Tag Archives: Managing Director

Travstarz Global Group has recently opened its Mumbai Regional Office. Speaking on the development, Pankaj Nagpal, Managing Director, Travstarz Global Group, added, “We already had presence in Mumbai with our sales team, but we have now opened our full-fledged office with our Sales and Operations teams to be based in Mumbai to look after the entire West India region catering to Gujarat, Maharashtra and even MP. The team will be led by Hema Manghnani, Executive Director of the company based in Mumbai. The team size will be around 15 for the time being in addition to the sales teams at various locations”. Hema Manghnani said “We expect a huge surge in business from the Western Region after the opening of our office and with our operations team stationed here as local presence and local language speaking team makes a big difference.” Sucheta Nagpal, Director & CEO, Travstarz Global Group, also announced the start of their DMC operations for Egypt. “As per our expansion strategy, we have been making strategic investments overseas and Egypt is our latest addition for our DMC operations. With our own fleet of vehicles, we are contracted with all major hotels in Egypt.” He added    

The Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) witnessed 650 pre-registrations on its first day in Lucknow. The inaugural lamp was lit in the presence of Sunil Satyawakta, Chairman, TAAI UP Chapter; Vivek Pandey, President, TTAUP; M Shoeb, President, TAFCA; Manish Marwah, Director-Sales, Indigo; SMA Sheeraz, Managing Director, Sheeraz Tours and Yogesh Aggarwal, Manager-Sales, Oman Air. Harmandeep Singh Anand, Managing Director, GPS, said, “The numbers speak for themselves; 650 is a great number to begin with in Lucknow. The industry is accepting what we are offering at GPS. GPS. The exhibition is more of an opportunity for future endeavours.”  

Ginger has announced the signing of a new hotel in Noida, New Delhi’s satellite city. It will be the third Ginger in Noida. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ginger said, “Noida is a commercial hub with presence of some of the world’s largest international companies. We are delighted to partner with Admired Height Projects and expand our presence in Noida.” The new Ginger hotel is a Greenfield project slated to open in 2021. With 119 rooms, an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre, the hotel will be housed in Paras One 33, a one-stop mixed-use destination on Noida Expressway in Sector 133. It is located a short drive from Greater Noida, Akshardham Temple and with close proximity to major IT hubs. With two existing hotels in Sector 63 and the addition of this new hotel in Sector 133 (Noida Expressway), Ginger will have a combined inventory of about 300 keys in Noida. This takes the count to 15 hotels in the IHCL portfolio in the National Capital Region.  

Nijhawan Group has been appointed as the Advisor for tourism promotion of Embassy of Uzbekistan in India. Farhod C Arziev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to India, said that they would be working closely with the Nijhawan Group to make Indian travellers aware of the tourism possibilities in Uzbekistan. Ankush Nijhawan, Managing Director, Nijhawan Group, said that their first agenda will be to make the travel trade in India meet and start collaborating with the DMCs in Uzbekistan, as awareness about the destination is foremost. Arziev said that they have already simplified the visa procedure to boost the incoming traffic to Uzbekistan from India. It will also offer e-visa to Indians as well as a five-day visa-free transit in Uzbekistan from July 15, 2018.

The Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) in Chandigarh recorded around 400 attendees on the first day. Attendees engaged with the exhibitors during B2B sessions on an activity-filled day. Harmandeep Singh Anand, Managing Director, GPS, said, “With our third year of GPS Chandigarh, we are bringing in new products to bring awareness amongst the attendees coming from Karnal, Jalandar, Ludhiana, Solan, Shimla, Jaipur, Ambala, Ferozpur, etc.” Charanjiv Singh Bachhar, Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission Chandigarh, who presided over as the chief guest, said, “GPS in Chandigarh caters to the entire northern region like Punjab, Haryana and the hill states. The show also adds to the awareness of people travelling to the UK. We hope to see more such events in Chandigarh and the surrounding areas.”

Hotelivate has kicked off its 6th Hotel Operations Summit India (HOSI) at Taj Palace, New Delhi with stimulating discussions on topics pertaining to the hospitality industry. HOSI, the only dedicated forum for hotel professionals in the region, aims to empower today’s hospitality leaders through enabling conversations on management and operations-related issues, the rapidly evolving marketplace, latest industry trends, benchmarking and best practices. With the focus on increasing the diaspora of the speaker by bringing in leaders from businesses that are intricately tied up with the hospitality industry, the programme encompassed a series of keynote addresses by distinguished speakers and thought-provoking group discussions. Notable speakers included industry leaders such as Anshuman Bapna, Chief Product Officer, Goibibo; Dilip Puri, Founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality; Jiggs Kalra, Mentor and Culinary Director, Massive Restaurants; Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group; Rattan Keswani, Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels; Navjit Ahluwalia, Senior Vice President and Country Head – India, Hilton; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, OYO Rooms; Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO, Indian Hotels Company, to name a few.

Indian business travellers feel safer in ride-sharing services than in taxis, according to research commissioned by Carlson Wagonlit Travel. More than a half (56%) of the Indian respondents surveyed expressed safety concerns about using taxis when traveling for business, compared with 47% for ride-sharing services. Business travellers in several other newly industrialised countries like Mexico and Brazil also responded similarly. “In cities across the globe, using ride-sharing services has become a way of life,” said Bindu Bhatia, Managing Director – Asia Pacific, Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “The familiar and convenient experience they provide has made them a preferred mode of transport for many business travellers. Still, one continues to hear about safety incidents surrounding ride-sharing services around the world, which might explain in part why some travellers are worried about using them.” Looking at ride-sharing, 56% of Asia Pacific women feel somewhat nervous versus 38% of men. For taxis, that is 48% and 35% respectively. Even though ride-sharing is associated with the younger generation, the findings show that these travellers are more concerned about personal safety. Millennials, in all regions, are the most worried, followed by gen X travelers and baby boomers. In Asia Pacific, half of the millennial travelers are very/somewhat concerned when using a rideshare service, followed by 44% of gen X and 35% of boomers. In the Americas, the percentages are 47% for millennials, 42% for gen X and 29% for boomers.

Sarovar Hotels has announced the opening of Nataraj Sarovar Portico Jhansi, consolidating the group’s foray into Uttar Pradesh. The 72-room hotel is also the first branded hotel in the smart city. The hotel was inaugurated in the presence of Sanjay Khanna, Managing Director, Nataraj Mobiles and Ajay K Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. Owned by Nataraj Sai Hotels, Nataraj Sarovar Portico is the city’s first contemporary hotel in this evolving city. The well-appointed rooms and suites with all modern amenities complemented with personalised services, offer a truly memorable stay. The hotel also offers fully equipped conferencing and banquet spaces and facilities for up to 500 guests. Commenting on the development, Bakaya said, “We are glad to open the first branded hotel in this historic city of Jhansi and the fifth hotel in Uttar Pradesh. With its significant development, Jhansi is an important destination with rising number of visitors from across the country. This is set to be the best hotel in the city and will cater to the needs of corporate, groups, leisure and conferences.” Sarovar Hotels is targeting to have 100 hotels under its portfolio by 2020. Expected openings in 2018 include hotels in Jaisalmer, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

Cygnett Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Cygnett Inn Duvvada. The budget hotel features 40 guest rooms and suites with modern interiors, stylish furnishings and spacious event and banquet space. The hotel also adds ease to those travelling to the city as it is conveniently located close to the airport, railway station, and famous tourist attractions. As one steps outside, there is a fitness centre, a business centre and one of three banquet halls to choose from which are segregated among the lobby and the first floors. Pavilion is a one-stop destination to relish in the hotel’s delicacies. Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder and Managing Director, Cygnett Hotels and Resorts, said, “While it cannot be ignored that finances, proper pricing and timed positioning of one’s brand are important aspects for any business to cater to, it is essential that we, at Cygnett always prioritises on giving our guests an experience which hopefully they will remember for life!”

Sterling Holiday Resorts has launched India’s first comprehensive holiday insurance for all Sterling guests. The insurance provides cover for trip cancellation, personal accident, emergency accident related treatment, legal liability, misplaced luggage, delayed and missed flights and more. This comprehensive holiday insurance is powered by Digit Insurance, a Fairfax company. According to Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Sterling Holiday Resorts, “The comprehensive holiday insurance ensures a worry-free holiday experience. We want our guests to enjoy the unique experiences at our resorts and destinations without any travel-related stress. This is the first time when a holiday company is offering a door to door cover. The insurance offers a total of nine unique benefits, including coverage for flight delays, missed flights and misplaced luggage.” Kamesh Goyal, Chairman, Digit Insurance, said, “Our comprehensive insurance solutions have been developed by identifying the gaps in the market and keeping in mind the requirements of customers. The insurance is backed by a seamless & easy claim settlement process. We look forward to serve Sterling Holidays’ customers and help them have a worry-free holiday experience.” The insurance covers guests from 24 hours before check-in date to 24 hours after check-out date and would be complimentary for Sterling guests in the initial period.  The insurance is issued once the guests confirm to avail the free insurance, after booking with Sterling.