Edited & Published by Shailendra Kesari • For Online News visit: www.safariplus.co.in • Email: info@safariplus.co.in • March - April 2016 • Vol: 17 Issue: 4

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NEWS FLASH

The Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has recently launched the “24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Info Line in 10 International Languages besides Hindi & English” on 8 Feb, 2016.

This service is available on the Toll Free number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 and operational 24X 7 (all days) in a year. The Tourist Infoline will have a “multi-lingual helpdesk” in the designated languages to provide support service in terms of providing information relating to Travel & Tourism in Ind ia to the domest ic and International tourists/visitors and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while

VFS’ new initiatives being taken to provide following services to Customers Applying for UK Visas:

Walk - In Without an Appointment -Customers who need to travel urgently or who can’t book an appointment for their preferred date or time, can pay extra to get a walk in appointment. This service are INR 2548 per applicant.

Group Appointment Booking - Charges applicable are INR 502 per applicant. For making a group appointment an email request is required to be sent.

Passport Pass-back (Submission without passport) - Those customers applying under the settlement route will

The e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) facility will be extended to 37 more countries from 26.2.2016. The total count of countries under the scheme will become 150.

The new 37 countries included in e-Tourist Visa scheme are Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova, Namibia, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan,

VFS introduces new services for UK VISA

need to submit their passports within 4 weeks of notification. The Passport Pass-back service costs INR 4200 per applicant.

On demand mobile biometric - VFS staff will take the mobile biometric kit to the customers’ home, office, place of study, or anywhere that is convenient for the customer/s, enroll biometrics and take applications for onward transportation to the mission for processing. Passports are returned via courier. This facility is useful for groups as well as VVIP’s.

Price to be worked out based on requirements.

Trinidad & Tobago, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Government of India had launched the e-TV facility on November 27, 2014. Till now the scheme has been extended to 113 countries at sixteen Indian airports designated for providing e-Tourist visa service. It is requested that further necessary steps may be taken for wide publicity of the scheme in above mentioned countries .

Since the launch of the scheme more than 7.50 lakh Visas have been issued under the scheme. At present on an average 3,500 e-Tourist Visas are being granted daily to foreign nationals.

travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities.

The languages handled by the contact centers include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The c a l l s m a d e b y t o u r i s t s ( b o t h international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge. The international tourists in India and also international callers who speak the aforesaid languages will be directed to the call agents proficient in the respective language.

MoT’s 24x7 Toll Free 1800 111 363Multi-Lingual Tourist Info Line

Thai Airways Mumbai OfficeRelocate to new premises

Thai Airways International Pci, Mumbai OfficeUnit No: 82, 8th Floor, Maker Chamber No:6,

Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021Tel: +91-22-6637 3777/ 1800 102 1225

Web: www.thaiairways.co.in

Effective from 1 March, 2016 Thai Airways Mumbai, Office is relocated to the below address.

Extension of e-Tourist Visa Scheme to 37 countries

4 5March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

EVENT EVENT

Reed Travel Exhibition's (RTE's) annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016 roadshow series has arrived in Dubai, continuing the drive for key industry p layers to leverage market ing opportunities and explore leading industry trends ahead of the region's largest travel, tourism and hospitality showcase taking place April (25 - 28).

Over 140 industry partners and exhibitors representing major industry verticals are attending the half-day event at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). They will take part in interactive open forum sessions, with this year's spotlight theme – mid-market travel – a key topic for discussion. The roadshow has already visited Ajman and Fujairah, and is moving on to Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The number of confirmed UAE exhibitors at ATM 2016, which includes individual emirate pavilions, currently tallies 136 companies with 10 new Dubai

The first instalment of Corporate Travel World (CTW) China will launch in Shanghai from April 14 to 16 at the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing. Organised by TTG Events and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, China, the inaugural event will open with 11 tailored topics c e nte re d o n C o r p o rate Trave l Fundamentals and Corporate Meetings & Events for the China market. Some100 Corporate Travel professionals are expected to attend.

The trending topics include Cost Saving approaches, Corporate Cards, China's legal landscape, Travel Technology and Strategic Meetings Management, while one of the 2 case studies featured will provide a first-hand account into China's anti-graft campaign, the challenges posed to corporate MICE meetings and how corporates are succeeding in this climate. The other case study will focus on travel cost savings. The 2 supplier topics will be dedicated to the air and hotel components. A much anticipated topic “Do business meetings and

exhibitors including DUKES Dubai, Palazzo Versace Hotel, Nirvana Travel, Dubai Link Travel & Tours, Kite Tourism and Lavender Group of Hotels & Hotel Apartments.

ATM 2016 will build on the success of the p r e v i o u s e d i t i o n w i t h t h e announcement of an additional hall as RTE looks to add to its record-breaking achievements. ATM 2015 witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 15% to over 26,000, with the number of exhibiting companies rising by 5% to 2,873. Business deals worth more than US$2.5 billion were signed over the four days.

incentive travel belong in the corporate travel programme?” aims to underscore the benefits of looking holistically at corporate travel, corporate events and incentive travel, as well as how and why they should be managed as a whole.

ITCM China 2016 updates

Returning IT&CM China 2016 exhibitor Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB) is hosting the show's first-ever post-show tours to Japan, to promote Kyushu as Your Meeting Place.

Aimed at attending buyers with interest in holding an upcoming event in Japan, the 5 Day 4 Night tour will cover Kyushu destinations including Beppu, Fukuoka, Kurume, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, and Sasebo, across 2 concurrent itineraries.

With Fukuoka being a new MICE city and tourist destination positioned as an alternative to Tokyo and Kyoto, FCVB is spotlighting the destination – one of Japan's largest cities with a 1.5 million population and excellent infrastructure – as the hub for MICE activities in the Kyushu region.

ATM 2016 roadshowhighlightstrending mid-market tourism

According to the Qatar Tourism Authority 3 million visitors arrived in 2015, Doha targets 4 million by 2020; expanding tourism product to boost tourism GDP contribution in the next decade with significant investment into new rail network, hotel pipeline and leisure facilities

Qatar's tourism and hospitality industry

is building momentum as it enters the second half of the decade, with an ambitious target of four million visitors by 2020, supported by US$40-45 billion worth of sector investment under the country's National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 plan. The Gulf state returns to ATM this year to showcase its e x p a n d i n g h o t e l a n d t o u r i s m infrastructure and booming air connectivity. The list of Qatari exhibitors at ATM 2016 include Katara Hospitality, Qatar Airways, Al Rayyan Hospitality, Qatar Tourism Authority and the Labbaik Group.

According to a Q3 2015 HVS report entitled In Focus: Doha, Tracking Progress, travel and tourism contributed US$4.2 billion – or 2% - to the GDP in 2014, with a figure of US$4.6 billion forecast for 2015 (a rise of 7.3%).

OTOAI announced its 2nd Convention in Bali, Indonesia. Mr. Riaz Munshi, Convention Chairman, told at the press conference on 3rd February 2016, that the convention date would be from 17 to 21 March, 2016 and the venue would be the beautiful Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort.

The conference attendees would fly in on a combination of Airlines ranging from the official partners Malindo and Malaysia Airlines from Delhi and Mumbai and, Singapore Airlines from pan India cities.

The first three days would be spent in Bali at the Convention venue, busy with business sessions, net-working, shopping and local sight-seeing. The fourth day would see a day trip to the stunning hill resort of Ubud and the delegates would return home on 21st March 2016.

OTOAI’s 2nd Conventionfrom 17 to 21 March, 2016

at Bali, IndonesiaOTOAI would be working on this Convention with their local partners PACTO! And around 300 delegates, invitees, speakers and media persons are expected to attend the Convention.

Further Mr. Munshi explained why Bali was selected to host the convention this year, “Bali is the most popular island holiday destination in the Indonesian archipelago, with good reason. Part of the Indonesian paradise that feels like a fantasy, Bali has a picture postcard like beauty. Soak up the sun on a stretch of fine white sand, or commune with the tropical creatures ... Bali is known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. The island is home to religious sites such as the cliffside Uluwatu Temple. To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has lively bars, while Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua are popular resort towns.”

Qatar tourism receipts toreach $7.2 billion by 2025

www.arabiantravelmarket.com

Record 1st time buyers and sellers at

Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2016First-time buyers and sellers have signed up in record numbers to attend the 15th Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion to be held for the first time in the northern Thai capital of Chiang Mai between 8-10 June, 2016.

The event, which will also be opened for first time to ASEAN national tourism organisations, had registered 321 buyers as of 11 February, of whom 142 were first timers.

By country, the largest number of buyers (79) are from India. This is the highest number so far and projected to grow further before the registration deadline ends on 15 March, 2016.

In addition to the regular list of buyers from traditional markets; such as, Europe, Japan, Australia and North America, registrations have also been received from new buyers from new source markets; such as, Moldova, Ireland and Ukraine.

Sellers as of 11 February totalled 305 companies and exhibitors of whom 72 were first timers. This has already surpassed the total of 258 sellers and 49 first-timers recorded in March 2015, for the TTM+ 2015.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Dr. Yuthasak Supasorn commented, “Such a large turnout of both buyers and sellers will help us meet one of the most

important criteria cited by both sides in their feedback forms, which is to meet new people.”

He added, “The level of interest is also a very good indicator of the growing interest in Chiang Mai and the Northern Thailand region. Traditionally, the travel trade has featured the beach resorts of South Thailand in their programmes. Clearly, that will now change and help us meet one of our major objectives of shifting the location, which is to better balance the distribution of visitors all around the country and reduce congestion at the popular tourist spots.”

To be held at the Chiang Mai I n t e r n a t i o n a l E x h i b i t i o n a n d Convention Centre (CMECC), the event will bear the theme of “Smile with Us.”

TAT is expecting 400 buyers from 50 countries. Tour operators who do not currently feature Thailand and the GMS countries in their product profile are being given priority in order to interest them in expanding their client base.

Bengal Travel Mart 2016 Received A Huge ResponseTo promote Tourism activities in North Eastern Region of India, Department of Tourism, Govt. of West Bengal, North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) and Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators' Association (EHTTOA) organized Bengal Travel Mart.

The 1st edition of Bengal Travel Mart 2016 was held in Siliguri (the gateway to North East) from 26th February to 28th February 2016. BTM 2016 aimed to

reach out to buyers from new markets such as Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Middle East, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden and USA and received a huge response from these global sellers.

BTM facilitated this platform in order to bring the Buyers, Sellers and the Media together at one place. Tour Operators, H o t e l s , R e s o r t s , H o m e s t a y s , Houseboats, Ayurveda Resorts, cultural

art centers and many others showcased their products at the Mart.

“This year the event was attended by 93 buyers, including 15 from abroad. There were 86 exhibitors from Bengal, Telangana, Assam, Nepal and Bhutan. Every day, around 300 visitors came and 2,760 business meetings were held. We are expecting an additional business of around Rs 46.50 crore over the next year," said EHTTOA president Subhasish Chakraborty.

In addition, to keep up the excitement stirred among the buyers and sellers, Minister Gautam Deb announced the dates for the second edition of Bengal Travel Mart 2017, will be held from January 27 to 29 in Siliguri.

BTM 2017 is expected to host around 10,000 buyers from several corners of the world and targeting other states of India. Overall, BTM 2016 witnessed a success in their commercial objectives.

Singapore will play host to the 36th

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) from 16 to

20 January 2017 with the theme

"Shaping Our Tour ism Journey

Together".

Announcing the event Mr. Lionel Yeo,

Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism

Board, said, "There is much more to

discover of Singapore and ASEAN, and I

warmly welcome you to ATF 2017!".

ATF 2017 also coincides with the 50th

A n n i v e r s a r y o f A S E A N . T o

commemorate its 50th anniversary,

ASEAN will also launch a year-long travel

campaign to promote the region's

diverse offerings. To know more about

ATF 2017 or for registration, visit at

http://atf2017.com

ATF 2017 in Singapore

Sheetal Mhaske Punam Tripathi

1st Corporate Travel World (CTW) China In Shanghai

4 5March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

EVENT EVENT

Reed Travel Exhibition's (RTE's) annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016 roadshow series has arrived in Dubai, continuing the drive for key industry p layers to leverage market ing opportunities and explore leading industry trends ahead of the region's largest travel, tourism and hospitality showcase taking place April (25 - 28).

Over 140 industry partners and exhibitors representing major industry verticals are attending the half-day event at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). They will take part in interactive open forum sessions, with this year's spotlight theme – mid-market travel – a key topic for discussion. The roadshow has already visited Ajman and Fujairah, and is moving on to Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The number of confirmed UAE exhibitors at ATM 2016, which includes individual emirate pavilions, currently tallies 136 companies with 10 new Dubai

The first instalment of Corporate Travel World (CTW) China will launch in Shanghai from April 14 to 16 at the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing. Organised by TTG Events and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, China, the inaugural event will open with 11 tailored topics c e nte re d o n C o r p o rate Trave l Fundamentals and Corporate Meetings & Events for the China market. Some100 Corporate Travel professionals are expected to attend.

The trending topics include Cost Saving approaches, Corporate Cards, China's legal landscape, Travel Technology and Strategic Meetings Management, while one of the 2 case studies featured will provide a first-hand account into China's anti-graft campaign, the challenges posed to corporate MICE meetings and how corporates are succeeding in this climate. The other case study will focus on travel cost savings. The 2 supplier topics will be dedicated to the air and hotel components. A much anticipated topic “Do business meetings and

exhibitors including DUKES Dubai, Palazzo Versace Hotel, Nirvana Travel, Dubai Link Travel & Tours, Kite Tourism and Lavender Group of Hotels & Hotel Apartments.

ATM 2016 will build on the success of the p r e v i o u s e d i t i o n w i t h t h e announcement of an additional hall as RTE looks to add to its record-breaking achievements. ATM 2015 witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 15% to over 26,000, with the number of exhibiting companies rising by 5% to 2,873. Business deals worth more than US$2.5 billion were signed over the four days.

incentive travel belong in the corporate travel programme?” aims to underscore the benefits of looking holistically at corporate travel, corporate events and incentive travel, as well as how and why they should be managed as a whole.

ITCM China 2016 updates

Returning IT&CM China 2016 exhibitor Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB) is hosting the show's first-ever post-show tours to Japan, to promote Kyushu as Your Meeting Place.

Aimed at attending buyers with interest in holding an upcoming event in Japan, the 5 Day 4 Night tour will cover Kyushu destinations including Beppu, Fukuoka, Kurume, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, and Sasebo, across 2 concurrent itineraries.

With Fukuoka being a new MICE city and tourist destination positioned as an alternative to Tokyo and Kyoto, FCVB is spotlighting the destination – one of Japan's largest cities with a 1.5 million population and excellent infrastructure – as the hub for MICE activities in the Kyushu region.

ATM 2016 roadshowhighlightstrending mid-market tourism

According to the Qatar Tourism Authority 3 million visitors arrived in 2015, Doha targets 4 million by 2020; expanding tourism product to boost tourism GDP contribution in the next decade with significant investment into new rail network, hotel pipeline and leisure facilities

Qatar's tourism and hospitality industry

is building momentum as it enters the second half of the decade, with an ambitious target of four million visitors by 2020, supported by US$40-45 billion worth of sector investment under the country's National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 plan. The Gulf state returns to ATM this year to showcase its e x p a n d i n g h o t e l a n d t o u r i s m infrastructure and booming air connectivity. The list of Qatari exhibitors at ATM 2016 include Katara Hospitality, Qatar Airways, Al Rayyan Hospitality, Qatar Tourism Authority and the Labbaik Group.

According to a Q3 2015 HVS report entitled In Focus: Doha, Tracking Progress, travel and tourism contributed US$4.2 billion – or 2% - to the GDP in 2014, with a figure of US$4.6 billion forecast for 2015 (a rise of 7.3%).

OTOAI announced its 2nd Convention in Bali, Indonesia. Mr. Riaz Munshi, Convention Chairman, told at the press conference on 3rd February 2016, that the convention date would be from 17 to 21 March, 2016 and the venue would be the beautiful Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort.

The conference attendees would fly in on a combination of Airlines ranging from the official partners Malindo and Malaysia Airlines from Delhi and Mumbai and, Singapore Airlines from pan India cities.

The first three days would be spent in Bali at the Convention venue, busy with business sessions, net-working, shopping and local sight-seeing. The fourth day would see a day trip to the stunning hill resort of Ubud and the delegates would return home on 21st March 2016.

OTOAI’s 2nd Conventionfrom 17 to 21 March, 2016

at Bali, IndonesiaOTOAI would be working on this Convention with their local partners PACTO! And around 300 delegates, invitees, speakers and media persons are expected to attend the Convention.

Further Mr. Munshi explained why Bali was selected to host the convention this year, “Bali is the most popular island holiday destination in the Indonesian archipelago, with good reason. Part of the Indonesian paradise that feels like a fantasy, Bali has a picture postcard like beauty. Soak up the sun on a stretch of fine white sand, or commune with the tropical creatures ... Bali is known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. The island is home to religious sites such as the cliffside Uluwatu Temple. To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has lively bars, while Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua are popular resort towns.”

Qatar tourism receipts toreach $7.2 billion by 2025

www.arabiantravelmarket.com

Record 1st time buyers and sellers at

Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2016First-time buyers and sellers have signed up in record numbers to attend the 15th Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion to be held for the first time in the northern Thai capital of Chiang Mai between 8-10 June, 2016.

The event, which will also be opened for first time to ASEAN national tourism organisations, had registered 321 buyers as of 11 February, of whom 142 were first timers.

By country, the largest number of buyers (79) are from India. This is the highest number so far and projected to grow further before the registration deadline ends on 15 March, 2016.

In addition to the regular list of buyers from traditional markets; such as, Europe, Japan, Australia and North America, registrations have also been received from new buyers from new source markets; such as, Moldova, Ireland and Ukraine.

Sellers as of 11 February totalled 305 companies and exhibitors of whom 72 were first timers. This has already surpassed the total of 258 sellers and 49 first-timers recorded in March 2015, for the TTM+ 2015.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Dr. Yuthasak Supasorn commented, “Such a large turnout of both buyers and sellers will help us meet one of the most

important criteria cited by both sides in their feedback forms, which is to meet new people.”

He added, “The level of interest is also a very good indicator of the growing interest in Chiang Mai and the Northern Thailand region. Traditionally, the travel trade has featured the beach resorts of South Thailand in their programmes. Clearly, that will now change and help us meet one of our major objectives of shifting the location, which is to better balance the distribution of visitors all around the country and reduce congestion at the popular tourist spots.”

To be held at the Chiang Mai I n t e r n a t i o n a l E x h i b i t i o n a n d Convention Centre (CMECC), the event will bear the theme of “Smile with Us.”

TAT is expecting 400 buyers from 50 countries. Tour operators who do not currently feature Thailand and the GMS countries in their product profile are being given priority in order to interest them in expanding their client base.

Bengal Travel Mart 2016 Received A Huge ResponseTo promote Tourism activities in North Eastern Region of India, Department of Tourism, Govt. of West Bengal, North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) and Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators' Association (EHTTOA) organized Bengal Travel Mart.

The 1st edition of Bengal Travel Mart 2016 was held in Siliguri (the gateway to North East) from 26th February to 28th February 2016. BTM 2016 aimed to

reach out to buyers from new markets such as Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Middle East, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden and USA and received a huge response from these global sellers.

BTM facilitated this platform in order to bring the Buyers, Sellers and the Media together at one place. Tour Operators, H o t e l s , R e s o r t s , H o m e s t a y s , Houseboats, Ayurveda Resorts, cultural

art centers and many others showcased their products at the Mart.

“This year the event was attended by 93 buyers, including 15 from abroad. There were 86 exhibitors from Bengal, Telangana, Assam, Nepal and Bhutan. Every day, around 300 visitors came and 2,760 business meetings were held. We are expecting an additional business of around Rs 46.50 crore over the next year," said EHTTOA president Subhasish Chakraborty.

In addition, to keep up the excitement stirred among the buyers and sellers, Minister Gautam Deb announced the dates for the second edition of Bengal Travel Mart 2017, will be held from January 27 to 29 in Siliguri.

BTM 2017 is expected to host around 10,000 buyers from several corners of the world and targeting other states of India. Overall, BTM 2016 witnessed a success in their commercial objectives.

Singapore will play host to the 36th

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) from 16 to

20 January 2017 with the theme

"Shaping Our Tour ism Journey

Together".

Announcing the event Mr. Lionel Yeo,

Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism

Board, said, "There is much more to

discover of Singapore and ASEAN, and I

warmly welcome you to ATF 2017!".

ATF 2017 also coincides with the 50th

A n n i v e r s a r y o f A S E A N . T o

commemorate its 50th anniversary,

ASEAN will also launch a year-long travel

campaign to promote the region's

diverse offerings. To know more about

ATF 2017 or for registration, visit at

http://atf2017.com

ATF 2017 in Singapore

Sheetal Mhaske Punam Tripathi

1st Corporate Travel World (CTW) China In Shanghai

6 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in

DOMESTIC NEWS

Telangana Tourism introduces Luxury Yacht Rides at Hussain Sagar

Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), launched two new catamaran yachts for the Hussain Sagar Lake at Lumbini Park in Hyderabad. The yachts were inaugurated by Ms. Sania Mirza, brand ambassador for Telangana State.

The new catamaran boats have been procured from the USA and will be

avai lable to ferry the public at the Hussain Sagar Lake. The b o a t s c a n accommodate 1 2 - 1 5 members per trip. TSTDC has introduced the

luxury ride package with these two new boats, which will be priced at RS 100 per person. Additionally, TSTDC has also launched party packages priced at RS 2000 per hour at these luxury boats. The party packages will begin post 8:30 PM and can be availed up to 12:00 AM. The boats will not only provide a luxurious ambience to tourists but also have a

lower seating which is closer to the water during the ride.

TSTDC owns the largest water fleet in India amongst the state tourism departments, about 95 which comprises small and big boats. The corporation operates leisure based cruises and water sports at different lakes and rivers of the State, Parasailing activity at Hussain Sagar etc, which are very popular amongst the local crowd as well. C u r r e n t l y t h e s t a t e t o u r i s m development corporation already operates 1 mechanical large boat as a ferry to the Buddha statue. TSTDC also runs 3 cruises 2 AC and 1 Non AC for parties and rides on the lake. TSTDC has also introduced a jolly ride with these cruises - with a carnival style folk and

cultural song & dance presentation during the ride. It operates a Jetski and speedboat as well to cater to the tastes of adventure enthusiasts.

With the aim of providing distinct tourism experience catering to all classes of audiences, TSTDC has introduced adventurous Jungle lodges along with a jungle safari at the kawal Wildlife sanctuary in Adilabad. The corporation also operates mesmerizing lakeside cottages at Ramappa and Laknawarm lakes at Warangal situated a few meters within the serene lake waters. TSTDC also has an exclusive Haritha Heritage hotel at Medak fort and another breath taking resort at Taramati Baradari in the heart of Hyderabad.

Indians Are Taking More Overseas Holidays

Despite a contentious economic climate, a more robust consumer outlook is emerging in 2016 in India than many other countries. Together with travel desire and sound economic stability (with double income in each family) and emotional connect between travel and quality of life are the driving force behind.

Consumers in India use the best technology available to get information on destinations and decide travel preference and this is all the more useful with availability of instant, personalized and online services from overseas destinations and based on this facility, outbound is flourishing from India.

The global financial and economic crisis clearly has not dampened people’s desire to travel. Many Indians travelled and spent so much money overseas with a travel of average 11% growth year on basis and at a last count it crossed over 15 million (though we don’t have yet the outbound figures for 2014) India’s continuing upward trend in the global travel industry is due to its economic growth as the main reason and has been observed by the destination promotion offices specially the emergence of a new middle class in our country which have sparked the desire to travel overseas (which prevails even in times of crisis). So India’s position is

recognized in global market of Travel & Tourism in a big way, the position by rank cannot be indicated.

As I have been in this industry nearly over 45 years, I would expect from overseas destination Tourism offices/ Agents for Indian (if they want to attract them to their respective destinations, as per details given below:

! R e l e v a n t i n f o r m a t i o n a n d comprehens ive data wi th v i sa facilitation, enchanting packages, availability of Indian food and lot of shopping discounts etc is made easy online

! Indians look for experiencing indigenous cultures ie local festival, visit local markets, perfumery (in France), Silk Fabric Printing (in China/Japan) Ikabena presentation and on hand training (in Japan), Soccer match in UK, Edinburgh Tattoo etc.

! Indian travels for business and combines with MICE travel, corporate focus on cost optimization and innovative performance enhancement. This sector is driver for outbound from India as company meets the major cost and lot of discounts are offered in the package by the Destination Country.

! Indians have great likings for food. F& B

heads should focus on food, (not on frills). Food on the table menus with healthy and organic options, open kitchens customized food help gives a warm welcome feelings at the hotel and they have memorable experience.

! They like more functional hotel than loaded with extra facilities (which they may non require) Cost cut is the key word. Need savings for shopping. Technology the internet will attract more consumer not only travel search a n d i n f o r m a t i o n b u t a l s o communicating with friends and family and for the purpose of selecting a destination for travel together. New age Indian travelers prefer transactions online. So go on updating with new offer.

! Indians will continue to travel to Europe and US. Among new destinations Myanmar is in their mind, provided travel access become easier.

! Family holidays will be the general rule for Indian outbound so customized tour packages are essential. Women group travelers will also be new travel conpenent in 2014 onwards. Infact woman in the family will be the decision maker on selecting the destination use woman magazines for promotions or invite women Editors of the Journals

under Media Relations Programme.

! Corporate houses/ Realty majors, Pharmaceutical firms, Auto Industry, Insurance Agency etc will give the maximum business for outbound.

! The well-heeled Indian travelers will look for high end hotels and VIP treatments, Spa and beauty therapies, Luxury brands and comfortable transport for movements. This burgeoning segment will be in demand. They are from Banks, Insurance, IT Industry, Real Estate, Manufacturing of Textile, high profile Doctors, consultants and look for them.

! In think I have given enough material for thinking and field is open, how best the overseas destinations would like to attract them.

! Indians now like to visit (as preference now) Finland, Brazil, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, UK, France, Germany and Australia as they are globetrotters. As I could see from the travel booking from indications from outbound tour operators?

By Gour Kanjilal, Executive Director, IATO and Former, Dy. Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Freelance Journalist

By Gour Kanjilal

7March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in

8 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in

Hidden Treasures of RajasthanEnough of attention is given to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer. These places have been visited, talked and printed in various mediums but Rajasthan has these several tiny places which seem to be undiscovered and unaffected by the rush of tourists. However, these places too deserved to be visited by the tourists. We have summed up some of the exotic places to visit in Rajasthan before setting a foot again in Jaipur or Jaisalmer.

Mandawa, JaipurMandawa is a plac e adorned with huge havelis and breathtaking paintings of folk, social, religious and historical themes on the walls. Mandawa is commonly referred as 'Open Air Art Gallery'. The Mandawa Castle is a historical building which is worth a visit reminiscing the rich culture of Rajasthan. The city is away 190 kms to Jaipur and this time instead of Jaipur

you'll enjoy your trip to Mandawa.

How to get there?

The nearest airport is Sanganeer airport and you may catch up a train that runs on a regular basis to Churu Junction. Good news is that you can get regular buses from major cities to Mandawa.

Kumbhalgarh Fort, Udaipur

There is an unexplained fun to visit forts. One of the important forts in Rajasthan is Kumbhalgarh Fort unfolds the unseen part of Rajasthan. The fort is surrounded with thirteen elevated mountain peaks and known as the second longest wall in the world after 'the Great Wall of China'. This feature of the fort makes itself prominent enough to visit. The fort also has a famous palace besides it known as 'Badal Mahal'. In addition, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is another tourist attraction that is spread across 578 km in area.

How to get there?

The nearest airport to Kumbhalgarh is Udaipur which is located 85 km from it. Your best bet could be booking a private c a b f r o m U d a i p u r t o r e a c h Kumbhalgarh.

Mahansar

Mahansar is a village in the Shekhawati

region in Rajasthan, India. The main attraction of this village of Shekhawati is the Royal Heritage Liquor. The Mahansar fort, Narayan Niwas Palace, and Sone-Chandi Ki Dukaan are the places to watch out for. The havelis have intricate designs and paintings of scenes from the Ramayana,

incarnations of Vishnu and the life of Krishna. The ceilings depict the rich heritage and art of Rajasthan.

How to get there?

Mahansar railway station and Bissau railway station are the nearest railway stations to Mahansar.

Kuchaman

Kuchaman yet another lesser-known place where Bollywood has reached but common people has yet to reach. Kuchaman city has lot to see and explore. The city is known for havelis and a fort. The Kuchaman fort, Meera Mehal and Jal Mehal are some of the major places that defines Kuchaman city giving a unique identity.

How to get there?

The Jaipur airport is the closet airport to reach Kuchaman City. The airport is located at a distance of 145 km and travelers can hire cab to reach

Kuchaman.

Hadoti Hadoti, once called as Bundi Kingdom includes districts of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar and Kota. Hadoti sparkles during festive season when the region celebrates Deepawali, Holi, Gangaur, Teej, Janmashtami and Makar Sankranti. Hadoti represents Rajasthan in vibrant colors by celebrating festivals in great enthusiasm. If you're fond of bird-watching you must visit Hadoti as Hadoti is famously known as a 'paradise for migratory birds'. Migratory birds from neighboring China and Europe flock to Hadoti and make a homeland for sometime during their migration phase. Districts of Hadoti such as Kota, Baran, Jhalawar and Bundi are blessed with abundant greenery and thick forests. Your time spend here will enrich your travel experience as well as widen your knowledge horizon.

How to get there?

Kota, the district in Hadoti is connected to all cities and towns and hence, you may get in there by train as most of the trains pass by Kota. From there you can hire a local transport to tour other places in Hadoti.

10 11March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

DOMESTIC NEWS DOMESTIC NEWSOdisha Tourism

to Attract Domestic Tourists“Karnataka Habba” at Mumbai to showcase the Best of Tourism, Art, Craft, Culture,Cuisine& More…..

T h e D e p a r t m e n t o f To u r i s m , Government of Karnataka hosted a 3 day extravaganza-a festival called

“Karnataka Habba” at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla from 4th to 6th March 2016. The 3-day fest is an initiative by Tourism Department of Karnataka to showcase the state in all its glory to the people of Mumbai.

Karnataka – One State, Many Worlds, which is well known for silk, milk, coffee, honey and many more is being showcased in a magnificent manner through 25 different boutiques, each displaying tourism circuits, handicrafts, cuisines, art, craft, culture, handlooms, etc. Famed silk sarees, Mysore Sandal products, Dharwad kasuthi, Khadi wears, Lacquer Ware, Lambani Crafts,

Tribal Jewellery, rosewood inlay and sandalwood articles, ganjifa paintings, m i r ro r e m b ro i d e r y, B i d r i wa re , terracotta items, wineand much more theare on display and will be handy for visitors to purchase.

Food courts serving various types of cuisines from different parts of the state will be put up, to showcase a whole unique range of Karnataka food. Authentic cuisines from Karnataka like RaagiRotti, AkkiRotti, Paddu&Chatni, N e e r D o s a & C h a t n i , S h a v i g e , M a n ga lu ru B a j j i , B i s ib e le b at h , J a w a r R o t t t i , Y e n n e g a y i , HesaruKhaluPalya, North Karnataka cuisine, Coastal cookeries and many more varieties were served.

A separate stage had been made to exhibit the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka. Professional artists who have come down from different parts of the state will showcase the various dance & music forms of the state during the Habba.

Kerala Tourism organised a roadshow in Mumbai to share the plans for the year along with the new initiatives in God's own country with the travel partners. Mr. Nandakumar K.P, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism headed the team and the event was followed by a cultural show that symbolizes the true essence of Kerala.

Kerala Tourism attracts more tourists with new initiatives!

! In 2015, the number of foreign tourists that visited Kerala was 7,75,390 (From Jan-October)

! Foreign tourists' arrival from Jan-October, 2015 up by 6.60%

! Number of domestic tourists in Kerala this year was 76,71,277 (From Jan –August)

! Domestic tourists' arrival from Jan –August, 2015 up by 7.40%

Foreign Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 9, 23,366; it shows an increase of 7.60% over the previous year's figure of 8, 58,143. Domestic Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 116, 95,411. It shows an increase of 7.71 % over the previous year's figure 108, 57,811.

Tourism Board shared some majors to promote the destination -

Kerala Tourism has declared the period from April 2015 to April 2016 as"Visit Kerala Year" and an array of activities are planned as part of it. In the wake of the fresh initiative, Kerala Tourism will

The Department of Tourism (DoT), Government of Odisha, in it's bid to attract domestic tourists from Mumbai concluded a road show with the objective to promote the state & its variety of tourism products.

Odisha is a tourists' paradise and has many stunning destinations which offer a visual feast to the tourists & visitors. The Sun Temple at Konark, Lord Jagannath at Puri, attracts tourists from overseas and domestic front. The serene beaches at Puri , Chandipur, Gopalpur and Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Simlipal National Park to name a few are very famous tourist attractions. The rock-cut caves of Khandagiri & Udaygiri at Bhubaneswar depicting Jain heritage

explore more new markets like China, Sri Lanka etc. Aggressive campaigns that target potential travelers in big traditional markets for Kerala will be conducted in the United Kingdom, France and Germany through trade fairs and roadshows. Leveraging the increased air connectivity, a focused Ayurveda and monsoon campaign will be conducted in the Middle East where 90% of the Diasporas are from Kerala.

Kerala will be promoted as a major “Wedding and MICE destination” through online campaigns.

Kerala Tourism will also launch a new theme campaign to showcase Kerala and its unique attractions, to strengthen Kerala's position as 'God's Own Country' and to create a destination pull. Food festivals conducted in cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai to market Kerala's authentic cuisine, one of the tourist attractions of the State. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will come up with special discounted packages during the period.

throw ample light on the magnificent past of Odisha. Apart from these, Odisha has successfully nurtured three great religions like Buddhism, Jainism & Hinduism.

A progressive and investment friendly Tourism Policy has been in operation since April 2013. As per the policy a State Level Single Window Committee has b e e n c r e a t e d f o r s p e e d y

implementation of the projects; several incentives have been announced for the Tourism stake holders as part of promotional initiatives. In August last year, the Light & Sound Show (SEL) has been started at Dhauli and to follow in at Konark and Khandagiri-Udayagiri.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has also been playing a key role in the promotion &

development of Tourism. It covers a wide range of facilities to the tourists & visitors with its 22 strategically located hotels & re s ta u ra n t s . T h e s ta t e c a p i ta l Bhubaneswar is a modern city having good connectivity (both rail and air) to all major cities of the country. The Airport has opened to international sector and will definitely give a surge in tourist traffic.

First ever Jal Mahotsav o r ga n i ze d b y M a d hya Pradesh Tourism successes i n i t s o b j e c t i ve s . T h e Mahotsav was of 10 day at H a n u w a n t i y a i n t h e Khandwa District beginning from February, 12th 2016. T h e e v e n t w a s a n opportunity to experience the colourful customs and rich traditions of the tribes that prevail on the banks of the river. Through local art, craft, folk music, dance and cuisines, one could experience the true local flavor of the State.

Tourists from near and afar participated in Jal-Mahotsav amidst festive mood, fervour and enthusiasm and visited naturally formed islands in Narmada b a c k wate rs . J a l - M a h o t s av wa s organised in order to boost the tourism in the state. Madhya Pradesh and to

raise awareness about the importance of water MP tourism has taken this initiative. During the period, tourists came face to face with islands in backwaters of Indira Sagar dam and almost uninhabited places, whereas Hanuwant iya

tourist destination carved its identity.

Tourists enjoyed bullock cart ride and enthusiast ical ly part ic ipated in adventurous activities kite flying, parasailing and water scooting. Cultural progrmmes were also held daily during Jal-Mahotsav. Through them, rich cultural heritage of Nimar-Malwa region was enlivened.

Tourists had sightseeing of Boriyamal island, about 15 kms from Hanuwantiya by motorboats and Jal Pari. They also sailed through Reva cruise.

Jal Mahotsav Utsav Dil se

Karnataka Habba

The True Essence of Kerala

10 11March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

DOMESTIC NEWS DOMESTIC NEWSOdisha Tourism

to Attract Domestic Tourists“Karnataka Habba” at Mumbai to showcase the Best of Tourism, Art, Craft, Culture,Cuisine& More…..

T h e D e p a r t m e n t o f To u r i s m , Government of Karnataka hosted a 3 day extravaganza-a festival called

“Karnataka Habba” at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla from 4th to 6th March 2016. The 3-day fest is an initiative by Tourism Department of Karnataka to showcase the state in all its glory to the people of Mumbai.

Karnataka – One State, Many Worlds, which is well known for silk, milk, coffee, honey and many more is being showcased in a magnificent manner through 25 different boutiques, each displaying tourism circuits, handicrafts, cuisines, art, craft, culture, handlooms, etc. Famed silk sarees, Mysore Sandal products, Dharwad kasuthi, Khadi wears, Lacquer Ware, Lambani Crafts,

Tribal Jewellery, rosewood inlay and sandalwood articles, ganjifa paintings, m i r ro r e m b ro i d e r y, B i d r i wa re , terracotta items, wineand much more theare on display and will be handy for visitors to purchase.

Food courts serving various types of cuisines from different parts of the state will be put up, to showcase a whole unique range of Karnataka food. Authentic cuisines from Karnataka like RaagiRotti, AkkiRotti, Paddu&Chatni, N e e r D o s a & C h a t n i , S h a v i g e , M a n ga lu ru B a j j i , B i s ib e le b at h , J a w a r R o t t t i , Y e n n e g a y i , HesaruKhaluPalya, North Karnataka cuisine, Coastal cookeries and many more varieties were served.

A separate stage had been made to exhibit the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka. Professional artists who have come down from different parts of the state will showcase the various dance & music forms of the state during the Habba.

Kerala Tourism organised a roadshow in Mumbai to share the plans for the year along with the new initiatives in God's own country with the travel partners. Mr. Nandakumar K.P, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism headed the team and the event was followed by a cultural show that symbolizes the true essence of Kerala.

Kerala Tourism attracts more tourists with new initiatives!

! In 2015, the number of foreign tourists that visited Kerala was 7,75,390 (From Jan-October)

! Foreign tourists' arrival from Jan-October, 2015 up by 6.60%

! Number of domestic tourists in Kerala this year was 76,71,277 (From Jan –August)

! Domestic tourists' arrival from Jan –August, 2015 up by 7.40%

Foreign Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 9, 23,366; it shows an increase of 7.60% over the previous year's figure of 8, 58,143. Domestic Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 116, 95,411. It shows an increase of 7.71 % over the previous year's figure 108, 57,811.

Tourism Board shared some majors to promote the destination -

Kerala Tourism has declared the period from April 2015 to April 2016 as"Visit Kerala Year" and an array of activities are planned as part of it. In the wake of the fresh initiative, Kerala Tourism will

The Department of Tourism (DoT), Government of Odisha, in it's bid to attract domestic tourists from Mumbai concluded a road show with the objective to promote the state & its variety of tourism products.

Odisha is a tourists' paradise and has many stunning destinations which offer a visual feast to the tourists & visitors. The Sun Temple at Konark, Lord Jagannath at Puri, attracts tourists from overseas and domestic front. The serene beaches at Puri , Chandipur, Gopalpur and Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Simlipal National Park to name a few are very famous tourist attractions. The rock-cut caves of Khandagiri & Udaygiri at Bhubaneswar depicting Jain heritage

explore more new markets like China, Sri Lanka etc. Aggressive campaigns that target potential travelers in big traditional markets for Kerala will be conducted in the United Kingdom, France and Germany through trade fairs and roadshows. Leveraging the increased air connectivity, a focused Ayurveda and monsoon campaign will be conducted in the Middle East where 90% of the Diasporas are from Kerala.

Kerala will be promoted as a major “Wedding and MICE destination” through online campaigns.

Kerala Tourism will also launch a new theme campaign to showcase Kerala and its unique attractions, to strengthen Kerala's position as 'God's Own Country' and to create a destination pull. Food festivals conducted in cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai to market Kerala's authentic cuisine, one of the tourist attractions of the State. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will come up with special discounted packages during the period.

throw ample light on the magnificent past of Odisha. Apart from these, Odisha has successfully nurtured three great religions like Buddhism, Jainism & Hinduism.

A progressive and investment friendly Tourism Policy has been in operation since April 2013. As per the policy a State Level Single Window Committee has b e e n c r e a t e d f o r s p e e d y

implementation of the projects; several incentives have been announced for the Tourism stake holders as part of promotional initiatives. In August last year, the Light & Sound Show (SEL) has been started at Dhauli and to follow in at Konark and Khandagiri-Udayagiri.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has also been playing a key role in the promotion &

development of Tourism. It covers a wide range of facilities to the tourists & visitors with its 22 strategically located hotels & re s ta u ra n t s . T h e s ta t e c a p i ta l Bhubaneswar is a modern city having good connectivity (both rail and air) to all major cities of the country. The Airport has opened to international sector and will definitely give a surge in tourist traffic.

First ever Jal Mahotsav o r ga n i ze d b y M a d hya Pradesh Tourism successes i n i t s o b j e c t i ve s . T h e Mahotsav was of 10 day at H a n u w a n t i y a i n t h e Khandwa District beginning from February, 12th 2016. T h e e v e n t w a s a n opportunity to experience the colourful customs and rich traditions of the tribes that prevail on the banks of the river. Through local art, craft, folk music, dance and cuisines, one could experience the true local flavor of the State.

Tourists from near and afar participated in Jal-Mahotsav amidst festive mood, fervour and enthusiasm and visited naturally formed islands in Narmada b a c k wate rs . J a l - M a h o t s av wa s organised in order to boost the tourism in the state. Madhya Pradesh and to

raise awareness about the importance of water MP tourism has taken this initiative. During the period, tourists came face to face with islands in backwaters of Indira Sagar dam and almost uninhabited places, whereas Hanuwant iya

tourist destination carved its identity.

Tourists enjoyed bullock cart ride and enthusiast ical ly part ic ipated in adventurous activities kite flying, parasailing and water scooting. Cultural progrmmes were also held daily during Jal-Mahotsav. Through them, rich cultural heritage of Nimar-Malwa region was enlivened.

Tourists had sightseeing of Boriyamal island, about 15 kms from Hanuwantiya by motorboats and Jal Pari. They also sailed through Reva cruise.

Jal Mahotsav Utsav Dil se

Karnataka Habba

The True Essence of Kerala

12 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in

Dig deeper to know some lesser-known places of

Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh, the first thing appears in front of your eyes must be snow-covered mountains and thick forests. Your imagination is not wrong, but Himachal Pradesh has more than snowy-mountains. From different flavors of cuisine, rich culture, pachmina shawl, cultural dance forms to arts of carving, weaving and painting Himachal Pradesh has everything perfectly blended in. Even Bollywood romance swears of the charm of the state. You won't have a single boring moment in Himachali cities. The more you dig in, the more you'll be mesmerized with the beauty of Himachal Pradesh. We're listing some of the lesser-known yet incredibly beautiful places of Himachal Pradesh that will leave a long-lasting impression on your mind.

BAROT

Barot is situated in a small valley formed by the Uhl river and surrounded on both sides by parts of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. In no time, Barot has become a day tourist destination. Barot is a prime point of the tunnel that diverts river water of Uhl river to Shanon Power house. Here you can enjoy fish farming, the taste of local life and some vivid memories of this tiny village that will linger in your mind for lifetime. Barot is adorned by natural beauty and has few fish farms, Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary

and deep forests.

To lost in this cozy village catch a bus from Mandi, Jogindernagar and Palampur. The closet railway station is at Jogindernagar.

SPITI VALLEY

Spiti Valley has an influence of Buddhist culture similar to Tibet Autonomous Region and the Ladakh region of India. If

you seek for peace of mind and your trip to Spiti Valley may give you some of it. Spiti Va l ley i s a desert mountain valley located h i g h i n H i m a l a y a mountains. The prime attraction for tourists is a research and cultural centre for Buddhists. It was the same location featured in Hindi movies like Paap and

Milarepa. By then you must have got an idea that how S p i t i Va l l e y o f f e r s a breathtaking views of high Himalaya mountains and n a t u r a l g r e e n e r y . K i M o n a s t e r y a n d Ta b o Monastery are a must visit places if you’re visiting Spiti Valley.

The available route passes through Manali to Spiti Valley

but you’ll need to hire an experienced mountain driver for the same.

MALANA

Every state, every city follows different culture, traditions and lifestyle though

Malana stands different than other cities. Malana has its own lifestyle and social culture, and people are religious and strict in following their customs. Malana has an ancient history and several ancient temples such as Jamlu temple and Rukhmini temple. Malana’s l i festyle and customs is observatory and one must visit to explore their ancient lifestyle and culture.

The easiest way to reach Malana is from the v i l l a g e J a r i connected to Kullu Valley. From there you may hire a cab t o w a l k i n t o Malana.

KHEERGANGA

What about a hot bath in natural s u r r o u n d i n g ? K h r e e g a n g a i s well-known for its hot springs and holy River Ganges. Kheerganaga offers scenic views as it is

situated in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Kheerganga is the best place for trekking, camping, nature walking and spending time leisurely looking at mountains and landscapes. A miracle of nature where it remains snow-covered during winters and uncovered during summers. Kheerganga is a complete package of fun, flora and fauna.

Catch any bus to Kullu and get down at Bhuntar circle. Since Bhuntar lies on Manali highway you will get enough buses on this route. From there you can catch any local transport to explore the road of Kheerganga.

PRASHAR LAKE

Lakes bring extreme serenity to the mind and hearts of many. This beautiful Prashar lake remains undiscovered until

Safari Plus covers it. Your visit to Prashar lake is worth when you can discover the beauty of the lake, the local culture, the ancient history of it and perfect snow trek to enjoy. The place brings calmness, inner peace and religious feelings in you as the Sage Prashara temple is situated by the side of the lake.

The nearest route to Prashar lake starts from Mandi which is 430 kms from Delhi en route to Kullu and Manali. Take a Manali bound bus and get down to Mandi. Fetch a private transport to Prashar lake to start your journey.

14 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in 15

Snapshot

The Best Photo Ops in AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

When you're visiting Australia and New Zealand, make sure to bring an external hard drive, memory card, iCloud account – anything you need to store a copious number of travel photos you'll be taking. Almost everything is indeed photo-worthy, but make sure you do not miss these amazing photo ops in particular. Contiki Holidays shares some of the most photogenic places to visit in Australia and New Zealand.

Fraser Island - The world's largest sand island will take your breath away…along with the space on your memory card.

Whitsundays - Most of the beaches in Australia are simply gorgeous, but this is the Beyoncé of beaches.

Byron Bay Beach & LighthouseSurfing in Australia has never looked so dreamy.

Great Ocean Road & 12 ApostlesQueue the countless number of likes for these picture-perfect photos.

Tongariro CrossingYes, that water colour is (un)real!

Cathedral CoveWho knew that a rock could be so photogenic?

Lake Taupo - Snap away while you watch the sun set over the largest lake in Australasia (which is roughly the size of Singapore!)

Fox Glacier - Glacier and rainforest spells photographer's heaven. (Bonus points for New Zealand wildlife!)

Pic Courtesy by Contiki - is the world leader in youth travel experiences, a brand that is all about discovery, epic moments and making every second count. The journeys with Contiki will unlock the local way of life in each and every destination you visit, and with over 200 trips in more than 50 countries, one can see every day as the start of a new adventure. For more information on Contiki's new trips throughout Australia & New Zealand and all departure dates, check out contiki.com.

14 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in 15

Snapshot

The Best Photo Ops in AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

When you're visiting Australia and New Zealand, make sure to bring an external hard drive, memory card, iCloud account – anything you need to store a copious number of travel photos you'll be taking. Almost everything is indeed photo-worthy, but make sure you do not miss these amazing photo ops in particular. Contiki Holidays shares some of the most photogenic places to visit in Australia and New Zealand.

Fraser Island - The world's largest sand island will take your breath away…along with the space on your memory card.

Whitsundays - Most of the beaches in Australia are simply gorgeous, but this is the Beyoncé of beaches.

Byron Bay Beach & LighthouseSurfing in Australia has never looked so dreamy.

Great Ocean Road & 12 ApostlesQueue the countless number of likes for these picture-perfect photos.

Tongariro CrossingYes, that water colour is (un)real!

Cathedral CoveWho knew that a rock could be so photogenic?

Lake Taupo - Snap away while you watch the sun set over the largest lake in Australasia (which is roughly the size of Singapore!)

Fox Glacier - Glacier and rainforest spells photographer's heaven. (Bonus points for New Zealand wildlife!)

Pic Courtesy by Contiki - is the world leader in youth travel experiences, a brand that is all about discovery, epic moments and making every second count. The journeys with Contiki will unlock the local way of life in each and every destination you visit, and with over 200 trips in more than 50 countries, one can see every day as the start of a new adventure. For more information on Contiki's new trips throughout Australia & New Zealand and all departure dates, check out contiki.com.

16 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

TRADE PLUS

17

'ASEAN for ASEAN’Te n m e m b e r n at i o n a l to u r i s m organisations of ASEAN (ASEAN NTOs) revealed a combined 'ASEAN for ASEAN' campaign under nine different themes, to promote travel within ASEAN region.

Under the campaign, each NTO has taken on a specific task with the effort to drive internal regional tourism through 2016, as well as generate awareness of ASEAN tourism brand.

Said Mr. Zulzalani Osman, Acting Head of Marketing and Promotion Centre from Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Brunei Darussalam, as also Chairman of ASEAN Tourism Marketing and Communication Working Group: “Although many ASEAN people are quite famil iar with their neighboring

countries, there are still plenty of unique tourism attractions in each ASEAN Member State yet to be visited and experienced. We'd like the people of ASEAN to be fully aware of, appreciates and proud of the great diversity of tourism assets in ASEAN Member States.”

While Brunei Darussalam promotes community-based tourism via trade shows, official website and publishing related articles in the print media, Cambodia promotes ASEAN culture and heritage tourism through its official website, tradeshows, national festivals, local TV and magazines, likewise with Myanmar, who also arranged photo exhibitions in their national events.

Indonesia endorses ASEAN spa and wellness via websites, participation in local trade shows and development of promotional videos; LAO PDR advocates nature-based tourism through the NTO's website, brochures and other marketing col lateral; Singapore promotes cruise tourism, especially the i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n d i t i n e r a r y development in the region, the Southeast Asia Cruise branding project and the collective participation of ASEAN Member States at Cruise shows; Vietnam takes on river-based tourism by marketing and promoting it through print media, while Malaysia promotes the ASEAN adventure travel by developing an e-book, which is available

on www.aseantourism.travel. Thailand organized experiential and creative travel through photo exhibitions and will run the #ASEANPhotowalk social media campaign. Philippines, on the other hand, promote MICE, by organising international events such as the ASEAN MICE Leaders Congress, ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Youth Summit, ASEAN Friendship Run, ASEAN Festival.

Statistics boast of a record number of intra-ASEAN visitor numbers that account for half the total of international tourist arrivals. Intra-ASEAN visitor arrival represented 46-48%, the largest share of the total international visitor arrival in the region in the past years.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016 concluded on high note in Manila. With more than 2,620 delegates comprising of ministerial and NTO delegates, as well as TRAVEX suppliers from across ASEAN, international buyers and media.

ATF TRAVEX 2016 aggregated close to 70 official sessions with the host country

ATF 2016

setting new highs on several fronts – from one of its largest ATF TRAVEX exhibition showcased ever with 175 local exhibitors across the Philippines, to a generous line-up of social activities including the Pre-Show City Tours, O p e n i n g C e r e m o n y, We l c o m e Reception and Dinner, and Farewell

Party for all ATF delegates. Through its Filipino hospitality and capability, the country demonstrated it has what it takes to be the fun destination of ASEAN. C o m p l e t e w i t h w o r l d - c l a s s infrastructure, facilities and services to make even greater headways in its tourism appeal.

This year Philippines is again rolling Visit

the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 campaign. True to ATF's objectives of promoting the 10 ASEAN regions as a single destination, the spotlight at this year's event is not only on the Philippines. Other ASEAN NTOs have d i s p l a y e d h u g e s u p p o r t a n d involvement in enhancing the 2016 ATF TRAVEX programme.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016

March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in 17

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

2016

Rs 1000/-

18 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

HOSPITALITY PLUS HOSPITALITY PLUS

19

Minor Hotel Group Announces Launch of Oaks Neemrana in IndiaMinor Hotel Group (MHG) has announced the first Oaks property in India with the development of Oaks Neemrana, in partnership with India-based NSP Associates (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Neemrana is a fast developing business hub located southwest of New Delhi, on the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a mega infrastructure project worth US $90 billion, approximately 90 km from Gurgaon and 140 km from Jaipur.

Oaks Neemrana is under development in the centre of the town and is scheduled to open in 2017. Facilities at the 116 unit Oaks Neemrana will include an all-day dining restaurant with sky garden, a lobby café and lounge area, a pool bar, meeting space of 160 square

metres with capacity to accommodate up to 80 people, plus a gym and a kids' play area. There will be three different room types: 68 Studio Apartments; 40 One Bedroom Apartments and eight Two Bedroom Apartments.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, “We are excited to announce both the first Oaks in India and also the first Minor Hotel Group property in India. The Oaks brand is a great fit for this market, which represents a huge opportunity, and we are confident that the property will be a great success. We are delighted to be partnering with NSP Associates and look forward to working closely with the team to bring this new hotel to the market.”

Vinay Singh appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing

at The St. Regis Mumbai

Mr. Vinay Singh was appointed as the Director of Sales & Marketing of India’s first ever, The St. Regis Mumbai in January 2016.

With a rich legacy of industrial experience of over 13 years across internat ional and domestic hotel companies and standalone properties, Vinay is a tailored fit for this role at the

hallmark city hotel. Vinay is a dynamic leader who is able to humbly manage a vast array of responsibilities including implementing lean guidelines, adopting sustainable practices, driving the revenues to name a few. In his previous roles as Director of Sales & Director of Sales & Marketing,

Yauatcha, the dim sum teahouse from London is adding to the skyscape of Bengaluru city with its rooftop bar, Yauatcha Terrace. The open-air experience includes a new menu with cocktails,dim sum and small eats accompanied by music from our resident DJ against the backdrop of the Bengaluru skyline.

The 49-seater rooftop bar offers awell-lit up bar area, spacious seating and serene ambience, making it the perfect addition to the city’s evolving social scene. A distinctive space highlighted by natural elements, Yauatcha Terrace makes for a tranquil day space as easily as it turns into a vibrant night rooftop area.

The extensive bar menu offers a variety of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks along with a wide selection of beer, wine and whiskeys / malts. Guests can unwind with signature Yauatcha tea-infused cocktails like Cha La Laimade with vodka, black grapes, oolong tea, apple juice and sparkling wine or the Lalu which contains vodka, lychee liqueur, lemon grass, oolong tea and lychee juice.

Heavens Portfolio Appointed as Official Representative Of

Atmantan Wellness Resort, Pune

Leading Representation Company, Heavens Portfolio, announced the addition of Atmantan Wellness Resort to its client portfolio of luxury hotels and experiences. The property will be India’s first integrated luxury wellness resort located in Pune, with the first phase of 73 rooms and villa inventory scheduled for launch in March 2016.

Atmantan is a sanctuary of supreme wellness; an international integrated luxury destination, nestled in the lap of the majestic Sahyadri Range and is spread over 40 acres of awe-inspiring valley and Mulshi Lake. The resort features 106 luxurious guestrooms and

villas, all with balconies or private sit-out gardens, and with views of the land or lake. The spa features 23 treatment rooms, in addition to a 6525 sq. ft. fitness facility.

The property also boasts of three food & beverage facilities, boardroom and banquet venues, meditation pavilion and an indoor sports complex. Trained experts guide guests to a better sense of being through a series of three, five, seven, ten, and 14+ night retreats, which are inclusive of accommodation, meals, wellness consultation, spa therapies and fitness activities.

For the first time the Indus Chushot Polo Club will be organising Ladakh Polo Festival will be held at Shagran, C h u s h o t G o n g m a , Ladakh from 11th to 17th July 2016.

The main aim of this e v e n t i s t o h e l p propagate the game especially among the youth so that they partake in this game and in the event at large.

With polo being the highlight of the event the other cultural traditions of the region will also be given platform so that more local people can benefit from this festival. The self-help groups of the village can present and sell their local handicraft, traditional food and other local products.

Ladakh Polo Festival The event will bring Chushot village on the tourist map of Ladakh. This will then raise the employment index in the village. With Guest houses and home stays being opened in the village the tourism business will help improve the economic standard of the village

people.

And the cultural activities will give more opportunity for the local artists to showcase their talent.

Cleanliness drive will also be taken care of during the event to make people aware about keeping the environment clean. In order to make the club more active horse riding classes and training for the games will also be given to the youngsters regularly.

Sinclairs Bayview ranked No. 1 hotel in Port Blair

Sinclairs Bayview Port Blair has been ranked by TripAdvisor as No. 1 hotel in Port Blair, out of 26.

The ranking is made on the basis of thousands of reviews and ratings registered on its site during a year from travellers worldwide.

There were as many as 419 reviews of Sinclairs Bayview from the TripAdvisor community. Of these 124 rated the property as ‘excellent’ and another 175

as ‘very good’.

“We are honoured and humbled by this recognition. As the rankings are based on guest reviews, the recognition is extremely valuable for us. Our goal remains 100 per cent guest satisfaction” says Swajib Chatterjee, General Manager- Corporate, Sinclairs Hotels Limited.

Set on a cantilever into the sea, Sinclairs Bayview is Port Blair's only hotel to offer a mesmerizing 270 degree view of The Bay of Bengal. The hotel is a quiet getaway for those who want to explore the Andamans. The hotel is 15 minutes from the airport and the town’s shopping center. The hotel's 46 rooms and suites virtually rest on the sea, opening out to the crystal blue Indian Ocean waters.

Yauatcha TerraceBengaluru

18 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

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19

Minor Hotel Group Announces Launch of Oaks Neemrana in IndiaMinor Hotel Group (MHG) has announced the first Oaks property in India with the development of Oaks Neemrana, in partnership with India-based NSP Associates (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Neemrana is a fast developing business hub located southwest of New Delhi, on the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a mega infrastructure project worth US $90 billion, approximately 90 km from Gurgaon and 140 km from Jaipur.

Oaks Neemrana is under development in the centre of the town and is scheduled to open in 2017. Facilities at the 116 unit Oaks Neemrana will include an all-day dining restaurant with sky garden, a lobby café and lounge area, a pool bar, meeting space of 160 square

metres with capacity to accommodate up to 80 people, plus a gym and a kids' play area. There will be three different room types: 68 Studio Apartments; 40 One Bedroom Apartments and eight Two Bedroom Apartments.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, “We are excited to announce both the first Oaks in India and also the first Minor Hotel Group property in India. The Oaks brand is a great fit for this market, which represents a huge opportunity, and we are confident that the property will be a great success. We are delighted to be partnering with NSP Associates and look forward to working closely with the team to bring this new hotel to the market.”

Vinay Singh appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing

at The St. Regis Mumbai

Mr. Vinay Singh was appointed as the Director of Sales & Marketing of India’s first ever, The St. Regis Mumbai in January 2016.

With a rich legacy of industrial experience of over 13 years across internat ional and domestic hotel companies and standalone properties, Vinay is a tailored fit for this role at the

hallmark city hotel. Vinay is a dynamic leader who is able to humbly manage a vast array of responsibilities including implementing lean guidelines, adopting sustainable practices, driving the revenues to name a few. In his previous roles as Director of Sales & Director of Sales & Marketing,

Yauatcha, the dim sum teahouse from London is adding to the skyscape of Bengaluru city with its rooftop bar, Yauatcha Terrace. The open-air experience includes a new menu with cocktails,dim sum and small eats accompanied by music from our resident DJ against the backdrop of the Bengaluru skyline.

The 49-seater rooftop bar offers awell-lit up bar area, spacious seating and serene ambience, making it the perfect addition to the city’s evolving social scene. A distinctive space highlighted by natural elements, Yauatcha Terrace makes for a tranquil day space as easily as it turns into a vibrant night rooftop area.

The extensive bar menu offers a variety of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks along with a wide selection of beer, wine and whiskeys / malts. Guests can unwind with signature Yauatcha tea-infused cocktails like Cha La Laimade with vodka, black grapes, oolong tea, apple juice and sparkling wine or the Lalu which contains vodka, lychee liqueur, lemon grass, oolong tea and lychee juice.

Heavens Portfolio Appointed as Official Representative Of

Atmantan Wellness Resort, Pune

Leading Representation Company, Heavens Portfolio, announced the addition of Atmantan Wellness Resort to its client portfolio of luxury hotels and experiences. The property will be India’s first integrated luxury wellness resort located in Pune, with the first phase of 73 rooms and villa inventory scheduled for launch in March 2016.

Atmantan is a sanctuary of supreme wellness; an international integrated luxury destination, nestled in the lap of the majestic Sahyadri Range and is spread over 40 acres of awe-inspiring valley and Mulshi Lake. The resort features 106 luxurious guestrooms and

villas, all with balconies or private sit-out gardens, and with views of the land or lake. The spa features 23 treatment rooms, in addition to a 6525 sq. ft. fitness facility.

The property also boasts of three food & beverage facilities, boardroom and banquet venues, meditation pavilion and an indoor sports complex. Trained experts guide guests to a better sense of being through a series of three, five, seven, ten, and 14+ night retreats, which are inclusive of accommodation, meals, wellness consultation, spa therapies and fitness activities.

For the first time the Indus Chushot Polo Club will be organising Ladakh Polo Festival will be held at Shagran, C h u s h o t G o n g m a , Ladakh from 11th to 17th July 2016.

The main aim of this e v e n t i s t o h e l p propagate the game especially among the youth so that they partake in this game and in the event at large.

With polo being the highlight of the event the other cultural traditions of the region will also be given platform so that more local people can benefit from this festival. The self-help groups of the village can present and sell their local handicraft, traditional food and other local products.

Ladakh Polo Festival The event will bring Chushot village on the tourist map of Ladakh. This will then raise the employment index in the village. With Guest houses and home stays being opened in the village the tourism business will help improve the economic standard of the village

people.

And the cultural activities will give more opportunity for the local artists to showcase their talent.

Cleanliness drive will also be taken care of during the event to make people aware about keeping the environment clean. In order to make the club more active horse riding classes and training for the games will also be given to the youngsters regularly.

Sinclairs Bayview ranked No. 1 hotel in Port Blair

Sinclairs Bayview Port Blair has been ranked by TripAdvisor as No. 1 hotel in Port Blair, out of 26.

The ranking is made on the basis of thousands of reviews and ratings registered on its site during a year from travellers worldwide.

There were as many as 419 reviews of Sinclairs Bayview from the TripAdvisor community. Of these 124 rated the property as ‘excellent’ and another 175

as ‘very good’.

“We are honoured and humbled by this recognition. As the rankings are based on guest reviews, the recognition is extremely valuable for us. Our goal remains 100 per cent guest satisfaction” says Swajib Chatterjee, General Manager- Corporate, Sinclairs Hotels Limited.

Set on a cantilever into the sea, Sinclairs Bayview is Port Blair's only hotel to offer a mesmerizing 270 degree view of The Bay of Bengal. The hotel is a quiet getaway for those who want to explore the Andamans. The hotel is 15 minutes from the airport and the town’s shopping center. The hotel's 46 rooms and suites virtually rest on the sea, opening out to the crystal blue Indian Ocean waters.

Yauatcha TerraceBengaluru

20 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

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21

Air India to start Delhi- Vienna-Delhi flight

Air India will connect Delhi to Vienna, the capital of Austria with a non-stop flight from April 6, 2016. This non-stop service will operate t h r i c e a w e e k o n Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with a B787 aircraft. Air India with c o d e s h a r e arrangements with Austrian Airlines will re p l a c e ex i s t i n g 5 weekly service to Vienna

and will offer connecting to more than 25

Air India has decided to enhance frequency on Delhi-Surat sector from four days to 7 days with effect from February 1, 2016. At presently, Air India operates a, CRJ-700 aircraft four times a week.

The flight AI 0607 departs from Delhi at 0745 hrs and arrives Surat at 0925 hrs. The return flight AI 0608 leaves Surat at 0955 hrs and lands back in Delhi at 1135 hrs.

Delhi- Surat – Delhi Air India flight is highly popular among textile and diamond businessmen and provides seamless connectivity between two business cities. It also offers convenient

Air India Flight Delhi-Surat to operate daily

Emirates celebrates 10 years of operations in Thiruvananthapuram

Emirates marked 10 years of operations in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

O v e r t h e l a s t d e c a d e , Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as an important passenger and cargo destination for the airline in the region. Since the start of its operations, Emirates carried over two million passengers on the route and moved up to105,000 tonnes of cargo to and from Thiruvananthapuram.

With 12 weekly flights and 17 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight, Emirates continues to facilitate inbound travel to India, strengthen trade links and

IndiGo enhances Domestic connectivity with new flightsIndiGo is enhancing its customer experience in the domestic market with the launch of 8 new flights connecting D e l h i t o C h e n n a i , C h e n n a i t o K o c h i , Guwahati to Delhi and Hyderabad to Delhi, with effect from January 27, 2016.

With 679 daily flights connecting 39 destinations, these new flights will further consolidate IndiGo's position as the fastest growing airline in India.

Flight Origin Destination Departure Arrival Fare*

6E645 Delhi Chennai 08:30 11:15 3994

6E 698 Chennai Delhi 14:45 17:30 3880

6E 645 Chennai Kochi 11:45 12:45 2189

6E 698 Kochi Chennai 13:15 14:15 2132

6E 577 Delhi Guwahati 17:10 19:35 5026

6E 558 Guwahati Delhi 20:05 22:35 5155

6E 701 Delhi Hyderabad 21:40 23:50 3100

6E 784 Hyderabad Delhi 05:15 07:25 3471 *All-inclusive lowest one-way fare. Limited seats. Fares & timings are subject to change without prior notice.

Origin Destination Departure Arrival Fare* Frequency

Flights Effective February 10, 2016

Delhi Dubai 02:35 04:45 6980 3rd daily non-stop flight

Dubai Delhi 05:45 10:45 7025 3rd daily non-stop flight

Flights Effective February 15, 2016

Bengaluru Patna 12:05 14:35 5737 1st daily non-stop flight

Ranchi Bengaluru 16:25 18:50 4349 1st daily non-stop flight

Flights Effective February 18, 2016

Delhi Chandigarh 10:00 11:00 1600 1st daily non-stop flight

Chandigarh Delhi 11:30 12:30 1478 1st daily non-stop flight

Jaipur Pune 22:00 23:55 3933 1st daily non-stop flight

Pune Jaipur 00:25 02:15 3730 1st daily non-stop flight

Delhi Lucknow 13:30 14:40 1761 8th daily non-stop flight

Lucknow Delhi 15:10 16:25 1831 8th daily non-stop flight

Chandigarh Kochi (via Delhi)11:30 16:40 6268 1st daily flight

Kochi Chandigarh (via Delhi)06:00 11:00 6313 1st daily flight

Singapore Changi Airport scaled new benchmarks for passenger traffic and aircraft movements, handling a record 55.4 million passengers and about 346,300 landings and take-offs in 2015. Registering 3.44 mil l ion Indian passenger movements, India remains Changi Airport's seventh largest country market. On the cargo front, airfreight movements remained stable at 1.85 million tonnes for the year.

Mumbai was Changi's fourth fastest growing route (+8.2% on-year) among destinations with at least half a million passengers handled in 2015. Bangkok, Colombo and Guangzhou took the top three spots. In December alone, Mumbai saw a close to 11% increase in traffic.

The addition of a new service to

Tigerair, the leading Singapore-based budget carrier that connects to six Indian destinations, further strengthens its base in India with one seasonal additional frequency each to Hyderabad and Tiruchirappalli. From 25th April to 15th June 2016, the airline will increase flight frequency on its Hyderabad-

European destinations.

The Delhi-Vienna-Delhi flight will have a convenient departure at 1400hrs from Delhi and arrival at Vienna at 1845hrs (LT). The return flight will have a night departure from Vienna at 2245hrs(LT) and arrive in Delhi at 0925hrs (+1).

The state of the art B787 aircraft offers world class facilities to passengers, with 18 seats in Business Class and 238 seats in Economy Class. Currently Air India connects 7 European destinations IN 5 CUNTRIES which include UK-London & Birmingham; Germany-Frankfurt; France-Paris; Italy- Rome & Milan and Russia- Moscow.

c o n n e c t p a s s e n g e r s i n Thiruvananthapuram.

Emirates completed 30 years of operations in India in 2015, and has since grown its operations to serve 10 destinations in the country. It is now the third-largest international carrier serving India, operating 10.4% of international capacity in the market. According to a recent study released by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Emirates' operations in India have contributed over $848 million annually to country's GDP while supporting over 86,000 Indian jobs and generating almost $1.7 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

E f f e c t i v e J a n u a r y 2 7 , 2 0 1 6 - 2nd non-stop daily flight on Chennai-Kochi 3rd daily non-stop flight on Delhi-Guwahati 9th daily non-stop flight on Hyderabad-Delhi10th daily non-stop flight on Delhi-Chennai

Lucknow increased the total number of Changi's city links to India to 13, strengthening the airport's position as the most connected airport in Southeast Asia to India. In terms of traffic, the top 5 Indian cities for Changi Airport are Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Tiruchirappalli.

Changi Airport also identified India as fourth amongst the top five nationalities by concession sale in 2015, with 5.9% of retail sales (+4.2% on-year) being contributed by Indian passenger traffic during the year. The annual data also reveals that favourite buys for Indian passengers last year were liquor and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics followed by confectionaries, electronics and jewellery.

connections to other international flights from/to Delhi.

Flydubai recently launched its new website, offering an e n h a n c e d b r o w s i n g ex p e r i e n c e t o i n s p i re customers to explore its network of 89 destinations.

The airline’s new website, which is available in English, Arabic, and Russian, has been redesigned to offer a fresh look and feel and many new features. When visiting flydubai.com, customers are now offered a more personalised online experience by receiving customised content based on their location and previous interaction with the site and a layout that automatically adjusts depending on the device being used. In addition, new destination guides and travel tips provide inspiration for planning the perfect trip, holiday or last-minute getaway to one of flydubai’s

Jet Airways is set to expand its operations to Dubai with the launch of new frequencies from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi.

Jet Airways will deploy Boeing 737-800

hidden gems such as Bratislava, Tbilisi and Zanzibar.

Commenting on the new website Mr. Ramesh Venkat, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at flydubai, said; “The recent relocation of our reservation system from Orlando to Dubai alongside the redesign of our website confirms our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible experience when navigating flydubai.com.”

Be inspired with www.flydubai.com

IndiGo launched ten new flights across its domestic and international network. The airline will connect Delhi to Dubai with its third flight with effect from February 10, 2016. In addition, IndiGo will commence its non-stop flight between Bengaluru and Patna, Ranchi and Bengaluru effective February 15, 2016.

Furthermore, the airline will also begin operat ions between De lh i and Chandigarh and; Jaipur and Pune with its first flight, with this Chandigarh will also be connected to Kochi (via Delhi). Additionally Delhi - Lucknow route will now have eight daily non-stop flights, with effect from February 18, 2016.

Tigerair strengthens India operationsto Singapore in the New Year

Singapore route taking the total count to 7 w e e k l y f l i g h t s , w h i l e t h e Tiruchirappalli-Singapore route will have a total of 14 weekly flights.

To celebrate this announcement, Tigerair has announced an all-inclusive return fare to Singapore from INR 11,599.

India emerges as the top 5 visitor market for Singapore with over 943,000 Indian travellers in 2014 and the average length of stay being 6.8 days.

Tigerair operates a total of 44 weekly flights to Singapore from six Indian destinations – Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kochi and Tiruchirappalli.

More than one million Indian travellers visited Singapore last year to celebrate Golden Jubilee, making it one of the most preferred destinations to vacation. Singapore Tourism Board announced that the nation recorded over 1 million visitor arrivals from India in 2015, marking a year-on-year growth of 7.4% in visitor arrivals.

To c e l e b r a t e t h i s l a n d m a r k achievement, Singapore Tourism Board surprised all passengers flying to the country on December 31, 2015 with special in-flight celebratory experiences in partnership with 3 airlines, namely Air India, Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines. Mr. Chee Pey Chang, Executive

Singapore welcomes 1 million tourism arrivals from India

Singapore Changi Airport registered 3.4 million Indian passengers

Director, South Asia, Middle East & Africa - Singapore Tourism Board said, “2015 was a landmark year for us as Singapore celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Last year, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was accredited as a UNESCO World Heritage site and the opening of the National Gallery Singapore and Indian Heritage Centre generated great interest among Indian travellers. We wanted to thank our friends from India for their encouraging support and we cont inue to welcome them to experience Singapore's cultural and heritage gems, diverse food experiences and vibrant nightlife interspersed amidst Singapore's eclectic lifestyle offerings.”

Jet Airways is set to expand its operations to Dubai

Sixth daily frequency between Mumbai and Dubai March 1 to March 26, 2016

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 558 Mumbai Dubai 07:05 09:00 Daily

9W 557 Dubai Mumbai 11:10 15:40 Daily

March 27, 2016 onwards

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 558 Mumbai Dubai 20:25 22:05 Daily

9W 557 Dubai Mumbai 23:20 04:05 Daily

Third daily frequency between Delhi and Dubai

March 27, 2016 onwards

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 588 Delhi Dubai 02:25 04:40 Daily

9W 587 Dubai Delhi 05:40 10:30 Daily

Third daily frequency between Mumbai and Bangkok

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 060 Mumbai Bangkok 12:50 18:50 Daily

9W 069 Bangkok Mumbai 15:40 18:40 Daily

Second daily frequency between Delhi and Bangkok

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 066 Delhi Bangkok 14:00 19:45 Daily

9W 065 Bangkok Delhi 08:40 11:40 Daily

aircraft on the new services, offering Premiere and Economy guests a best in class in-flight product, warm service, a choice of Indian and international cuisine and the latest in-flight entertainment.

Turkish Airlines celebrates the deliveryof its 300th aircraft, an Airbus A330-300.Taking its place as one of the world's major airlines, Turkish Airlines continues to grow its fleet in order to meet the needs of its ever-growing network and expanding customer base. Turkish Air l ines also w i s h e s to s e r ve i t s customers with Europe’s y o u n g e s t a n d m o s t m o d e r n f l e e t . T h a t process continues as the airline adds its 300th aircraft.

The addition of the 300th plane was celebrated with a ceremony that was held at Atatürk International Airport in the new hangar of Turkish Technic Inc.. T h e c e r e m o n y i n c l u d e d t h e participation of Turkish Airlines’ Board Chairman, M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines’ CEO, Dr. Temel Kotil, Airbus’ Regional Sales Director/Middle East and Europe, Douglas Anderson, and Airbus’ Contracts Director, David Bonnel as well as a large number of b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r s a n d m e d i a representatives.

The aircraft was then handed over to Turkish Airlines. Powered by CF6-80E1 engines, the A330-300 is the first aircraft to be equipped with galleys from TCI –Turkish Cabin Interiors- and economy class seats from TSI –Turkish Seat Industries- all manufactured in Turkey. The new aircraft will be deployed on existing medium and long-haul routes from the Turkish Airlines Istanbul hub, adding more capacity to enhance the airline’s growth strategy. The A330 family includes freighters, VIP, and military transport/tanker variants, and has now attracted more than 1,600 orders. Over 1,200 A330 aircraft are flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

Jet Airways Becomes Largest Indian Carrier To Bangkok

Jet Airways is expanding its operations to Bangkok with the launch of new daily flights from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi. With the introduction of these new frequencies, Jet Airways becomes the largest Indian airline flying between India and Bangkok effective from March 27, 2016.

Jet Airways will also launch a second daily service from Delhi to Bangkok from

March 27, 2016, offering greater choice to guests travelling between the two capital cities.

Jet Airways will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the new services, offering Premiere and Economy guests, a best in class in-flight product, warm service, a n d a w a r d - w i n n i n g i n - f l i g h t entertainment and cuisine.

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Air India to start Delhi- Vienna-Delhi flight

Air India will connect Delhi to Vienna, the capital of Austria with a non-stop flight from April 6, 2016. This non-stop service will operate t h r i c e a w e e k o n Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with a B787 aircraft. Air India with c o d e s h a r e arrangements with Austrian Airlines will re p l a c e ex i s t i n g 5 weekly service to Vienna

and will offer connecting to more than 25

Air India has decided to enhance frequency on Delhi-Surat sector from four days to 7 days with effect from February 1, 2016. At presently, Air India operates a, CRJ-700 aircraft four times a week.

The flight AI 0607 departs from Delhi at 0745 hrs and arrives Surat at 0925 hrs. The return flight AI 0608 leaves Surat at 0955 hrs and lands back in Delhi at 1135 hrs.

Delhi- Surat – Delhi Air India flight is highly popular among textile and diamond businessmen and provides seamless connectivity between two business cities. It also offers convenient

Air India Flight Delhi-Surat to operate daily

Emirates celebrates 10 years of operations in Thiruvananthapuram

Emirates marked 10 years of operations in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

O v e r t h e l a s t d e c a d e , Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as an important passenger and cargo destination for the airline in the region. Since the start of its operations, Emirates carried over two million passengers on the route and moved up to105,000 tonnes of cargo to and from Thiruvananthapuram.

With 12 weekly flights and 17 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight, Emirates continues to facilitate inbound travel to India, strengthen trade links and

IndiGo enhances Domestic connectivity with new flightsIndiGo is enhancing its customer experience in the domestic market with the launch of 8 new flights connecting D e l h i t o C h e n n a i , C h e n n a i t o K o c h i , Guwahati to Delhi and Hyderabad to Delhi, with effect from January 27, 2016.

With 679 daily flights connecting 39 destinations, these new flights will further consolidate IndiGo's position as the fastest growing airline in India.

Flight Origin Destination Departure Arrival Fare*

6E645 Delhi Chennai 08:30 11:15 3994

6E 698 Chennai Delhi 14:45 17:30 3880

6E 645 Chennai Kochi 11:45 12:45 2189

6E 698 Kochi Chennai 13:15 14:15 2132

6E 577 Delhi Guwahati 17:10 19:35 5026

6E 558 Guwahati Delhi 20:05 22:35 5155

6E 701 Delhi Hyderabad 21:40 23:50 3100

6E 784 Hyderabad Delhi 05:15 07:25 3471 *All-inclusive lowest one-way fare. Limited seats. Fares & timings are subject to change without prior notice.

Origin Destination Departure Arrival Fare* Frequency

Flights Effective February 10, 2016

Delhi Dubai 02:35 04:45 6980 3rd daily non-stop flight

Dubai Delhi 05:45 10:45 7025 3rd daily non-stop flight

Flights Effective February 15, 2016

Bengaluru Patna 12:05 14:35 5737 1st daily non-stop flight

Ranchi Bengaluru 16:25 18:50 4349 1st daily non-stop flight

Flights Effective February 18, 2016

Delhi Chandigarh 10:00 11:00 1600 1st daily non-stop flight

Chandigarh Delhi 11:30 12:30 1478 1st daily non-stop flight

Jaipur Pune 22:00 23:55 3933 1st daily non-stop flight

Pune Jaipur 00:25 02:15 3730 1st daily non-stop flight

Delhi Lucknow 13:30 14:40 1761 8th daily non-stop flight

Lucknow Delhi 15:10 16:25 1831 8th daily non-stop flight

Chandigarh Kochi (via Delhi)11:30 16:40 6268 1st daily flight

Kochi Chandigarh (via Delhi)06:00 11:00 6313 1st daily flight

Singapore Changi Airport scaled new benchmarks for passenger traffic and aircraft movements, handling a record 55.4 million passengers and about 346,300 landings and take-offs in 2015. Registering 3.44 mil l ion Indian passenger movements, India remains Changi Airport's seventh largest country market. On the cargo front, airfreight movements remained stable at 1.85 million tonnes for the year.

Mumbai was Changi's fourth fastest growing route (+8.2% on-year) among destinations with at least half a million passengers handled in 2015. Bangkok, Colombo and Guangzhou took the top three spots. In December alone, Mumbai saw a close to 11% increase in traffic.

The addition of a new service to

Tigerair, the leading Singapore-based budget carrier that connects to six Indian destinations, further strengthens its base in India with one seasonal additional frequency each to Hyderabad and Tiruchirappalli. From 25th April to 15th June 2016, the airline will increase flight frequency on its Hyderabad-

European destinations.

The Delhi-Vienna-Delhi flight will have a convenient departure at 1400hrs from Delhi and arrival at Vienna at 1845hrs (LT). The return flight will have a night departure from Vienna at 2245hrs(LT) and arrive in Delhi at 0925hrs (+1).

The state of the art B787 aircraft offers world class facilities to passengers, with 18 seats in Business Class and 238 seats in Economy Class. Currently Air India connects 7 European destinations IN 5 CUNTRIES which include UK-London & Birmingham; Germany-Frankfurt; France-Paris; Italy- Rome & Milan and Russia- Moscow.

c o n n e c t p a s s e n g e r s i n Thiruvananthapuram.

Emirates completed 30 years of operations in India in 2015, and has since grown its operations to serve 10 destinations in the country. It is now the third-largest international carrier serving India, operating 10.4% of international capacity in the market. According to a recent study released by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Emirates' operations in India have contributed over $848 million annually to country's GDP while supporting over 86,000 Indian jobs and generating almost $1.7 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

E f f e c t i v e J a n u a r y 2 7 , 2 0 1 6 - 2nd non-stop daily flight on Chennai-Kochi 3rd daily non-stop flight on Delhi-Guwahati 9th daily non-stop flight on Hyderabad-Delhi10th daily non-stop flight on Delhi-Chennai

Lucknow increased the total number of Changi's city links to India to 13, strengthening the airport's position as the most connected airport in Southeast Asia to India. In terms of traffic, the top 5 Indian cities for Changi Airport are Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Tiruchirappalli.

Changi Airport also identified India as fourth amongst the top five nationalities by concession sale in 2015, with 5.9% of retail sales (+4.2% on-year) being contributed by Indian passenger traffic during the year. The annual data also reveals that favourite buys for Indian passengers last year were liquor and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics followed by confectionaries, electronics and jewellery.

connections to other international flights from/to Delhi.

Flydubai recently launched its new website, offering an e n h a n c e d b r o w s i n g ex p e r i e n c e t o i n s p i re customers to explore its network of 89 destinations.

The airline’s new website, which is available in English, Arabic, and Russian, has been redesigned to offer a fresh look and feel and many new features. When visiting flydubai.com, customers are now offered a more personalised online experience by receiving customised content based on their location and previous interaction with the site and a layout that automatically adjusts depending on the device being used. In addition, new destination guides and travel tips provide inspiration for planning the perfect trip, holiday or last-minute getaway to one of flydubai’s

Jet Airways is set to expand its operations to Dubai with the launch of new frequencies from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi.

Jet Airways will deploy Boeing 737-800

hidden gems such as Bratislava, Tbilisi and Zanzibar.

Commenting on the new website Mr. Ramesh Venkat, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at flydubai, said; “The recent relocation of our reservation system from Orlando to Dubai alongside the redesign of our website confirms our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible experience when navigating flydubai.com.”

Be inspired with www.flydubai.com

IndiGo launched ten new flights across its domestic and international network. The airline will connect Delhi to Dubai with its third flight with effect from February 10, 2016. In addition, IndiGo will commence its non-stop flight between Bengaluru and Patna, Ranchi and Bengaluru effective February 15, 2016.

Furthermore, the airline will also begin operat ions between De lh i and Chandigarh and; Jaipur and Pune with its first flight, with this Chandigarh will also be connected to Kochi (via Delhi). Additionally Delhi - Lucknow route will now have eight daily non-stop flights, with effect from February 18, 2016.

Tigerair strengthens India operationsto Singapore in the New Year

Singapore route taking the total count to 7 w e e k l y f l i g h t s , w h i l e t h e Tiruchirappalli-Singapore route will have a total of 14 weekly flights.

To celebrate this announcement, Tigerair has announced an all-inclusive return fare to Singapore from INR 11,599.

India emerges as the top 5 visitor market for Singapore with over 943,000 Indian travellers in 2014 and the average length of stay being 6.8 days.

Tigerair operates a total of 44 weekly flights to Singapore from six Indian destinations – Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kochi and Tiruchirappalli.

More than one million Indian travellers visited Singapore last year to celebrate Golden Jubilee, making it one of the most preferred destinations to vacation. Singapore Tourism Board announced that the nation recorded over 1 million visitor arrivals from India in 2015, marking a year-on-year growth of 7.4% in visitor arrivals.

To c e l e b r a t e t h i s l a n d m a r k achievement, Singapore Tourism Board surprised all passengers flying to the country on December 31, 2015 with special in-flight celebratory experiences in partnership with 3 airlines, namely Air India, Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines. Mr. Chee Pey Chang, Executive

Singapore welcomes 1 million tourism arrivals from India

Singapore Changi Airport registered 3.4 million Indian passengers

Director, South Asia, Middle East & Africa - Singapore Tourism Board said, “2015 was a landmark year for us as Singapore celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Last year, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was accredited as a UNESCO World Heritage site and the opening of the National Gallery Singapore and Indian Heritage Centre generated great interest among Indian travellers. We wanted to thank our friends from India for their encouraging support and we cont inue to welcome them to experience Singapore's cultural and heritage gems, diverse food experiences and vibrant nightlife interspersed amidst Singapore's eclectic lifestyle offerings.”

Jet Airways is set to expand its operations to Dubai

Sixth daily frequency between Mumbai and Dubai March 1 to March 26, 2016

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 558 Mumbai Dubai 07:05 09:00 Daily

9W 557 Dubai Mumbai 11:10 15:40 Daily

March 27, 2016 onwards

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 558 Mumbai Dubai 20:25 22:05 Daily

9W 557 Dubai Mumbai 23:20 04:05 Daily

Third daily frequency between Delhi and Dubai

March 27, 2016 onwards

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 588 Delhi Dubai 02:25 04:40 Daily

9W 587 Dubai Delhi 05:40 10:30 Daily

Third daily frequency between Mumbai and Bangkok

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 060 Mumbai Bangkok 12:50 18:50 Daily

9W 069 Bangkok Mumbai 15:40 18:40 Daily

Second daily frequency between Delhi and Bangkok

Flight No. Origin Destination Departs Arrives Frequency

9W 066 Delhi Bangkok 14:00 19:45 Daily

9W 065 Bangkok Delhi 08:40 11:40 Daily

aircraft on the new services, offering Premiere and Economy guests a best in class in-flight product, warm service, a choice of Indian and international cuisine and the latest in-flight entertainment.

Turkish Airlines celebrates the deliveryof its 300th aircraft, an Airbus A330-300.Taking its place as one of the world's major airlines, Turkish Airlines continues to grow its fleet in order to meet the needs of its ever-growing network and expanding customer base. Turkish Air l ines also w i s h e s to s e r ve i t s customers with Europe’s y o u n g e s t a n d m o s t m o d e r n f l e e t . T h a t process continues as the airline adds its 300th aircraft.

The addition of the 300th plane was celebrated with a ceremony that was held at Atatürk International Airport in the new hangar of Turkish Technic Inc.. T h e c e r e m o n y i n c l u d e d t h e participation of Turkish Airlines’ Board Chairman, M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines’ CEO, Dr. Temel Kotil, Airbus’ Regional Sales Director/Middle East and Europe, Douglas Anderson, and Airbus’ Contracts Director, David Bonnel as well as a large number of b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r s a n d m e d i a representatives.

The aircraft was then handed over to Turkish Airlines. Powered by CF6-80E1 engines, the A330-300 is the first aircraft to be equipped with galleys from TCI –Turkish Cabin Interiors- and economy class seats from TSI –Turkish Seat Industries- all manufactured in Turkey. The new aircraft will be deployed on existing medium and long-haul routes from the Turkish Airlines Istanbul hub, adding more capacity to enhance the airline’s growth strategy. The A330 family includes freighters, VIP, and military transport/tanker variants, and has now attracted more than 1,600 orders. Over 1,200 A330 aircraft are flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

Jet Airways Becomes Largest Indian Carrier To Bangkok

Jet Airways is expanding its operations to Bangkok with the launch of new daily flights from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi. With the introduction of these new frequencies, Jet Airways becomes the largest Indian airline flying between India and Bangkok effective from March 27, 2016.

Jet Airways will also launch a second daily service from Delhi to Bangkok from

March 27, 2016, offering greater choice to guests travelling between the two capital cities.

Jet Airways will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the new services, offering Premiere and Economy guests, a best in class in-flight product, warm service, a n d a w a r d - w i n n i n g i n - f l i g h t entertainment and cuisine.

22 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in 23

Tourism Ireland Sales Mission in India

Representatives from Tourism Ireland and Northern Ireland's leading tourism attractions – the Giant's Causeway and Titanic Belfast are participated in the Northern Ireland Sales Mission in New Delhi and Mumbai. The objective of the mission was to showcase the destination to key travel trade in India and to create further awareness of Northern Ireland's tourism products and offerings. The programme for the showcase will include presentations by Tourism Ireland and the participating suppliers in addition to Q&A and a networking session.

Aubrey Irwin, Head of Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland said, “India is an important market for tourism to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland and 2016 looks set to be another good year for Indian visitors. A holiday in Northern Ireland offers the perfect combination of great events, stunning scenery and our unique brand of hospitality and this is reflected in the growing number of Indian visitors to Northern Ireland.”

The Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia (MoT) continues to aggressively promote “Wonderful Indonesia” in the Indian market. This week MoT continues to hold sales mission event entitled Sales Mission India 2016 in Chennai and Mumbai from February 15th to 17th.

In 2016, MoT is targeting 350,000 Indian visitor arrivals after managed to attract 262,000 visitors in 2015. Indian market with figures of 19.5 million outbound travelers is very potential for tourism in Indonesia. Part of this optimistic forecast is based on the recent regulation of giving Indian citizens 30-day, visa-free entry into Indonesia for tourism purpose (as per regulation no. 104/2015). Such growth could actually be higher, but presently it is constrained by the absence of direct flight between

Eimear Lewis, Titanic Belfast said, “We are delighted that so many key Indian travel agents and tour operators have taken the time to meet with us and to learn about the superb tourism offerings of Northern Ireland and in particular our tourism experience, the Titanic Belfast, the World's Largest Titanic Visitor Experience. The unique and iconic structure of the Titanic Belfast gives visitors the opportunity to look behind the scenes and marvel at the scale of Belfast's innovation and industry, but seeks to dispel some of the myths and legends about the tragedy and we are confident that we will see the number of Indian visitors continue to rise over the coming years.

Additionally, in 2016, Tourism Ireland will also focus on increasing the knowledge and experience of the island of Ireland among the travel trade through familiarisation trips, workshops and seminars for frontline staff as well as the Ireland Specialists online travel trade training programme.

I n d i a a n d Indonesia.

M o T i n v i t e d f i f t e e n I n d o n e s i a n t o u r i s m a n d h o s p i t a l i t y industries to join the Indonesia’s sales mission to India. They will h a v e t h e opportunity to

meet hundreds of business counterparts in India. The events core activities are business to business (B2B) meetings in a tabletop setting which is expected to generate mill ion dollars mutual business.

The Indonesian Minister of Tourism, Mr. Arief Yahya has taken the initiative to ask Ministry of Transportat ion authorities in Indonesia to start direct flights from Indonesia to India.

“This year, Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, has also promised to start Mumbai – Jakarta Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, has also promised to start Mumbai- Jakarta/Bali route” said Director for Market Development for the Asia Pacific Region, Mr. Vinsensius (Vinsen) Jemadu.

10 Reasons

to Visit

1. Great Connectivity Ethiopia is a really easy country to get to, with double daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian

Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines are the best among African airlines; they fly to 62 destinations worldwide. Ethiopia offer comfortable accommodation, in numerous accommodation options, that range from cheap lodges and inns to luxury hotels. You can choose from a range of resorts and hotels to stay.

2. The Landscape

Ethiopia has an incredible array of beautiful sights to be seen. Among these are the Simien Mountains, the Danakil Depression, and the Blue Nile Falls. All these places are breathtaking, and it's worth trying to visit at least one of them if you travel to Ethiopia.

3. The WildlifeEthiopia has many national parks, such as Awash National Park, Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park, Mago National Park, and more. These parks, along with the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, are

home to rare species of birds and animals, such as the Mountain Nyala, the African antelope, the Walia Ibex, the mountain horned goats, and the Ethiopian wolf.

4. Historical PlacesEthiopia has a rich history which can be seen through its historical structures. The 11 churches of Lalibela, for instance, were built during the 12th and 13th centuries. These churches are cut from rock, and they are absolutely incredible. The Castle of Fasilides built in the 17th

century, is another fascinating place to visit. This castle has taken little damage over the centuries and is a popular destination among tourists. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. CuisineEthiopian cuisine is something that really has to be tried! The best known dish is Injera – a large, spongy, pancake-like bread, on which portions of spicy meat and vegetables are served. The

injera is used not just as a serving dish, but also as an eating utensil used to scoop up the sauces – a sometimes messy but always delicious experience!

6. CoffeeEthiopia is where coffee was first discovered. In the 9th Century a goat herder found that after his goats nibbled on the coffee beans they would not sleep at night. Today coffee is still grown and roasted across much of Ethiopia. Taking part in an Ethiopian coffee ceremony is an eye-opening cultural experience, which is always followed by a huge hit of caffeine in the freshest cup of coffee you will ever taste.

7. FestivalsEthiopia has a year-round calendar of celebrations, which are colourful, dynamic and offer a real insight into Ethiopian culture and tradition. If you are able to coincide your trip to Ethiopia with one of these festivals you will be rewarded with a spectacular and memorable experience.

8. NightlifeIf you are the one who loves music all night long then Ethiopia is the place to be, Addis Ababa boasts of the best nightlife that you could ever enjoy. The place is literally flooded with numerous bars, clubs, discs and other night spots. Yod Absynnia Restaurant & Mama's Kitchen- a wood-and-glass lounge

9. Rich CultureEthiopians own a culture that has been

growing ever since history itself begun to be present. Unlike the other African nations, Ethiopians were able to protect their country from the European

colonizers which helped them in keeping their culture from the exposure of becoming a mixture of another. Every ethnic group has its own unique way of dealing with life which usually gives a shock for many of the travellers whose luck has made his destination to be Ethiopia. If you are a person of curiosity to see what such genuine culture looks like Ethiopia must be your choice.

10. Danakil DepressionThe most alluring part of the Afar region,

though difficult to access except on an organised tour, is the remote and volcanically active Danakil Depression. It is one of the lowest-lying places anywhere in the planet, dropping to 1 1 6 m b e l o w s e a l e v e l , w h i l e temperatures on its shadeless plains often soar above 50°C, and are exacerbated by a fierce gale. This is a challenging travel destination but, for all that, the Danakil is an area of singular geological fascination: a strange and at times beguilingly beautiful desert landscape punctuated by austere volcanic calderas, explosive cauldrons of bubbling red lava, malodorous sulphur-caked hot springs, recently solidified black lava flows, and vast, blinding salt flats that stretch for up to a kilometre below the surface.

EthiopiaEthiopiaIndonesia continues to promote “Wonderful Indonesia” in the Indian market

22 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in 23

Tourism Ireland Sales Mission in India

Representatives from Tourism Ireland and Northern Ireland's leading tourism attractions – the Giant's Causeway and Titanic Belfast are participated in the Northern Ireland Sales Mission in New Delhi and Mumbai. The objective of the mission was to showcase the destination to key travel trade in India and to create further awareness of Northern Ireland's tourism products and offerings. The programme for the showcase will include presentations by Tourism Ireland and the participating suppliers in addition to Q&A and a networking session.

Aubrey Irwin, Head of Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland said, “India is an important market for tourism to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland and 2016 looks set to be another good year for Indian visitors. A holiday in Northern Ireland offers the perfect combination of great events, stunning scenery and our unique brand of hospitality and this is reflected in the growing number of Indian visitors to Northern Ireland.”

The Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia (MoT) continues to aggressively promote “Wonderful Indonesia” in the Indian market. This week MoT continues to hold sales mission event entitled Sales Mission India 2016 in Chennai and Mumbai from February 15th to 17th.

In 2016, MoT is targeting 350,000 Indian visitor arrivals after managed to attract 262,000 visitors in 2015. Indian market with figures of 19.5 million outbound travelers is very potential for tourism in Indonesia. Part of this optimistic forecast is based on the recent regulation of giving Indian citizens 30-day, visa-free entry into Indonesia for tourism purpose (as per regulation no. 104/2015). Such growth could actually be higher, but presently it is constrained by the absence of direct flight between

Eimear Lewis, Titanic Belfast said, “We are delighted that so many key Indian travel agents and tour operators have taken the time to meet with us and to learn about the superb tourism offerings of Northern Ireland and in particular our tourism experience, the Titanic Belfast, the World's Largest Titanic Visitor Experience. The unique and iconic structure of the Titanic Belfast gives visitors the opportunity to look behind the scenes and marvel at the scale of Belfast's innovation and industry, but seeks to dispel some of the myths and legends about the tragedy and we are confident that we will see the number of Indian visitors continue to rise over the coming years.

Additionally, in 2016, Tourism Ireland will also focus on increasing the knowledge and experience of the island of Ireland among the travel trade through familiarisation trips, workshops and seminars for frontline staff as well as the Ireland Specialists online travel trade training programme.

I n d i a a n d Indonesia.

M o T i n v i t e d f i f t e e n I n d o n e s i a n t o u r i s m a n d h o s p i t a l i t y industries to join the Indonesia’s sales mission to India. They will h a v e t h e opportunity to

meet hundreds of business counterparts in India. The events core activities are business to business (B2B) meetings in a tabletop setting which is expected to generate mill ion dollars mutual business.

The Indonesian Minister of Tourism, Mr. Arief Yahya has taken the initiative to ask Ministry of Transportat ion authorities in Indonesia to start direct flights from Indonesia to India.

“This year, Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, has also promised to start Mumbai – Jakarta Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, has also promised to start Mumbai- Jakarta/Bali route” said Director for Market Development for the Asia Pacific Region, Mr. Vinsensius (Vinsen) Jemadu.

10 Reasons

to Visit

1. Great Connectivity Ethiopia is a really easy country to get to, with double daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian

Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines are the best among African airlines; they fly to 62 destinations worldwide. Ethiopia offer comfortable accommodation, in numerous accommodation options, that range from cheap lodges and inns to luxury hotels. You can choose from a range of resorts and hotels to stay.

2. The Landscape

Ethiopia has an incredible array of beautiful sights to be seen. Among these are the Simien Mountains, the Danakil Depression, and the Blue Nile Falls. All these places are breathtaking, and it's worth trying to visit at least one of them if you travel to Ethiopia.

3. The WildlifeEthiopia has many national parks, such as Awash National Park, Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park, Mago National Park, and more. These parks, along with the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, are

home to rare species of birds and animals, such as the Mountain Nyala, the African antelope, the Walia Ibex, the mountain horned goats, and the Ethiopian wolf.

4. Historical PlacesEthiopia has a rich history which can be seen through its historical structures. The 11 churches of Lalibela, for instance, were built during the 12th and 13th centuries. These churches are cut from rock, and they are absolutely incredible. The Castle of Fasilides built in the 17th

century, is another fascinating place to visit. This castle has taken little damage over the centuries and is a popular destination among tourists. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. CuisineEthiopian cuisine is something that really has to be tried! The best known dish is Injera – a large, spongy, pancake-like bread, on which portions of spicy meat and vegetables are served. The

injera is used not just as a serving dish, but also as an eating utensil used to scoop up the sauces – a sometimes messy but always delicious experience!

6. CoffeeEthiopia is where coffee was first discovered. In the 9th Century a goat herder found that after his goats nibbled on the coffee beans they would not sleep at night. Today coffee is still grown and roasted across much of Ethiopia. Taking part in an Ethiopian coffee ceremony is an eye-opening cultural experience, which is always followed by a huge hit of caffeine in the freshest cup of coffee you will ever taste.

7. FestivalsEthiopia has a year-round calendar of celebrations, which are colourful, dynamic and offer a real insight into Ethiopian culture and tradition. If you are able to coincide your trip to Ethiopia with one of these festivals you will be rewarded with a spectacular and memorable experience.

8. NightlifeIf you are the one who loves music all night long then Ethiopia is the place to be, Addis Ababa boasts of the best nightlife that you could ever enjoy. The place is literally flooded with numerous bars, clubs, discs and other night spots. Yod Absynnia Restaurant & Mama's Kitchen- a wood-and-glass lounge

9. Rich CultureEthiopians own a culture that has been

growing ever since history itself begun to be present. Unlike the other African nations, Ethiopians were able to protect their country from the European

colonizers which helped them in keeping their culture from the exposure of becoming a mixture of another. Every ethnic group has its own unique way of dealing with life which usually gives a shock for many of the travellers whose luck has made his destination to be Ethiopia. If you are a person of curiosity to see what such genuine culture looks like Ethiopia must be your choice.

10. Danakil DepressionThe most alluring part of the Afar region,

though difficult to access except on an organised tour, is the remote and volcanically active Danakil Depression. It is one of the lowest-lying places anywhere in the planet, dropping to 1 1 6 m b e l o w s e a l e v e l , w h i l e temperatures on its shadeless plains often soar above 50°C, and are exacerbated by a fierce gale. This is a challenging travel destination but, for all that, the Danakil is an area of singular geological fascination: a strange and at times beguilingly beautiful desert landscape punctuated by austere volcanic calderas, explosive cauldrons of bubbling red lava, malodorous sulphur-caked hot springs, recently solidified black lava flows, and vast, blinding salt flats that stretch for up to a kilometre below the surface.

EthiopiaEthiopiaIndonesia continues to promote “Wonderful Indonesia” in the Indian market

24 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

TRADE PLUS

25

10th Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival

The 10th Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival will be held on April 21-23 2016, a fun-filled event incorporating the dragon boat spirit of sportsmanship and great international camaraderie. There are various race categories to participate in; including men's, women's, mixed and masters (over 40's). The Festival programme includes a parade, opening ceremony for the teams, exciting races and the traditional dotting of the “eye of the dragon”.

Tourists flying to the Philippine island of Boracay usually go to experience its fabled white sands, clear aquamarine waters, romantic sunsets, and the lively nightlife. For water sports enthusiasts, the annual Dragon Boat Festival is

Israel eye on Indian Travelers

Israel Ministry of Tourism and Israel Consulate in India, recently organised a travel-trade interaction in Delhi and Mumbai. Israel has boosted its marketing budget in order to attract more Indian travelers on “MICE” and leisure segments.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amir Halevi, Director General, Israel Ministry of Tourism said, “Israel has seen a growth of 13% in 2015 with 40,000 Indians has traveled to Israel in 2015. Israel is rooting its place in India and has experienced consistent growth in 2015. We're confident that in 2016 more Indians will visit Israel and seeing this trend we're boosting our marketing budget for India to target travel agents and direct consumers”.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is boosting its marketing campaigns after seeing the consistent response from Indian travelers. According to it, India is the top source market for Israel in Asia and hence, initially they would be focusing on main cit ies in India before penetrating deeper into the country to

promote Israel as a tourist destination.

El Al provides direct connectivity and is also seeing an increase in the number of bookings from India. The airline has direct flights from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. IMOT is also in a discussion with the Civil Aviation Ministry and Indian airlines to have direct flights to Israel from India.

IMOT wants to promote Israel as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions and leisure destinations and will be targeting travel trade and end-consumers through various marketing tools.

“We will also target end-consumers through marketing on digital platforms. We are sure that through vigorous strategies we will see a positive growth in tourist arrivals from India in 2016. We are also planning to involve Bollywood to promote Israel,” said IMOT India director Hassan Madah.

IMOT will be promoting other tourist attractions in Israel such as Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Massada and Negev Desert.

The Visit Korea Year 2016-18 has recently been launched in South Korea to attract the foreign tourists to visit the country and explore the destination in a more convenient way. With the objective of making Korea a convenient destination for the tourists to revisit the country with the warm hospitality of the citizens, multiple products have been d e v e l o p e d . A l o n g w i t h t h e PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the 2016-2018, Visit Korea Year will offer a wide variety of events and activities for the tourists to benefit from.

The key products that have been introduced in lieu of the Visit Korea Year are:

1. K Smile - This campaign aims to raise the awareness of “K-Smile” among tourists from all over the world and make them want to revisit Korea after experiencing the warm hospitality of the citizens reflected through their smiles.

2. Korea Grand Sale - With shopping, the Korean wave and tourism altogether in major cities of Seoul, Busan and Jeju, the tourists can enjoy discounts and gifts f o r t h e i r a c c o m m o d a t i o n s , transportation, food and beverage as well as shopping centers, including department stores and duty free shops. Special events such as K-Pop concerts and Korean culinary events will be staged to provide Korean cultural experiences.

3. K-Travel Bus - The K-Travel Bus is a bus tour package that allows the visitors to reach the hidden tourist attractions in

another reason why the tropical paradise is one of the most exciting tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. Boracay Island Paddlers Association, in collaboration with the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, introduced the festival in 2007 and held every year since then, during the peak of summer.

The highlight of the festival are the dragon boat race competit ions participated in by several dragon boat te a m s . V i s i to rs a re g i ve n t h e opportunity to witness the athletic prowess of local and international paddling teams up close with postcard-worthy sceneries as the perfect backdrop.

EUROPE Ghent, Belgium

Ghent has glorious historical backdrop due to its medieval architecture. The highlights of the city are the Saint Bavo Cathedral, the Ghent Altarpiece, the Belfry and the Gravensteen Castle. The splendid architecture can wash your memories of regular sight of cemented buildings. The must visit museums in Ghent are the Museum voor Schone Kunsten and Stedeliijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst and the Ghent City Museum. Be the witness of this historical city and carry memories of it along with you.

Gothenburg, SwedenGothenburg or Goteborg situated on the west coast of Sweden is becoming popular due to its seafood, entertaining festivals and fairs, award-winning eateries and cafes and street art. Every city follows unique culture representing the different shades only to explore more. The city has reserved the natural beauty untouched and pure delivering eye-catching gardens and parks. Historical architecture like Gothenburg central station and Goteburg city museum lets you peep in the royal history of Gotehnurg. The seat, trade and industrial history of the city stands out among other places of Sweden. The annual Gothenburg film festival and Liseburg Amusement park are something one shouldn't miss out.

Bled, SloveniaEvery town has a story to tell and so is Bled. Bled is known for the Glacial Lake Bled with healing climate and thermal lake water. Bled could be your health spa when you're thousand miles away from home. Your vacation at Bled can be healthy, fulfilling and mesmerizing when the city offers healing climate, natural beauty of alpine resorts, mountains, and delicious cuisine that linger in your mouth for a long time.

Anamur-Iskele, TurkeyIn the hustle-bustle of the city when serenity seems to be diminishing, you could escape to this serene, white beach, Anamur-Iskele. The beach is located at Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast that is 160 miles from south-east of Antalya airport. The eight-mile long decorated by a medieval castle and a Roman city one can relax and stretch for a good amount of time. The cool breeze, white sands surrounded by a handful of tourists can assure the privacy and good time this summer.

Sintra and Sorrento, ItalySintra - We know Venice and Milan very well but Italy is flavored with other romantic places too that you have skipped so far. Here comes Sintra, a picturesque Portuguese town yet to discover. The city boasts of its historical heritage, extravagant palaces and decorative gardens. The city is blessed with cool climate and has a romantic aura. Dive into the beauty of Sintra and explore the majesty of this city to remember for lifetime.

Sorrento - Let go your imagination beyond your capacity with the city of mermaids. The cozy city located in Campania has a lot to offer. Sorrento is noted for its beaches and islands. A day trip to Capri, a lovely small island; a quick ride to Naples and Pompeii and a stroll to Corso Italia and Marina Grande will finish your trip with a sliver border.

Lugano, SwitzerlandLugano, you might have not heard about this place and hence, it is right time to know more about this place. Lugano situiated in the region of Ticino, which borders Italy is surrounded by the mountains of the Lugano Prealps. High mountains and its warm summer attract many travelers and adventurers. Lugano is a different city altogether to discover its well-structured parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. Lugano is not only a prominent part of Switzerland for its financial centre and a banking and business centre but well known for its art and architecture.

enchanting places

TOP

Visit Korea Year 2016-2018 The world keeps coming back to Korea!

2 days/1 night. It departs from Seoul and ru n s t h ro u gh reg io n s s u c h a s Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do. The spacious limousine b u s , c o v e r s t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , accommodations, guided tours, experience programs, and admission fees to tourist attractions.

4. K-Tour Card - An exclusive card just for foreign tourists, allows them to use p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n m o r e conveniently, including the subway, bus and taxi. The K-Tour Card provides discount benefits for a variety of tourist spots, including shopping centers, restaurants, theaters and more.

5. Hands Free Service - This enables the tourists to keep their belongings safely stored and delivered to airports in Korea when they request the Hands Free Service at major shopping centers and hotels. With their hands free, they can fully experience Korea before returning to home.

Korea have warmly welcomed around 150,000 Indian visitors in year 2015 and we aspire to attract much more during the Visit Korea Year program.

Thailand celebrates 1,000,000 arrivals milestone in 2015

As Thailand's sixth largest market globally in 2015, India obviously a place of importance to Thailand tourism stakeholders. Additionally, India has displayed a steady tourist flow and promising year-on-year increase in arrivals over the last two decades.

H e r E x c e l l e n c y K o b k a r n Wattanavrangkul, Thailand's Minister for Tourism & Sports put India's significance into perspective when she said, “We welcomed 1.06 million Indian travelers to Thailand during 2015, putting India at sixth position globally, up from seventh position last year. Indians spent 47,827 million baht in Thailand last year. I must thank you – our friends in the travel trade, the wedding planners who weave dreams in Thailand, Bollywood producers who tempt people to return to Thailand and corporates who reward employees with incentive travel to Thailand – for your support, without which this amazing milestone would not be possible. I count on your support in the years to come too – we see India as having the capacity to double this figure by 2022.”

Thailand is the perfect holiday destination for Indian travelers being short haul, with an extremely simple and convenient visa process. With flights from all the metros and visa processing centres in most key cities, Thailand offers Indians a hassle-free getaway. Thailand also offers amazing value for money, which Indians look for at every price point. Moreover the variety of flavours, sights and tourist experiences across Thailand have Indian travelers returning year-on-year, enticed by new and unseen parts of Thailand.

And those who h a v e v i s i t e d Thailand once again in the years to come a n d h av e s e e n B a n g k o k a n d Pattaya; Phuket, the K o h S a m u i archipelago Chiang Mai & Chaing Rai await you. If you have already seen

those, Kanchanaburi, Koh Chang, Koh Tao and Koh Lanta await you. If you have seen all of those then Thailand's amazing North East is an amazing treasure that you must explore. Just as India offers you different flavours, sights, sounds, customs and traditions at every state border; Thailand too offers you a new world in every new province. I hope that we are able to share all of our treasures with you over time.

Over the last 4 years, Thailand has earned repute as a luxury-seekers haven with India's golf-enthusiasts flocking to its world-class 18-hole golf courses, others simply enjoying its world-renowned service at 5-star ++ hotels. Still other luxury-seekers jet set to Thailand over weekends for yacht breaks or roadtrips across its scenic landscapes and countless of their friends' and family members ' weddings and other celebrations. Culinary enthusiasts return just for the food; sometimes to learn the art of Thai cuisine. India's young and adventurous flock to Thailand to zipline, rock-climb, scuba dive, bungee jump, island-hop, party and much more. Of late, families are seeing Thailand as a destination for a good dose of family bonding at theme parks like Cartoon Network, Vana Nava and Sea World.

Thailand has set a target of 8% increase in arrivals for 2016. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's offices in Mumbai and Delhi will be targeting specific quality-focussed segments such as getaways for groups of women, family holidays, leisurely breaks for senior citizens, enriching vacations for youngsters and of course niches like golfers, divers and road-trippers.

24 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

TRADE PLUS

25

10th Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival

The 10th Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival will be held on April 21-23 2016, a fun-filled event incorporating the dragon boat spirit of sportsmanship and great international camaraderie. There are various race categories to participate in; including men's, women's, mixed and masters (over 40's). The Festival programme includes a parade, opening ceremony for the teams, exciting races and the traditional dotting of the “eye of the dragon”.

Tourists flying to the Philippine island of Boracay usually go to experience its fabled white sands, clear aquamarine waters, romantic sunsets, and the lively nightlife. For water sports enthusiasts, the annual Dragon Boat Festival is

Israel eye on Indian Travelers

Israel Ministry of Tourism and Israel Consulate in India, recently organised a travel-trade interaction in Delhi and Mumbai. Israel has boosted its marketing budget in order to attract more Indian travelers on “MICE” and leisure segments.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amir Halevi, Director General, Israel Ministry of Tourism said, “Israel has seen a growth of 13% in 2015 with 40,000 Indians has traveled to Israel in 2015. Israel is rooting its place in India and has experienced consistent growth in 2015. We're confident that in 2016 more Indians will visit Israel and seeing this trend we're boosting our marketing budget for India to target travel agents and direct consumers”.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is boosting its marketing campaigns after seeing the consistent response from Indian travelers. According to it, India is the top source market for Israel in Asia and hence, initially they would be focusing on main cit ies in India before penetrating deeper into the country to

promote Israel as a tourist destination.

El Al provides direct connectivity and is also seeing an increase in the number of bookings from India. The airline has direct flights from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. IMOT is also in a discussion with the Civil Aviation Ministry and Indian airlines to have direct flights to Israel from India.

IMOT wants to promote Israel as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions and leisure destinations and will be targeting travel trade and end-consumers through various marketing tools.

“We will also target end-consumers through marketing on digital platforms. We are sure that through vigorous strategies we will see a positive growth in tourist arrivals from India in 2016. We are also planning to involve Bollywood to promote Israel,” said IMOT India director Hassan Madah.

IMOT will be promoting other tourist attractions in Israel such as Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Massada and Negev Desert.

The Visit Korea Year 2016-18 has recently been launched in South Korea to attract the foreign tourists to visit the country and explore the destination in a more convenient way. With the objective of making Korea a convenient destination for the tourists to revisit the country with the warm hospitality of the citizens, multiple products have been d e v e l o p e d . A l o n g w i t h t h e PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the 2016-2018, Visit Korea Year will offer a wide variety of events and activities for the tourists to benefit from.

The key products that have been introduced in lieu of the Visit Korea Year are:

1. K Smile - This campaign aims to raise the awareness of “K-Smile” among tourists from all over the world and make them want to revisit Korea after experiencing the warm hospitality of the citizens reflected through their smiles.

2. Korea Grand Sale - With shopping, the Korean wave and tourism altogether in major cities of Seoul, Busan and Jeju, the tourists can enjoy discounts and gifts f o r t h e i r a c c o m m o d a t i o n s , transportation, food and beverage as well as shopping centers, including department stores and duty free shops. Special events such as K-Pop concerts and Korean culinary events will be staged to provide Korean cultural experiences.

3. K-Travel Bus - The K-Travel Bus is a bus tour package that allows the visitors to reach the hidden tourist attractions in

another reason why the tropical paradise is one of the most exciting tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. Boracay Island Paddlers Association, in collaboration with the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, introduced the festival in 2007 and held every year since then, during the peak of summer.

The highlight of the festival are the dragon boat race competit ions participated in by several dragon boat te a m s . V i s i to rs a re g i ve n t h e opportunity to witness the athletic prowess of local and international paddling teams up close with postcard-worthy sceneries as the perfect backdrop.

EUROPE Ghent, Belgium

Ghent has glorious historical backdrop due to its medieval architecture. The highlights of the city are the Saint Bavo Cathedral, the Ghent Altarpiece, the Belfry and the Gravensteen Castle. The splendid architecture can wash your memories of regular sight of cemented buildings. The must visit museums in Ghent are the Museum voor Schone Kunsten and Stedeliijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst and the Ghent City Museum. Be the witness of this historical city and carry memories of it along with you.

Gothenburg, SwedenGothenburg or Goteborg situated on the west coast of Sweden is becoming popular due to its seafood, entertaining festivals and fairs, award-winning eateries and cafes and street art. Every city follows unique culture representing the different shades only to explore more. The city has reserved the natural beauty untouched and pure delivering eye-catching gardens and parks. Historical architecture like Gothenburg central station and Goteburg city museum lets you peep in the royal history of Gotehnurg. The seat, trade and industrial history of the city stands out among other places of Sweden. The annual Gothenburg film festival and Liseburg Amusement park are something one shouldn't miss out.

Bled, SloveniaEvery town has a story to tell and so is Bled. Bled is known for the Glacial Lake Bled with healing climate and thermal lake water. Bled could be your health spa when you're thousand miles away from home. Your vacation at Bled can be healthy, fulfilling and mesmerizing when the city offers healing climate, natural beauty of alpine resorts, mountains, and delicious cuisine that linger in your mouth for a long time.

Anamur-Iskele, TurkeyIn the hustle-bustle of the city when serenity seems to be diminishing, you could escape to this serene, white beach, Anamur-Iskele. The beach is located at Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast that is 160 miles from south-east of Antalya airport. The eight-mile long decorated by a medieval castle and a Roman city one can relax and stretch for a good amount of time. The cool breeze, white sands surrounded by a handful of tourists can assure the privacy and good time this summer.

Sintra and Sorrento, ItalySintra - We know Venice and Milan very well but Italy is flavored with other romantic places too that you have skipped so far. Here comes Sintra, a picturesque Portuguese town yet to discover. The city boasts of its historical heritage, extravagant palaces and decorative gardens. The city is blessed with cool climate and has a romantic aura. Dive into the beauty of Sintra and explore the majesty of this city to remember for lifetime.

Sorrento - Let go your imagination beyond your capacity with the city of mermaids. The cozy city located in Campania has a lot to offer. Sorrento is noted for its beaches and islands. A day trip to Capri, a lovely small island; a quick ride to Naples and Pompeii and a stroll to Corso Italia and Marina Grande will finish your trip with a sliver border.

Lugano, SwitzerlandLugano, you might have not heard about this place and hence, it is right time to know more about this place. Lugano situiated in the region of Ticino, which borders Italy is surrounded by the mountains of the Lugano Prealps. High mountains and its warm summer attract many travelers and adventurers. Lugano is a different city altogether to discover its well-structured parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. Lugano is not only a prominent part of Switzerland for its financial centre and a banking and business centre but well known for its art and architecture.

enchanting places

TOP

Visit Korea Year 2016-2018 The world keeps coming back to Korea!

2 days/1 night. It departs from Seoul and ru n s t h ro u gh reg io n s s u c h a s Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do. The spacious limousine b u s , c o v e r s t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , accommodations, guided tours, experience programs, and admission fees to tourist attractions.

4. K-Tour Card - An exclusive card just for foreign tourists, allows them to use p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n m o r e conveniently, including the subway, bus and taxi. The K-Tour Card provides discount benefits for a variety of tourist spots, including shopping centers, restaurants, theaters and more.

5. Hands Free Service - This enables the tourists to keep their belongings safely stored and delivered to airports in Korea when they request the Hands Free Service at major shopping centers and hotels. With their hands free, they can fully experience Korea before returning to home.

Korea have warmly welcomed around 150,000 Indian visitors in year 2015 and we aspire to attract much more during the Visit Korea Year program.

Thailand celebrates 1,000,000 arrivals milestone in 2015

As Thailand's sixth largest market globally in 2015, India obviously a place of importance to Thailand tourism stakeholders. Additionally, India has displayed a steady tourist flow and promising year-on-year increase in arrivals over the last two decades.

H e r E x c e l l e n c y K o b k a r n Wattanavrangkul, Thailand's Minister for Tourism & Sports put India's significance into perspective when she said, “We welcomed 1.06 million Indian travelers to Thailand during 2015, putting India at sixth position globally, up from seventh position last year. Indians spent 47,827 million baht in Thailand last year. I must thank you – our friends in the travel trade, the wedding planners who weave dreams in Thailand, Bollywood producers who tempt people to return to Thailand and corporates who reward employees with incentive travel to Thailand – for your support, without which this amazing milestone would not be possible. I count on your support in the years to come too – we see India as having the capacity to double this figure by 2022.”

Thailand is the perfect holiday destination for Indian travelers being short haul, with an extremely simple and convenient visa process. With flights from all the metros and visa processing centres in most key cities, Thailand offers Indians a hassle-free getaway. Thailand also offers amazing value for money, which Indians look for at every price point. Moreover the variety of flavours, sights and tourist experiences across Thailand have Indian travelers returning year-on-year, enticed by new and unseen parts of Thailand.

And those who h a v e v i s i t e d Thailand once again in the years to come a n d h av e s e e n B a n g k o k a n d Pattaya; Phuket, the K o h S a m u i archipelago Chiang Mai & Chaing Rai await you. If you have already seen

those, Kanchanaburi, Koh Chang, Koh Tao and Koh Lanta await you. If you have seen all of those then Thailand's amazing North East is an amazing treasure that you must explore. Just as India offers you different flavours, sights, sounds, customs and traditions at every state border; Thailand too offers you a new world in every new province. I hope that we are able to share all of our treasures with you over time.

Over the last 4 years, Thailand has earned repute as a luxury-seekers haven with India's golf-enthusiasts flocking to its world-class 18-hole golf courses, others simply enjoying its world-renowned service at 5-star ++ hotels. Still other luxury-seekers jet set to Thailand over weekends for yacht breaks or roadtrips across its scenic landscapes and countless of their friends' and family members ' weddings and other celebrations. Culinary enthusiasts return just for the food; sometimes to learn the art of Thai cuisine. India's young and adventurous flock to Thailand to zipline, rock-climb, scuba dive, bungee jump, island-hop, party and much more. Of late, families are seeing Thailand as a destination for a good dose of family bonding at theme parks like Cartoon Network, Vana Nava and Sea World.

Thailand has set a target of 8% increase in arrivals for 2016. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's offices in Mumbai and Delhi will be targeting specific quality-focussed segments such as getaways for groups of women, family holidays, leisurely breaks for senior citizens, enriching vacations for youngsters and of course niches like golfers, divers and road-trippers.

26 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

27

Austrian National Tourist Officeheld its Annual Roadshow

At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai India's legendary cricket star Sachin Tendulkar launched the first ever luxury Monarch Cruise featuring the best of Cricket and Bollywood. Tendulkar was joined on-stage by other Bollywood artists and personalities such as Badshah, Stand-up comedian Papa CJ, and celebrated Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Monarch Cruise CEO, Somesh Jagga, a n d V i c e - C h a i r m a n , J o s h H i l l , introduced the unique concept to everyone present at the launch ceremony. The glitterati, along with the Monarch Cruise personnel, announced cabin sales now open.

The glamorous cruise offers seven different itineraries with four 7-day legs, two 13-day legs, and one 26-day experience for the cruise enthusiasts. The journey will include destinations in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. As per the initial reports,

ticket sales will be in high demand, with cabins expected to sell-out fast.

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Monarch also named Aussie cricket greats Shane Warne and Brett Lee as brand ambassadors. They will join Sri Lankan cricket star Kumar Sangakkara and other cricketing names. The cricketing stars will be joined by stand-up comic Vir Das, DJ Khushi, singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Neha Kakkar, actress Neha Dhupia, rapper Badshah, famed chef Sanjeev Kapoor and a host of other illustrious personalities on the cruise.

M o n a rc h w i l l b r i n g to I n d i a n g lobetrotters an unforgettab le experience in March 2017. Exceptional care will be taken to ensure that the 2,200 passengers will have the best of food, music and entertainment.

Bookings for the cruise are now open; cabins starting from 79,990 per person. More on www.monarchcruise.com.

Sachin Tendulkar unveils Monarch's luxurious

Cricket and Bollywood cruise

The Austrian National Tourist Office held its annual roadshow in India. Delegates from Austria were part of the road-show to showcase Austria as a destination for summer 2016.

The roadshow was held in 3 cities; Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi and was a huge success, with close to 350 agents attending collectively.

Travel from India to Austria saw a whopping 40% increase from 2014 to 2015 in arrivals and 34% in overnights.

The Austrian Tourist Office has recently completed its website relaunch to offer the perfect platform to promote the varied and colorful aspects of a vacation in Austria. This week the Tourist Office launches its new marketing campaign “Journeys Through Austria” offering expertly curated itineraries. Insider tips combined with practical information provide a travel planning tool for the visitor from INDIA to experience Austria at its fullest.

Vienna beckons young Indians and honeymooning couples

The city has plenty to offer couples and newly-weds from India, keen to enjoy their honeymoon in a fairytale ambience, replete with history, culture, royalty, palaces and many other attractions, all in a single package unlike any other.

“Vienna’s contemporary attractions and young neighborhoods offer a lot to young Indian travelers. Vienna also makes for a romantic wedding destination providing honeymooners the backdrop for a fairytale romance,” says Norbert Kettner, director, Vienna Toursit Board (VTB).

A number of Indian restaurants, providing authentic vegetarian fare, that dot Vienna are a big attraction. The presence of English-speaking hotel staff and guides also help, not to speak of a bustling nightlife, museums and shopping experiences.

26 March - April, 2016 March - April, 2016 www.safariplus.co.in www.safariplus.co.in

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

27

Austrian National Tourist Officeheld its Annual Roadshow

At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai India's legendary cricket star Sachin Tendulkar launched the first ever luxury Monarch Cruise featuring the best of Cricket and Bollywood. Tendulkar was joined on-stage by other Bollywood artists and personalities such as Badshah, Stand-up comedian Papa CJ, and celebrated Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Monarch Cruise CEO, Somesh Jagga, a n d V i c e - C h a i r m a n , J o s h H i l l , introduced the unique concept to everyone present at the launch ceremony. The glitterati, along with the Monarch Cruise personnel, announced cabin sales now open.

The glamorous cruise offers seven different itineraries with four 7-day legs, two 13-day legs, and one 26-day experience for the cruise enthusiasts. The journey will include destinations in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. As per the initial reports,

ticket sales will be in high demand, with cabins expected to sell-out fast.

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Monarch also named Aussie cricket greats Shane Warne and Brett Lee as brand ambassadors. They will join Sri Lankan cricket star Kumar Sangakkara and other cricketing names. The cricketing stars will be joined by stand-up comic Vir Das, DJ Khushi, singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Neha Kakkar, actress Neha Dhupia, rapper Badshah, famed chef Sanjeev Kapoor and a host of other illustrious personalities on the cruise.

M o n a rc h w i l l b r i n g to I n d i a n g lobetrotters an unforgettab le experience in March 2017. Exceptional care will be taken to ensure that the 2,200 passengers will have the best of food, music and entertainment.

Bookings for the cruise are now open; cabins starting from 79,990 per person. More on www.monarchcruise.com.

Sachin Tendulkar unveils Monarch's luxurious

Cricket and Bollywood cruise

The Austrian National Tourist Office held its annual roadshow in India. Delegates from Austria were part of the road-show to showcase Austria as a destination for summer 2016.

The roadshow was held in 3 cities; Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi and was a huge success, with close to 350 agents attending collectively.

Travel from India to Austria saw a whopping 40% increase from 2014 to 2015 in arrivals and 34% in overnights.

The Austrian Tourist Office has recently completed its website relaunch to offer the perfect platform to promote the varied and colorful aspects of a vacation in Austria. This week the Tourist Office launches its new marketing campaign “Journeys Through Austria” offering expertly curated itineraries. Insider tips combined with practical information provide a travel planning tool for the visitor from INDIA to experience Austria at its fullest.

Vienna beckons young Indians and honeymooning couples

The city has plenty to offer couples and newly-weds from India, keen to enjoy their honeymoon in a fairytale ambience, replete with history, culture, royalty, palaces and many other attractions, all in a single package unlike any other.

“Vienna’s contemporary attractions and young neighborhoods offer a lot to young Indian travelers. Vienna also makes for a romantic wedding destination providing honeymooners the backdrop for a fairytale romance,” says Norbert Kettner, director, Vienna Toursit Board (VTB).

A number of Indian restaurants, providing authentic vegetarian fare, that dot Vienna are a big attraction. The presence of English-speaking hotel staff and guides also help, not to speak of a bustling nightlife, museums and shopping experiences.

Edited & Published by Shailendra Kesari • For Online News visit: www.safariplus.co.in • Email: info@safariplus.co.in • March - April 2016 • Vol: 17 Issue: 4

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