Air France-KLM has appointed Jean-Noel Rault as the new General Manager of the Indian Sub-Continent. Noel, who will assume his office on August 1, 2018, will be responsible for accelerating the growth and strengthening the presence of Air France-KLM in the Indian Sub- Continent. He will also drive the consolidation and extension of the company’s partnerships in the same geography. Prior to being appointed the GM – Indian Sub-Continent, Jean-Noel was heading Air France-KLM’s business in Canada as the Vice President and General Manager. During his assignment he opened two routes, Amsterdam to Edmonton for KLM and Paris to Vancouver for Air France. He also reinforced the company’s joint venture with Delta Airlines and partnership with West Jet. Jean-Noel started his career with KLM in 1987 and joined Air France in 1989. Over three decades of his career, he has held decisive positions as Station Manager, Commercial Director, Country Manager and General manager in Constantine, Bucharest, Prague, Riyadh, Noumea, Abidjan and Montreal. While he was stationed in France, he was assigned the role of Route Manager for the Middle East and Africa, Head of Direct Sales and Services Policy, as well as the Director of Customer Contact Centres and Social Media Servicing. Succeeding Max Smits, who was at the helm of Air France-KLM’s business in the region since 2015, Jean-Noel will be a part of a strong and successful India team that has provided seamless service to its customers and partners.

The second meeting of tourism Joint Working Group (JWG) between India and Nepal held in Kathmandu has agreed to set up the Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with representation from government and private sector from both sides for mutual consultation and promotion of tourism in both countries, informed KJ Alphons, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism. The JWG also decided to officially recognise two circuits, Ramayana Circuit and Buddhist Circuit by both governments for joint promotions through common branding and marketing exercises. Earlier, during the Conclave of Special Committee on Tourism for SAARC countries held in India in 2016, the Ministry of Tourism has agreed to offer total 50 seats for three years B.Sc. programme and diploma courses through Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) to the students from SAARC countries including Nepal. The Bharatmala Pariyojana (approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in October 2017), includes development of 5,300 km border and international connectivity roads including some National Highways stretches leading to Nepal Border. Out of this, 2,000 Km of National Highways for international connectivity has been provided an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore in Phase I (2017-18 to 2021-22) of the program. The National Highway infrastructure developed under the above program would also provide connectivity for tourism related activities.

Jet Airways has announced plans to introduce new city pairs Bengaluru – Guwahati (subject to final regulatory approvals) as well as Hyderabad-Indore, thus connecting travellers from emerging cities to the metropolises. The airline will introduce new first daily direct service  effective from August 1, 2018, on the Bengaluru-Guwahati-Bengaluru route and on the Hyderabad-Indore-Chandigarh-Indore-Hyderabad route. Jet Airways 9W 659 will depart from Bengaluru at 1015 hrs and arrive Guwahati at 1315 hrs. On the return leg, Jet Airways flight 9W 660 will take off from Guwahati at 1620 hrs. and arrive into Bengaluru at 1930 hrs. The airline will also connect Hyderabad and Chandigarh from August 1. Jet Airways 9W 955 will depart from Hyderabad at 1050 hrs. and have a stopover at Indore, arriving into the city at 1215 hrs. The flight will depart from Indore at 1245 hrs. arriving into Chandigarh at 1445 hrs. On its return journey, flight 9W 958 will depart from Chandigarh at 1515 hrs. and land at Indore at 1715 hrs. The flight will then depart for Hyderabad at 1800 hrs., arriving at its destination at 1925 hrs. This flight will be operated by Jet Airways on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

SITE India recently held its members meet at the Ethiopian Culture Centre in New Delhi. During the event, Vikas Suda, SITE India Chapter Vice President- Events & Operations, gave a presentation on the advantages of being a SITE member and how the association works on enhancing the skills and educate the members. He said that the association helps in empowering the members and ultimately helps in excel in their business.

Under the PRASHAD Scheme, the Ministry of Tourism has identified 26 religious sites in 19 states for development which inter-alia include Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya (Assam), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), Dwarka and Somnath (Gujarat), Gurudwara Nada Saheb (Haryana), Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Deogarh (Jharkhand), Chamundeshwari Devi (Karnataka), Guruvayoor (Kerala), Una (Himachal Pradesh), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kanchipuram and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu), Varanasi and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Badrinath and Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) and Belur (West Bengal). MOT provides central financial assistance to state governments/Union Territory (UT) administrations under the schemes of Swadesh Darshan, National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and Assistance to Central Agencies for the development of tourism-related infrastructure in the country.

RARE India has launched a new entity called Peach, under which the team would work for new tourism products, fairs and events in terms of development, promotion and marketing. One of the first projects under Peach is Gobindgarh Fort, which was showcased in New Delhi for agents by erstwhile actress and developer behind the project, Deepa Sahi. She has produced and developed the shows at the fort. The fort belonged to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab and showcases stories of his valour through 7D experiences and virtual reality wonders. Shoba Mohan and Sowmya Vijaymohan, Founder-Partners, RARE India and Peach, said that Peach would be focusing on handholding and developing new projects, events, fairs and experiences in the tourism space. Peach would be different from RARE as it will not be delving into the representation of boutique, independently owned properties, which fall into the RARE aesthetics.

Niraamaya Retreats, a collection of boutique properties across India, has announced its first foray in North India to operate and manage Royal Heritage Haveli in Jaipur. Located on the outskirts of the city, the haveli offers unique experiences such as destination cued dining, cooking sessions revealing the secrets of the family’s favourite recipes passed down generations, a hands-on hand-block printing workshop and a private class of Polo at a nearby farm. Elaborating on the expansion, Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO, Niraamaya Retreats, said, “Our entry in to North India is a big step towards establishing a significant pan-India presence for the Niraamaya brand. Each of our properties brings a unique combination of local and cultural activities complimented with the boutique Niraamaya experience. We are delighted to mark our debut in Rajasthan with the iconic Royal Heritage Haveli which has all the hallmarks of a magnificent boutique property which entails a rich heritage, a serene location and most importantly the gracious hospitality of the noble family who interacts with the guests.” Built in the 18th century as a hunting lodge for the Jaipur royal family, the sprawling five-acre property offers 19 spacious suites. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, each of the living spaces has a unique character which exudes regal charm and features well-appointed interiors that provide the highest standards of luxury and comfort.    

In a bid to attract more foreign tourists, the Ministry of Tourism will take a slew of measures to promote the upcoming Kumbh Mela globally. The 49-day-long fair is scheduled to begin in Allahabad on January 2019. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, KJ Alphons, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism said, “The Ministry will launch ‘Chalo Kumbh Chalo’ campaign across the country and other marketing campaigns to promote the fair. We are organising the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ in Varanasi to attract ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Delegates’ to visit the holy congregation.” “We will lay out advertisements promoting Kumbh 2019 at major international airports of the country to attract foreign tourists. We will also develop designated area for flag hoisting for 192 countries visiting Kumbh Mela,” Alphons added.

Ginger has signed a new hotel in Bharuch, a key city of Gujarat. The brand is already present in six cities in the state with hotels under development in Surat and Sanand. With this new addition, Ginger will have 10 hotels with a combined inventory of close to 800 rooms in Gujarat. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ginger said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in Gujarat and enter Bharuch by partnering Hotel Sethna Plaza Annexe. The modern day Bharuch is one of the biggest industrial areas in the state. The hotel will be ideally located to cater to the business guests.” With 55 comfortable rooms, an all-day diner, a banquet hall and a fitness centre; the new Ginger is located just a few minutes from the railway station amidst a commercial hub catering to chemical, textile and pharmaceutical companies. The hotel is a management contract and is slated to commence operations in 2019.    

Mumbai-based Explora has associated itself with a luxury DMC based in Morocco called Experience Morocco. Led by Managing Partners, Karishma Kazi and Sunny Katara, Explora’s partnership will be effective September 1, 2018 which is when they will start promoting it in India. Speaking about the new development, Karishma Kazi, Managing Partner, Explora, says, “We believe that travel is all about the experience – We firmly believe that great travel experiences can be created from simple elements, and we feel privileged to have  Experience Morocco as our  client. Looking at the luxury segment growing year on year, it was about time to give India a DMC for Morocco which only caters to bespoke and beyond.” As a provider of curated travels across Morocco and with a diverse team of travel professionals who speak 16 languages, Explora has the experience and know-how to design memorable trips custom-built around the clients’ requirements. Sharing his insight on Indians as travellers, Sunny Katara, Managing Partner, Explora, adds, “Indian travellers have a unique set of motivations and needs, and understanding what drives this travel behaviour and providing a personalised experience is the key. It is really not that tough to understand an Indian luxury traveller. An important facet of the luxury travel experience is how well travellers feel that their needs and preferences are understood by their travel providers.”