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Travkart offers franchising opportunity to agents in Tier-2 & 3 cities

Travkart, a unit of Holidays by Sahibji, has partnered with franchise business consulting company Sparkleminds to help with its expansion plans in India. As part of the collaboration, Travkart will offer franchising opportunities to travel agents in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, while Sparkleminds will provide them with end-to-end assistance in establishing and managing the franchise. Through this partnership, Travkart aims to create franchises pan-India with initial focus on North and East India and hopes to create 4 franchises by the next quarter and 100 franchises by 2020. A micro website will be created for each franchisee/travel agent to ensure differentiation, flexibility and affordable pricing based on the region of operation. In addition, Travkart will handle the digital marketing and social media management for its franchisees, creating a separate Facebook page for each city to help travel agents connect and interact with locals. All travel agents need to do to apply for a Travkart franchise is fill and submit the application form online on the Travkart website. Once they are selected as a franchisee, they will receive comprehensive assistance through the franchising process which would include step-by-step franchise management training to local partners by a qualified franchise manager. Sparkleminds will further assist Travkart to build the support systems that these travel agents franchises would need and help build trust among regional travel agents as well as customers. Commenting on the partnership and program launch, Manheer Singh Sethi, Co-founder, Travkart.com, said, “2017 will be a very important year for Travkart in terms of increasing market penetration. Our focus is primarily on expanding to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in North and East India in the first phase after which we will look at …

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MTDC pushes for agri-tourism

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) organised a conference on National Agri Tourism on the occasion of the tenth World Agri Tourism Day in Mumbai. The objective was to create employment opportunities and boost investment in the agriculture sector that would encourage tourism. Jaykumar Rawal, Honourable Minister of Tourism, was present at the conference and spoke about how farmers and other stakeholders can develop their skills and farms to attract more tourists looking for a rural, farm-stay experience. The discussion at the conference also touched upon MTDC’s ‘Mahabhraman Scheme’ that showcases farmer’s lifestyle and experiencing different activities like planting trees, plucking fruits and vegetables, bullock cart rides, etc. “The Department of Tourism also intends to set up a government interface to cater to the needs of the agri-tour operators. This interface will co-ordinate and provide link with regional and local government bodies to boost employment opportunities and sustainability in the agricultural sector,” Rawal revealed.

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Kerala Tourism signs MoU with SilkAir to boost tourism

The Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SilkAir in the presence of Kadakampalli Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala. The initiative is to jointly promote tourism to Kerala from priority markets like Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore by conducting roadshows and other special marketing programs in the selected cities. “Department of Tourism has been looking for more opportunities to spread words about the legacy of Gods own Country across all the global markets and to further increase the tourist footfall in Kerala in the coming years. I expect the agreement with SilkAir will benefit Kerala Tourism in terms of more tourists from the four significant markets with the help of its wide network and reputation as a quality service provider,” said Kadakampalli Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Kerala. Commenting on the association, P Balakiran, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala said “This MoU with SilkAir will allow us to strategically attract more travellers from the four specific markets to enjoy the unique local experiences here in the state of Kerala- God’s own country. This agreement will also bring direct and indirect benefits to many sectors of the economies of both the countries.” “SIlkAir offers high-quality service and with their help under this mutually-beneficial MOU, we look forward to welcoming their passengers with impressive hospitality,” he added further. This MOU will cover a series of joint activities including brand advertising and promotional campaigns, tactical and digital marketing, familiarization trips, trade fairs, joint roadshows and product development. The joint activities are expected to help boost visitor numbers from Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore to Kerala. …

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ATTOI’s technology conference in Kochi from June 8-10

The Association of Tourism Trade Organizations India (ATTOI) is organising an International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) at the Le Meridien Kochi from June 8 to 10 with support from Kerala Tourism. ATTOI has been pushing for more travel and hospitality industry stakeholders in India to use technology to support and grow their businesses. Anish Kumar P.K, President, ATTOI, says, “Conventional tour operators, especially in India, may think online customer reviews and ratings or being present on the internet is secondary to their business, but they need to realize the impact that digital platforms are having on the decisions Indians make on holiday travel. If your website does not show up in Google searches, if you are not on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, or responding to customer reviews on TripAdvisor and MyTourReview, you may be losing out on large volumes of business.” ATTOI has created a platform exclusively for costumer reviews for tour operators called MyTourReview. Anish Kumar adds, “The ICTT is a chance for travel businesses to learn from the experiences of people who have benefited tremendously from taking the technology route. Your consumers are not just sitting behind computers, they are making their searches on tablets and smartphones, so you need to make your presence felt on all devices.” He said the future of travel is certainly digital, and ATTOI is maximizing its use of technology, for instance in using live streaming as a promotional campaign tool for the upcoming second edition of ICTT. In December last year, ATTOI, as a curtain raiser to an international conference, organised a live streaming of an underwater engagement to showcase beach resorts as a unique offering of Kerala Tourism. Over …

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Reunion Island records 175.5% growth in Indian visitors

Reunion Island has registered a growth of 175.5 per cent from the Indian market in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the same period last year, according to official statistics shared by Airport Roland Garros, Reunion Island. India also tops the list of top 10 countries in terms of visitor arrivals during this period to the destination. “We have experienced the zeal of Indian travellers to explore new destinations which have unique offerings and have diversity of climate, nature, food, tourism products, like Reunion Island. I am very happy with these encouraging numbers and this wouldn’t be possible without the concentrated marketing efforts of our India’s Representative – Representation World,” said William Techer, Head of Promotion & Marketing India and Indian Ocean, Reunion Island Tourism Board. According to Vineet Gopal, Director-India, Reunion Island Tourism Board, “This figure didn’t come as a surprise to me as I was confident about the destination Reunion Island’s tourism potential and unparalleled support we received from the Head Office in Reunion Island & Air Austral. Furthermore, simplified visa process and free visa for Indian nationals travelling to Reunion Island for 14 days has really helped us to achieve this inspiring growth”. The tourism board has various marketing activities in the pipeline for the upcoming quarter to lure more Indian travellers to the destination.

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Fern Silvanus Resort, Alibaug opens doors

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of The Fern Silvanus Resort, Alibaug, offering 34 cottages. The cottage rates start from an average Rs. 3000 plus taxes. The Resort is located in the coastal town at a distance of 9 km from the Nagaon Beach while the Kolaba Fort is 40 mins away. Other tourist attraction includes Akshi Beach, Varsoli Beach and Kihim Beach which are in close proximity to the resort. All cottages are spacious and offer a view of the surrounding hills and are equipped with all modern amenities required for a comfortable stay. On-site amenities at the resort includes all day dining at multi-cuisine restaurant ‘Vista’ , Swimming Pool and Games Room where leisure and relaxation becomes top priority which makes it an ideal place for a relaxed holiday or a corporate getaway. The unit is owned by Silvanus Resort and managed by Concept Hospitality, part of CG Hotels and Resorts.

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Georgia to start air service from 6 Indian cities

H.E. Archil Dzuliashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to India, has informed that the Government of Georgia has signed an air service agreement with the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to connect six Indian cities with the country. “Soon, we will meet Indian airline companies to launch flight services between both the countries,” he said. The Ambassador also informed that India-Georgia economic relationship will expand manifold in the near future as both the countries are conducting feasibility study to sign free trade agreement (FTA). “Within six months, the report of the study would be ready and we would launch formal negotiation for the agreement. Georgia already has an FTA with the European Union and it has initiated discussion on FTAs with USA and Canada,” the Ambassador added. Indian companies can invest in Georgia and make it a gateway for their entry into European Union. Georgia is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is establishing rail and road connectivity with Bulgaria, Romania and other neighbouring countries in the Black Sea.

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Royal Orchid Hotels launches 3rd hotel in Mysore

Royal Orchid Hotels announced the launch of its third hotel in Mysore with Regenta Central Herald. The hotel is located on Nelson Mandela Road, Bannimantap in Mysore which is approximately just 4 kms from Mysore Railway Station. The hotel offers 70 rooms, fitness centre, mini bar and a multi cuisine restaurant. One can also enjoy MICE facilities with multi-functional banquet spaces which can accommodate up to 300 guests making it an ideal venue for social and corporate events. With this launch, the Royal Orchid chain of hotels stands proudly today with 43 hotels in 28 different cities in India and ready to add 5 more hotels in its portfolio for coming months. This is Royal Orchid’s third hotel in Mysore and adds to Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden & Royal Orchid Metropole in Mysore, Karnataka, which opened a decade ago. With the addition in Mysore, Royal Orchid hotels will have an attractive offering of the Mysore City attractions i.e. Mysore Palace, Brindavan Gardens, Chamundi Hills etc. Moreover, the Royal Orchid Hotels will be looking for more properties to manage untapped areas across India and other countries. The Royal Orchid Group of hotels is in a strategic alliance, with the owners of Regenta Central Herald for managing the operations of the hotel, which is also a part of an identified plan for their growth in India. On the occasion of the launch, Chander Baljee, Chairman & MD, Royal Orchid Hotels Limited stated, “As we embark on this expansion drive, we are very particular in identifying strategic, high value markets that present a unique fit for our time-tested services and ambitious growth plans. We are in a consolidation mode & are looking at …

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FCM receives Authorised Dealer Category II license from RBI

FCM Travel Solutions, the Indian subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group, Australia, can now undertake various permissible outward remittance activities for travellers across segments(leisure travel, business travel, medical treatment, education, emigration and employment).The upgrade comes into effect post receiving the Authorised Dealer Category II (AD-II) license, as granted by the Reserve Bank of India. In addition, FCM Travel Solutions will be able to release/ sell foreign currency in form of multi-currency prepaid travel cards, currency notes and Travellers Cheques for visas, emigration and emigration consultancy fees, employment and processing, assessment fees for overseas job applications, students who intend to study overseas or seek to apply for proficiency examinations, international film shootings and medical treatments abroad. Gagan Malhotra, National Head, Foreign Exchange at FCM Travel Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are pleased to be a part of the few AD-II license holders in the travel fraternity. The elevation not just widens the scope of availability of foreign exchange through different channels but also makes the pre-trip process more convenient and hassle-free for our customers. It will also help us seek better currency rates.”

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UNWTO Executive Council recommends Zurab Pololikashvili for Secretary-General

The 105th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, meeting in Madrid, Spain, on 12 May 2017, recommended Zurab Pololikashvili, Ambassador of Georgia in Spain, as a nominee for the post of Secretary-General for the four-year-period starting January 2018. The candidature of Zurab Pololikashvili was presented by his country, Georgia, in accordance with the UNWTO statutes. The recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council will be submitted to the upcoming 22nd UNWTO General Assembly for ratification (September 11-16, 2017, Chengdu, China). Pololikashvili is the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He also has broad experience of working in both private and public sectors at high-profile positions. He has extensive diplomatic experience, having represented Georgia to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), as well as serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain. He also held a position of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2006.

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