Marriott International has opened Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark, expanding the brand into Kerala. The addition of this property strengthens the Four Points brand presence in India to 12 hotels across key gateway cities and upcoming destinations across the country. Nestled in one of Kochi’s largest IT hubs and located within close proximity to several corporate parks, Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark is the ideal destination for any business traveller, while being accessible to nearby attractions as well for those spending a leisure holiday in Kochi. 218 spacious and well-appointed guestrooms including 23 suites reflect the brand’s promise of integrating timeless classics with modern details. Commenting on the launch, Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President—South Asia, Marriott International said, “We are delighted to announce the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark. Business travellers to Kochi are assured of a seamless stay, the hotel’s spaces and facilities are smart and flexible, ensuring every aspect of the guest experience reflects the brand’s emphasis on uncomplicated comfort and simple sophistication.” Dining options include The Eatery, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant with an international spread, local specialties and an enticing dessert selection. All Spice is a casual destination to unwind and escape the nuances of the everyday life and indulge in coastal delicacies from Maharashtra, Goa, Karwar and Kerala. Deli is the Grab and Go – pastry and confectionery shop, along with Caper the high-energy lounge bar. “Thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of today’s traveller, our hotel has immense opportunity to deliver an unparalleled guest experience backed by comfort, great service and the amenities they need to stay productive on the road,” said Dinesh Rai, General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton …

Boeing has named Salil Gupte as its India head, effective March 18, 2019. Gupte succeeds Prat Kumar, who was appointed Vice President and Program Manager of Boeing’s F-15 fighter aircraft programme in November last year.  He will be based in New Delhi and report to Marc Allen, President of Boeing International. Gupte will join as President of Boeing India from the aircraft maker’s wholly-owned subsidiary Boeing Capital Corporation, where he served as Vice President. In his new position, Gupte will advance the development and execution of Boeing’s strategy in India, integrate business activities across company’s commercial airplanes, Boeing defence, space and security, its global services, and lead the growth and productivity initiatives in India. He will also manage Boeing’s partnerships with the government and business stakeholders with a team of over 3,000 employees and joint venture personnel located across the country. His leadership will extend to cover Boeing’s large supply chain presence in India, its engineering and technology centre in Bengaluru, and Boeing joint venture with Tata in Hyderabad. “I’m thrilled to be joining my colleagues at Boeing India during such an exciting time, when the business is growing exponentially and we are building the future of global aircraft manufacturing, services, supply chain, engineering, technology and innovation, right here in India,” Gupte said. Besides Boeing, he has also worked with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs as an investment banker in the aviation and infrastructure sectors. Source: PTI

Under the ‘Apni Dharohar-Apni Pehchaan’ Adopt a Heritage Project, the Monument Mitras are responsible for operation, maintenance and development of tourist amenities, in the non-core areas of the monument. At present, 11 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU’s) have been signed with the Monument Mitras. The prospective Monument Mitras are free to select a monument/heritage/tourist site of their interest under the ‘Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan – Adopt a Heritage’ project. The conservation of heritage/ancient buildings/monuments does not come under the ‘Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan – Adopt a Heritage’ project of the Ministry of Tourism. Hence, there is no pre-requisite for prospective Monument Mitras to partner with conservation experts.

The domestic aviation market in India has registered the fastest growth for the fourth year in a row in 2018, according to a recent report by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The year-end aviation data analysis by IATA revealed, “The India domestic market recorded the fastest full-year domestic growth rate for the fourth year in a row (18.6 per cent), followed by China (11.7 per cent).” In fact, India recorded its 50th consecutive month of double-digit annual growth in October. Other than India and China, Russia (9 per cent), USA (5.1 per cent) and Brazil (4.8 per cent) were among the top five fastest growing domestic air travel markets. According to the IATA report, globally, revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose by 6.5 per cent in 2018, slower than the 8 per cent growth registered in 2017.  

Union Minister of State for Tourism, Alphons Kannanthanam laid the foundation stone for a spiritual circuit connecting Sivagiri Sree Narayana Guru Ashram, Arruvipuram, Kunnumpara Sree Subrahmania Swamy temple and Chembazhanthi Sree Narayana Gurukulam, at a function held at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram. The circuit will have facilities like a craft bazaar, bus shelters and an audio-video virtual reality show. Speaking on the occasion, Alphons said that the Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned seven projects to Kerala under the Swadesh Darshan and Prashad schemes at an approximate amount of Rs 550 crore. He further said that Kerala’s future lies in exploring the possibilities in tourism sector. The project was sanctioned in January 2019 for Rs 69.47 crore.

MakeMyTrip said it is looking at the hotels and accommodations segment to contribute around 70 per cent to its overall revenue by the end of 2022. Currently, hotels and accommodations account for around 54 per cent of the company’s total revenue. “By the end of 2022, 70 per cent of our revenue will come from the hotels and accommodations segment,” Deep Kalra, Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip. Currently, around 33 per cent of revenue comes from air travel and the rest is roughly from redBus, travel insurance and experiences, he added. “Going forward, the hotels and accommodations will contribute a bigger share of revenue, as there is still a lot of headroom in hotels. Still, only around 15 per cent of hotels are booked online, so there is a big market to be tapped,” Kalra said. On the trend of more Indians opting for overseas travel, he said, “The focus area for us and where Indians are going right now is overseas. Middle class has the money and is travelling overseas as it is aspirational.” The growth in international travel will be higher and it will grow faster than the domestic segment, he added. The company has recently posted its third-quarter results with a growth of over 30 per cent. When asked about the growth road map, Kalra said, “We are looking to moving on to twin path of growth and at the same time of reduction of losses.” He, however, did not provide any future guidance on growth numbers. Source: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the Jewar Noida International Airport (JNIA), also known as the New Greater Delhi Airport redevelopment project between February 23-25, 2019 by laying a foundation stone for the USD 3.1 billion project, which will be the largest airport in India by surface area. JNIA, set to become operational in 2022, will provide the National Capital Region with a second facility after Indira Gandhi International Airport. The GMR Group holds first right of refusal for any new airport in Delhi and in February 2018, GMR Infrastructure’s director K Narayan Rao confirmed GMR’s plans to participate in the project. Rao said that a coordination committee should be established with representatives of the Union Government, Uttar Pradesh State Government and private sector to oversee the project and avoid delays. He also called for the development of metro rail connectivity to the planned airport.

Heritage and tourism in Chandannagar got a boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently between France and the Bengal government on the sidelines of the Bengal Global Business Summit. French ambassador Alexandre Ziegler, who was in Chandannagar to unveil plaques on three buildings enlisted by the West Bengal Heritage Commission, tweeted the event after signing the MoU late on Wednesday. “The agreement will initiate a very important revitalisation of Chandannagar’s Indo-French heritage,” he wrote. Tourism and home secretary Atri Bhattacharya said, “We have signed an MoU to together explore ways to redevelop Chandannagar heritage. There are some buildings that are either government property right now or can possibly be acquired. The French will do research and provide expertise in restoration and we will see in what phases we can fund restoration of heritage precincts.” Ziegler said, “With the MoU, we have now created a bilateral arrangement whereby we will provide technical expertise. Specialists in restoring monuments will come before summer for the first visit.” The MoU mentions only the Registry Office, the former French courthouse, by name. It was one of the buildings where a heritage plaque was unveiled on Wednesday. An estimate of the restoration cost will be drawn up with the help of French experts. The ambassador, on his fourth visit to Chandannagar , described the former French colony as “a jewel”. “You have history, charm, proximity to Calcutta… the potential for tourism is immense. Demonstrating what can be done in one building can have a snowball effect. Through honouring the past we are setting up a dynamic for the town’s economic development,” Ziegler said. Source: The Telegraph

Strengthening its presence in the Indian market, Austria has registered 8.6 per cent growth in the number of tourists from India in 2018. The central European country welcomed 192,000 visitors in 2018. The Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) is looking to focus on families this year. Addressing a press conference at Le Meridien, Delhi, Christine Mukherjee said that 40 million tourists from over the world travel to Austria every year. “India is very a crucial market for us. I am happy to inform that overnight stays by Indian travellers has doubled over last one year.” ANTO organised a three-city workshop in India which started in Mumbai, followed by Ahmedabad and concluded in Delhi. According to Mukherjee, 140 tour operators attended the workshop in Mumbai, while over 100 and 110 agents turned up for the workshop in Ahmedabad and Delhi, respectively. Industry partners and representatives from Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Swarovski Crystal World also attended the workshops and showcased their products to the travel trade. Thomas Bachinger, Market Management, Vienna Tourist Board; Andreas Reiter, Market Management—Spain, India and Arab Countries, Innsbruck Tourism; Klemens Kollenz, Sales and Marketing Manager, Salzburg Tourism and Christiane Gasser, Head of Marketing & Communication, Swarovski Tourism Services, interacted with members of the press on what each destination had to offer to Indian tourists.

To promote airlines to extend their service to Kerala, the Kerala government has decided to slash the tax on aviation fuel to 5 per cent from the current 28.75 per cent for domestic airlines. Making the announcement in the assembly during the discussion on the state budget for 2019-20, state’s Finance Minister TM Thomas Issac said that not only airports under the UDAN scheme but also non-UDAN airports would get the new tax breather in the state. “The tax on ATF will be reduced to 5 per cent from the existing 28.75 per cent for domestic airlines operating service from the state airports. A revenue loss of Rs 100 crore is expected through this,” he said. The tax cut is expected to benefit Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode international airports as the government had already decided to levy only 1 per cent fuel tax from airlines operating service from the newly commissioned Kannur airport. Aviation fuel accounts for a major portion of operating cost for airlines. The tax cut can help become Kerala an attractive destination for various airlines as neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are charging a state tax of 29 and 28 per cent, respectively on jet fuel. The tax cut benefits would benefit only domestic passengers as the international airlines that operate to and from the state have not been charging VAT as per the new GST regime.