Corporate travel to grow 10-15% this year

Undeterred by the global slowdown, Indian Inc is spending on corporate travel, pushing up the outbound market for MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions). The Indian outbound MICE market is estimated to be around $550-600 million and is expected to increase by 10%-15% this year.

About 1.5-1.8 million passengers travelled outbound for meetings and conventions. Pharmaceuticals, cement FMCG, IT and financial services are the major industries contributing to the sector.

Forecasting a strong growth, Travelport COO Heena Akhtar said the industry was expected to grow by 10-15%. "The slowdown meant that regular companies cut down on their corporate travel last year. But this year, we are expecting a revival in incentivized travel and meetings by corporates,'' she said.

According to a study on India's MICE market by Synovate Business Consulting, the most popular destinations in Europe in the last two years included Germany with 73% opting for the destination followed by UK (52%), France (51%) and Switzerland (45%).

Speaking on the interest in Germany, German National Tourist Office director (sales and marketing) Romit Theophilus said, "Indians have a high spending capacity and we are expecting a 10-15% growth in business tourist arrivals this year.''

GNTO has seen a sustained growth of 20% year-on-year from Indian travelers with the number of visitor overnights growing by 26.2% in 2010 as compared to January-December 2009.

Lower hotel rates and carrier options in Europe supported by infrastructure, the vast number of businesses placed in European countries and services have popularized Germany as a business travel destination according to the report.

Other destinations too have seen significant growth from Indian tourist arrivals under the MICE segment including Hong Kong by 12%, Malaysia (15%), Thailand (30%) and Czech Republic by 40%.

The study also pointed out that top management accounted for 70% of the meetings and 50% of the conferences in MICE trips. Incentive trips were mostly conducted for executives and middle management accounting for 30% of the MICE trips.

Among the factors considered important for corporate travel are nature tourism, food and dining and cultural tourism, the report said.

Incidentally, countries like Austria, Indonesia, Turkey and Bhutan have offered discounted offers to woo large size groups while new entrants like Czech Republic, Spain and South Africa are pitching for an India-centric policy to tap the Indian MICE segment.
Courtesy : Times of India

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Orissa wins best emerging tourist destination award

The rich tourism potential of Odisha has won the state a prestigious award. A travel magazine, "Travel + Leisure India and South Asia", basing on its annual reader survey, rated Odisha has the best emerging tourist destination in the country.

General manager, Orissa tourism development corporation (OTDC), Manoranjan Pattnaik received the award at a function in new Delhi recently.

"Parameters like upward trend in arrival of tourists, both foreign and domestic, infrastructure development, identification of new tourist circuits and vibrant marketing helped us win the award," Pattnaik said.

Tourism secretary Ashok Tripathy said the department had drawn national and international attention by blending tourism with culture. "The award is a big fillip for us," he added.

Sources said Turkey got the best emerging tourist destination in the world whereas Goa was adjudged as the best honeymoon and wedding destination in the country.

Meanwhile, the OTDC is all set to sign an agreement with its Delhi counterpart to strengthen reciprocal promotion of tourism and travel-related commercial activities between the two regions.

"I had a preliminary discussion with the Delhi tourism officials on the matter. We are hopeful of signing an MoU very soon," Pattnaik said.

The OTDC had recently joined hands with the Goa tourism development corporation to boost tourism links between the two places. "Plans are afoot to collaborate with other states like Kerala, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh," the OTDC general manager said.

Source: Times of India
Crosswoods holidays 2011

Is Medical Tourism Recession-Proof? Study Says Yes!!

Medical tourism is not only one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, it is especially resilient during economic downturns, according to a new study on tourism niches.

While global economic conditions have a profound impact on such areas as cruise, business and incentive travel, medical tourism is among sectors that “continue to grow at a steady rate despite the financial crisis,” stated Specialty Tourism: A Global Outlook, a report issued by Global Industry Analysts, a market research firm.

Part of a larger trend
The report identifies specialty travel in general as having a major impact on overall tourism growth. It hails the “targeted approach” as sparking the creation of new tour products and consumer interest.

“Specialty tourism has also responded well to growing consumer interest in educational, health and active tours,” noted the report, which also cited adventure travel as a growing niche that is relatively resistant to economic trends.

Enormous potential for medical tourism
The report forecasts that by 2015 the medical tourism industry will generate revenues of nearly $168 billion.

An aging global population, rising life expectancy rates, and growing awareness about healthcare, diseases, and available therapies are contributing to demand for quality healthcare services, according to the report.

Together with growing demand for quality healthcare services at affordable costs, these forces are expected to drive the growth of medical tourism.

Huge savings for consumers
The report also cited the high cost of treatments in some regions as a major factor in driving patients to seek care in foreign countries.

Several surgical procedures performed in countries such as Thailand, India, or South Africa involve about one-tenth of the cost for such procedures in North America or Western Europe, it noted.

“For instance, a knee replacement surgery in Thailand is at least four times lesser than the cost incurred in the U.S. Likewise, dental, cosmetic and eye surgeries in Western countries cost three times as much as in Asian countries,” the report stated.

Lack of sufficient insurance coverage and the availability of high-quality and advanced services in destination countries were also cited as driving patients to overseas markets.

Most favored nations
When it comes to medical tourism destinations, the report singled out Asia and South America as regions with the most potential, “due to their low-cost healthcare facilities and availability of world-class healthcare service providers.”

“Several developing countries have emerged as favored destinations for patients seeking low cost medical services,” the report stated. “These countries are benefiting from the rapid expansion of medical infrastructure and facilities, better room care, less waiting time, higher success rates, and above all affordable costs.”

Among important medical tourism markets cited in the report are: Panama, Brazil, Costa Rica, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Singapore.

Emerging destinations
South Africa, Argentina, Cuba, Jamaica, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Dubai and Jordan are as emerging as destinations for medical tourism, the report said.

Certain destinations are favored by consumers for certain procedures or types of procedures. For instance, Costa Rica and Argentina are emerging as preferred destinations for American patients seeking high-quality plastic surgery. Europeans prefer South Africa for plastic surgery.

Hungary is favored for dental procedures and cosmetic surgeries among West Europeans and Americans.

Eastern Europe countries, particularly Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic are emerging as major private medical care tourism destinations for westerners.

Challenges for medical tourism
The report also noted several challenges facing the medical tourism industry. Among them is the fact that a number of developing countries aiming to be recognized as high-quality healthcare destinations are often branded as low-cost destinations.

“Most of the developing countries are competing to grab a share of the pie rather than cooperating with each other for designing, developing and facilitating the global medical tourism industry,” the report said.

Risk mitigation was also identified as a challenge, as patients may have no course of retribution in cases of a botched medical procedure.

“In addition, security concerns of medical tourists in case of natural or political disasters need to be addressed in order to drive growth of the global medical tourism market,” the report stated.

Resources
Travelers sellers can learn more about medical tourism, including strategies for reaching the market, by attending the Well-Being Travel Conference 2012, June 19-21 at the Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. The groundbreaking educational event is co-sponsored by Well-Being Travel and Travel Market Report. To register or learn more, visit www.well-beingtravelconference.com.

Courtesy : treavelmarketreport.com

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Indian Hospitality industry to grow at 15 per cent!!!

Slowdown in economic growth notwithstanding, the hospitality industry is confident of 13-15 per cent annual growth over the next five years, banking upon surge in business travel and expansion in number of hotels in the country.

Hotel majors such as ITC, Starwood and Berggruen are out to woo business tourists by betting big on the low-to-mid segments, a category which is expected to grow higher than the industry rate. The growth in the Indian hospitality sector will outpace that in the overall global hospitality sector, according to industry leaders and analysts.

ITC plans to double its room count in next seven years, said SC Sekhar, senior executive vice-president, hotel division, ITC. “Our country’s growth projection is 6.9 per cent for 2011-12, so what if it is not 8 per cent. We are still far ahead of many other destinations,” Sekhar said at the state tourism seminar on Saturday.

ITC that started hotel business in 1975 operates and owns over 100 hotels in India in 18 cities and will open at least three hotels in next few years. Sekhar added that ITC does not plan to foray overseas as it plans to meet demand for hospitality services in the country.

Same is the story of Mumbai-based Berggruen Hotels that plan to cash in on growing demand by opening 10 more hotels in next three years, the chain’s managing director and CEO, Sanjay Sethi said. The company at present operates around 30 hotels.

The story is no different with US-brand Starwood that is gearing up to operate about 100 hotels in India through management contracts. “We are currently operating 33 hotels in the country and the number will increase to 50 by 2015. By then, another 50 hotels projects will be on course,” said Dilip Puri, managing director (India) and regional vice-president (South Asia), Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts.

The Lemon Tree Hotel Company that owns 18 hotels in mid-market segment also announced that it aims to be the second largest asset owner in the country in hospitality sector if one were to go by Rahul Pandit, president and chief operating officer, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company. At present, it claims to be fourth largest asset owner in hospitality business in the country.

“Globally, the penetration rate of hotel rooms is 28 per 1,000 people. In India, it is much lower at 1 per 1,000 people. There is huge room to grow in mid-scale segment. In the next couple of years, we plan to go public with an IPO (initial public offering),” Pandit said.

Other global hotel chains such as Marriot and Carlson also plan to expand in India. Marriot plans to introduce its mid-segment Fairfield brand the year end while Carlson will add 19 more hotels in the country, taking its total count to 50.

“About 13 to 15 per cent growth is expected in hospitality sector over long term in India. The growth in the mid-segment will be higher and ultra-premium segment will be smaller. However, the realisation of sustainable growth depends on expanding infrastructure and better managing of talent,” said Timmy S Kandhari, leader (hospitality and leisure practice), PwC India.

The global consultancy firm also released a hospitality report on Saturday based on interactions with 20 top CEOs of the hospitality industry in India, which pointed out that revenues from business travellers will grow significantly over next few years followed by meeting incentive conference and exhibition segment (MICE) segment and lastly from leisure travelers.

Source : mydigitalfc.comCrosswoods holidays 2011

Kenya take bold steps to attract tourists

Kenya take bold steps to attract tourists, who already keen to visit excellent sites in Kenya other than the traditional Coast and Maasai Mara National Game Reserve are welcome to visit Baringo County and Kisumu, both emerging as two of the leading tourist destinations.

Players in the tourism industry within the western tourism circuit are re-packaging their services and products in a bid to maximise benefits from an anticipated influx of visitors to the region following the launch of the Kisumu International Airport.

Hot on the heels of the airport launch by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga last week, the Lake Victoria Tourism Association (LVTA) on Tuesday announced that tourism partners from the region had decided to shift away from tradition and come up with new products that will give the circuit a unique identity.

Association secretary general Norbert Otieno said although the region is rich in cultural diversity and captivating sites, little had been done over the years to package it to visitors.

“Most products here that can boost revenue from tourism are drawn from the culture of the people and the natural sites. Now we want to introduce new kinds of products to market them,” he said.

A range of activities are set to kick off from this weekend with a bush dinner party to be held at the Kisumu Impala Park on 11th.

According to Mr Otieno, the event will package several activities into one in order to give guests, both local and foreign, a wholesome tourism experience.

“The cultural aspects will be brought out through a variety of traditional meals and the visitors will have had a chance to take a tour of the park earlier in the day,” he said.

Other events that have been lined up to take place within the year include a gala night, a cultural night and a beauty contest.

However, the region still has a big problem to deal with: accommodation facilities are still wanting.

Kisumu Hotel Managers Association chairman Robinson Anyal said although there were more expansions of hotels and lodges going on, investors still had to do more to beat the challenge.

“There are accommodation facilities coming up currently but we are still encouraging investors to upgrade their hotels and train their staff to enhance quality services,” said Mr Anyal.

Kisumu, which is strategically linked to roads, air, rail and water transport is the main entry point to the rest of the region falling under the Western Tourism Circuit. But it only has a bed capacity of 950 or so.

Kisumu International Airport is also expected to open up the region to the global market, raising its prospects of hosting more visitors.

With around five hotels under construction and expected to be complete by the end of the year, LVTA has projected that the bed capacity could increase to 1,500 this year.

The western tourism circuit covers Nyanza province, Western and parts of the South Rift.

In Baringo County, visitors who wish to spend festive seasons, holidays or corporate team building events and retreats parties can do so at the Lake Bogoria National Game Reserve which is 107 square kilometres.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Maldives crisis triggers tourist cancellations

Anxious travellers cancelled their Maldives holiday plans following the dramatic resignation Tuesday of the nation's president, Mohamed Nasheed, in the wake of opposition-led street protests.

Nasheed stepped down after a police mutiny saw a large number of officers join forces with the protesters who had been demanding the president's resignation during three weeks of anti-government demonstrations.

"We had four to five honeymoon couples who made bookings for Maldives and were due to travel in the coming week to be there around Valentine's Day," Konica Kapoor, an executive of Flexi Tours travel agency in New Delhi, told AFP.

"But they called to cancel their trips" to the Maldives, a chain of nearly 1,200 coral islands that lie just off the coast of the Indian subcontinent.

The cancellations came as Britain's government issued a warning against "all but essential travel to Male," citing an "uncertain" situation in the island capital.

The British advisory said there were no reports of unrest at the main Male International Airport or at the tourist resorts and other islands. The German government was reported to have issued a similar advisory.

The Maldives, which stretches across the equator, is a popular high-end holiday spot for wealthy honeymooners and celebrities where luxury rooms can cost up to $12,000 a day.

"All hotels in Maldives had been booked till February 14," said Shyam Lal Gaekwad of Travel Marg, a travel agency based in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

"It's difficult to say what kind of impact the present crisis is going to have on travel to Maldives. The unrest is restricted to a few islands. We're keeping our fingers crossed," he said.

The Indian Ocean country last year drew more than 850,000 tourists to its secluded islands known for their turquoise blue lagoons and coral reefs teeming with tropical marine life.

The islands, long popular with Europeans as an idyllic holiday resort, now attract many visitors from Asia, especially India and China.

Tourism is Maldives' largest industry, accounting for a third of gross domestic product and more than 60% of foreign currency earnings.

The importance of tourism was underscored when it was granted $93 million in assistance from the International Monetary Fund in 2009 after its economy was hit by the global financial crisis that lowered the number of vacationers.

The recent political unrest had also seen anti-government demonstrations by Islamic fundamentalists.

The government of the Sunni Muslim nation was forced to briefly close all hotel spas and health centres in resort hotels in December after the hardline Islamist Adhaalath party claimed they were fronts for prostitution.

Four years ago, 12 foreign tourists, including a honeymooning British couple, were wounded in the island's first-ever bomb attack for which three Islamist militants were each sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Apart from the island capital Male, foreigners can only make short trips to other islands in an effort to curb the influence of outsiders on the nation's traditional Muslim lifestyle.

Travellers to the islands are usually whisked away on arrival at the airport by motorboat or plane to their resorts.

Maldivians are employed in the resorts, but cannot work as bartenders.
Crosswoods holidays 2011

Thomas Cook Group may sell India unit

Tour operator Thomas Cook Group Plc is looking to sell its profitable India unit to retire debt, and will ask potential buyers for bids starting Thursday, said two people close to the development.

The UK-based firm has hired Credit Suisse Group AG to help sell Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, the people said on condition of anonymity.

In December, promoters of Thomas Cook (India) pledged their entire stake (77.11%) in the company with Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS). The promoters of Thomas Cook Group are renegotiating loans with banks and deferred financial results for the September quarter.

In November, Thomas Cook Group said its banks, led by Barclays Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc, RBS and UniCredit SpA, have agreed to provide a new £200 million loan facility until 30 April 2013, which replaces the £100 million loan short-term facility announced on 21 October.

Potential bidders for the India unit include rival Cox and Kings Ltd and a clutch of private equity firms such as KKR India Advisors Pvt. Ltd, Actis Advisors Pvt. Ltd, Bain Capital and Carlyle Group and the UK firm is looking to close the transaction by May, the people said.

Thomas Cook India reported a net profit of Rs.24.52 crore for the quarter ended September on revenue of Rs.89.5 crore. It is yet to report its December quarter earnings.

Started in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) is the largest local travel firm dealing with foreign exchange and is among the top five tour operators. Its forex business accounts for 60% of consolidated revenue.

“The sale would not be restricted to its foreign exchange business, but parent company would sell entire Indian business,” said one of the people cited earlier.

An announcement to start the process of selling is expected after the UK company holds it annual general meeting on Wednesday, the people said.

“The agenda of the meeting has not been made public. However, we will give out the minutes of the meeting as soon as it is over on Wednesday,” Derek Woodward, Thomas Cook Group’s company secretary in London, said over the phone.

Thomas Cook (India) declined comment. Credit Suisse Securities (India) Pvt. Ltd also declined to comment but a Credit Suisse official confirmed that the firm has been asked to look for buyers. He requested anonymity.

Cox and Kings declined to comment as the company is in the so-called silent period ahead of reporting quarterly earnings on 14 February. In July, the tour operator has agreed to acquire 100% of Holidaybreak Plc for £312 million in an all-cash transaction through its UK unit Prometheon Holdings (UK) Ltd.

KKR India and Actis Advisors declined comment. In response to an email, Bain Capital said it does not comment on speculation. Devinjit Singh, managing director of Carlyle Group, could not be reached for comments.

India’s travel and tourism industry is expected to grow by 9.2% every year till 2020 to reach $432 billion, the second fastest projected growth in the world, according to GEPL Capital Pvt. Ltd.

Shares of Thomas Cook (India) rose 10% to close at Rs.46.2 on Monday on BSE, while the benchmark Sensex gained 0.58%. The market capitalization of Thomas Cook (India) stood at Rs.979 crore on Monday.

Courtesy : (pr.sanjai) livemint.com

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Indian travel and leisure companies start knocking on thailand's door - Bangkok post

More Indian companies are set to open shop in Thailand to explore business opportunities here and across the Asean region in the wake of the wide-ranging economic, cultural and educational agreements signed between the two countries last month. That will pave the way for a boom in Indian leisure and business travel, convention and exhibition delegates and VFR travel to, from and within the India-Asean circuit.


"We've already started getting a number of inquiries about procedures (to establish companies here)," Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa said. The key business sectors of interest are pharmaceuticals, automotive, agriculture and agricultural machinery, gems and jewellery and information technology.


Asked why Indian companies were choosing Bangkok as against any other Asean capital to take advantage of a future Indian-Asean Free Trade Agreement, he cited the ease of connectivity, especially with cities such as Kolkata, as being one reason. Indians also felt more comfortable living in Bangkok from a social and cultural perspective.


Mr Wadhwa said the agreements would boost people movements between the two countries. To facilitate this, the two governments are sorting out looming issues related to visas, work permits and criminality.


Tourism is one major area. With nearly one million Indian arrivals to Thailand last year, the ambassador said several issues have emerged and need sorting out, such as hassles with the visa on arrival formalities at the airport and rip-offs by the jet-ski operators in Pattaya. Indians also have complained about being denied entry inspite of holding a valid visa.


The ambassador said he had discussed this matter with the head of the immigration to try and identify the precise reasons why the problems were occurring, which sometimes could be due to misunderstandings and/or language problems.


In turn, immigration officials have that the Indian visitors themselves are not blame-free in their attempts to duck providing proof of having sufficient funds to cover their costs.


Mr Wadhwa said he was told by the immigration officials that with so many Indian visitors coming to Thailand, a few hundred problem cases can be expected but the ambassador feels it is important to try and reduce even that number.


He has also taken up the jet-ski ripoffs with the mayor of Pattaya.


In all cases, assurances have been given that rectifying measures will be taken. New joint committees have been set up to meet regularly, discuss specific cases and take follow-up action. The Indians have also given the immigration department the phone number of the consular chief at the Indian embassy with instructions to call at any time.


On the commercial side, the ambassador said, Thai and Indian businesses would be tapping into their respective strengths to seek more opportunities in the other country. This would require movements of people with specific skill-sets, removal of impediments and help with cutting through the bureaucracies.


For example he said, Thai spas and restaurants are in demand in India, but staff at Thai spas don't get the salaries which are the minimum required for getting a work permit in India. The same with chefs working in Thai restaurants. Thai companies also want help with the procedures for buying or leasing land in India. And Thais are also asking for visa-on-arrival facilities at Indian airports.


In order to narrow the gap between Indian visitors to Thailand and Thai visitors to India, the Thai side has asked for improved facilities at the Buddhist holy spots Bodhgaya, more long-term visas for Thai businessmen and more scholarships to facilitate higher studies in India.


"It is now a complete package," the ambassador said. "We had a lot of pieces lying around for a long time but have now brought them together. This visit (by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra) gave the entire package a long-term focus but there's a lot of follow-up work to be done. If you marry your skills together you can do much better as a whole."


The ambassador said stepped up activities are planned on the cultural and educational front. A Thai-India CEOs forum planned for this year will raise the level of business and economic discourse. A Thai-India Foundation will see eminent people from both sides lecturing on a broad range of issues to make people better aware of each other's countries. A chair to be set up at the India Studies Centre at Chulalongkorn University will boost bilateral contacts amongst academia.


"We want to lift the image of India beyond Bharat Natyam (a traditional Indian dance-form) and Buddhism, beyond the stereotypical images into something a little bit more modern. We want to bring in a higher grade of theatre, movies and artistic performances."


The ambassador also indicated there was a heightened sense of urgency for the completion of the road from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Burma, which would boost economic development in India's restive Northeast region by providing access to ports in both Burma and Thailand.


He said it is now hoped that the long-delayed project would be finished within two years.


An India-Asean car rally is planned for this year to highlight the tourism and transportation potential of this vital piece of infrastructure.
Crosswoods holidays 2011

Project Tiger: Bhadra, Kudremukh dropped

The State government has dropped a proposal to expand the Bhadra Tiger Reserve as well as include Kudremukh National Park under Project Tiger after local people opposed it, Law Minister Suresh Kumar told the Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to the issue raised by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, the minister said the government shelved the plan in the interest of tribals and other forest dwellers.

The State government had proposed to expand the area of Bhadra tiger reserve from the existing 500.16 sq km to 848.62 sq km. Besides, 600 sq km of Kudremukh Park was proposed to be brought under Project Tiger.

In the wake of strong protests from people in Chikmagalur district, the decision to drop the proposal has been notified, the minister said.

Suresh Kumar said the re-classification of protected areas under Bannerghatta National Park, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary will continue as planned.

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had recently announced that he had written to the Centre to drop expansion plan of Project Tiger in the contiguous Bhadra reserve.

The move comes ahead of the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha by-poll as the Bhadra reserve is in the constituency. Earlier, legislators, especially from the Malnad region, cutting across party lines, said there was stiff opposition to the proposal. “There is no public consultation. People are worried about their livelihood”, Sringeri MLA D N Jeevaraj said.

Siddaramaiah said people displaced by the Bhadra reservoir had been rehabilitated. “They will be displaced again if Project Tiger is expanded across the region,” he said.

Source : Deccan Herald

Crosswoods holidays 2011

State govts told to ban tourism in key tiger areas -Hindusthan Times

Several resorts in and around tiger reserves may cease to exist as the Centre has asked state governments to acquire 800 to 1,000 square kilometers to provide core inviolate (empty) area for tigers and ban tourism there.


In new guidelines issued to relocate 6,000 families in 41 tiger reserves in India, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has told the state governments that even private land includes estates should be acquired for creating inviolate space.


"The above component has been included under the Project Tiger scheme for providing 100 % central assistance to states to acquire such areas, if necessary, for making the core/critical tiger habitat inviolate," the NTCA guidelines issued last week said.


A study by Dehradun based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has shown that this much inviolate area is required for a viable population of 20 breeding tigresses. The NTCA believes that having them in core area will help in sustaining a population of 75-100 tigers in a reserve. "We can have a sustainable tiger population of 3,000," a NTCA official said.


In a bid to achieve the goal, the NTCA told the state governments to acquire land and relocate people by paying a compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh from the core area for declaring it inviolate. "A detailed guideline has been issued on how to relocate people in conformation with the Forest Rights Act and rejuvenate the land," the official said.


Resorts and guest houses around smaller tiger reserves such as Kanha in Madhya Pradesh and Ranthambore in Uttar Pradesh would get acquired, if the state governments implement the guideline. However, hospitability industry around bigger reserves such as Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand will not be affected.


Tourism may further suffer as the guideline asks shifting of tourism from the core tiger areas to the buffer zone so check adverse impact of human interference on animals. The NTCA has blamed excessive unregulated tourism for falling tiger population in many reserves.


Vishal Singh of Travel Operators for Tigers, a body of lodge owners around tiger reserves in India said their data showed that tiger population had either increased or stabilised where tourism was allowed and accused NTCA of failing to put its house in order. "Falling tiger population is not because of tourism but other conservation issues which NTCA has failed to address," he said.


The NTCA has linked further release of funds for tiger conservation with implementation of these guidelines.


Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/State-govts-told-to-ban-tourism-in-key-tiger-areas/Article1-805335.aspx

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Honour To Hospitality Industry : Priya Paul and Ajeet Bajaj selected for Padma Shri Award

After a long gap the travel and hospitality industry has once again featured in the prestigious Padma Awards. Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels and Ajeet Bajaj, Managing Director, Snow Leopard Adventures have been selected for the Padma Shri Award by the President of India. While Priya Paul has been conferred the highest civilian award for her contributions in the field of trade and industry, Bajaj has earned it for his achievements in the field of Sports (Skiing, the first Indian to ski to both North and South Pole).

 

Reacting to the nation's highest civilian honour, Bajaj said that he was literally “excited” and felt like “being top of the world”. “I have the same excitement I experienced when I set foot on the North Pole. It's a fantastic feeling as a proud Indian to be recognised at the highest level. I will strive hard to take the Indian flag to further heights in future. I feel that no challenge is big for us Indians,” he added. He said that both adventure sports and Adventure Tourism are close to his heart.

Priya Paul was not accessible for her reaction as she is in US attending a course in Harvard. A Bachelor of Economics from Wellesley College, USA, Priya Paul started her career as a Marketing Manager in The Park Hotel New Delhi and took over the leadership of the hospitality group after the unexpected demise of her illustrious father, Surrendra Paul. Her leadership qualities are widely recognised and she has been the President of Hotel Association of India (HAI). A founder member of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) - Asia Chapter, Priya Paul is currently the Vice President of WTTC- India Initiative.

The travel and hospitality fraternity is elated at recognition, despite it being delayed, of the importance and contribution of the industry at the highest level. “It's a proud moment for the travel and tourism industry in the country. The momentum should go on and this kind of honour will work as a motivation for others in the industry in future,” said Dr Subhash Goyal, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). Tejbir Anand, President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) while congratulating Bajaj for the Award, said that it was a “proud moment” for him personally and for the Adventure Tourism fraternity in the country, as Bajaj was one who laid solid foundation for Adventure Tourism in the country and is the face of the Association in the country.

Source : http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/priya-paul-and-ajeet-bajaj-selected-for-padma-shri-award-15520

Crosswoods holidays 2011

INVEST IN INDIA: Growth of Hotel Accommodation in India

The Government has taken various measures to augment growth of hotel accommodation in the country.


Hotel and Tourism related industry has been declared as high priority industry and Foreign Direct Investment upto 100%, under the automatic route is permitted in ‘Hotels & Tourism Sector’, subject to applicable laws/regulations, security and other conditionalties.


To encourage the growth of hotels, on the request of Ministry of Tourism, a five Year Tax Holiday was announced in the Budget of 2008-09 for two, three & four star hotels that are established in specified districts which have UNESCO declared ‘World Heritage Sites’ except the revenue districts of Mumbai and Delhi. The hotel should be constructed and start functioning during the period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013.


The Government has also announced the extension of Investment Linked Tax incentive under Section 35 AD of the Income Tax Act to new hotels of 2-Star Category and above anywhere in India.


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also issued revised Guidelines on Classification of exposures as Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Exposures. Thus, RBI has classified exposures to hotels outside the CRE Exposure.

Source : http://investinindia.com/news/growth-hotel-accommodation-india-34m5

Crosswoods holidays 2011