Tag Archives: Vice-President

Paytm has partnered with Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that will allow Paytm users to book train tickets online on Paytm’s App and website. The flights booking service on Paytm has been growing at 4x rate month-on-month since its launch in May. In line with its vision to build the country’s largest travel booking destination, the company has now launched online train ticket bookings in partnership with IRCTC. Speaking on the partnership, Abhishek Rajan, Vice President, Paytm said, “At Paytm, our endeavor is to solve for every need of a traveller. Our alliance with IRCTC is a major leap as it completes the spectrum of air, road and rail ticket booking solutions available on Paytm. This is a significant milestone in our efforts to build India’s largest travel marketplace.” The Indian travel market has seen exponential growth over the past many years. The Indian travel market is estimated to be worth $40 billion by 2020, according to an IBEF study. Paytm is determined to leverage the power of mobile to fuel this growth.

Registering over 1 million flight and bus ticket bookings on its travel marketplace in August, Paytm will further invest Rs 300 crore on its travel business as it plans to launch new categories and ancillaries owing to its exponential growth. The flight bookings have been driving a 4X month-on-month growth and the company expects twice the growth over the next six months. Paytm’s bus tickets segment recently turned break-even while the hotels section is expected to break-even soon. Abhishek Rajan, Vice President, Paytm, said, “We have seen exponential growth in all categories and will soon offer new services to our customers. Leveraging Paytm’s significant market penetration and strong brand proposition, we hope to grow India’s online travel booking pie by introducing new customers from tier II, III towns and cities to this category.”

Hyatt is all set to have a total of 27 properties in India by the end of this year. Harleen Mehta, Vice President, Sales Operations, South Asia – Hyatt Hotels Corporation says, “Currently we have a portfolio of 24 hotels in India, representing five brands (Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt and Hyatt Place). A sixth brand (Andaz) will enter India in latter part of 2016 with the opening of the Andaz Delhi. By end of this financial year, we aim to have 27 properties in India. Apart from the aforementioned Andaz Delhi – the thirteenth Andaz hotel in the world.”

In anticipation of IATA’s new standardised reporting procedures worldwide, the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has agreed to participate in its pilot programme that will start from October this year. Four members (one from Delhi and Ahmedabad each and two from Mumbai) have agreed to be a part of it. Commenting on this, Pradip Lulla, Vice President, TAFI, said, “We are doing a pilot run on enhanced reporting for IATA and the participating agents will give their inputs once it is completed. IATA workshops will be held in different regions when they are introducing it in India where agents can come and understand the new reporting procedures.” He said that the new system of reporting will be simplified and more graphic. Everything else will remain the same. “It will help agents to have a better report, that’s all,” he said. This will be followed by workshops by IATA for its entire member base.

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) will be coming up with an web portal to provide an online selling platform to its members. Marzban Antia, Vice President, TAAI, said, “Small agents cannot afford a website or a travel portal. Hence, we at TAAI are forming a TAAI portal, under the proprietorship of the association, which will bring around 100-1000 agents together. When these many agents will be selling their products on that forum, it will certainly give a jerk to many existing OTAs. It’s in a very initial stage as of now, but once it is out it will empower many small agents.”

Lords Hotels & Resorts is aiming at adding 15 properties to its portfolio to take the total count to at least 40 properties by the year 2020. “We are slated to announce the launch of our second property in Nepal and are also looking at setting feet in Kenya and some other countries  in the African continent,” says P.R. Bansal, Chairman, Lords Hotels & Resorts. The hotel chain is also planning on strategic growth in the Tier ll and Tier lll cities and towns. “The scope for growth for hotels in the affordable sector especially in the Tier ll and Tier lll regions is larger. It is our target to add four hundred new rooms by 2020,” says Rishi Puri, Vice President, Lords Hotels and Resorts. “We recently added a couple of properties to our portfolio in the south including a lavish resort in Thissur. The east has a good potential for growth especially in the mid-market segment and with our strength in this area, we are positive that we would be able to quickly take a lead in the region,” says  Bansal. “We are focusing on expansion across all the categories. Of our three new launches, our properties in Jammu and Agra belong to the Lords Inn brand, while our property in Kerala belongs to the Lords Resorts brand. In the forthcoming phase we will also be looking to hard promote our five branded F&B outlets and one spa. As India claims its rightful place on the global tourism map, Lords is poised to tap this great opportunity to its optimum potential,” concludes Puri.

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) concluded its national elections on June 30 in Ahmedabad and the new team thus elected will take over office from today. The unopposed Office Bearers include Praveen Chugh as the President, Pradip Lulla as the new Vice President, Aditi Bhende as Secretary and Jayesh Tharani as Treasurer. Zakkir Ahmed is now the Immediate Past President. The seven Committee Members for whom the elections were held include: Basheer Ahmed, Darshan Shah, Rajat Bagaria, Urvashi Gupta, Bharat Shah, Teddy Thomas and Sanjay Gupta. All of them have been re-elected except for Bharat Shah who replaces Jayesh Tharani as the Managing Committee Member.

Pradip Lulla of Cupid Travel & Tours has been elected unopposed as the Vice President of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI). His nomination was proposed by Trust Travel & Tours and seconded by Shrishti Tours & Travels. He earlier held the post of General Secretary, TAFI. The last date for receiving nominations for TAFI national elections for 2016 was 1700 hours on June 15, 2016. After examining the nominations that were received by the TAFI Secretariat in Mumbai, a list of names have been announced of those who have been elected unopposed and those who will be contesting the elections on June 30 at Hyatt Regency in Ahmedabad.

Rwanda Development Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) to promote the destination in India. It signed an MoU with TAAI on February 18 during OTM Mumbai in the presence of Marzban Antia, Vice President, TAAI; H.E. Ernest Rwamucyo, High Commissioner of Rwanda, New Delhi; and Jay Bhatia,Treasurer and Tourism Council Chairman, TAAI. Rwanda also signed an MoU with TAFI that evening at its event ‘Remarkable Rwanda’ in the presence of TAFI National President Zakkir Ahmed and Linda Mutesi, Tourism Marketing Division Manager, Rwanda Development Board. The Rwandian visa processing takes 24 hours. Through the East African tourism visa – a multiple entry visa valid for 3 months could be availed.  Travellers can explore Rwanda along with Kenya and Uganda.

Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) announced its 2nd mega convention from March 17-21, 2016 in Bali, Indonesia. Riaz Munshi, Vice President, OTOAI, was announced as the Convention Chairman. He revealed, “the venue of the convention will be Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort and around 300 delegates are expected to attend the convention.” The theme of the convention is ‘India Outbound: The Game Changer.’ The three-day convention will be followed by a day trip to Ubud. OTOAI will be working on the convention with their local partners PACTO.