Tag Archives: India

India ranked eighth in the world in 2017 in terms of absolute direct contribution of travel and tourism sector’s to its GDP, according to World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC’s) Economic Impact 2018 report. It is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country. The tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to GDP in 2017 was Rs 5.94 trillion (US$ 91.27 billion). This is expected to reach Rs 12.68 trillion (US$ 194.69 billion) in 2028, implying a CAGR of 7.23 per cent during 2012-28.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the rebranding of Hyatt Bangalore MG Road to the Hyatt Centric brand, marking the brand’s first hotel in India and 23rd worldwide. The Hyatt Centric brand targets millennial-minded travellers who want to be in the middle of the action. “We are delighted to introduce the Hyatt Centric brand to our guests in India with the opening of Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore,” said Sunjae Sharma, Vice President – Operations, India, Hyatt. “Based in the hustle and bustle of Bangalore’s city centre, we are confident that Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore will serve as a platform for guests to easily explore and share all that is vibrant, and exciting, about the garden city. The launch of a Hyatt Centric hotel in India strengthens Hyatt’s portfolio in the country and highlights our commitment to offering the authentic experiences guests want.” Designed by Studio HBA, the hotel boasts a contemporary feel with eclectic touches that capture the city’s cosmopolitan vibe. Its 143 contemporary and playful guestrooms, including four suites with terrace gardens overlooking the aquamarine blue pool, have been stylishly redecorated and infused with local flare. With features like complimentary Wi-Fi and a 48-inch flat-screen TV, each guestroom offers the perfect setting to relax after the day’s adventures.

Switzerland Tourism has introduced its global e-learning programme created for travel agents to sell the destination in the India market. This was launched in January this year and its India-specific programme created especially for this market was discontinued. Speaking about the decision behind this development, Claudio Zemp, Director – India, Switzerland Tourism, says, “We are very proud to introduce our new e-learning programme – the Switzerland Travel Academy – in India. This is a global programme for travel agents all over the world and is now also available for the Indian agents. We observed that the demand and the requirements from the India market as well as the knowledge about the destination were fast evolving and for that reason we have now started using the same e-learning programme for India.” The NTO recently did a series of four webinars this year that got overwhelming response with about 600 people joining each webinar. The numbers are also good, as Zemp reveals. “We had an increase of 23.4 per cent in terms of tourists generated out of India in 2017 over the previous year. The first three months of 2018 saw an increase of 16.4 per cent over the previous year during the same period, which is traditionally not a busy season for us,” he says.  

The number of Indian nationals’ departures from India during 2016 registered a growth of 7.3 per cent over 2015 as compared to 11.1 per cent growth in 2015, according to a report by Ministry of Tourism. In 2016, approximately 21.87 million Indian nationals departed on outbound travels, up from 20.38 million the previous year. During 2016, top three air ports for departures of Indian nationals’ from India were from Mumbai, Delhi and Cochin airport. These three airports accounted for 51.93 per cent of total departures in 2016, the report said. During 2015, Mumbai, Delhi and Cochin airport had a percentage share of 21.96 per cent, 20.08 and 9.62 per cent respectively, the report added. The Indian nationals’s departures rose with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.17 per cent.

India and Cambodia has agreed to  strengthen tourism cooperation, particularly with regards to start a direct air link between Phnom Penh and New Delhi. This decison was taken after a joint committee meeting between officials from Cambodia and India in Siem Reap, to discuss cooperation in the tourism industry as part of a high-level dialogue mechanism. Earlier this week, Phnom Penh hosted the ‘Incredible India Road Show’, which aimed to promote India as a destination for Cambodian tourists, as well as to create new partnerships between Indian and local companies in the tourism industry. Rashmi Verma, Secretary-Tourism, Government of India, said the committee is now working on a strategy to further collaboration between the countries in tourism. “Stronger cooperation in tourism will be beneficial for both countries in terms of economic growth and job creation,” she said. The flow of tourists between Cambodian and India has increased remarkably in the last few years, said Thong Khon,  Cambodian Minister of Tourism. He said many Cambodians travel to India to visit religious landmarks, while Indians like to visit the Kingdom to experience local weddings or as part of pilgrimages. “In many ways, both countries have a similar appeal for tourists, and both have huge potential for tourism. This is why we need to boost cooperation with India in the sector,” Khon said. Khon and Ms Tashmi said they are now conducting talks with civil aviation bodies to expedite the creation of a direct air link.

Continuing with its agenda to inspire the spirit of sportsmanship among the travel trade, Emirates Airlines will organise the third edition of its ‘Emirates Cricket Trade Tournament 2018’ for the travel trade in November in Mumbai. The League matches will be held on November 17-18, 2018 and the semi-final and final matches will be on November 24-25, 2018 at Islam Gymkhana. The cricket trophy was also unveiled in a pre-event networking event where it invited all the team members. Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, VP-India & Nepal, Emirates, was present at the networking party and wished the players all the best. The matches will be powered by DTCM, Amadeus and Reckon Travels & Holidays. The previous edition played in 2016 had 416 players in 32 teams playing 45 games over four days over two weekends.

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) introduced the ‘Culinary Germany’ theme in India, to use it as their focus for marketing campaigns this year. The country witnessed 8,52,224 visitor overnights in 2017 making for a 13.8 per cent growth over 2016. Owing to this steady growth, GNTO, India forecasts a 5-8 per cent growth in visitor overnights for the year 2018. Romit Theophilus, Director, GNTO, India said, “Food forms an integral part of any traveller’s itinerary. Experiencing the local flavours helps enhance the flavour of any holiday and makes for everlasting impressions. With over 5,000 beers from 1,300 breweries, 300 types of bread, 1,500 types of sausage, 13 wine regions, 292 Michelin-starred restaurants and 3,000 to 5,000 Christmas markets, Germany is sure to satiate any traveller’s appetite.” According to the Quality Monitor survey of the German tourism industry, 4% of international holidaymakers come to Germany specifically for the variety and quality of its food and drink. The sector, therefore, contributes at least 3.2 million overnight stays to Germany’s inbound tourism. ‘Travelling food-lovers’ are generally quite young, well-educated family people with children; they are often city dwellers and are very active on social media. GNTO, India now boasts over 1 million followers on its Facebook platform.

Having witnessed close to 60,000 Indian tourists visiting Israel last year, marking a record growth of 31 per cent, Israel Ministry of Tourism office in India is confident of achieving its target of 1 lakh Indian tourist visitors this year. To support the forecasted growth, the Ministry has launched its summer campaign in India to attract the April-June peak holiday season. The advertising campaign incorporates varied media platforms including television, print and digital spaces. The integrated advertising campaign ‘Begin your journey to Israel’ which includes the television commercial (TVC) showcases Israel’s famous cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Talking about the advertising campaign and investments made in the Indian market, Hassan Madah, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism – India & Philippines said, “Over the past three years, Israel has recorded a strong double-digit growth in tourist arrivals from India. In 2018 January to March, we have recorded a growth of 15 per cent in Indian arrivals compared to the same period last year. In order to keep this momentum going and to tap into the upcoming summer holiday season, we have launched our advertising campaign. Our campaign highlights the reasons why Indian travellers should choose Israel as their next holiday destination.”  

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that effective March 25 and until October 26, 2018, it will increase capacity in its India operation by deploying the ultra-modern B777 aircraft on its twice daily operation to/from Mumbai and 767-200 aircraft on its twice daily operation to/from New Delhi. Both the B777 and 767-200 aircraft will have flat beds in business class. Tadesse Tilahun, Regional Director, India Subcontinent, Ethiopian Airlines, remarked, “As part of our strategy to expand in India, we have been increasing frequency and upgrading aircraft in the past few years to accommodate the growing demand to Africa. As a customer focused airline, we have the passenger’s comfort level in mind at all times with a view to continuously enhance our customers‘travel experience and meet their growing expectations.” Tilahun further added “India is a very strategic market for Ethiopian Airlines and we are on the final stage of preparation to launch one more entry point to South India. With our 47 years of service to India, the Ethiopian Airlines has played significant role in bringing India and Africa together in general and India and Ethiopia, in particular.”

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts aims to add approximately 1,400 more keys to its current portfolio of over 7,000 rooms by next year, reveals Harleen Mehta, Vice President, Sales Operations – India, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. She says, “The Hyatt Place Hyderabad-Banjara Hills was launched in December 2017 that will be followed by our Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty which is slated to open in April 2018. It will offer 265 luxurious guestrooms including 38 suites and four villas, and will mark our foray into the Kerala market. The two upcoming Hyatt Place hotels – Hyatt Place Bangalore Airport-Urbana is scheduled to open this year and Hyatt Place Jaipur is expected to open doors next year. These two hotels will add approximately 400 more rooms to our portfolio. Hyatt Regency McLeod Ganj that is set to open in 2018 in the Himalayas will establish us as the only licensed international hospitality chain allowed to build an eco-friendly hotel in the forests there. Apart from this, we are looking to expand in the market with our upcoming properties in Gurgaon and Agra.” Currently, Hyatt’s India portfolio includes 28 hotels across 17 key destinations in the country.