Tag Archives: Country Manager

Tourism Australia, in partnership with Destination New South Wales, marked the 38th year of its annual travel and tourism business-to-business event – the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) at the brand new ICC (International Convention Centre) in Sydney. The event took place from May  15-18, witnessing an attendance of over 2,500 travel industry delegates from over 30 countries with participation from 20 Indian travel companies. This is also marked Tourism Australia’s 50th anniversary. Commenting on the occasion, Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “ATE plays a critical role in facilitating productive links between Australia’s tourism providers and the global distribution network and has an enormous economic impact. Arrivals from India have seen a significant hike in the last few years and platforms such as the ATE play a huge role in making that happen. Over 20 buyers representing as many companies from India attended ATE17 providing them an incredible opportunity to connect with Australian tourism businesses. We believe this platform will help them curate the best of Australian holiday experiences for our Indian travel enthusiasts. We’re confident that ATE will continue to bolster Australia’s inbound tourism sector and grow visitor economy.” India is currently Australia’s ninth-largest inbound tourism market, with over 260,000 visitors spending A$ 1.24 bn as on December 2016. Companies such as Ascon Travels, Cox & Kings, Cutting Edge, Discover your World, FCM Travel Solutions, Grand Travel Planners, Pathfinders Holidays, Peekay Holidays, Pristine Travels, SOTC, Vibrant Holidays, Voyageur Lifestyles, among others, represented India at ATE17, a testimony to the growing popularity of Australia as a tourism destination for Indians. ATE is Australia’s annual business-to-business tourism travel trade event, focussed on building future tourism opportunities for …

South Africa received 6,300 Indian tourists to the destination during January 2017. The country aims to welcome more than 104,000 tourists from India in 2017. “We have been witnessing consistent growth in tourist inflow from India. Looking at the growth trend we are expecting to host 104,000 Indian tourists in 2017. We are focused in increasing our engagement with travel agents and customer outreach through outdoor media, television, digital and print,” said Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism-India. She further says that the destination is looking forward to very high numbers during the summer holiday season running from now until mid-June. Slabber informed that the tourism board is planning to engage potential travellers in Tier-II markets through the agent-specific ‘Learn South Africa’ programme, which will train travel agents in 17 Indian cities during July 2017. She also added that with over 3,129 product offerings, and more being added, South Africa has something for everyone. “We are planning to train and customise specialised product offerings for travellers in these places with city-specific joint promotions with travel agents in all 17 cities. We have also published tourism related information and product offerings in six Indian vernacular languages,” she added. The destination is also focusing on the MICE segment and young solo travellers from India. (Source: PTI)S

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority will conduct a five-city roadshow in India from February 27 to March 4, 2017,  covering Chandigarh, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The roadshow will enable Indian trade partners in each city to interact with Mauritian delegation comprising airlines, resorts, attractions, DMCs, among others. Vivek Anand, Country Manager, MTPA India, said “We are conducting this Roadshow so that the Indian tour operators, MICE companies and wedding planners learn more about the destination and have an opportunity to meet and explore ways to collaborate with the Mauritian suppliers”.

Tourism Australia and Singapore Airlines have joined hands with the Australian States of Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Northern Territory, to offer Indian travel enthusiasts subsidised airfares to Australia. The offer features an all-inclusive return economy fare from India starting at Rs. 60,000, with an additional S$20 Changi shopping voucher redeemable during transit, and an A$30 voucher redeemable at Brisbane airport for the first 150 passengers to fly into the city. Aimed at driving visitation to Australia, the campaign will be promoted across television, print and digital platforms. The tactical offer will be live until 15 March 2017 for travel between March 1, 2017 and February 15, 2018, subject to applicable terms and conditions. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia said “We at Tourism Australia have always perceived air connectivity as one of the strongest pillars for tourism growth, and this has led us to continually focus on our relationship with our airline partners. Singapore Airlines, one of our strongest long standing airline partners, with a significant market share, is indeed a strong partner to promote Australia as a preferred holiday destination, and the campaign devised with them successfully showcases Australia’s myriad of tourism offerings as well as Singapore Airline’s extensive flight network. This initiative is sure to entice Indian travellers to book their next trip Down Under.” Singapore Airlines connects India to key Australian gateways such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The campaign also involves a tie up with SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SQ), which provides connectivity to Cairns and Darwin. Australia has witnessed a continued growth trajectory in tourist arrivals from India. For the year ended (YE) November 2016 …

The Indian market has reportedly shown good numbers for South Africa during 2016 as it closed the year on a successful note with a 27 per cent growth in arrivals that clocked at 81,429 by the end of the third quarter. Overall spends from India crossed ZAR 1,100,000,000 by the end of the third quarter and average spend per leisure traveller was placed at Rs 590,000 indicating that South Africa attracts a variety of pocket-sizes. Market intelligence delivered by trade partners tells the tourism board that the destination sells to travellers with an Rs 1.5 lakh budget as effectively as it appeals to travellers with Rs 10.5 lakh budget. Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism– India, said, “We want to sustain this growth and also attract return travellers. Going forward, we are going to focus on increasing the geographical scope of the market – our biggest sources are Mumbai and Delhi, followed by Bangalore and Chennai. The average number of nights spent by Indian tourists in South Africa is now at 11 days for holidays and 19 days for business travellers. I reckon that they’re taking some time off to explore South Africa after the conclusion of their work in SA.  VFR is at 21 days average stay.” The global campaign for 2017 will be rolled out in India through joint marketing campaigns with travel agents, a brand-new Facebook page (Visit South Africa India), television and outdoor advertising campaigns. The Facebook page and all other campaigns will be tailored for India. Travel agents will also undergo destination training and all the aspects that make South Africa amazing through a 17-city Learn SA programme slated for mid-2017.

Tourism Australia has yet again witnessed noteworthy growth statistics from Maharashtra, retaining the State’s position as a key tourism source market in India. As of year ended (YE) September 2016, Maharashtra has recorded an increase of 25 per cent in tourist arrivals, and a remarkable increase of 18 per cent in spend. The state witnessed 53,800 visitors to Australia, contributing A$232 mn (Rs. 1,160 crores) to the Australian economy, with an average spend of Rs 2.15 lacs per person. Total arrivals from India for the year ended November 2016 were recorded at 256,400, an increase of 11.5 per cent relative to the same period the previous year, making India the 9th largest inbound market for Australia. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “We are extremely delighted that all our focused consumer and distribution initiatives in Maharashtra have paid off, resulting in a stupendous increase in arrivals and spend from the state. Going forward, we are positive that our extensive analysis of the market, in tandem with our key distribution partners and airlines, will provide us with the requisite insights to modify and transform our approach to cater to the requirements of travellers from Maharashtra. We will continue to reach out to our audience through a mix of traditional and evolving communication platforms. Maharashtra has undoubtedly been our fastest growing market and we will put in our best efforts to keep up the momentum and further drive visitation to Australia.” Tourism Australia has undertaken several focused activities in Maharashtra. One such successful association was that with Veena World. As part of the collaboration, eminent Marathi television and film stars who travelled to Australia for MAAI (Marathi Achievers …

South African Tourism sets the pace for continued double digit growth in the coming year with its annual roadshow slated for this month. The roadshow will be held in Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai where suppliers from South Africa will network with Indian travel agents. Now in its 14th edition, the roadshow will start with Chennai on 30 January, and then go on to Bengaluru on 31 January, Delhi on 1 February and conclude in Mumbai on 3 February, 2017. About 10 per cent of the delegation will be first-timers and will include hotel chains, airlines, products, attractions, DMCs and local tourism offices. Indian agents will be able to meet representatives from boutique hotel chain Lion Roars Hotels & Lodges, adventure-focused attraction Tenikwa Wildlife, care-rental Multilayer Trade Corporation and DMC Africa Incoming. Domestic airline Safair has also signed up. Additionally, Air Seychelles (which many Indians use to fly to South Africa via Mahe) that is said to be starting a flight to Durban starting March will also be present. Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism India, said, “Up until the third quarter of 2016, we noted that arrivals had grown by 26.6 per cent in comparison to 2015 and we hope to have closed the year at 27 per cent growth. By September 2016, our arrivals had hit 73,902. This makes India South Africa’s eighth-largest long-haul tourism source market.” The tourism board is expecting between 600-1,000 travel agents to attend the roadshow.

Travellers from India continue to be enticed by the diverse attractions and stunning tourism experiences on offer in Australia. In 2015, the destination achieved a milestone when it welcomed over 200,000 Indian travellers during the year. Adding another feather to it’s cap, Australia has now notched an impressive 253,100 arrivals from India as of year ended (YE) October 2016. This number reflected a growth of 11.3 per cent vis-a-vis the same period last year, making India the ninth largest inbound market for arrivals to Australia. The month of October 2016 alone saw 20,400 Indian arrivals to the destination, an impressive growth of 24 per cent over the same period in 2015. Most importantly, the holiday purpose of visit have driven the overall market growth with an impressive 20 per cent and 19 per cent increase in arrivals and spend respectively. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “Marketing activities, in collaboration with key distribution and airline partners, an increased thrust on digital initiatives, integration on leading television shows, and improved air connectivity between the two countries, have been key factors in boosting travel to Australia.” The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 265,000 visitors from India for the Jul 2016 – Jun 17 period, a 9.6 per cent increase over 2015-16. Arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 6.4 per cent through to the financial year 2021-22.

South African Tourism has joined hands with Thomas Cook to offer travel packages and deals for Indian travellers especially during Diwali and Christmas holidays. They can now have the opportunity to take advantage of the special, fun-filled, activity and experience rich holiday itineraries from Thomas Cook in association with South African Tourism. Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism,said, “We constantly endeavor to create exciting and innovative experiences for our visitors. We would love for more Indians to come and witness the wonder that is South Africa – to truly experience and know the country like the locals. In close partnership with a leading travel trade partner like Thomas Cook, we hope to ensure that our Indian visitors have the best and most memorable experience from the minute they begin planning their trip. With a favorable exchange rate, Indian travellers going to South Africa will get an exceptional value on the ground as they can partake in so many more activities and experiences in their desired budget.” Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head – Leisure Travel & MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd says, “For our Teams at Thomas Cook India, our partnership with South Africa Tourism has had a significant positive impact- South Africa has now emerged as one of our fastest growth long haul destinations for Indian outbound travelers!  Our upcoming campaign is strategic and focused on a 3 pronged delivery: strong growth of over 15%; inspire demand not only for  popular choices across individual and group travellers (Cape Town, Garden Route, Johannesburg, Sun City), but equally showcase newer regions like Kruger, Franschhoek, etc., and thirdly, catalyse uptake for fresh new opportunities like self-drives and winter-travel.”

India is the eighth best source market for Tourism Australia, said Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia. He added, “We crossed the 200,000 arrivals landmark in 2015, A$ 1 billion spend, and improved our ranking to be the eighth-largest inbound market for Australia from 11th rank in 2014. The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) is predicting 245,000 visitors from India for 2015-16 and a 12 per cent increase over 2014-15.” There were 187,000 visitors from India in the first 10 months of 2015, bringing the total for the year-ended October 2015 to 2,27,000; an increase of 18 per cent relative to the same period last year. For the year ended September 2015, Indian visitors contributed A$ 1.1 billion to the Australian economy; an increase of solid 34% over the previous year. Tourism Australia has unveiled its latest advertising campaign in collaboration with its key distribution partners – Cox & Kings, Mercury Travels, Kesari, MakeMyTrip, Yatra, TUI, Vacations Exotica, Kulin Kumar Holidays and SOTC. The integrated advertising campaign will retain the brand theme ‘There’s Nothing like Australia’ and put the spotlight on the country’s attractions.