Copy of TAFI DAY 2_ONLINE.qxp - ddppl

A DDP PUBLICATION Pages: 20 

Survival instinct makes 

Indian agents strong 

There is absolute consensus among the agent fraternity that they should 

re-orient themselves as travel consultants rather than functioning as mere 

ticketing agents to remain relevant in the changing travel scenario. And, 

instead of commissions why not charge a service fee? They ask. 

T 

P. K RISHNA K UMAR 

he whole concept of travelling 

has undergone a sea change 

in the last few years. People 

are travelling like never before 

both internally as well as externally 

for different purposes. The factors 

contributing to this change 

are many and everybody 

is aware of it. 

The TAFI convention session 

'Travel Agent: the ultimate 

solution' would basically 

aim at preparing the travel 

agents to adapt and change in 

accordance to the rapidly 

transforming travel scenario. 

Nobody speaks about commissions 

in the business today. 

There are more gruelling 

issues which lurk large before 

the agents as well as the 

industry as a whole. The basic 

question is how travel agents 

could remain relevant in the 

rapidly changing travel scenario? 

It is obvious and certain 

that the days of traditional 

ticketing agents are long over. 

According to Rani Bachani, 

MD, Vice Regal Travel & 

Resorts, Kochi, travel agents 

have to become travel consultants 

to remain relevant in 

the changing scenario. "To survive 

travel agents must provide 

everything under one 

roof so that the client can get 

things done quickly and efficiently," 

she added. On the other hand, P. 

Sampath Kumar, MD, Visa Tours & 

Travels strongly believes that the 

travel agents will remain relevant as 

machine technology cannot replace 

human emotions and physical characteristics 

of an individual. There is 

a customer/traveller and a supplier/principal 

who demand the services 

of an intermediary with expertise 

to fulfil their needs to make the travel 

happen, he asserts. "Now the question 

is how we wish to remain relevant 

in business and who will be 

remunerating us for our expertise 

fairly? If it is to be the customer, 

we will be 'consultants' only, or if 

the principal wishes to have our 

Rani Bachani 

MD, 

Vice Regal Travels & Resorts 

“ 

To survive 

travel agents 

must provide 

everything 

under one roof. 

” 

P Sampath Kumar 

MD, 

Visa Tours & Travels 

“ 

Online portals 

make tall claims 

of having made 

inroads, but will 

it sustain? 

” 

expertise and remunerate us, we 

will remain as 'accredited agents'," 

Kumar informed. 

'Specialisation' is the only way out 

for agents to remain relevant in 

today's travel scenario, says N Ramji, 

director, Travel Masters India. "There 

is no place for generalisation. Focus 

and specialise in one " Ramji said. 

Agents contend that technology 

just cannot satisfy the customers' 

urge for a personalised care and 

service in matters of travel. 

"Travellers using the net can directly 

make his own travel arrangements, 

but what he must remember 

is that he is on his own if he runs into 

trouble. It's just like a car manufacturer 

providing parts of a car for self 

assembly," says Kumar. The 

same applies to suppliers 

who rely on online travel 

portals, he adds, "Online 

travel portals make tall 

claims of having made 

inroads, but will it sustain; 

especially if the principal 

fails to deliver where would 

the customer turn to? Are 

such entities financially 

secure to the customer and 

the principal?," Kumar 

expressed his doubts. 

"Travel agents must be 

net savvy and use it to their 

advantage. It is necessary 

for every travel agent to 

sign up with travel portals 

who offer b2b services. An 

agent can get the best rates 

for his clients as well as earn 

good commissions with the 

help of travel portals," she 

asserted. Expressing similar 

views, Kumar said, "As 

qualified and experienced 

travel professionals we have 

learnt to use current technology 

to our advantage. 

But, whether we need to 

be on the net to conduct our 

business, only time will tell. 

While there is a lot of talk about 

online travel portals and own websites 

by principals, nearly 70 per cent 

of all the international and domestic 

air travel is still done by agents in 

this country. But things are fast 

evolving and travel agents are to be 

prepared to face the challenges. 

Contd. on page 4 ! 

What future do you 

forsee for 

medical/adventure 

tourism in India? 

TRAVTALK asks travel agents their 

views on the future of medical 

and adventure tourism in India. 

K AVYA C HAWLA 

E.M Najeeb, chairman 

& MD, Air Travel 

Enterprises 

Medical tourists to India 

are growing by more than 

20 per cent a year and in 

terms of revenue earned it 

would be second only to IT 

by 2012. A joint study by 

CII and Mc Kinsey and Co 

shows that India can rake 

E.M Najeeb 

in additional revenue of 

over 2 billion dollars by 

2012. India is even moving into a new area of 'medical 

outsourcing'; here subcontractors aim to provide 

services to the overburdened 

medical care systems 

in western countries. 

India is ideal to be 

developed as an adventure 

tourism destination. But we 

need to develop all facilities 

for it in global standards 

including the safety and 

security facilities. 

Mandeep Singh Soin 

Mandeep Singh Soin, 

MD, Ibex Exhibitions 

Adventure tourism I 

will say has a bright future with a storm every now 

and then, but we are used to having storms and braving 

them. The MOT has shown great support and certain 

procedures for climbing 

mountains have been 

streamlined for foreigners. 

Communications as in 

use of satellite phone and 

GPS s are not officially 

allowed and this impacts on 

the safety of the clients. 

This is an area of concern 

and we have had a few 

round of discussions with 

the ministry of home affairs. Ajeet Bajaj 

The domestic traveller 

has also got used to adventure 

travel and barring aberrations, we are happy to 

be progressing steadily. 

Contd. on page 4 !

AGENTS TAFI DAILIES 2007 DAY 2 TRAVTALK 3 

Fore Representations focuses 

on the elite & middle class 

Tourism has been on a high in the Indian market for more than a decade now. 

With Indian companies representing many global tours, the variety and 

numbers increase as well. 

K AVYA C HAWLA 

ndia is today the fifth largest tourist 

Idestination in the world. Indians with 

disposable income are now 

ready to spend on their 

travel needs. Encashing the 

same Fore Representations 

has made travelling abroad 

an interesting and fun loving 

experience. Fore 

Representations is an official 

agent representing 

Globus & Cosmos in India. 

way as a total solution company. With the 

start of the inbound division two years 

ago, the group has been successful in 

other areas like conferences, domestic 

hotels, etc. The group also acts as PSAs 

for ACP Rail and Globus Family of Brands. 

Globus & Cosmos can now offer the same 

through Fore Representations. Eurail rail 

Forerunner 

• Fore Representations is an official 

agent representing Globus & 

Cosmos in India 

• Fore Representations, which started 

just five years ago, has come a long 

way as a total solution company 

and Brit rail products give flexibility to 

travel plans for individual business travellers. 

“We are trying to sell all our best 

products since the past one year and 

are expecting tremendous growth 

next year by focusing on the B2B market 

all across north India for promoting these 

products,” he said. 

Parikshit Sawhney, 

managing director, 

Fore Representations 

“ 

We are expecting 

tremendous 

growth next 

year by 

focusing on 

B2B market all 

across north 

India. 

” 

After achieving success 

in India and in the Indian 

market with Indian products, 

Fore Representations 

wanted to try doing well 

with Globus & Cosmos as 

well. Now one year after 

working and selling Globus 

& Cosmos products, we are 

focused on capturing both 

the elite class and the middle 

class travellers as 

Globus products offer great 

value for money. We have 

made co- branding with 

the products on our hotel 

bookings. This involves 

both the elite class and the 

middle man too. 

Fore Representations, 

which started just five 

years ago, has come a long

4 TRAVTALK TAFI DAILIES 2007 DAY 2 

COVER STORY 

Concept of service fee must 

be instilled in client’s psyche 

" Contd. from page 1 

Ajay Prakash, chief executive, 

Nomad Travels, Mumbai, 

feels that the industry has 

to take the changes happening 

in their stride and 

do the business by evolving 

themselves. "If we innovate 

ourselves we will not be 

sidelined and with technology 

we have to be the drivers 

of change," he said. "Lot 

of agents feel the online 

agencies and airlines are 

impacting their business. 

Despite these kinds of realities 

today over 60 per cent 

of ticketing is done through 

agents," he said. 

"The biggest challenge 

today for travel agents is to keep the 

belief in their clients that they still 

need travel agents and that even if 

it costs more, it is worth having an 

agent who will take care of any travel-related 

problem. The concept of 

N Ramji, 

director, 

Travel Masters India 

service fee must be instilled in the 

clients' psyche. Clients must realise 

that an agents' time is money," said 

Ajay Prakash, 

chief executive, 

Nomad Travels, Mumbai 

Bachani, adding, "We have to stop 

free service, excellent service to the 

client but with a price tag should be 

the mantra." According to Ramji, the 

great challenge for the agent community 

would be to prepare themselves 

for a zero per cent commission 

regime. But by the level of competence, 

he argues, that a travel 

agent can charge even 10 per 

cent service charge. "If you 

create your own niche and 

create your own brand, 

clients would happily pay for 

your services," he informed. 

Indian agents are quick 

learners after all. They don't 

allow the opportunities to go 

away and never fumble 

before challenges. The 

punch came from none else 

than Kumar: "Indian travel 

professionals are a hardy lot 

and will secure our future 

depending on what market 

situation warrants, learning 

from mistakes committed 

elsewhere, and would decide 

whether to remain 'agents' or to 

become 'consultants'. Maybe, we will 

ask our principals: are they willing 

to come in the open and say that they 

do not want agents at all?" 

Future of adventure/ 

medical tourism 

" Contd. from page 1 

Swadesh Kumar 

Ajeet Bajaj, MD, Snow 

Leopard/Adventure 

With over 70 per cent 

of the Himalayas in the 

country, India could very 

well become the adventure 

capital of the world. 

And with the increase in 

disposable income among 

the youth of the country, 

domestic adventure 

tourism is expected to 

grow by over 40 per cent. 

Swadesh Kumar, MD, Shikhar Travels 

Adventure tourism in this country is growing by 

leaps and bounds and the growth has been phenomenal. 

The profile of today's traveller has changed. People 

want to do soft adventure tours and that too for a shorter 

period. We, therefore, have to cater to their needs. 

The future trend of adventure tourism is exciting. 

We expect a similar growth for a few more years. 

May be the growth will be a little faster. The adventure 

tourism industry has to adopt ourselves to the 

fact that the customers can go directly to smaller 

cities where the activities are actually organised. 

Either we have to have offices there or we have to 

have a relationship with the local travel agents.


AGENTS 

SURV's new European desk to 

focus on aggressive hotel rates 

SURV WORLDWIDE has recently announced the formation of specialised destination 

desk at its outbound travel division in Delhi. One of the major costs in an international 

vacation is the cost of accommodation. SURV Worldwide through its 'Lowest 

Rate Assurance' initiative, proposes to reduce the hotel and accommodation cost. 

By tying up with a large 

hotel supplier in Europe, 

SURV also proposes that 

anybody who presents a 

proof of lower rate from an 

online booking website with 

a confirmed room delivery 

can avail SURV's offer to 

pay the difference. 

TT BUREAU 

URV Worldwide, the leisure travel 

Sdivision of Onkar International has 

recently formed a specialised destination 

desk. SURV Worldwide's 'Lowest Rate 

Assurance' program guarantees the lowest 

hotel room rates for any location in 

Europe & UK to any travel agent. Karanvir 

Bahia, chairman of the Onkar group, said, 

"The outbound Indian traveller is looking 

for quality experiences at affordable rates 

and our endeavour to set up the European 

desk is to deliver best-price offerings with 

customised experiences." 

By tying up with a large hotel supplier 

in Europe, SURV also proposes that 

anybody who presents a proof of lower 

rate from an online booking website with 

a confirmed room delivery can avail 

Karanvir Bahia, 

chairman, 

Onkar group 

Ravi Saxena, 

director, 

SURV Worldwide 

Alok Jain, 

director, 

SURV Worldwide 

SURV's offer to pay the difference. 

Ravi Saxena, director of SURV 

Worldwide, says, "We have made substantial 

efforts to decrease the hotel costs 

for a prospective vacationer. I can guarantee 

the lowest hotel room rates across 

major locations in Europe & UK from now 

to December. Our agent marketing team 

is offering these rates to our 1,000+ travel 

agent partners across the country to 

make their European vacation offerings 

more competitive and attractive." 

With a 35-40 per cent share in the 

Indian outbound market, Europe proves 

to be an attractive holiday destination 

for the Indian travellers. Alok Jain, 

director, SURV Worldwide, said, "Indians 

travelling abroad are very demanding 

when it comes to cost and at SURV 

Worldwide we are striving to deliver the 

best value across all major destinations. 

We expect our new European desk with 

its focus on aggressive hotel rates to be 

a key driver of growth in this segment 

of leisure travel."


AIRLINES 

Nok Air plans to fly to more 

destinations in India 

Nok Air has set eyes on more Indian destinations after adding Bangalore 

as its maiden international destination. The airline is looking at India in a 

big way and is keen to operate to all potential cities as soon as possible. 

TT BUREAU 

fter positioning itself as 

Athe world's first shoppers' 

airline, Nok Air is planning to 

add more destinations in its 

Indian network. The airline 

recently commenced daily Bangkok - 

Bangalore flights. The carrier is utilising 

Boeing 737-400, with a capacity of up to 

156 seats on this route. 

Speaking to TRAVTALK , Rajiv Bhatia, GM 

Nok Air will 

• Start daily flights from Chennai later 

this year 

• Have daily flights from Hyderabad 

and New Delhi 

• Have common rated fares on its 

website for both public and agents 

- India, Nok Air said, "We will be starting 

daily flights from Chennai later this year 

and by mid 2008, we will have daily 

flights from Hyderabad and New Delhi. 

We are already in talks with couple of 

domestic carriers and hope to announce 

the code share arrangements soon. We 

are looking at India in a big way and are 

keen to operate to all potential cities as 

soon as possible so as to increase the utilisation 

of our aircraft that are currently 

not in operation during the nights." 

The carrier is mainly focusing on 

leisure and incentive segments. However, 

the airline has noticed a steady increase 

in the number of 

business travellers. 

Commenting on its 

Rajiv Bhatia, 

GM - India, 

Nok Air 

USP, Bhatia said, "It is a known 

fact that Bangkok is one of the 

best places to shop. While on 

one hand you get the biggest of 

international brands under one roof, on 

the other, you get to pick up some good 

quality junk stuff at a cheaper rate from 

the local markets. We have tied up for 

exclusive discounts of up to 30 per cent 

on many clothing and cosmetic brands, 

eating joints, etc. The discount coupons 

are being handed over to the passengers 

onboard our flights." 

"Nok Air provides Business Class (Nok 

Plus) with wider seats, blankets, complimentary 

wine, beer and hot meal. 

With honest pricing for both Nok Plus 

and Nok Economy, the response received 

by the airline has been exceptional 

despite our launch during 

the low season. 

Additionally, convenient 

timings and our on-time 

performance till date 

have helped us to win 

the confidence of the 

travellers and the agents 

fraternity," he added. 

Nok Air has placed its 

distribution channel 

strategy for the Indian 

market in action. For 

bookings, the airline has 

a website and ensures 

that unlike some other 

carriers, fares on its website and to the 

agents are common rated. Bhatia said, 

The airline recently 

commenced daily 

Bangkok - Bangalore flights. 

"We aim to touch all our passengers with 

our friendly Nok culture. At Nok Air, we 

make a great effort to understand the 

needs and demands of passengers, no 

matter how complex they may be. As a 

result, we hope to give passengers a level 

of service that is beyond their expectations 

yet at honest prices and with 

value additions."


AIRLINES 

bmi launches flights to 

new destinations 

With its main office located in Mumbai, along with an additional eight 

offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta, Cochin, 

Hyderabad and Goa, bmi, represented by Jetair, has recently disclosed its 

plan to launch flights to new destinations. 

TT BUREAU 

mi, Heathrow's second largest carri- 

has recently announced that it will 

ber, 

serve a new destination as well as introduce 

major enhancements to its network 

of services from Heathrow, with effect 

from October 28, this year. 

The airline is set to launch daily 

flights from London to the Egyptian 

capital of Cairo. The new competitive 

Plans 

• The airline is set to launch daily 

flights from London to the Egyptian 

capital of Cairo 

• Major enhancements for travellers 

will also take place from October 

28 to other destinations newly 

served by bmi 

service will be operated on Airbus 

A320 aircraft in a two class configuration 

- Business and Economy. 

Major enhancements for travellers will 

also take place from October 28, to other 

TT BUREAU 

he merged airline will fly under the 

Tbrand of 'Air India' both domestically 

and internationally. V. Thulasidas 

takes over as the chairman and managing 

director while Vishwapati Trivedi is 

the joint managing director of the 

merged company 

The new airline will have a combined 

fleet size of over 112 aircraft, comparable 

to the best airlines in the Asian region 

and will rank among the top 30 airlines 

in the world. As part of its fleet acquisition 

programme of 111 aircraft, the new 

airline will induct 21 new aircraft (7 

Boeing 777, 10 A-320 family aircraft and 

4 Boeing 737-800) this year. 

'Air India' launched its inaugural daily, 

non-stop Mumbai-New York flight with 

the first Boeing 777 200 LR aircraft. This 

destinations newly served by bmi as it 

commences services at the start of the 

winter timetable. The Jordanian capital 

of Amman and the Lebanese capital of 

Beirut each benefit with an increase in 

direct frequency, with daily services now 

available to both locations. 

Nigel Turner, chief executive officer, 

bmi said, "The introduction of new competition 

onto routes has historically invigorated 

markets and we expect our new 

competitive service from Heathrow to the 

Egyptian capital of Cairo to appeal to both 

leisure and business travellers alike. It is 

also extremely pleasing that our service 

to Cairo will be operated in cooperation 

with EgyptAir. This will enable each of us 

to benefit from our strengths in our 

respective home markets to promote and 

sell seats on each others' services." 

There is no doubting that the frequency 

enhancement to schedules on 

routes from Heathrow to Amman 

and Beirut will be welcomed by 

travellers. Together, these major network 

enhancements will enable much greater 

flexibility to travellers in planning 

business travel itineraries 

is the first non-stop India-US flight by a 

domestic carrier. The new Boeing 777 

aircraft was the first of the series to sport 

the new branding. 

The merger of Air India and Indian 

will provide an integrated international 

and domestic footprint, which will significantly 

enhance customer proposition 

and allow easy entry into a global airline 

alliance. The merged airline has given 

them the opportunity to unlock significant 

synergies on account of optimal utilisation 

of resources through improvement 

"The new destination, 

service and frequency 

enhancements that we are 

announcing, together with 

the full integration of the 

former BMED network 

into bmi, represents the 

biggest expansion that we 

will have ever undertaken 

in a single action. The 

number of destinations 

that bmi will serve from 

Heathrow at the start of 

the winter timetable will 

be 36. This further reinforces 

our position as 

Heathrow's second biggest 

carrier and sends out a clear message of 

the presence of bmi as a major force 

within UK aviation both now and in the 

future," said Turner. 

Elaborating further he said, "We know 

that our most important customers are 

frequent flyers who often travel with us 

on business - a group that makes up a 

considerable proportion of our total passengers. 

They are looking for value for 

money, friendly welcoming service and 

Merger of AI & Indian to 

enhance customer proposition 

The ministry of corporate affairs, Government of India has approved the 

application for the merger of Air India and Indian into a new company 'National 

Aviation Company of India Limited' (NACIL), earlier incorporated under the 

Company's Act 1956 on March 30, 2007. 

More than Rs. 800 crore of annual 

synergies are expected to be realised 

once the integration is completed. 

Nigel Turner, 

chief executive officer, 

bmi 

“ 

We know that 

our most 

important 

customers are 

frequent flyers 

who often 

travel with us 

on business. 

” 

want to be recognised and 

rewarded. Our new initiative 

delivers on all these 

points as well as helping to 

set out the future direction 

of the company, building 

on key strengths such as 

market-leading punctuality 

and a quick and efficient 

airport experience. 

Whilst our focus is on the 

business traveller, we will 

continue to apply our 

'making travelling a pleasure' 

ethos to all our passengers, 

whatever their 

purpose of travel. 

Customer feedback shows 

us time and time again 

that our people make bmi 

the preferred choice of airline, 

and significant investment 

in ongoing training 

will ensure that continues 

to be the case for all our 

customers. The airline 

industry has been through 

a period of massive change 

in the past five years - a 

process that continues 

today. By developing and 

evolving our products and 

services we can ensure we continue 

to meet and exceed the expectations 

of our customers and remain competitive 

in the marketplace." 

Whatever your reason for flying, it's 

easy to earn rewards - simply start flying 

with bmi as a diamond club member 

and you can receive a whole range 

of benefits - bmi diamond club is one 

of the most generous frequent flyer 

programs in the air. 

in load factors and yields on 

commonly serviced routes 

as well as deployment of 

'freed up' aircraft capacity on 

alternate routes. Leveraging 

the combined network and 

route rationalisation will 

result in improved product 

offering to consumers. Overall, more than 

Rs 800 crore of annual synergies 

are expected to be realised once the 

integration is completed. 

Domestic and international flights will 

seamlessly integrate, allowing passengers 

to check in for their international 

flight from any domestic point in India. 

The new fleet brings in a product and 

service level that is the best in class, and 

will now include in-flight entertainment, 

better seats and enhanced in-flight service. 

A combined schedule now means better 

connectivity to the largest international 

airline in India as well as improved 

service to various domestic points in 

India. An improved frequent flier program 

is in the pipeline along with a dedicated 

holiday packages website with new offerings 

to various global destinations. 

Apart from the main passenger airline, 

other revenue generating division such as 

cargo, low cost carrier, ground handling 

and MRO will gain increased focus in the 

merged entity. They will be able to unlock 

significant value in the new structure 

where each will be managed as a separate 

strategic business unit under the corporate 

umbrella of the merged organisation. 

The new cargo airline, Air India Cargo 

is currently in the process of acquiring 

freighter aircraft by way of conversion of 

B-737 and A-310 passenger aircraft. The 

first A-310 freighter aircraft has already 

started operations to the Gulf and Europe 

while the B-737 freighter will be operating 

in the Northeast region. 

Under the brand of Air India Express, 

the low cost carrier will fly on both 

domestic and international routes. 

Positioned as a value airline, it will serve 

markets that require point-to-point connectivity 

at a lower price point. Air India 

Express will have a brand new fleet with 

in-flight entertainment, meal service and 

other services, etc. 

The merger safeguards the employees 

with an assurance that all will be secured 

as a result of the merger.


AGENTS 

Abacus simplifies booking 

through its non-air system 

As tourists and travellers continue to mature, there is 

a requirement not only to find enough people to service 

the sheer volume of travel, but also to efficiently 

address the increasingly diverse needs of travellers. 

Via launches convenient 

kiosks for booking tickets 

Booking tickets has now been made easier by Via, the 

Bangalore-based travel services company. For the first 

time ever, bus tickets can now be booked online at conveniently 

located kiosks, with or without a credit card. 

A 

TT BUREAU 

s the travel fraternity 

identifies correctly 

that a part of the revenue 

in the future would be the 

earnings from the Non-Air 

business as with every 

passing day the airline 

commissions are reducing, 

Abacus has really worked 

hard in getting the non-air 

content up for its clients. 

Viiveck Verma, managing 

director, Abacus India 

says, "In the hotels arena, 

Abacus has seen an 

increase of over 15,000 

properties in its system in 

the past one year. Today 

the number of properties 

an Abacus user can sell 

is 77,000 - far more than 

any other GDS. Abacus 

has also made sure that 

almost all of these properties 

are on the highest 

access level with instant 

confirmation facility." 

Abacus has been a 

proven leader in the Asia- 

Pacific market amongst all 

GDS for the hotel bookings 

Viiveck Verma, 


Abacus India 

with an average of 35 per cent YOY 

growth in the past 4 years and continues 

to grow. The standard automation 

which is present in the global air 

transportation scenario remains low 

at almost all levels in the hotel industry 

with very few industry standards. 

“ 

Today more 

and more 

agents are 

realising the 

power of 

booking non-air 

through 

Abacus system. 

” 

Verma said "Today more 

and more agents are realising 

the power of booking 

non-air through Abacus 

system - integration with 

air booking environment, 

instant room availability 

and booking confirmation 

24/7, booking fully integrated 

to the PNR enabling 

automated cancellations 

and modifications. Most 

importantly increased 

margins: Higher employee 

productivity and lower 

overheads." 

Abacus also participates 

in the BAR (Best Available 

Rate) program. "Abacus 

realises the challenges our 

agent customers are facing 

when booking a hotel room 

for their travellers. Abacus, 

being the distributor, facilitates 

both our hotel associates 

and agent users to 

add values in the whole sell 

and buy process," Verma 

noted. The BAR program 

denotes that hotels under 

the BAR program guarantee 

the rates across different 

booking channels for 

the same hotel for the same accommodation 

under same booking terms and conditions. 

As of August 2007, there are 

over 10,000 properties worldwide 

fewer than 18 chains, with a daily 

increase in these numbers, participating 

in Abacus BAR program. 

TT BUREAU 

n August 17, the first Via Kiosk was 

Olaunched at Garuda Mall in 

Bangalore in the presence of Niranjan 

Gupta, COO, Via and Amit Aggarwal, 

director, Via. 

Via has introduced the revolutionary 

concept of automatic ticket vending 

machines as an easy and handy 

means of booking tickets for customers. 

Payment can be through 

credit card or cash paid to the 

person manning the kiosk. 

Speaking on the occasion, 

Aggarwal said, "This is a transparent 

and non-biased means of 

booking tickets, since it is all 

done in real time. The customer 

can select seats, the pick point 

and mode of payment. The kiosk 

also allows a customer to pay by 

cash to the attendent of the 

kiosk. At the completion of the transaction, 

the machine will generate an e-ticket 

which can be used to board the bus at 

the selected pick up point." 

Via Kiosks are an extension of the 

company's constant innovation in trying 

to make travel both convenient and comfortable 

and is a logical progression from 

hosting the inventories of private bus 

companies online, a feat never achieved 

before. Via aims to locate these kiosks 

across the country in high traffic areas 

such as malls, railway stations, bus stands 

and such others. 

With this newly-launched Kiosk, Via 

is the first company in India to build a 

complete Bus Reservation System for bus 

operators and manage their inventory 

online. Taking this forward, Via has 

already tied up with three leading bus 

operators - Indo Canadian Transport 

Company in Punjab, Vivek Travels in 

Delhi and Sree Kaleswari Travels in 

Andhra Pradesh. Via will power their bus 

inventories online, enabling customers to 

book tickets directly at their respective 

websites as well as Via's own website. It 

is meanwhile in talks with other service 

providers to broaden the network and 

offer customers a much wider choice. 

Via is fast emerging as one of the 

most forward-thinking companies in the 

country with a slew of services aimed at 

the convenience of the customer. It has 

started to earn laurels, indicating that its 

excellence is being recognised. Via has 

managed to earn an incredible reputation 

within a short span due to its innovative 

ideas, far reaching vision, focus on 

the customer and a network of over 4800 

agents in over 380 cities. Via is clearly 

the thought leader in the travel and 

tourism industry. 

Saradha Tours & Travels 

offering exclusive packages 

Dealing in specialised and exclusive private and group departure packages, the 

Saradha Tours & Travels has emerged as one of the leading travel houses in the 

eastern part of India. TRAVTALK brings you an overview of the company. 

TT BUREAU 

aradha Tours & Travels, since its 

Sinception, has emerged as one of the 

front running travel houses from Eastern 

India and operates exclusive private and 

group departure packages. Inbound programs 

are exclusively designed covering 

the Eastern Himalayan region of India. 

West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, 

Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, 

Tripura are the core regions which they 

Exclusive outbound programs are available 

for Switzerland, Africa, and Finland 

along with the fix dated departures for 

Europe, Australia and New Zealand. 

promote around the world for the discerning 

travellers. Exclusive outbound 

programs are available for Switzerland, 

Africa, and Finland 

along with the fix dated 

departures for Europe, 

Australia and New 

Zealand. With corporate 

headquarters in 

Kolkata, it has its 

inbound and outbound 

headquarters in New 

Delhi, regional base at Guwahati and 

operational offices at Shillong, Gangtok, 

Darjeeling, and Siliguri in India to ensure 

Programs 

• Inbound programs are exclusively 

designed covering the Eastern 

Himalayan region of India 

• Wildlife tour of Kaziranga National 

Park, tribal tours of Arunachal, etc 

unforgettable experience for all guests. 

"The world is now turning its eyes 

towards the unknown and mystical northeast. 

If you are looking at experiencing 

something unique, something you never 

dreamed of, then talk to us, we will take 

you on a journey of a lifetime," says Rajdeep 

Bhattacharjee, general manager, Saradha 

Tours & Travels while sharing his views on 

the inbound programs. Wildlife tour of 

Kaziranga National Park, tribal tours of 

Arunachal and Nagaland, Buddhist tour of 

North Bengal and Sikkim, exclusive honeymoon 

special at Ri-Kynjai Resort and 

complete tour of the Northeast are some of 

the most fascinating tours they operate for 

their guests.


AIRLINES 

SpiceJet woos common 

man, makes flying affordable 

Ajay Singh, director, SpiceJet, has been associated with SpiceJet since its 

inception in January 2005 and is an integral member of the SpiceJet think 

tank. Recently, he was also the advisor to the ministry of communications 

and information technology. 

TT BUREAU 

piceJet was launched to tap the huge 

Spotential for air travel in India and it 

intends to provide an alternative mode of 

travel for train passengers so that they 

can travel at comparable fares in greater 

comfort and in far less time. 

Not only did the airline carry over six 

million passengers on its network, it also 

recorded the highest load factor of over 

86 per cent since its launch, achieved 

99.5 per cent flight dispatch reliability 

and maintained over 90 per cent on-time 

performance. Besides highest load factor, 

month after month, it has also registered 

lowest cancellations among its 

competitors. Started with two aircraft 

and a maiden flight between Delhi - 

Ahmedabad on May 23, 2005, in just 11 

months SpiceJet has grown upto 14 aircraft 

with 86 daily flights to 15 destinations. 

Nearly 2 millions passengers in a 

Good run 

• Recorded the highest load 

factor of over 86 per cent 

since its launch 

• In just 11 months SpiceJet has 

grown upto 14 aircraft with 86 

daily flights to 15 destinations 

Ajay Singh, 

director, 

SpiceJet 

“ 

SpiceJet's 

goal will be to 

ensure that 

we provide 

reasonable fares 

and make flying 

affordable 

for all. 

” 

year and highest load factor among all 

airlines are some of the indicators that 

define the acceptance of SpiceJet among 

the passengers in India. 

"It will take time for people to understand 

that there could be a 

way to travel by air at the 

cost of AC II tier, without 

having conventional luxuries 

aboard. People have 

started learning the fact 

that flying could be an 

experience, whereby, one 

can simply fly safely ontime 

from Point A to Point 

B, at a cost much cheaper 

than that of full service airlines," 

said Singh. 

"A large proportion of 

our passengers (nearly 40 

per cent) are 'first time' flyers. 

We believe that we are 

taking a larger number of passengers 

from trains as opposed to passengers 

from other airlines," he added. Budget airlines 

like SpiceJet will 

always be cheaper compared 

to full service airlines. 

This is because they 

follow a different model 

that focuses on on-time 

and safe travel instead 

of "frills" such as meals 

on board, travel agency 

commissions, etc. 

"Fares in the near 

future will depend on 

input costs such as the cost 

of fuel. SpiceJet's goal will 

be to ensure that we provide 

reasonable fares and 

make flying affordable 

for the common man," 

said Singh. 

SpiceJet is expanding 

fast. By end of 2008, it 

expects to add 23 new aircraft 

to its fleet, which 

will operate more than 

250 flights on around 24 

destinations, offering 

more than 35,000 seats 

per day. At this moment, 

we are consolidating 

our popular routes to metros 

and mini metros. 

However in coming years 

our final aim is to make our services 

available in small cities, where the 

common man actually lives.


CRS 

Luxurious offerings from 

Bird Group & Dusit 

The opportunities for new players to enter into the hospitality 

sector have increased tremendously. The Bird 

Group under its wholly-owned subsidiary, BHS, has 

forayed into the hospitality business with Dusit Hotels. 

TT BUREAU 

n a joint venture with 

IDusit, Thailand's leading 

premier hotel company, 

Bird Hospitality Services 

(BHS) plans to develop six, 

4 to 5 star hotels, which 

will provide the former 

the possibility to manage 

or franchise several hotels 

in India. The first three 

properties, projected to 

open within 2010, are in 

Delhi, Goa and Rishikesh 

while the next three will be 

up by 2013 in Pune, 

Amritsar and Jaipur. 

Ankur Bhatia 

executive director, 

Bird Group 

In the first phase of its launch in 

Delhi, Goa and Rishikesh, collectively, 

the elegant properties will comprise 

approximately 500 stylish deluxe rooms 

and suites. The properties will serve 

variety of cuisines from Continental, 

Indian and world cuisines. Equipped 

with state-of-the art meeting rooms 

and the latest audio-visual facilities, 

the property is an ideal venue for 

meetings and conferences. 

These properties will involve investments 

by Bird Hospitality Services to the 

tune of over US$ 200 million in various 

phases of development. The Bird Group 

has been a front-runner in the travel and 

tourism industry for almost four decades, 

with a touch point in every vertical of the 

industry. Seeing the tremendous demand 

and the burgeoning growth in this sector, 

it was only logical for the group to step 

into the hospitality industry. 

This is a welcome initiative, with 

increasing demand for quality hotels; 

In a joint venture, 

Dusit and Bird 

Hospitality Services 

plans to develop six, 

4 to 5 star hotels. 

providing accommodation 

avenues for travellers will 

add another feather to the 

vast portfolio of services 

provided by the Bird 

Group. The group also 

plans to offer its management 

expertise to several 

hotels and resorts with the 

Dusit brand name ranging 

from the super-luxury 

spa resorts to smart 

budget properties across 

the length and breadth 

of India. 

India is a high-growth 

market, ready to be 

tapped, as it possesses the right 

resources, unspoiled natural environment 

and capable manpower to ensure 

the healthy growth of its local hospitality 

industry. The country is witnessing 

a tremendous boom with inbound travel 

of 4.43 million in 2006 with a double 

digit growth forecast year on year till 

2020; this partnership comes at the 

most opportune time. The main focus 

of Bird Group's hospitality venture 

will be to provide its customers a 

world-class experience with professional 

quality service. 

Galileo walks away with 

the Best GDS award 

Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) 

and subsidiary of Travel Port, has won the 'Best GDS' 

category at Travel Weekly Asia's prestigious travel 

industry awards. 

TT BUREAU 

he awards, which were held recent- 

at The Harbour Plaza Metropolis in 

Tly 

Hong Kong, recognised the best in the 

Asian travel industry, acknowledging 

their contributions to tourism. It was the 

first awards ceremony to be hosted by the 

region's leading travel trade publication. 

On the other hand, Galileo India is 

the National Distribution Company of 

Galileo International, the leading global 

travel and technology distribution 

company. Galileo India commenced 

operations in 1994 and within a span 

of 13 years the company has extended 

its network to over 277 cities with 

20 dedicated offices. 

Galileo India today has over 10,500 

agency terminals with 21 service centres 

and 10 training centres across India. It 

has now, in its embrace, over 450 airlines, 

23 car rental companies 

and 66,000 hotel 

The awards were held 

at The Harbour Plaza 

Metropolis in 

Hong Kong recently. 

properties worldwide. 

It has also 

achieved the status of 

having the maximum 

number of airlines in 

India at the highest 

level of agreement. 

Simon Nowroz, 


Galileo Asia, said, "This is absolutely 

fantastic news for Galileo and confirms 

our position in Asia as the system of 

choice for both travel suppliers and 

travel agents. Our team here has 

worked very hard to deliver leadingedge 

products and extensive travel content 

designed to help our customers 

manage their businesses more efficiently. 

It is particularly rewarding for 

us to win this category in Travel Weekly 

(Asia)'s first awards ceremony." 

Syed Mohd. Razif, managing director, 

Sri Sutra Travel added, "This award 

reflects Galileo's ability to deliver 

service and content that helps to make 

a difference for Galileo users. This is a 

great win for Galileo and for Galileo 

users across Asia." 

Tah Sin Chong, acting managing 

director, Travel Division from Reliance 

Pacific PLC commented, "We have been 

working with Galileo for several years and 

have always found 

their products and 

solutions to be 

highly effective and 

their customer support 

second to 

none. We are very 

pleased that they 

have won this 

award in Asia." 

"The competition 

had been very intense and some of 

the awardees and runner-ups were separated 

by only a few votes. There were 

over 160,000 individual votes and it 

is a very good indication that the 

industry found the awards an effective 

platform to recognise the best 

among their peers," said Iris Kwan, 

publisher, Travel Weekly. 

Chairman 

Vikramajit 

Publisher 

SanJeet 

Editor 

Rupali Narasimhan 

Director Marketing 

Poonam Makhija 

Editorial 

Luvleena Walia 

Priyanka Saxena 

Ratan Kr Paul 

P. Krishna Kumar 

Rohit Kaul / Barnali Gogoi 

Kavya Chawla 

Sriprakash Menon 

Nithya Ramani / Malabika Sarkar 

Marketing 

Gunjan Sabikhi 

Ankur Verma 

Abhinav Malhotra 

Vikram Raj 

Surbhi Kumar 

Ashutosh Mohaljee 

Nidhi Chopra 

Geetika Pathak 

Harish Kumar 

Prem Sagar 

Amit Sarkar / Geeta Santhanam 

Design 

Rajesh Chhetri / NN Misra 

Shibu Varghese / Sudhir Mudgal / 

Parmindar Singh 

Production Manager 

Anil Kharbanda 

TAFI Daily is printed and 

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