Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

A three-city workshop organised for Reunion Island and its tourism suppliers took place in the key cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in the first week of April. Organised with Atout France, this initiative formed part of Reunion Island’s strategy of developing close synergies with the Indian market and augmenting Indian visitor arrivals to the Island. A delegation of seven suppliers helmed by the President of the Reunion Island Tourism Board, Stéphane Fouassin and Lydie Sangarin, Market Manage, showcased the island’s tourism offers to members of the trade in the three cities. The delegation comprised the national air carrier Air Austral, destination management companies, hotels and a helicopter ride attraction. A presentation on the island made by the Reunion Island Tourism Board followed by meetings with the suppliers led to an in-depth understanding of the island, its experiences and how to best showcase their products in India. Stéphane Fouassin, President, Reunion Island Tourism Board, said, “India is an important source market for us and we believe that Reunion Island is a perfect fit for visitors wanting to enjoy a holiday by the sea coupled with adventure experiences. An array of diverse activities ensures that the island perfectly caters to the needs and requirements of its visiting families, couples, friends on a holiday and adventure enthusiasts”. Sharing her thoughts, Sheetal Munshaw, Director Atout France in India, said, “We are extremely pleased to showcase Reunion Island – a French overseas department and its array of experiences to the Indian travel trade. We are confident that this workshop will pave the way for more Indian arrivals to the island. In addition, the visa access policy for stays less than 15 days certainly increases …

Tourism Australia has recorded Indian arrivals to Australia for the year-ended December 2018 that stood at 357,700 – a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year. India once again was named as the fastest growing inbound market for Australia. During the year-ended December 2018, Indian tourists spent A$ 1.7 bn (approx. Rs 8,300 crore) on their Australia trips, a growth of 21 per cent over the previous year. In fact, 2018 was the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth, with arrivals and spend growing at a CAGR of 16 per cent and 19 per cent respectively over the 5-year period.

A two-day Korea festival showcasing Korea’s rich art, culture and heritage will take place on April 13-14, 2019 at High Street Phoenix, Mumbai. Organised by Korea Tourism Organisation, the two-day extravaganza aims to popularise South Korea as an emerging destination among Indian travellers by giving a glimpse into the Korean culture. The aim is to acquaint Indian tourists with famous South Korean tourist destinations, delicacies, local culture and the country’s modern legacy. The festival will have food sampling sessions to give a taste of the local Korean snacks to serve Indian taste buds, managed by AT Centre and the traditional Bibimbap rice dish, Sujeonggwa drink tasting session organized by KTO. With an aim to meet the rapidly increasing Indian travel passenger demands, the Indian Travel agents will offer special discounted packages to the visitors. Speaking on the Korea Festival, Park, Jeong ha, Vice President KTO, said, “Indian outbound travel to South Korea is on the rise. In 2018, approximately 100,000 Indian travellers visited South Korea and the numbers are growing with an average rate of 10-15% year on year. While the number of Indians travelling abroad has increased three-fold in the last one decade, there are a lot of offerings from South Korea which are still unexplored and unexperienced. Such festivals help in a great way to fortify and deepen the understanding.” The experiences like Traditional Hanbok wearing, face and mask painting, VR experiences, Korean calligraphy name writing, display of Famous Korean TV Drama, Movies and K- Pop music and traditional games like Tuho (Pitch-pot), Ddakji (Slap Match), Jegichagi (Shuttlecock) have been specially arranged for Indian audiences. The highlights at the event include live stage performances at the festival by …

Destination DC, the official destination marketing organisation for Washington DC, organised three-city sales mission in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi. Connecting with over 300 travel partners in the three cities, the organisation shared plans to promote the new tourism developments and unique offerings of the District.  “With a 32 percent increase in visitation, India has proven to be one of our most successful growth markets, ranking fourth globally. We see immense potential among Indian travellers. Through this roadshow, we aim to establish strong partnerships and continue to market not only the key attractions in the city, but also its dynamic neighborhoods that reflect the ‘DC Cool’ brand,” said Mr. Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. In 2017, Washington DC welcomed 135,000 visitors making India as the 4th largest overseas market for the destination. From 2015 to 2017, visitation to DC increased by 67 per cent.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival (held from March 20 – April 14) was the theme of the sales mission. More than 1.5 million visitors descend upon Washington, DC every year to admire the 3,000 cherry blossom trees in full bloom. With $11.2 billion in development underway. There are 18 hotels in the pipeline adding 3,987 rooms to the city, including recently opened Conrad Washington, DC and Hilton Washington DC National Mall, anticipated to open in April 2019.  The International Spy Museum moves to L’Enfant Plaza on May 12 and the Washington Monument reopens this spring. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s “Fossil Hall” reopens in June.

As per the latest statistics, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) witnessed a 43 per cent jump in tourist arrivals from India in 2018. The revenue generated was 80 per cent higher than 2017. Bahrain Tourism has had its presence in India since January 2017 and has been aggressively promoting the destination in the market. Over the last few years, Bahrain has also emerged as a prime wedding destination due to various offerings like the short flying time from India which is below four hours, the number of five-star international chain of hotel options and a variety of venues.   The Kingdom has infrastructure ready with convention centers, accommodation facilities and scenic locations that are capable to host small, intimate to large events. Bahrain is also building a new state of the art exhibition and convention center that will have 10 exhibiting halls with a total 95,000 sqm. and a conference hall that can house 4,000 people.  In order to increase tourist arrivals, Bahrain is going to launch world’s largest underwater theme park, covering an area of over 100,000 square meters.  The ecofriendly project will be undertaken in partnership with the Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and the private sector. This is in line with the BTEA’s strategy to promote the MICE and wedding sector and further develop the country’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards Bahrain’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

The Indian trade delegation that is currently in France to attend the annual show Rendezvous en France 2019 organised by Atout France has been exploring the potential of regions yet unfamiliar to the Indian travellers. The 32-member delegation hosted by Atout France India includes tour operators from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. The regions that the Indian delegates found appealing for their clients include Provence and the Rhône-Alpes. The two-day show is being held in Marseille this year to promote the region in the international markets. About 915 tour operators from 73 different countries are attending this B2B travel show, one of the biggest trade events in France.

On the occasion of Goût de France/Good France 2019, a French culinary event is set to take place in 70 restaurants in India, among 5000 worldwide on March 21. Mme Sonia Barbry, Consul General of France in Bombay and Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France jointly launched a special buffet featuring signature French dishes prepared by chefs who participated at the event held recently at the Residence of France in Mumbai. This year, each restaurateur will freely interpret his own version of a French menu, using his local and seasonal produce. Each menu will showcase a more responsible cuisine, more respectful of the planet’s resources and of the diners’ health. The guests opting for the set Goût De France/ Good France menu for the evening, will also stand a chance to win a 3 night/4 day sojourn in Northern France.  

Becoming an emerging destination among Indian travellers, Indian footfall to the Czech Republic has grown by 12.5 per cent in 2018. The Central European destination welcomed 96,325 Indian visitors through the year and recorded a total number of 2, 36,145 nights spent by Indians last year, with the average length of stay being 3 .5 nights per visit. While Prague and its attractions remain popular among travellers, an increased interest has been recorded in newer experiences such as beer spa, glass–blowing and wine tasting, bringing Indian footfall to the newer parts, including the South Moravian region. Arzan Khambatta, – Head of Czech Tourist Authority, CzechTourism India said, “The theme of the Land of Stories this year is the happening cities of the Czech Republic like Prague and Brno, and cultural experiences of castles and chateaux where families can rejuvenate and relax amidst the nature.” Apart from targeting families, experiential travellers, business visitors, honeymooners and leisure travellers, one of the main focuses this year would be the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) segment. The Czech Republic has state-of-the-art infrastructure in place, with the capacity to host large corporate groups and events.

India once again earned the distinction of being the fastest growing inbound market for Australia, according to a report by Tourism Australia (TA). Arrivals for the year-ended November 2018 stood at 352,500 – a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year. During October 2017 to September 2018, Indian tourists spent $1.6 billion on their Australia trip, a growth of 10 per cent over the previous year. India is now on track to achieve fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in arrivals, as well as spend. Over the past few months, TA executed few marketing activities to raise Australia’s appeal and attractiveness among the Indian high value travellers: launch of #UnDiscover Australia campaign on television and digital media, showcasing unusual and unfamiliar experiences that Australia has to offer; partnership with ESPN cricinfo with television presenter and model, Shibani Dandekar, visiting five Australian states, and interacting with five Australian cricketing talents, showcased their hometowns and Australia as a holiday destination to their Indian fans and followers through a series of 22 destination videos; leveraged the popularity of our Friend of Australia — Parineeti Chopra and Harsha Bhogle, and Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who showcased why there’s truly nothing like Australia among their followers; launched the fifth iteration of the Airline Marketplace campaign that delivered over 16,400 bookings in just 3 weeks; Strengthened relationship with the travel industry through the launch of the Premier Aussie Specialist Program, online webinars and face-to-face training initiatives.

Tourism Malaysia Mumbai, in association with Kesari Tours & Travel, has announced a four-city seminar that will include product briefings. This will be held in Surat on March 11, Indore on March 13, Nasik on March 15 and Pune on March 16. The seminars aim to highlight Malaysia as a value for money destination for its various product offerings and attractive packages. An update on visa documentation will be the key feature of this seminar. Product partners of Tourism Malaysia will include Resorts World Genting, Star Cruises, Legoland and Lexis, Swiss Hotels and Ipoh, Malindo Air and Desaru Coast who will be present to showcase their offers. Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Director, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai said, “We are happy to announce our four-city product briefing seminar in Surat, Indore, Nasik and Pune. We look forward to a fruitful association with Kesari Tours & Travel to boost Indian tourist to visit Malaysia. Malaysia is a bio-diversity country with rich tradition and culture. Our natural environment surrounded with rich flora and fauna, pristine beaches, theme parks, adventure activities, nightlife are appealing to Indian tourists. Luxury enjoyed at affordable price is what Malaysia is and will be.”