Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Looking to boost tourist traffic from Tier 2 Indian cities, Israel Ministry of Tourism conducted their first roadshow of 2017 in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad on 18th, 20th and 22nd February, respectively. The roadshow was conducted in a networking workshop format with two DMCs from Israel and was attended by over 100 travel agents in each city. Commenting on the occasion, Hassan Madah, Director – Israel Ministry of Tourism India said, “Israel is an emerging destination for the Indian traveller and tourist arrivals has been growing from India to Israel over the last couple of years. We wanted to tap new markets, so we decided to conduct roadshows in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad this year. The response we received in all three cities has been encouraging and promising. We are working towards increasing our leisure and MICE travellers while continuing our focus on existing segments using different mediums, including investing in advertising campaigns, and continuing to build and strengthen our travel trade relationships in the Indian market.” Israel achieved a growth of 13% in 2016 over the previous year creating a new record with 44,672 Indian tourists visiting the destination. The Ministry is hoping to maintain its double digit growth figures in 2017 as well. The country attracts worldwide tourists and is an explorer’s paradise. With archaeological sites, a rich culture, museums, culinary delights, modern attractions and friendly people it has something to offer every kind of traveller. El Al provides direct connectivity between India and Israel with 4 weekly flights from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. Air India is expected to begin direct connections to Israel this year. Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Nazareth, Haifa, Akko, Masada, Negev Desert are …

Soon, Portugal tourism ministry will be making a direct presence in India, in Mumbai, by opening a tourism office. Luis Araujo, President, Turismo De Portugal, reveals, “We will open a new tourism office in Mumbai this year which will interact with the travel trade and to work with them. We will have someone from Portugal stationed here. We will also appoint a local representative as it is important to have someone who already understands the market and will know what works here.” Portugal has Europe’s first Prime Minister who is of Indian descent – Antonia Costa whose father was of Goan, Portuguese, and French descent. This is among the many cultural connections that Portugal has with India.

Germany recorded 748,737 Indian visitor overnights in 2016 corresponding to a growth of 8.1 per cent over 2015. Buoyed by this steady growth, the destination is expecting to see a 3-5 per cent growth in Indian visitor overnights in 2017, informed Romit Theophilus, Director-India, German National Tourist Office (GNTO), India. Sharing some details, Theophilus said, “The average spending per trip abroad by Indian travellers in Europe is approximately €1,852 while in Germany alone travellers spend approximately €2.375. Also, 53 per cent of Indian visitors preferred to stay in first class hotels. A whopping 48 per cent of Indian travellers are newcomers, 46 per cent are repeat visitors while 5 per cent are regulars to Germany.” The destination’s vision for 20130 is to attract 2 million visitor overnights from India. On the trade front, Theophilus informs that the destination is all set to roll out its online training module in 2017 aimed to educate and update the travel trade on the latest offerings in Germany. This will be coupled with regular online webinars for operators in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Continuing its destination promotions through theme based marketing, Germany is promoting ‘Palaces, Parks and Gardens’ in India while it will focus on ‘Luther 2017-500 years since the Reformation’, as its global marketing theme. In addition to this core theme GNTO will also be promoting its theme parks, smart luxury, barrier free travel and active holidays in Germany.

Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippines recently held training sessions for travel trade partners in New Delhi with an aim of achieving 100,000 mark in 2017. A 25-member delegation, comprising hoteliers, airlines, and representatives of tour attractions, interacted with over 100 key travel and tour operators, MICE providers and up-market leisure operators, and provided first-hand information on tourism products. Along with interactive B2B sessions, education programmes, workshops and destination awareness was the key area of focus to aid trade members in planning itineraries. Leading the delegation, Raymund Glen A. Agustin, Chief Tourism Operation Officer, Market Development Group- Russia, India & the Middle East, DOT Philippines, said, “The numbers have been very encouraging the past few years. We registered a growth of 21.37 per cent and are aiming for better numbers this year. The fact that Indians have to pay a fee for the visa and that there is no direct connectivity yet, the growth has been extremely positive.” Highlighting the importance of the Indian market, he affirmed that India has jumped into the list of top 12 source markets for the Philippines and such roadshows would be highly effective in boosting the rank even further.

After associating with the movie ‘Dear Zindagi’ recently, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has yet again rubbed shoulders with glamour. Together with SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, STB has now announced its collaboration with Dharma Productions for Bollywood movie ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’. The movie features key scenes and songs filmed in Singapore. Talking about Singapore’s association with the movie, G.B Srithar, Regional Director for South Asia, Middle East & Africa, STB said, “This movie will appeal to all segments of Indian society with its over-arching theme of love and the joy of life. Over the past few decades, Bollywood movies have helped build an emotive connect among the Indian audiences with Singapore. We believe through Badri and Vaidehi, they will re-discover Singapore’s variety of experiences and evolving cityscape. Keeping in line with the movie’s theme, we are pleased to welcome Indian travelers to begin their endless love affair with Singapore, by visiting and re-visiting Singapore for memorable holidays.” The film, directed by Shashank Khaitan and starring Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, will hit the screens on Friday, March 10, 2017 across India. Currently, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines have combined operations from 11 Indian cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Visakhapatnam connecting to over 100 destinations via its hub, Singapore.

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) has made a foray into the Indian market starting 2017 to tap the increasing Indian outbound travel segment. The tourism board recently participated in a travel show in Mumbai to jumpstart its three-year-strategic plan. GNTO’s target is to create increased destination awareness about lesser-known cities of great geophysical, historical and cultural importance and to position Greece in the top five list of European destinations, for Indian tourists. Elena Kountoura, Honourable Minister of Tourism of Greece, says, “With the entry of Greek Tourism in the Indian market we aim to associate with the travel trade industry and offer our audience a customized product. Our strategy aims to promote 365 days tourism in Greece and we are confident that we will see a positive boost in the number of Indian arrivals to Greece with our initiatives. India is a promising market for us and this year we plan to reach out to affluent Indians through a well planned marketing and advertising campaign. GNTO is looking at promoting Greece as an ideal destination for film tourism, destination weddings and celebrations, apart from the existing popular segments like honeymoons, MICE and FITS.” Dimitrios Tryfonopoulos, Secretary General, Greek National Tourism Organization, adds, “Establishing a GNTO Office in India is the ultimate aim. Until then we will associate with our Indian counterpart to bring out the dynamic perspectives of Greek Tourism in the market of India. We are in talks with representatives of large air carriers such as Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and Jet Airways to improve the connectivity to Athens from India.” Greek Tourism recorded a double digit growth in 2016 from India. It is currently represented in India by …

The Russian Information Center in India recently announced an ‘India Friendly’ program to provide features and services that are required by Indian tourists when they are travelling in India or internationally. The program strives to ensure that the Indian traveller feels at home in Russia. Paresh Navani, Head of Russian Information Center in India, reveals, “The program covers various needs of the Indian traveller like Indian food options in the menu and for breakfast, electric kettle or hot water service in the hotel, bottled water in the room, English signboards, English-speaking staff, special vegetarian meals, sanitary requirements like water in toilets and many others.” The program is voluntary and will be provided by hotels, restaurants, cruise liners, museums and any other enterprise that provides tourism services in Russia. Certification will be provided by Russian Information Center in India post a series of tests for staff and audits conducted on-site in Russia. Already 25 hotels in Russian regions Moscow, St.Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi and Crimea have joined the program with brands like Park Inn, Radisson and Marriott. Navani adds, “Tourism to Russia is poised for the leap forward noting the interest and enthusiasm the travel trade showed for initiatives like the ‘India Friendly’ program, the reduction in the cost of visa fees by almost 40 per cent for Indian tourists by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, coupled with destination presentations we conduct for the travel trade to promote Russian tourism options. We aim to increase tourist flow from India by 50 per cent in this coming year.” Tourists from India in the nine-month period of 2015 was 39,832 which jumped to 47,152 in 2016, indicating a growth of …

In 2016, Thailand welcomed 1.19 million Indian travellers, as per the recent numbers released by Department of Tourism, Thailand, and for 2017, the target is 14 per cent increase in revenue and eight per cent increase in footfalls expected from India alone. This was revealed by Soraya Homchuen, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mumbai. “The focus destinations this year will be mainly the local communities along with Chiang Mai, Krabi, Trat and Bangkok. While Thailand is a thriving modern nation that offers luxury and comfort of the 21st century, it’s the unique Thai traditions and attractions that are often most memorable for visitors. In 2017, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to offer ‘Value for Experiences’ to travellers coming to the Kingdom by focusing on ‘Unique Thai Local Experiences’. On a global scale, India is ranked sixth in terms of tourist arrivals in Thailand,” she revealed. TAT has announced the theme for 2017 – ‘Discover Unique Local Experiences’. The objective behind this campaign is to promote Thailand as a wealth of cultural heritage with a competitive edge in the travel and tourism sector. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) and brand ambassador Anusha Dandekar attended the event. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) said, “India has always been one of the significant markets for us as each year we see an increase in the footfalls. This year too we are expecting a phenomenal growth of 8 per cent. When you visit Thailand, you always discover something new and unique which makes you want to visit the kingdom time and again. This year, with Discover Unique Local …

The Austrian capital Vienna received a record number of travellers from India in 2016, contributing to 115,531 overnight stays, a 28 per cent increase from 2015. Home to legendary composers like Mozart and Beethoven, this smart metropolis with an incredible musical heritage attracted a host of music lovers, families, honeymooners and conference attendees from India during the year, according to the Vienna Tourist Board. “A young traveller choosing to visit Vienna can lose herself in music. Should she want to step back in time to imperial history, she can. Should she want to go bungee jumping by day and dance all night, she can. All of this adds to the typically Viennese blend of tradition and innovation,” says Isabella Rauter, Public Relations Manager for Vienna Tourist Board. “Vienna provides the experiences of a metropolis without the stress factors of a big city. Vienna looks forward to welcoming 20 to 30 per cent more young Indian travellers, looking to experience the contemporary and vibrant facets of life, in 2017.” says Isabella Rauter. A favourite destination for Indian honeymooners, Vienna has hosted many Indian weddings, including at the Belvedere Palace, one of the palaces of the former imperial family of Austria. The palace now serves as a museum and an event location. Vienna also attracts more than 3,500 conventions and corporate events a year, Vienna is one of the world’s leading meeting destinations.

In a move to boost Indian arrivals, Malaysia has launched a 15-day e-visa for travellers on a short visit. This was announced at a press conference in New Delhi by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. “India and Malaysia share great relations that go a long way back and we want to foster these ties. We decided to launch this e-visa for the benefit of travellers who visit the country for a short while and since it takes only 48 hours for approval, it is also useful for those who require it urgently,” he said. The e-visa includes a single-entry and costs $20. Tourism Malaysia and leaders from TAAI, TAFI and OTOAI also signed a commitment plaque fortifying each other’s commitment to promoting travel from India.With a focus on sustainable tourism, Malaysia is also pushing its special interest packages for premium shopping, luxury travels, sports tourism such as golf, and Malaysia as a wedding and honeymoon destination. India is the sixth top tourist generating market for Malaysia with a total 722,141 Indian visitors recorded in 2015. Last year, from January to October, Malaysia received a total of 540,530 Indian tourists. Malaysia hopes to achieve 1 million arrivals from the India market this year.