines of Earth, thatpossibility may offer itself sooner than you think.We need to look at the domestic tourismsegment more closely. The majority of thedomestic travel is for pilgrimages. There isa need to enhance facilities at our majorpilgrimage centers which receive a largenumber of visitors. If the growth ofdomestic tourism continues to grow at therate seen in recent years, the number ofdomestic tourist visits in 2016, i.e. by endthe of the 12th plan, will be 1450 million.Union Tourism Minister, Subodh Kant SahaiThe MICE industry in the South East Asianregion will have a prominent role as theten countries of the ASEAN region will beforming ASEAN Economic Community(AEC) by 2015. Manpower and capital willflow freely in the region without barriers.The MICE industry will be the keybeneficiary of this barrier free regime.Chumpol Silpaarcha, Deputy Prime Minister, ThailandA bright future is at hand for Indianaviation if we can find common purposeamong all stakeholders. India must notsettle for a bronze medal in global aviation.If we can take deliberate action on ahandful of critical issues—reducing taxes,ensuring capacity and keeping costs incheck—a gold is entirely possible.Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO, IATABoard of DirectorsExecutive Director–PublishingHarsh AgarwalPublishing Director–Santosh GoenkaExecutive Director–MarketingGazanfar IbrahimExecutive Director–FinanceRajiv AgarwalChairman &Managing DirectorSanjiv AgarwalEditorialEditor & PublisherSanjiv AgarwalManaging EditorLotica ThukralAssociate EditorSharmila ChandAssistant EditorsUrvee ModwelPritisha BorthakurManisha DhingraDebasree BanerjeeMarketingGeneral ManagerRaj Kapoor SinghDy. Chief ManagerKavita KalraConsultant– Marketing &AlliancesSanjiv BhasinProductionMedia DirectorJune MukherjeeManager – New MediaProjectsDebasree BanerjeeDesign TeamShipra SharmaDilip MannaTulika SahaHirak RoyWeb ManagersApurv BhagatDipika DeyEvents MarketingGeneral ManagersSubhash RanaTarique EbrahimR MaheshAzmin IraniProject ManagersFatima D’CostaSriram SureshArif SiddiqueYC AnilSandeep TrivediShruti AggarwalAssistant ManagersPratiksha RajapureNidhi GandhiAdministrationChief Manager–OperationsBrahmadutt UpadhyayAccounts ManagerUma SurekaAdministrativeAssistantSuman PramanikTravel News Digest (TND) isprinted and published bySanjiv Kumar Agarwal onbehalf of Fairfest Media Ltd.Printed at InternationalPrint -o-pac Ltd, C-4 to C-11,Hosiery complex, Phase-II,Extension, Noida - 201 301,Distt.G.B.Nagar, UP.Published at 216A/1GautamNagar, Gulmohar Park, NewDelhi-110 049Editor - Sanjiv Kumar AgarwalNo responsibility will beaccepted for unsolicitedmanuscripts and photosreceived. Despite carefulselection of sources, noresponsibility can be takenfor accuracy.The Publishers and the Editorsdo not necessarily individuallyor collectively identifythemselves with the viewsexpressed by respective writersand contributors in thisjournal. The views expressedare those of the authors only.The magazine assumes noliability or responsibility of anykind in connection with theinformation thereof.All right reserved.Reproduction in whole or inpart is strictly prohibitedwithout written permissionfrom the publisher.Head Office216A/1, Gautam Nagar,Gulmohar Park,New Delhi - 110 049Tel: (91)(11) 26866874Registered Office25C/ 1, Belvedere Road, Alipur,Kolkata 700 027Tel : (91)(33) 24790010-14Branch OfficesMUMBAI (91) (22) 26372883 / 95HYDERABAD (91) (49) 27896149BANGALORE (91) (80) 26761598AHMEDABAD (91) (79) 30006991….……………………………………………Volume I - Issue 19For feedback and information,write in at info@travelnewsdigest.in

4 ⋅ SPECIAL FEATURE TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012tourism activities. Recently,practitioners and interestedindividuals in Sikkimestablished the Ecotourism andConservation Society of Sikkim(ECOSS) with the objective ofpromoting conservation, ecotourism projects, research andadvocacy. In the hospitalityemulating. Edge of India isa sustainable developmentproject through cooperativetourism in India.The project aims to establisha scalable model for sustainableeconomic development intourism by applying cooperativeprinciples to destinationTNDVOICESIndia’s opportunity is inshowcasing its culture andtraditions in its original form. Ifyou try to create a Disneyland in India andtry to sell it, there will be no takers. Nobodycan create a Kerala or Kumarakom anywhereelse. That’s our strength.Jose Dominic,Managing Director, CGH Earth Hotels...contd from page 1However, we need to have amore sensitive and responsibleapproach towards our tourismsector. There is no doubtthat stakeholders are slowlyrealising that there is businessTNDVOICESsense in being eco-friendly.International travellersare increasingly lookingfor authentic, ‘off the track’experiences, exposing them tothe nature, culture and heritageof the destination.ChallengesWhile realising the hugepotential of eco tourism, onehas to gear up to face thechallenges as well:n Lack of clarity and organisedstructure in developingeco tourism products anddestinationsn Unbridled developmentand unrestricted footfall oftenputs pressure on the resourcesof ecologically sensitivedestinationsn Unplanned developmentis spoiling the naturalenvironment in most placesSome of the most prominentforms of eco tourism in Indiainclude wildlife tourism, agrotourism, village tourism andeven religious tourism. Of these,wildlife tourism is emerging asone of the most popular forms,with help from national parksand tiger reserves like Kanha,Ranthambore, Kaziranga,Corbett and the Sunderbans.Agro tourism is also making amark and tourists are flockingWe need to tread cautiously,implement the rightguidelines and stipulate thecarrying capacity of each destination. We areat a cross roads; if we fail to act now, we willbe failing on our responsibility to our naturalenvironment.Mandip Singh Soin, President, EcotourisnSociety of Indiato India to get a taste of the rusticrural life.Success StoriesIndia’s tourism industry andthe government came togetherto form the Ecotourism Societyof India (ESOI) in 2008, toeffectively coordinate theactivities and initiatives relatedto eco tourism in India. TheMoT appointed ESOI as itsofficial partner to advise thegovernment, form guidelines,codes of conduct, and ethicalpractices for sustainabletourism to position India as aglobal eco tourism destination.The agency has been holdingregular workshops across Indiato create awareness about thevalue of environment -friendlypractices, a sustainableenvironment, and boost theimage of India as an eco friendlydestination.More recently, the ministryhas undertaken various surveysand audits in ecologicallysensitive destinations, includingwildlife reserves, regarding theimpact of tourism, issues relatedto carrying capacity, etc. StateTourism Boards (STBs) havetried to replicate the initiativesat the national level in theirrespective areas.The government of HimachalPradesh, in 2001, announced aPolicy on the development ofeco tourism, with special focuson the involvement of localcommunities. The governmentof Madhya Pradesh came upwith an Eco and AdventureTourism Policy in 2001-2002,emphasising the involvementof the private sector.The forest departments ofKerala, Goa, Karnataka, HPand Sikkim have designatedofficials to coordinate ecosector, there have beencommendable efforts by privateentrepreneurs and groups to setup eco friendly products whichcould offer experiential stays forvisitors.There have also been someindependent initiatives tofacilitate and empower localcommunities at the grass-rootlevel to benefit from the tourismbounty.The Edge of India initiative,launched with the support ofthe Scottish government insome districts of Uttarakhandand West Bengal, is worthState Initiativesmanagement in select ruralvillages.Almost all states have initiated eco tourism activities. Here are threestates exemplifying these initiatives:MaharashtraThe Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) hasplans to convert the beach destination, Mithbav in Sindhudurg intoa tourist spot, complete with a dam for water supply, resorts, conventioncentres, and a golf course. The MTDC plans to build the R22crore resort and provide amenities such as roads and basic security atMithbav, which has hitherto remained untouched by private players.Himachal PradeshThe initiatives taken by Himachal Pradesh in the form of its massivebed and breakfast scheme, promotion of village tourism through'Har Gaon ki Kahani', creation of trekking huts, identifying and promotingtrekking routes, opening up government accommodationin remote areas, and skill building for local micro entrepreneurs havebeen massive in their scope and impact. The result is that the statetoday has almost 400 bed and breakfast establishments, a rich traditionof local entrepreneurship being built around this communitybased tourism and healthy and steadily rising tourist inflows.Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal specificallyidentified the roles of the Homestay scheme and ‘Har Gaon kiKahani’ to build an ecologically sustainable framework.MeghalayaThe creation of the ‘World’s Cleanest Village’, ‘Mawllynnog’ where thecommunity has spruced up the village and created a significant touristattraction is a fine example. The community restored its church,created a bamboo watchtower providing a panoramic view of neighboringBangladesh and focused on cleaning up their dwellings. Theresult is that almost everybody in the village can earn a sustainablelivelihood through a homestay, a local cuisine eatery, a nature walkguide in the surrounding forest and the like. The state is building itstourism offer around scared forest groves that are untouched by localtribals and are venerated as holy. Similarly, local geographic and ecologicalcuriosities have been showcased in a sensitive and sustainablemanner. The village of ‘Riwai’ is another example of the same.

INDIATRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 7FHRAI opposes luxury taxThe Federation of Hotels &Restaurant Associations ofIndia (FHRAI) has approachedChief Minister of Delhi, SheilaDixit, with their concerns overthe impact of the proposedluxury tax levied upon hotelrooms (with tariff above R750);banquet halls, spas, healthclubs (with an annual turnoverof R5 lakhs) in Delhi. The bodyis strongly opposing the tax andhas argued that the industryis already reeling under thechallenge of survival amid theglobal recessionary pressure.According to FHRAI, 438 hotelswill come under the purview ofthe tax.The total number of roomsin Delhi falling under theproposed tax, from the five-stardeluxe category to unapprovedcategories is 9,575.The new tax rate will hampernot only the growth but willalso push the cost beyond theaffordable levels, argued theFHRAI.24 railway stationsto be made touristfriendlyFollowing the Clean Indiacampaign, wherein the TourismMinistry joined handswith the Railways, 24 stationshave been identified which willbe developed as tourist andhygiene friendly.The stations include Agra,Ajmer, Puri, Amritsar, Varanasi,Tirupati and Gaya.Besides the 24 stations,some long-distance trains willalso be carrying 'Clean India'messages to create cleanlinessawareness. Special cleanlinessmessages will be printedon 130 lakh train tickets.Tourism Minister, SubodhKant Sahai, said that collaborationwith the RailwayMinistry is very importantfor developing tourism in thecountry and abroad.The Railways will alsowork towards the provisionof controlled access to the stationsand provision of chemicaltoilets in trains.TNDVOICESWe are looking at thepossibility of turningthirteen lighthouses in thecountry into touristdestinations, for which the project is ready.The lighthouses in Mamallapuram,Rameswaram and Muttam in Kanyakumariwould be developed as touristdestinations.Bengaltourism feelsdeprivedJuhu aerodrome to besecondary airportG K Vasan,Minister for Shipping, Govt of IndiaGovt to provide 1 lakhjobs in tourismThe Union Government hasdecided to provide jobs to100,000 youths in the tourismindustry, during the currentfinancial year. Duringthe launch of the IncredibleIndia golf caddy training programme,in association withthe Ministry of Tourism, atDLF Golf Course in Gurgaon,Special Secretary, Ministry ofTourism, Sanjay Kothari, saidthat the Government has fixeda target of providing employmentto one lakh youth in thetourism industry during 2012-13. Kothari further stated thatthe policy conforms withthe resolution passed by theheads of nations of 20 developedcountries, recognisingtourism as a vehicle for jobcreation, poverty reductionand economic growth.IRCTC deactivates 44,000 user IDsWithin the last week of July, theIndian Railway Catering andTourism Corporation Limited(IRCTC) deactivated as many as44,000 multiple user IDs createdby agents within the week.Further, the IRCTC vigilanceteams also deactivated moreAt a time when the Gujarat governmenthas been able to extract awhopping R1200 crore, as grant forthe 12th Plan period (2012 – 2017),Bengal tourism is feeling left outand deprived, with just R36 crore.Bengal’s Tourism Minister, RachhpalSingh, said “We have got nothingcompared to other states”. Dueto the lack of funds, the state tourismdepartment is trying to implementprojects in the PPP model.Mamata Banerjee’s governmentis trying to revive tourism inthe state. The Chief Minister hascalled for promoting ayurvedicspas in West Bengal, along thelines of Kerala.than 500,000 IDs. According toJoint General Manager, PublicRelations, IRCTC, PradeepKundu, by using these mostlyfake IDs, a handful of peoplesought to corner the tickets,causing distress to the generalpublic. The IRCTC has about1.35 lakh registered agents, someof whom had generated multipleuser IDs using the same mobilenumbers and e-mail IDs. Apartfrom deactivating them, theculprits have been penalisedR20,000 as per rules. The IRCTChas been monitoring bookingssince July 10.With the aim of reducing theburden from the only existinginternational airport in thecity, the Ministry of Civil Aviationhas decided to extend theexisting runway over the ArabianSea - on stilts."The increasing flight congestionat Mumbai airportis a concern for us, and wehave decided to develop theJuhu airport so that it can takesome load off the internationalThe Punjab government hasidentified a cluster of fourvillages - Katli, Bahadarpur,Tibba Tapparian and RanjitpuraBas - which will allbe provided with the necessaryinfrastructure needed toprovide a 'new experience' totourists.Tourism and CulturalAffairs Minister, Punjab,Sarwan Singh Phillaur, saidthat these areas possessedairport. A task force has beenstructured under the chairmanshipof the Chief Ministerof Maharashtra, which willpursue the matter further.One joint secretary-level officerfrom the Ministry is also amember of this task force, andis coordinating with the statefor necessary clearances,"said, Minister of Civil Aviation,Government of India,Ajit Singh.Rural tourism in Punjabunique tourism attributes ofpredominantly rural naturalheritage. The main objectiveis to bring tourists closerto Punjab’s rich culturalheritage.The Punjab Tourismboard has chalked out variousplans to increase touristactivity and is looking atintroducing farm tourism,religious tourism, rural tourismand eco tourism.

8 ⋅ INDIA TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012Frequent flyer fraudsAfter finding out that its frequentflier data has been compromisedby the creation offake accounts, Air India Ltdhas asked travel technologyprovider, InterGlobe Technologies(IGT), which maintainsits call centre, to investigatethe matter. The airlinehas also filed an FIR with thecyber crime branch of the DelhiPolice to initiate an investigation.Air India suspects thatpassengers have been soldtickets through the call centreby the use of fake frequent flieraccounts.“Some people have createdfalse accounts. We have askedIGT to investigate the matter,”Chairman and ManagingDirector, Air India, RohitNandan, said. IGT, the softwarearm of InterGlobe EnterprisesLtd which operates lowfareairline IndiGo, runs AirIndia’s call centre and also providesback-end data services tothe airline.The flag carrier has 1.5 millionfrequent flier accounts.Submit internationalflight plan – MCAThe Ministry of Civil Aviation(MCA) has asked Indian carriersto submit their internationalflight plans till 2014 bythe end of August. This comesin the wake of aggressive expansioncarried out by foreign carriers.It has been reported thatdata has been sought to assessthe capability of Indian carriersto operate international flights,in terms of their fleet, crew andbilateral rights. The MCA wasnot in favour of allowing internationalairlines to operate moreflights in India till domestic carrierscatch up. At present, foreignairlines operate 1,356 flightsto India weekly, as against justover 800 by Indian carriers.Hotels on the riseLouvre Hotels eyes 50 properties inIndia by 2015Louvre Hotels Group has opened the 'Royal Tulip' in NaviMumbai, in partnership with Concrete Builders, and has saidthat it is eyeing around 50 properties, with about 5,000 roomsby 2015, under its various brands. “At present we have 1,000rooms spread across our brands - Tulip Inn and Golden Tulip- and another 97 rooms with the opening of Royal Tulip in NaviMumbai," Louvre Hotel Group Managing Director, (SouthAsia), Vimal J Singh said. “We are targeting eight to 10 propertiesevery year under these brands and are aiming at 50 hotelsby 2015," he said.Hilton aims to have 25 hotels in Indiaby 2016At the launch of Goa’s first Hilton property in Arpora, a resortvillage that lies adjacent to Calangute, Global Head, DoubleTree by Hilton, Rob Palleschi, said, “Double Tree by HiltonGoa-Arpora-Baga will reiterate our commitment to welcominginternational travellers in key destinations. With the launchof our third hotel in India, we will be well on our way to achievingour target of increasing our network to 25 hotels in the countryby 2016”.President, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide, Martin Rinck,said, “We are expanding rapidly in India and anticipate increasingour presence to 14 hotels by the end of the year”.Toyota Enterprises enters IndiaToyota Enterprises, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation,has entered the Indian hospitality market through a joint venturewith Hyagreeva Hotels and Resorts, which owns and operatesthe Chancery hotel brand. Toyota Enterprises operates 60hotel rooms in Japan and manages and operates lodges, dormitories,Japanese inns, cafeterias and restaurants. This followsthe Toyota affiliate, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, who,along with Japanese hospital chain, Secom Medical Systems,had entered into a joint venture with the Kirloskars to set up achain of speciality hospitals in the country in June.Odisha Tourism plans roadshowsOdisha’s department of tourismis planning road shows inmajor Buddhist source markets,like Taiwan and Thailand,at the end of August to promotethe state’s Buddhist circuit.According to General Manager,Odisha Tourism DevelopmentCorporation Ltd (OTDC), MRPatnaik, the department willconduct road shows in SouthKorea and Japan as well. To furtherpromote the Buddhist circuitin the international market,the Odisha Tourism Departmentand the Indian RailwayDestination WatchBhangarh, Rajasthann Also known as the hauntedcity, it was built in the 17thcentury by Raja Madhon Famous for: historical ruinsand the Dancer's havelin Attractions: Bhangarh Fortwhich was built in 1630,Temples of Gopinath,Someshwar, and Keshava RaiCatering and Tourism Corporation(IRCTC) have agreedto extend the Buddhist train,Mahaparinirvana Express, toFollowing the recent launchof the Indo-Zimbabwe TourismCouncil, the OutboundTour Operators Associationof India (OTOAI) is intalks with Philippines Tourismand Turkish Tourism tosign an agreement to launchan Indo-Philippines TourismCouncil and an Indo-TurkishTourism Council by the endof the year.President, OTOAI, GuldeepSingh Sahni, said,“We are looking forwardto forming an Indo-PhilippinesTourism Council andBhubaneswar to cover the DiamondTriangle of the Buddhistcircuit, which includes Udaigiri,Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri.OTOAI in talks tolaunch councilscollaborating with TurkishTourism and various othertourism bodies. We have metthe ambassadors and highcommissioners of the twocountries and are planningstrategies to boost outboundtravel from India”.R450 cr tourism project in Tamil NaduThe Tamil Nadu tourism department is implementinga R450 crore project, along with the AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB). In the first phase, thedepartment will take up the East Coast circuit andthen the Southern circuit. The main focus will beon improving infrastructure and safety. The projectwill be implemented over a period of five yearsand will include improvement of basic urbaninfrastructure and incidental services at existingand emerging tourist destinations and gateways,improved connectivity to tourist attractions,enhanced quality of natural and cultural touristattractions, safety for visitors and greater participationby local communities.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012INDIA ⋅ 11Goa extends proposal to 25 statesAfter already having signedMemorandums of Understanding(MoUs) with tourismdevelopment corporationsof five states, the GoaTourism Development Corporation(GTDC) is now lookingto forge similar tie-ups withKarnataka, Madhya Pradeshand Himachal Pradesh.According to a report in TOI,the GTDC has sent such proposalsto tourism corporationsof 25 Indian states. "WeUnder the Clean India campaign,the Ministry of Tourism(MoT) has facilitated the adoptionof ten Archaeological Surveyof India (ASI) monumentsspoke to the managing directorof the HPTDC (HimachalClean India adoptsmonumentsby Institutes of Hotel Management(IHM) and Indian Instituteof Tourism and TravelManagement. The MoT willengage the Quality Councilof India (QCI) for an independentand objective evaluationof the state of cleanliness, specificto each monument chosenfor adoption. The QCI willclassify the improvement overthe adoption period. Based onthe QCI classification, the ministrywill extend awards withcitation to the adopters.Pride Hotels enters KolkataPradesh Tourism DevelopmentCorporation) and heCable car toget faceliftThe Jammu and KashmirDepartment of Tourism is givingthe famous Gondola Lift amuch-needed facelift to boosttourism in the state.The gondola in Srinagar isAsia's highest and longest cablecar - about 3980 meters abovesea level - and had been generatingmillions in revenue everyyear. Recently, however, theplace has been suffering due to itnot being properly maintained.Director of Kashmir Tourism,Talat Parvez, said thewas in agreement. We expectthem to sign the MoU soon,"said GTDC General Manager,Marketing, Sanjay Chodnekar.An MOU between the GTDCand the HPTDC will mean thateach corporation will marketthe tourism product of theother to the locals. Goan residentswill be able to plan holidaysin HP through the GTDCand residents of HP will beable to plan holidays in Goa atthe GTDC residency hotels.gondola renovation wouldbenefit tourists and also provideemployment to locals.Food courts, shopping stallsand a reception centre are allbeing planned as a part of thisrenovation.In BriefUnion Tourism Minister,Subodh Kant Sahay hasannounced the India Tourismwill showcase WestBengal tourism as its themestate in the World TravelMart to be held in London,November 2012.GoAir has entered into along-term component supportcontract with LufthansaTechnik. The 10 yearcontract will cover mostspare parts required formaintaining its fleet of A320well as the narrow-bodyA320 neo aircraft.Fairmont Hotels & Resorts,a Canadian based luxuryhotel chain, enteredthe Indian market with theopening of the 255-roomFairmont Jaipur.The Maharashtra TourismDevelopment Corporationis planning to set-upan international level conventioncentre in Nashikto attract companies fromacross India to the city andalso promote tourism.Pride Group of Hotels has opened the153 room, five star deluxe Pride HotelKolkata, which is the group’s first hotelin eastern India.Managing Director, Pride HotelsLimited, SP Jain, said, "There is acuteshortage of upscale mid market hotelrooms in Kolkata as there has beenno major addition in the number ofThe Karnataka State government willprobably highlight the eco tourismmodel being followed around the fivetiger reserves in Karnataka in theSupreme Court on August 22, when thepetition seeking to prevent tourism inthe core areas of tiger reserves comesup for hearing.This follows the ban that has beenimposed on all tourism activities incore areas of tiger reserves acrossIndia, including five tiger reserves inKarnataka. Karnataka’s luxury train,the Golden Chariot, may see a changein itinerary if the ban continues.hotel rooms over the last decade. Weare extremely privileged to bridge thisgap".The group also plans to expand itsfootprint in Goa and Alibaug, for whichit has tied up land at Alibaug and southGoa. Pride will open its first propertyin Mumbai - a 400 room five star deluxehotel - that will be operational in 2015.Karnataka to highlight ecotourism model in courtCurrently, passengers are taken toKabini Jungle Lodges and Resorts fora safari.

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ASIATRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 15Tourism channel for Iran Open sky policy forIn an attempt to introducethe country's many touristattractions and cultural historyto the world, Iran is planningto launch a new televisionchannel. Currently, the launchis scheduled for Eid-al Fitr,which marks the end of the holymonth of Ramadan. GeneralManager of Iran's Tourismchannel, Masoud Ahmadi-Afzadi, said, "The channel willbroadcast programmes aboutnational and internationaltourism. In order to introduceIran's tourism potential, thechannel will start broadcastingprogrammes with subtitlesand will then present themin Arabic and English”. The$3.2 bnChina touristattractionTo bolster its presence inthe booming Chinese market,Dreamworks Animationplans to build a $3.2 billion‘entertainment zone’ inShanghai.The studio's newlyformedChina joint venture,Oriental DreamWorks,is set to open the tourismattraction in 2016. Called theDream Center, it will compriseentertainment facilities,animation exhibitionsand commercial developments,including hotels andshopping areas in Shanghai'sXuhui district.The announcementcomes after US entertainmentgiant, Disney, last yearbroke ground on a planned$3.7 billion theme park inShanghai, scheduled to openin 2015.Korea faces acute bed shortageArrivals to Korea have surpassed onemillion a month, but this landmarkfigure has led to an acute shortage ofaccommodation. Last year, 80 percentof the tourists to Korea visited Seoul,channel will focus on differenttourism aspects includingNow that the Air Operators Certificate (AOC)application for Jetstar Hong Kong has beenaccepted by the Civil Aviation Department,Hong Kong is a step closer to having its own lowfares airline. Jetstar Hong Kong was announcedin March this year and is on track to start servicesduring 2013, subject to regulatory approval.However, during the recent IATA meeting inBeijing, Hong Kong’s home carrier, CathayPacific, indicated that it does not see the arrivalof the new subsidiary of Qantas and China Easternfavourably. Cathay Pacific CEO, John Slosar,highlighted that it would compete aggressivelyagainst this new Qantas offshoot.which required around 36,000 hotelrooms, but the capital was 8,000 roomsshort. According to the Korea TourismOrganisation, there are now 24,308rooms at hotels in Seoul, just a fifth ofTokyo (124,000) and less than in Singapore(47,000), New York (86,230) andLondon (123,000). Already the shortagehas prompted many Chinese tourists tohead to Southeast Asia or Japan instead.The shortage is also forcing many touriststo find lodging in the satellite citiesnearby.religion, health, sports,traditions, and nature.More tourists for TaiwanAccording to a deal reachedbetween the Chinese mainland'sAssociation for TourismExchange Across the TaiwanStrait and Taiwan's TaiwanStrait Tourism Association,another four cities, Jinan,Xi'an, Fuzhou and Shenzhen,on the Chinese mainland havebeen approved to grant individualtourist visits to Taiwan.The deal will come into effectJetstar Hong Kongacceptedfrom August 28. Taiwan firstopened its doors to individualtourists from Beijing, Shanghaiand Xiamen, on June 28,2011. The Chinese mainland iscurrently the largest source oftourists for Taiwan. It is beingforecast that the number oftourists travelling across theTaiwan Strait would reach 13million by 2013 and 20 millionby 2020.KyrgyzstanIn a bid to reduce fares and luretourists, Kyrgyzstan looks setto open up its airspace to foreignairlines. However, criticsare slamming the decision,saying that international competitioncould be a death sentencefor local airlines. “If thegovernment adopts the project,within two years there willbe not one Kyrgyz air transporterleft, regional airportswill close and more than 1,000people will lose their jobs,” theKyrgyz Civil Aviation Agencystated. Some analysts say it canTNDVOICESbring only benefits, making thecountry more accessible to foreigntravellers and providingcheaper options for Kyrgyztravelling abroad. However,the policy would bring opportunitiesfor jobs and growth inother areas.I believe art tourism is asuccessful product for foreigntravellers. Our artworks aretax-free and buyers do nothave to check whether they can take themback to their countries or not. We will soonintroduce art tour packages to boost thiskind of tourism.Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen,Tourism Minister of Malaysia

16 ⋅ ASIA TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012Sri Lanka wants onelakh AmericansSri Lanka’s Ambassador tothe US and Mexico, JaliyaWickramasuriya, has saidthat the country is on a driveto attract 100,000 Americantourists by 2016, in a bid towoo part of tourist traffic to theMaldives and India, and attractmore up market travellersto Sri Lanka. Mainly due tothe geographical distancePak & China'sreligious tie-upChina has agreed to extend fullcooperation to the PakistanTourism Development Corporation(PTDC) in promotingreligious tourism in Pakistan.Cultural Counsellor, Embassyof the People Republic of China,Zhang Yingbao, will be arranginga trip for Chinese professionalsto visit religious sitesin Pakistan. PTDC ManagingDirector, Mir Shahjahan Khetran,will visit China at the endof August.between the two countriesand long hours of travel, SriLanka has not been able toattract American visitorsas much as Europeans. SriLanka stands a chance to enterthe North American and theCanadian outbound market,but the lack of direct flights,attractive multiple destinationtour packages and budgets forRoyal Brunei Airlines(RBA) has announced atwelve month taxi advertisingcampaign with LondonTaxi Advertising. The‘Dream a Little Green’ campaignshowcases a rainforestdesign, aimed to promoteeco tourism, the airline, andBrunei. The campaign aimsto raise awareness for theairline, which currently fliesdaily to Heathrow. RBA hasdescribed taxi advertising asa cost effective tool; its DeputyChairman commented,promotions are hamperingits potential. The Sri Lankanembassy in WashingtonDC has initiated its ownpromotions to entice up marketAmerican travellers througha programme called theambassador's 'signature tour'where a group of Americanprofessionals tour the islandwith the ambassador.RBA's taxi campaign“Taxis are on the road for 20hours per day, which makesthem a very cost effective toolto reach Londoners, commuters,and visitors duringOlympics. It is a perfectway to promote Brunei's ecotourismas well as RBA”.MongoliaintensifieseffortsAt a meeting with visiting Secretary-Generalof the WorldTourism Organisation, TalebRifai, Mongolian President,Tsakhia Elbegdorj, said that hiscountry and the upcoming newgovernment would not onlydevelop Mongolia's miningindustry, but also make moreefforts to boost the tourismsector as well as related infrastructure.In order to realisethe target of attracting one millionforeign visitors per year by2015, the Mongolian governmentis expected to adopt moremeasures and channel moreinvestment to boost the country'stourism sector.Nepal to bansolo trekking?After several disappearances,Nepal is considering banningtourists from trekking on theirown in the Himalayas. Underproposals being discussed bythe government, solo travellerswould have to be accompaniedby at least one guide. It's estimatedthat 40 percent of foreignvisitors visit Nepal to trek.Although groups are required totravel with a guide, it has neverbeen compulsory for independenttravellers.In BriefMalaysia Airlines haslaunched ‘Showcase MalaysiaDream Deals’ which entitlesa traveller to two nightsof complimentary stay inMalaysia on purchase ofan international ticket toMalaysia or beyond.As part of its expansionplan, on October 4, AirAsiawill add Mandalay toits Thai network - the firstservice to Myanmar fromBangkok - to cash in on itsunspoiled ambience andattractive tourism products.The Royal Opera Housein Muscat, the Sultanateof Oman, will play hostto vocalist Pandit Jasrajand flautist Pt. HariprasadChaurasia, among others inSeptember 2012.Chinese tourists havespent an average of £203.04(US$316.36) per purchasesince the Olympic openingceremonies in London, beatingthose from the UAE by10 percent.TripAdvisor has revealedthat Constance MoofushiResort was chosen as theoverall winner in the Asiancategory of Travellers’Choice Hotel 2012 in its 2012Travelers’ Choice awards.Arrivals from China to Thailandhave crossed the onemillion arrivals mark.Pending approval, Thailand’sMinistry of Tourism’smaster plan is expected todrive tourism revenue to thegovernment’s target of THB2 trillion (US$ 630 billion)by 2015.Destination WatchAlmaty, Kazakhstann Also known as ‘City of Apples’Home to 125 isolated fountainsn Famous for thearchaeological findings from700 BC, Zhalauly treasure andKargaly diademn Attractions: Verniy Fort builtin 1854 and Oriental CalendarFountain, whose 12 sculpturefigures represent the 12animals of the Kazakh 12 yearanimal cycle

18 ⋅ ASIA TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012ASIA ⋅ 19Oman Air confident of growthOman Air is confident of growthin all areas of its businessthroughout 2012. Over the firsthalf, revenue in both the passengerand cargo segments ofthe carrier's business grew 28percent and 33 percent, respectively,over 2011.CEO of Oman Air, WaynePearce, said the carrier'sEuropean and GCC destinationshave been doing well thisyear, besides India, Pakistan,Bangladesh. He said, “We havehad tremendous cooperationfrom the Ministry of Tourism,which has helped ensure thatmore visitors come to Oman.Our joint promotions, specialoffers and road shows haveensured that more people frominternational markets are comingthan before and are choosingto fly with Oman Air”. Pearcesaid that Oman Air will opennew dedicated check-in facilitiesat the Muscat InternationalAirport in November.Range Holdings eyesreligious tourismRange Holdings Group,a Dubai developer, plansto invest up to US $1bn(Dh3.67bn) in the next fiveyears, on religious tourismprojects in the Middle East.The company's religious tourismdivision, Range Hospitality,is in the process of buildingthe Al Rawdatain Residences- a $100 million five-star hotelin Karbala in Iraq and is examiningplots in Najaf, Medinaand Mecca for projects. CEOof Range, Munaf Ali, estimatesthat religious tourismis worth $18bn worldwideeach year with more than 300million travellers. The hotel inKarbala is being built usingfinance raised from touristsbuying timeshares in the hotel.Thailand wooshealth touristsIn a bid to boost its status as amedical tourism hub, Thailandwill offer 90-day visas onarrival to citizens of six MiddleEastern countries for privatehealth treatment. The visaswill be available to nationals ofBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,Saudi Arabia and the UnitedArab Emirates, provided theycan show proof of their medicalappointment in Thailand. Thelength of stay was previously 30days for the same package.Muslim touristsspending moreDinarStandard's study,titled 'Global Muslim LifestyleTravel Market: Landscape& Consumer Needs',says the Muslim tourist marketis set to grow 4.8 percentthrough 2020, compared toa global average of 3.8 percent.Muslim tourists representeda major market, worth$126.1bn, in 2011. The studyestimates the Muslim tourismtrade to be 12.3 percent ofthe global total in 2011. Muslimtourist spending is set togrow to $192bn by 2020.Qatar's newtourism lawAccording to a new law issuedin Qatar, permission will berequired for holding any sort ofevent in a hotel or tourist facility.Establishing a hotel or touristfacility will require a formallicence from the TourismAuthority. Tourist guides willnow require a formal licenceand package offers will needclearances from the TourismAuthority. Bills issued shouldspecify the services offered andthe amount charged.

EUROPETRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 20Finland enjoys fastesttourism growthA record year is expected fortourism in Finland as 'WorldDesign Capital Helsinki 2012'and other events are expectedto attract more visitors. Tourismhas already increased significantlyin Helsinki, Espoo,Vantaa and Lahti, the co-hostsof the ongoing event. AccordingTNDVOICESIntercontinental HotelsGroup (IHG), the UK basedhotel company and owner ofbrands that include InterContinentalHotels & Resorts, HolidayInn Hotels and Resortsand Holiday Inn Express,to the Finnish Tourist Board,the number of overnight stays inFinland increased by more than11 percent during the first halfof 2012, and the number of passengersgoing through the Portof Helsinki has grown by fivepercent during the first half of2012. It is estimated that 400,000IHG plans to sell Park LaneDestination WatchHamar, Norwayn Located on the shores of lakeMjøsa, Norway's largest laken Famous for the Hedmarkmuseum, a combinedmedieval and ethnologicalmuseum with remains of themedieval churchn Attractions: Hamar cathedralbuilt in 1849, Hedmark Artists'Center and Kirsten FlagstadMuseumCertain events in our rivalcountries had a positiveinfluence on Croatiantourism this year. Figures for July show a1.6 percent increase over last year to threemillion arrivals. We concentrated onmarkets more resilient to economic crisis,such as Germany and Austria.Veljko Ostojic,Tourism Minister of Croatiais contemplating the sale ofits Intercontinental LondonPark Lane property in the UK,which is one of two propertiescurrently owned by the companyin Europe.The hotel company currentlyoperates around 620other hotels in Europe. TheIntercontinental London ParkLane hotel offers 447 roomsand 60 suites, two restaurantsand three bars and lounges, ahealth & fitness centre, hotelretail spaces and businessservices.The Klaipeda Seaport inLithuania will be getting anew passenger and cargoterminal, the overhead partof which should be open bythe summer of 2013. The overinternational cruise passengerswill visit Helsinki this year, anall-time record. Helsinki hasalso hosted the Ice HockeyWorld Championships and theEuropean Athletics Championships,which have further contributedto giving the city morevisibility internationally.112 Iceland, a new smartphoneapplication for iPhone andAndroid handsets, hopes torevolutionise tourist safetyin Iceland, whereby visitorscan easily call for help in theevent of an accident or mishap.The app gives visitors thechance to leave a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’, which is helpful inevent of a search, in case a travellergoes missing. AccordingBulgaria showcases Roman pastThanks to engineers excavatinga new line for the Sofia metro,New terminal inLithuania by 2013ground part of the terminalwill cost approximately 73million litas.The new terminal willhandle over one millionannual passengers, transportabout half-a-million cars andfive million tonnes of cargo.Minister of Transport andCommunications, EligijusMasiulis, said, “Having a newmodern terminal in Klaipedawill not only improve transportlinks for our people, butalso help the western regionof Lithuania become moreattractive for tourists”.Italians not travelling;tourism suffersFor the first time in history,Italians are not going on holidays,owing to economic reasons.Over 49.1 percent of thepopulation will stay at home,which means six out of 10 Italians,delivering a minus of 18.9percent and drop in businessof over 22 percent.Even Prime Minister,Mario Monti, is staying in Italy.“Our statistical memory hadnever seen such a widespreadand devastating decline in asector that could, if properlysupported, be the first to flythe country's economic recovery,"said President of Federalberghi(the Italian hotel federation)in Rome, Bernabo Bocca.who unwittingly excavated astreet from the fourth centuryMalta International Airport(MIA) is trying to open upthe Maltese tourist market tocountries in the East. This initiativeforms part of Malta Airport’supdated Incentive Programmefor airlines.The objective of this IncentiveScheme is to promotegrowth in strategic markets(as identified by MIA), someof which are Finland, the Baltics,Russia, Ukraine, Israel,Portugal and Germany. Therebates on the Passenger ServiceCharge for these destinationsare higher than thoseoffered for ‘new destinations’.By offering rebates on the“The number of those whowill not go on holiday this yearis rising to 51.6 percent (comparedto 42.8 percent in 2011)bringing as many as three outof 10 Italians declare their povertyfor tourism,” he said.Smartphone app for tourist safetyto the Icelandic Tourist Board,the number of tourists visitingIceland increases every year,with the majority visiting Icelandfor its nature. Since Icelandicnature can be harsh, peoplecan suddenly find themselvesin unexpected situations andplans can fail. When this happens,it is necessary to call forhelp quickly, and here, 112 Icelandcomes handy.AD, Bulgaria hopes to drawtourists intrigued by ancienttombs, mosaics and sewagesystems later this year.Beneath modern Sofia lie theremains of Serdica, a city whereConstantine the Great, the firstChristian Roman emperor,lived for a year while lookingfor a new capital for his empire.City officials plan to display theRoman remains next month,from bath houses to mosaicsand tombs, and hope this willattract more tourists and helprevive the Balkan nation'sstruggling economy.MIA opens up to the eastPassenger Service Charge toairlines using MIA as a transferairport, MIA hopes toincrease transfer traffic.

AMERICASTRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 22Brazil rolls out new campaignIt is titled 'The World Meets inBrazil. Come Celebrate Life'Disaster ortourismopportunity?With much of its surface coveredin ice, Greenland continuesto demonstrate the effects ofglobal warming. However, as faras the island’s tourism departmentis concerned, that seemsto be a good thing.For those running travelagencies, the impact of globalwarming is an opportunity toboost tourism. Most of Greenland’ssightseers once camefrom Denmark and Germany.Now, more tourists are comingfrom the US and Canada, thanksto the “See Global Warming ForYourself” campaign.Greenland gets about 30,000cruise visitors per year. Untilrecently, most of the top touristtrips revolved around the wildlife,such as watching polarbears or whales.and created by the Ministryof Tourism and Embratur (theTNDVOICESBrazilian Tourism Board).The campaign looks topromote the country as a majorforce in international tourismand events as it prepares tohost the 2014 FIFA World Cupand the Rio 2016 Olympic andParalympic Games.Brazilian Minister ofTourism, Gastao Vieira,described the country's futurevision as "ambitious". "We areentrepreneurs, investors andabove all tourists," he said. Itis to this end that Embraturconfirmed that it would bespending US$40 million inmarketing activities by the endof 2014.By 2022 we want to beamong the three majortourism powers in theworld. The new campaign presents Brazilwith a unique culture and emphasisesfriendliness, which is the most endearingcharacteristic of Brazilian people.Gastao Vieira,Tourism Minister of BrazilSuriname invests $70mnin airportSuriname will invest an extra US $70 million in expanding andmodernising the JA Pengel airport. “This is just the beginning.We have great plans to turn Suriname into a hub,” says Ministerof Transport, Communication and Tourism (TCT), Falisi Pinas.US $28.5 million has been invested so far in the airport’s modernisation.Pinas explained that the airport must be expandedto get more airlines with passengers from the Caribbean, SouthAmerica and even Africa, to Suriname.New carrierto boosttourismAir Canada’s discount lineis set to take off, and travelexperts say its creation willexpand choices for Canadiansin 2013 and provide a liftto the country’s tourism sectorby luring more foreignvisitors. Air Canada plansto introduce up to 50 aircraftin the new division, including30 narrow-body AirbusA319s for flights to Mexicoand the Caribbean, and20 wide-body Boeing 767sfor overseas service. Meanwhile,a rising cause of concernis the needles beingfound on Air Canada flightswith a fifth needle discoveredduring the past two weeks insandwiches given to passengerson flights travelling tothe US and Canada.Peru has taken the first stepin a project to build a new airportin Cusco, the most visitedregion of the country.The Peruvian congress hasapproved the expropriation ofpublic lands required for theconstruction of the new airport.The new constructionis expected to be ready in 2017and cost around $420 million.In BriefThe Guatemala TouristBoard plans to build a30,000-35,000 squaremetre conference centre inGuatemala City, expected tobe finished by 2014.San Francisco InternationalAirport has been named‘Best Airport in theAmericas’ by the readersof Frequent BusinessTraveller.An America that looks a lotlike Canada is the focus ofa new travel campaign thatis making the Canadiantourism industry nervous,but experts say the realaim may be to rebrand the"militaristic" US.Chicago's visitor industrygenerated $12 billion in totaldirect spending last year,according to new data fromthe US Travel Association.Las Vegas-based AllegiantAir has announced that itwill lease nine twin-engineAirbus A319 jets and buy 10more.Cusco to get new airportIt will be located in the Valledel Urubamba, replacing thecity's current airport. Cusco'scurrent airport only operatesin the mornings due to climateconditions, making it insufficientfor the growing influx oftourists. Cusco is most famousfor the Inca Trail, a four-dayexpedition between the SacredValley and Machu Picchu.Colombia - the newmedical tourism hubBermuda tourism taps social mediaBermuda is harnessing one ofthe world’s most powerful marketingplatforms – the internet- to spur tourism. Throughits advertising and marketingagency, FuseIdeas, the island isusing networks like Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest and otherblogs to promote its brand tomillions of potential moneyspendingvisitors.FuseIdeas, which took overBermuda’s promotional reinson April 1, is ensuring that everyelement of Bermuda’s advertisingand marketing programme,whether it be a TV or print ad,will have a social media elementto it. Prior to April, the Island’sFacebook page reached an averageof 10,000 people per week.Within two weeks of Fuse-Ideas coming on board, theyhad grown the page’s reach toapproximately 40,000. Today,the company says the site isreaching 110,000 people perweek.In less than a decade, Colombiahas become a sought-afterdestination for medicaltourism. Patients from aroundthe world come to the countryseeking complex specialisedtreatments like knee andhip replacements, cardiacsurgery, gastric bypass,pacemaker implantation,mitral value replacement,cosmetic surgeries, dentistryand orthopedics. Servicessuch as embryo storage andfreezing, coronary angiogramtests and executive physicalexaminations are alsoavailable.Medical tourism inColombia has been promotedas an inexpensive, and evenenjoyable, way to see theworld while getting surgeriesand procedure. In 2006,the industry grossed aboutUS$60 billion worldwide. It isestimated to reach $100 billionthis year.

AFRICATRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 24Bad licensingcripples TanzaniaBoth local and foreign investorsin Tanzania's travel trade sectorare not happy with the currentlicensing regime.The tourism licensingregime is managed by theMinistry of Natural Resourcesand Tourism under TanzaniaTourism Licensing Board(TTLB). However, a majorinvestor recently called it,"bureaucratic, expensive andretrogressive". The Ministryof Natural Resources andTourism has immense powersover renewal of tourism licencesand yet are not held accountablefor the same. "In internationalcircles Tanzania is being used asan example of tourism licensinggone wrong," said an unnamedtourism operator.He pointed to the study"Licensing case studies:Tourism sector" by theInvestment Climate AdvisoryService (FIAS) that has awhole chapter dedicated toa comparison of good andbad practice for design andadministration of tour operatorslicences. “Tanzania is used asthe bad example and Australiafor the good one. The documentis online for the whole world tosee," he said.Tour guide regulations outlinedIn a meeting held with tourismoperators, the NamibiaTourism Board (NTB) draftedout regulations for tour guides.NTB CEO, Digu Naobeb, saidthe regulations are meant tolevel the playing field amongoperators and prevent fly-bynightoperators from spoilingthe quality of experience forvisitors.Director of Tourism inthe Ministry of Environmentand Tourism, Sem Shikongo,said, "We do not understandwhat it is to provide service toourselves, our neighbours andto business. We have beautifulfacilities, beautiful people andbeautiful infrastructure, butwe do not provide a welcomingculture or welcoming service".The draft regulations containa code of conduct and ethics,which emphasises nondiscriminatoryconductand the safety of touristsand disallows exploitationof tourists. It also proposescontinuing training of guides,prescribes registration feesKilimanjaro airportattracting more flightsKilimanjaro Airport DevelopmentCompany, which managesoperations of the KilimanjaroInternational Airport(KIA) has secured $30 millionfrom a Netherlands-basedfirm, Orion Grand Facility,in a bid to transform KIAinto a tourist gateway. KIAhas now been able to attractmore international airlines,like Qatar Airways whichlaunched its maiden flight toKIA in July.The Natural Resourcesand Tourism Minister, HamisKagasheki, hinted that TurkishAirlines and Emirates Airare also interested to launchdirect flights.and sets out disqualificationcriteria.Of the 400 tour guides operatingin the country, only 100are sufficiently qualified. Theregulations further make provisionsfor a registrar of tourguides who will be appointedby the Minister of Environmentand Tourism.'Tourism inEgypt willprosper'Tourists head toMasai MaraThe peak season in the Masai Mara gamereserve has started with the migration ofhundreds of wildebeests across the SerengetiNational Park in Tanzania to Kenya. Hundredsof tourists have started streaming into the MasaiMara game reserve to witness the migration.A survey conducted by the newspaper, Star,revealed that almost all airstrips are busy asplanes ferry visitors from Serengeti NationalPark in Tanzania to Maasai Mara.President, Mohamed Morsi,has said that Egypt will havea prosperous tourist seasonand anticipates that thecoming winter season willwitness a notable rise inhotel occupancy and touristinflow rates. Morsi hassaid that preparations arein full swing for the comingtourist season and claimsthat Egypt is more securenow than before and is openfor all. Morsi also said thatLuxor will remain the capitalof tourism and antiquitiesin the world, and added,"Egypt will remain safe andsecure thanks to all Egyptiansand revolutionaries".Destination WatchMutsamudu, Comorosn Second largest city, foundedin 1482n Famous for Ujumbe Palace,built by the Comoros’ Sultansduring the 18th centuryn Attractions: Mosquee duVendredi and DziancoundreWaterfallSouth Africaloves BollywoodA month after the Bollywood film, Cocktail,released featuring a special appearanceby South Africa, the country hasalready seen a 10 percent surge in enquiries.Post release, South African locationsare very much in demand and thetourism board of South Africa has tiedup with seven Hindi film productionhouses. This is seen as an effective wayto compensate for the lack of a high budgetto promote tourism. Country Head,South African Tourism, Hanneli Slabber,said, “We are lucky Bollywood fellin love with Cape Town. It will be a costeffectiveway to showcase South Africaas a great tourism destination".

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012AFRICA ⋅ 25Kibaki woos South KoreaAs Kenya readies to becomea middle-income countryby 2030, President, MwaiTNDVOICESKibaki, is appealing to keytrade partners to invest in thecountry’s various flagshipprojects.Most recently, South Koreahas been called upon to investin the multi-billion Lamu Portand the Lamu-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridorproject."The entire project willinclude development ofrailways, highways andpipelines to interconnect ourWe need to concentrate onthe products that we have.Tourism stakeholders willset up a master plan to enable the industryand investors to operate in a morefocussed manner for the development ofproducts and facilities that will help thecountry reach a target of two milliontourists per year in the near future.Dan Mwazo,Tourism Minister of KenyaKenya opposes VAT billtrading neighbours, Ethiopia,Uganda, Somalia and SouthSudan," said PresidentKibaki, after a meeting withvisiting South Korean PrimeMinister, Kim Hwang-Sik.Korea has been one of Kenya'smajor trading partners since1964, with many Koreancompanies having set upshop in the country since,and most recently, the launchof direct flights by Korean Airto Nairobi.While opening the 2012 SouthernAfrican Association for theConference Industry Congressin Johannesburg, South Africa’sTourism Minister, Marthinusvan Schalkwyk, said that morethan 200 international conferenceswill be held in the countryover the next five years. He saidthis will attract an estimated300,000 delegates and providean economic boost of more thanRand 1.6 billion for the economy.The newly established SouthEgypt lurestourists backEgypt is set to reveal more ofits buried treasures in a bid tolure visitors back to the country.The country's tourismmarket saw a marked declinein visitor numbers since theJanuary 2011 revolution whichsaw the overthrow of PresidentMubarak's 30 year rule.Tourism fell by more than 33percent to 9.8 million in 2011,compared to 14.7 million in2010.200 conferences in thenext five yearsAfrican National ConventionBureau is targeting 81,500 conventiondelegates and 130 associationmeetings by 2020 whichtranslates to a a 5.3 percentannual growth rate.In BriefMohamed Hisham AbbasZaazou, formerly the SeniorAssistant to Egypt’s Ministerof Tourism, has beennamed the new Minister ofTourism for Egypt.Nigeria will soon begindirect flight services to Trinidadand Tobago to fulfill theexisting Bilateral Air ServicesAgreement.The Africa Travel Association(ATA) has announcedthat the Republic of Cameroonwill host the 38thAnnual ATA World Congress,ATA’s largest internationaltourism industrymeeting, in 2013.Tourism Minister, Marthinusvan Schalkwyk,has said that South Africaremains in the top 15 'longhaul'business events destinationsin the world.The International Conferenceon Sustainable Tourismin Developing Countrieswill be held in Zanzibar inAugust and is being organisedby the University of Dares Salaam Business School,Marketing Department.The Kenyan tourism industry has joinedtogether to call for the withdrawal of theproposed VAT Bill 2012, warning that itrisks slowing down growth in the sectorand hampering new investments. TheKenya Tourism Federation warnedthat national carrier, Kenya Airways,alone stands to lose about Sh22 billionif the bill is passed. If VAT Billl 2012 isenacted, it could mean increasing thecost of tours in the country and couldaffect Kenya's competitive edge as adestination."The impact will be quite huge. Justa 16 percent application of VAT on foodalone is likely to push the cost of doingbusiness in hotels by more than 30percent," noted CEO, Kenya Associationof HotelKeepers and Caterers, MikeMacharia.Rwanda tourism revenues increaseAccording to the Rwanda DevelopmentBoard (RDB), tourism revenues this yearhave increased by 11 percent comparedto the same period (January -June) lastyear. The tourism sector has so farraised US $128.3 million, compared toUS $115.6 million generated in the sameperiod in 2011.The Mountain Gorillas havecontributed to the growth in incomeas the bookings to see this rare speciesthat live in the Virunga Mountains, havebeen steady. In July, permit fees to seethe gorillas were raised 50 percent.According to most tourism agencies,visits to see the gorillas are booked wellin advance.Maheshwari

CARIBBEANTRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 26Anguilla's Hotel &Tourism Associationlaunches new websiteSeaborne ups frequencyIn BriefVisitors to Cuba on the riseAnguilla's Hotel & TourismAssociation with RegattaTravel Solutions have signedan agreement and launched anew website - www.BookAnguilla.com,which allows consumersto book hotels and villasin Anguilla.The project finally gives thehoteliers an opportunity tohave their own online distribution.The booking engine hasalready generated bookings forparticipating hotels. "The modelis so simple, and makes perfectsense. We love that it puts thecontrol back in the hands of thehoteliers and produces real,measurable results. We alreadyhave a few hotels that are live onthe site and the others will certainlywant to take advantage ofthis valuable tool,” said ExecutiveDirector of the AnguillaHotel & Tourism Association,Gilda Gumbs-Samuel.Seaborne Airlines (SA) willlaunch twice daily flights fromSan Juan Luis Munoz MarinInternational to Terrence BLettsome International Airport,serving Tortola, in theBritish Virgin Islands.Beginning in the first quarterof 2013, service to TortolaTNDVOICESThe islands of The Bahamasneed more 'visibility’ in thetourism arena. Over thecourse of the year, there willbe many changes made in the promotionof our tourism products. We will focusmore on technology for the promotion ofthe Family Islands.Obie Wilchcombe,Tourism Minister of Bahamaswill be upgraded to Saab 340Bequipment, offering 34 seatsper departure and improvedtravel times. With over 5,000additional seats, Seaborneplans to increase service in2013 for flights between SJUand St Croix, St Thomas, Tortola,and Vieques.British Airways' firstclass for CaribbeanBritish Airways (BA) will launch its first classservice on four of its routes from London Gatwickto the Caribbean this summer with packagesof seven night holidays to St Lucia andBarbados. The carrier’s routes to Barbados,Bermuda and St Lucia will soon feature BritishAirways’ first class cabins. The GatwickbasedBoeing 777-200 aircraft with the newfirst cabin is offering a 60 percent wider seat,personal wardrobes, electronic blinds and balancedprivacy. In addition, it has also upgradedits food and drink options in its World TravellerPlus premium economy cabin on all long-haulflights from London Gatwick.Trinidad and Tobagoto host TPOC in 2013Cuba has seen a significantgrowth in tourist arrivalsfrom Russia, Argentina andCanada, receiving 1,626,243tourists in the first half of2012. This figure representsan increase of 5.8 percentover the same period lastyear.Seeing a 30 percent increasein Latin American visitorsover the last two years,Director General at theBahamas Ministry ofTourism, David Johnson,is targeting up to 130,000visitors annually withinthree years, putting theemerging market on parwith Canada.Puerto Rico TourismCompany (PRTC) hasinvited summer and falltravellers to see how "PuertoRico Does It Better" with afree adventure promotion.The offer, a first for theisland, seeks to enticevisitors to experience PuertoRico outside of their hotels.Following the launch of anew advertising campaign,London residents andvisitors will soon becomemore aware of St Kitts andNevis, as branded taxisfeaturing imagery developedas part of the destinations'recent rebranding efforts,will be deployed in the city.St John was ranked fifthin the Travel + Leisure2012 World's Best Awardsreaders' survey for itsbeaches, stunning vistas andhistory preserved amongthe many sugar plantationruins found throughout theisland.Trinidad and Tobago won the bid to host theTravel Professionals of Colour (TPOC) conferencein 2013. Trinidad and Tobago receivedthe award after a year-long authentication andcertification process, which comprised site visitsand heritage training workshops on site inTrinidad. Designed to immerse delegates inthe legacy of the destination’s culture and history,preparations have already begun for thedynamic and engaging conference programmeby Trinidad and Tobago Convention Bureau,partnered with TPOC.After two consecutive yearsin Barbados, the annualCaribbean Rum & BeerFestival will be held inGrenada on November 2-3,2012 to continue to raise theprofile of the region’s diverserange of rum and beerbeverages.The Aruba TourismAuthority, after a fivemonthselection processhas chosen three companies- The Concept Farm, TheZimmerman Agency andUS International Media tocontinue the "One HappyIsland" campaign andpromote tourism.

OCEANIATRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 27E-commerce assistanceto hoteliersUsing a special programmedesigned to improve the onlinepresence of many small andmedium sized accommodationsin the Pacific Islands, hoteliersacross Fiji, the Cook Islands,Tonga, the Solomon Islandsand Kiribati are now benefitingfrom a special suite of HotelLink Solutions products andNew tourism campaign in AsiaThe new ‘There’s Nothing LikeAustralia’ content has beenuploaded by Tourism Australiaon its Singapore, Malaysiaand India online portals andits broadcast, print and digitaladvertising is soon to follow.Minister for Tourism, MartinFerguson, has stressed onsecuring Australia’s share ofvisitors from the key traditionaland emerging Asian markets.He added that the emergingIndian market was definitely afocus, with definite potential forlong term growth.Ferguson unveils $8.5 millionscheme for skills and trainingIdentifying investment in skills andtraining as the best support the governmentcan offer tourism in challengingtimes, Australian Tourism Minister,Martin Ferguson, has unveiled an $8.5million training scheme at the NationalTourism and Events Excellence Conferencein Melbourne.An additional $1.7 million is alsoincluded in the project for Australia’sTourism Employment Plans with a further$4.4 million committed to a newadvisory service offering one-on-oneassistance to businesses determiningcurrent and future skills needs.Ferguson, at the conference, promisedthe government’s support inthe form of investment in skills andtraining, but stressed the need of‘promise in quality’ by tourism operators.He also applauded the efforts ofTourism Australia and the state andterritory organisations for promotingAustralia as an attractive destination.services. The programme issponsored by the South PacificTourism Organisation andPacific Islands Trade & Invest,and provides hotels with a professionale-commerce enabledwebsite or room reservationwidget that allows for theinstant processing of bookings.Later, heavy emphasis is tobe placed on best practices insocial media. Hoteliers will beequipped with Facebook pagesthat have integrated bookingwidgets and optimised TripAdvisorlistings.In the hopes of making Fiji'sNadi International Airport amodern airport that caters totourists, the Fijian Minister forAviation, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum,has announced plans fora major facelift. Sayed-Khaiyumsaid that the profit of theAirports Fiji Limited (AFL)will be centered on this capitaldevelopment. The Nadi InternationalAirport is Fiji's mainAir NZ cutsfaresAs part of its aggressiveapproach to fill additionalcapacity, Air New Zealand(NZ) has slashed fares ondomestic routes for the secondtime in nine months.Additionally, the airline islaunching 6,000 more seatsa week into the market overthe coming year. “We arecurrently engaging with keyregional stakeholders aroundthe country who are interestedin growing tourism intotheir markets,” Group GeneralManager, AustralasiaBruce Parton, informed whileannouncing the cut.Major uplift for Fiji airportairport gateway and handles96 percent of the total annualinternational passengers and30 international scheduledflights on a daily basis.In BriefAustralians are continuingto travel overseas in recordnumbers on the back ofthe strong dollar, withTahiti, Sri Lanka and Chilebeing the fastest-growingdestinations. Accordingto the Australian Bureauof Statistics, trips to Spainrose 26 percent, Thailand by23 percent and Brazil by 19percent.Tourism Australia haslaunched a new Facebookapp, called ‘DiscoverAustralia Through YourFriends’. It merges GoogleMaps and Facebooktechnology to create a travelplanning tool that notonly helps choose whereto go, but also providesinspiration and advice fromfriends who may alreadyhave been there.The Tourism and TransportForum of New Zealand hasproposed a passport-free'Anzac express path' - acommon border betweenAustralia and New Zealand,that would require onlyphoto ID, similar toarrangements for domestictravel.NSW’s campaignfor SydneyNew South Wales has launched its newcampaign, ‘Make Some Our Time’ atWestfield Bondi Junction with the iobjectiveto support local tourism and makeSydneysiders ‘forget going offshore’.Claiming an Australian first for its use ofaugmented reality technology, DestinationNSW Chief Executive, Sandra Chipchase,branded the campaign a “historicmove".State Minister for Tourism, GeorgeSouris, said it was the biggest launch forregional NSW that they have ever undertaken.The technology will also allowshoppers at Westfield centres to interactwith virtual characters from regionalNSW, including pelicans, whales, dolphinsand kangaroos.Destination WatchAtiu, Cook Islandsn Also known as ‘land of birds’Home to fossilised corallimestone caves and the rarelyfound tiny Kopeka birdsn Famous for Cook Islands anda Christian Church built in 1823n Attractions: Market islands, StAnthony's Catholic Church builtin 1894 and Seventh-dayAdventist church in 1926

EVENTS TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012 ⋅ 28KOLKATANurturing the traveltrade communityover the yearsThe 96th edition of India’s biggest travel show TTF opened inKolkata on July 13th. Bigger than ever before, TTF Kolkatabroke all previous visitor attendance records, be it trade orgeneral. Visitors thronged the venue - Netaji Indoor Stadium& Khudiram Anushilan - in great numbers to take part in thegreat travel fiesta that brought together 256 national and globalplayers. Egypt, Denmark, Thailand, Mauritius, Bangladesh,Dubai, Nepal, Kenya, Maldives, amongst many others wooedthe travel-keen dwellers of the City of Joy. Almost all Indianstates were seen vying with each other either through attractivedeals, unique offerings, eye-catching displays, food festival,cultural performances, presentations, road shows etc. Equallyenthusiastic participation was seen from other industrysegments - hotels, resorts, travel agents, tour operators, cruiselines, railways, travel portals etc, which activated great crossverticalnetworking. This year’s event only went to show howplatforms such as the TTF act as booster shots for the traveland tourism. Encouraged by the overwhelming responseon national turf, TTF has made foray into the heart of theinternational tourism arena by launching OTM (internationalbrand evolved from TTF) at San Francisco next month, whichis already receiving good support. Here are a few glimpsesshowcasing the active involvement of the state tourism boards:At the inauguration: (L-R) Rachhpal Singh, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of West Bengal;Smt Amrita Rawat, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Horticulture, Culture, Women Empowerment & ChildWelfare & Renewable Energy, Government of Uttarakhand; Abida Islam, Hon’ble Deputy HighCommissioner of Bangladesh; and Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO, Fairfest Media LimitedUTTARAKHAND’S NEW INITIATIVESBANGLADESH TRADE MEETGUJARAT ROAD SHOWUttarakhand Minister of Tourism, Horticulture,Culture, Women Empowerment & Child Welfareand Renewable Energy, Amrita Rawat, broughtout the unique features of her state and the hugepotential for ecotourism, during the inaugural pressmeet. Innovative and unique tourism products areunderway such as night safari and scuba diving.Homestays are being developed in villages andvarious ropeway projects are coming up under thepublic private partnership mode.Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board hasjoined hands with the German InternationalCooperation, which is implementing the RegionalEconomic Development programme inassociation with the state government.Bangladesh Tourism returned to TTF Kolkata after aone year hiatus and organised colorful marketing andcultural presentations. Bangladesh formed a tourismboard in 2010, and Executive Officer, BangladeshTourism Board, Masudur Rashid, says that thecountry expects a substantial growth in footfall thisfiscal. “The government is in talks to set up a dedicatedtourist zone at Cox’s Bazaar, the longest natural seabeach in the country,” Rashid confirmed at the TradeMeet organized by Tour Operators Association ofBangladesh.Dance programme was organised by BangladeshTourism to showcase the country’s unique culture.Gujarat came to Kolkata to promote its rapidlygrowing tourism potential with exclusivedocumentary films featuring Amitabh Bachchan.Managing Director of Tourism Corporation of GujaratLtd, Sanjay Kaul, emphasised the Gujarat’s fairs andfestivals as a key draw for tourists.Kaul also outlinedthe importance of tourism development around theGandhi circuit. “We are renovating the night haltsby improving roads and providing tourist amenitiesalong the trail,” he said.Gujarat has allocated R 400 crore for tourismpromotion during the current fiscal. The totalamount includes a contribution of R120 crore bythe Planning Commission for 2012-13.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012EVENTS ⋅ 29ANDHRA PRADESH ROAD SHOWHIMACHAL PRADESH ROAD SHOWAndhra Pradesh (AP), the gateway to South Indiawith its luxurious landscapes, unveiled specialpackages for Bengali tourists. Special Chief Secretary- Tourism, Andhra Pradesh, Chandana Khan saidthat the Durga Puja festival will be organised at keytourist destinations inAP to give the Bengali touristsan essence of Bengal while touring Andhra during thefestive season. She also released a calendar of festivalsin AP to attract tourists, which will also help promotelocal culture.Outlining the tourism policy of the state, HimachalPradesh (HP) Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal,said that its potential was being harnessed in areasincluding eco, adventure, rural and religious Tourism.The HP government is currently working on a multicroreproject for constructing an international airportunder the public private partnership mode.A 20 year Perspective Tourism Master Plan for thestate has also been finalised.To give a significant boost to the state’s tourismsector, Andhra government will spend R500 crorethis year to build three-star hotels, develop roadsand set up amenity centres.HP Tourism organised a food festival during thethree day event to give the people of Kolkata ataste of authentic Himachali cuisine.CHHATTISGARH PRESENTATIONIn a bid to tap tourists, General Manager ,Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, P Sen Bhowmick,assured media and trade that tourists have no reasonto fear the “ultras”. Speaking on tourism products,he said that since Chhattisgarh is a thickly-forestedtribal dominated state, it has immense potential fortribal, medical and adventure tourism. ChhattisgarhTourism Board is focussing on wildlife, caves, rockpaintings, tribal villages, monuments, temples,Buddhists sites and heritage palaces. It is alsospending huge amounts to develop infrastructure.Bengalis account for over 20 percent of inboundtravellers and Chhattisgarh is gearing up toprovide serious competition to southern India,and offered 25 percent discount to travellersfrom West Bengal.

TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST | AUGUST 2012EVENTS ⋅ 31Mauritius to focus on IndiaWhile on his two day missionin New Delhi, Ministerof Tourism & Leisure, Mauritius,Michael Sik Yuen, metwith Union Minister of Tourism,Subodh Kant Sahai,and discussed aspects ofIn a road show held in NewDelhi by Philippines Tourism,the country unveiledthe marketing campaign, ‘It’sMore Fun In The Philippines’.Talking about this campaign,which was globally introducedin 2012, Director, GroupHead for Europe, Middle Eastand India, Philippines Tourism,Verna Covar Buensucesosaid, “It’s a people’s campaign”.cooperation to enhance tourismties between the two countries.During the meeting, theydebated the merits of a jointcooperation MoU to share andexchange expertise. Both ministersfurther expressed theirAlso present at the road showwere Philippine Ambassdorto India, Ronald B Allarey,Head India Team, RaymundGlen Agustin, and Member,Team India, Luisa A Llavewho interacted with media.Having partenered with Philippines,Singapore and MalaysianAirlines, the focus of theroad show was to encouragetravel companies to educatekeenness on having triangulardestination promotions involvingIndia, Mauritius and SouthAfrica. They also agreed thatfamiliarisation trips were necessaryto further enhance culturalties.At the interaction withmedia on July 12, Michael SikYuen announced that Mauritiusis targeting one lakhIndian visitors by 2015. Inorder to achieve this, Mauritiuswill aggressively promote thecountry as a tourist destinationin India. The minister also saidthat Air Mauritius was lookinginto adding more flights toMauritius from Mumbai.Philippine Tourism organisesroadshow in Delhitheir clients on Philippines as afun tourist destination, therebyjustifying the slogan.KeralaShoppingFestivalKerala Tourism organised atrade partnership meet, a platformfor the travel trade partnersacross India to meet theKerala trade fraternity. It washeld in New Delhi on August3, at the Leela Kempinski inGurgaon. At this event, it wasannounced that the Grand KeralaShopping Festival (GKSF)– Kerala’s signature shoppingfestival would roll out onDecember 1, 2012, continuingtill January 15, 2013. The GKSFis conducted by the Departmentof Tourism in associationwith the departments of Industries& Commerce, Finance andLocal Self Government. Theevent also saw the launch of Kerala’stwo new beautiful tourismcommercials.In BriefThe first Global TourismEconomy Forum is beinghosted September 9-11, 2012by the Secretariat for SocialAffairs and Culture of theMacau SAR Governmentand co-organised by ChinaChamber of Tourism underthe auspices of All ChinaFederation of Industry &Commerce.The Secretariat for SocialAffairs and Culture of theMacau SAR Governmentwill host the first GlobalTourism Economy Forumon September 9-11, 2012,with the China Chamber ofTourism as the co-organiser.The main bathing dates forthe Kumbh Mela, to be heldin Allahabad in 2013, havebeen revealed. The first dateis Makar Sankranti on January14, 2013 and the last isMahashivratri on March 10,2013. For more information,one can visit www.up-tourism.com/mahakumbh.htmVisitBritain, Britain's tourismoffice in India, organiseda special screening ofthe opening ceremony of theLondon Olympics for thetravel trade at the BritishHigh Commission.