About India Outbound Magazine
India Outbound, a bi-monthly print magazine with dynamic web and social media presence focused on outbound travel from India, is published by Media India Group. Distributed all over India, and in all the top tourism events across the world, India Outbound caters mainly to the tourism professionals and is looking to develop new and innovative circuits and promote new destinations to the high-end travellers.
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Arabian Travel Week to open new doors for business opportunities
Reed Travel Exhibitions will launch Arabian Travel Week, comprising four co-located shows during the 2019 edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which opens its doors on April 28 for four days of business networking opportunities and insightful seminar sessions at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Arabian Travel Week comprises ATM 2019 and ILTM Arabia as well as CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa 2019 – a new route development forum launching this year and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper which will take place on April 27.
Claude Blanc, WTM Portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions said, “The success of both ATM and ILTM Arabia has provided us with the platform to not only introduce two new events for 2019 – but to create a travel week which encompasses the Middle East’s inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism and luxury travel as well as introducing an exclusive consumer event and providing a dedicated networking forum for the region’s top airline specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour operators.”
ATM 2019 will welcome over 2,500 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 industry professionals, with over 150 countries represented, 65 national pavilions, and more than 100 new exhibitors set to make their ATM debut.
Identifying the top tourism trends showing the greatest growth potential is one of the most valuable insights Arabian Travel Market has to offer, and this year’s event will be no different as it adopts cutting-edge technology and innovation as its official show theme. Also new to ATM 2019 is the Arabia China Tourism Forum which will take place on the Global Stage on April 28. With China set to account for a quarter of international tourism by 2030, an expert panel will discuss how destinations around the world can capitalise on this growth. The forum will also include a 30-minute networking session with over 80 Chinese buyers.
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TCEB organises roadshow to promote Thailand as a MICE destination
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) recently organised a road show in Kolkata to continue the growing opportunities in the MICE and leisure segment. The roadshow has witnessed important stakeholders from the travel fraternity, tour operators from India and top line hotels and MICE counterparts from Thailand including Centara Hotels and Resorts, Royal Cliff Hotels Group, Rama Gardens, Paragon Hall, Pullman Hotels and Resorts and more, airlines including Thai Smile Airways and Thai Airways.
The bureau continues to shape the business events industry of Thailand with exceptional acumen and effective solutions. With a robust service support system and innovative approaches to co-create distinctive programmes for the organisers, TCEB is redefining the MICE landscape to maintain Thailand’s impact as a top Asian business destination.
Delegates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand were also present at the roadshow. Speaking of the roadshow, Isra Stapanaseth, director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi, was hoping that the road show turns out to be fruitful for the Thai stakeholders and also for the buyers and sellers who were present in the session.
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Sustainable development fee for regional tourists in Bhutan
With an aim to regulate and manage regional tourists effectively, the fourth pay commission report recommended introducing sustainable development fee (SDF) on regional tourists. The report states that in view of the increasing number of tourist arrivals from the region, there is an opportunity to introduce SDF on regional tourists. In 2018, about 170,000 regional tourists visited Bhutan. “The introduction of SDF of INR 500 per head is estimated to generate INR 425 million annually.”
The report also proposes the government could also look into the possibility of enhancing the USD 65 SDF for the international tourist that has remained unchanged for the last 40 years or more.
Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB)’s director general, Dorji Dhradhul, said that there was a plan to introduce a minimal fee on regional tourist and revise the SDF of USD 65 for international tourists. The council is in the process of discussing how to manage regional tourist, including charging a minimal fee during the peak season. Dhradhul said that currently the issue with the regional tourists who come from Phuentsholing was about regulating and managing them because of which inconveniences occurred to others and to the guests themselves.
Currently, the majority of the regional tourists physically go to the immigration office, fill the forms and get the permit. The e-permit is an option and only a few regional tourists avail the service now. Dorji Dhradhul said “Of the total, USD 65 is the SDF and the rest provides the guest three-star accommodation, personal guide, transportation, meals and fees for entry to the monuments.”
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Korea Tourism signs a MOU with OTOAI
Korea Tourism recently organised the Korea Festival in Mumbai to highlight and promote the destination to the Trade and the Consumers with two days of fun filled activities at Phoenix Mall. As part of the festival and to promote the destination, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI). The association was announced with the release of a book titled “Indian Friendly Restaurants in Korea” for the Indian visitors and the travel trade.
MOU was signed by the representatives of OTOAI and KTO, Mahendra Vakharia – president, OTOAI and managing director of Pathfinders Holidays Pvt, Himanshu Patil, vice president of OTOAI and director of Kesari Tours Mumbai and Jeong Ha Park, executive vice president for International Tourism and Korea Tourims Organisation
The MOU was signed to collaborate and work very closely together to promote the destination with the members of OTOAI. Also KTO will be organising exclusive workshops in multi city across India for the members of OTOAI in order to promote the destination. Korea will be the focus country for the year for OTOAI.
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Jalesh Cruises launches India’s first premium cruise ship
Jalesh Cruises is catering to the Indian domestic and international cruise business, has launched its first premium ship christened ‘Karnika’ in an official naming ceremony in Mumbai. The 70,285 tonne ship sailed on its maiden voyage from Mumbai to Goa and will undertake 15 sailings for Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai and Mumbai-High Seas-Mumbai between April and mid-May 2019. The ship will undertake its first international sail from Mumbai to Dubai on May 24, 2019 where it will port until mid-September 2019 before coming back to Mumbai.
Jurgen Bailom, president & CEO, Jalesh Cruises, said, “Jalesh Cruises is immensely proud to give India its first premium ship Karnika, which has been curated to indulge and entertain you in the true Indian style. She is a beautiful ship designed to enthrall both domestic and international guests with the famed Indian hospitality. Our ship will make it possible for Indians to experience cruise vacations closer home with high level of customization that touches the sensibilities of people here.”
On board the ship, passengers will have a variety of cuisines, entertainment, adventure and relaxation to choose from. Additionally, the cruise offers land based excursions at different ports for passengers. The ship has three fine dining restaurants, which includes Indian cuisine at Waterfront and Chef’s Table and Thai, Malay, Korean, Mongolian, Taiwanese and Japanese cuisines at Chopstix. Karnika provides a host of on board entertainment for children as well as adults, like Broadway shows, casino, music and dance nights, movie screenings and adventure activities among others. The ship offers features that make it convenient and easy for senior citizens and differently abled passengers to enjoy the cruise.
Karnika is also the first Indian ship to provide therapeutic relaxation facilities on the high seas. A state-of-the-art fitness studio and multi-purpose salon facilities are also available to passengers.
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