Day 3 - ddppl

A DDP PUBLICATION
ddppl.com
travtalkindia.com

Global Travel Mart in India
(L-R): Dr. Lalit K Panwar, Chairman & MD, ITDC; Bill Calderwood, PATA Interim CEO; Hiran Cooray, Chairman, PATA; Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister for Tourism; RH Khwaja, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Chairperson,
PATA-India Chapter and Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the PATA Press Conference in New Delhi
Brand India
In a free wheeling interaction,
Arjun Sharma, Vice Chairman, PATA
India Chapter spoke on PTM 2011
and modern India. Excerpts...
Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister for Tourism
announed an international travel trade show in
India - Global Travel Mart, which will be held
either in New Delhi or Hyderabad by 2012/13.
V I V E K S E T H I
The much-awaited Global
Travel Mart, an international
travel show for the stakeholders
in the global travel industry, will
organised after scrutinising the
international calendar of travel
trade events,” he added.
The Union Minister for Tourism
shared his vision to supplement
Success Story
The effort put in by the Ministry of Tourism,
especially by Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary,
under the leadership of RH Khwaja,
Secretary, MOT and Chairperson of PATA
India Chapter deserves special mention.
Arjun Sharma
Vice Chairman, PATA India Chapter
TT B U R E AU
How significant is PATA Travel Mart
2011 keeping in mind the global tourism
scenario? Kindly elaborate.
The PATA Travel Mart 2011 is probably
Asia Pacific’s best contracting and networking
show and with Delhi playing
host to the event, it is an ideal opportunity for
the entire fraternity to see the city’s greatly
improved infrastructure and a world-class airport.
With the tourism fraternity giving more
significance to responsible and sustainable
Contd. on page 3 u
be held in India by 2012/2013,
said Subodh Kant Sahai, Union
Minister for Tourism.
Speaking at a press conference,
he said, “We are looking at
organising the Global Travel Mart in
India by 2012/13. At present, we are
also analysing the best possible way
to channelise the energies of all
stakeholders in the Indian travel
industry,” said Sahai.
“The Mart will be a Ministry of
Tourism initiative which will be
overseas office infrastructure
with representative offices in
strategic destinations.
“The Ministry of Tourism that
has 14 overseas offices is planning
to supplement their overseas promotional
infrastructure with
regional representative offices. In
certain markets, such as France,
Germany and Italy, there is a
need of local representations, as
there is a considerable language
problem in these strategic
markets,” said Sahai.
TT B U R E AU
The PATA-Travel Mart 2011 in New Delhi had a
brilliant start. The event had almost all the
participants defining it as the best networking
platform to build business opportunities.
The effort put in by the Ministry of Tourism, especially
by Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism under
the leadership of RH Khwaja, Secretary, Ministry of Tourismcum-Chairperson
of PATA-India Chapter deserves special
mention and need to be applauded. Both of them worked very
quietly behind the scenes and made it a point to meet each
and every participant personally at the Mart. These two
gentlemen not only anchored the preparations of the PTM
2011, but also expressed their willingness to stand by all
participants to ensure that all their needs were met and they
faced no difficulty during their stay in India for the Mart.

2 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
NEWS
Showcasing Dilli
Haat at PTM 2011
Dilli Haat is a joint venture
of Delhi Tourism
& NDMC supported by the
Development Commissioner
(Handicrafts) and
Development Commissioner
(Handlooms). The
main responsibility of
operation of the Haat lies
with Delhi Tourism.
Spread over an area of
6.27 acres, it represents a
picturesque traditional village
atmosphere in
Delhi. It is the first ever
food, craft, culture and
barrier-free eco-friendly
project of Delhi Tourism,
providing a platform for
skilled and semi-skilled
artisans to earn their
living for their socio-economic
uplift.
"It is a matter of privilege
for Delhi Tourism to
showcase a flavour of Dilli
Haat to the delegates from
all parts of the world
participating in PATA
Travel Mart. Though
the National Award
Winner craftsmen from
India have displayed
their arts and crafts
demonstrating their
products, the most popular
among them was
the artist who writes
name of the visitor
on a single grain of
rice within a minute,"
says GG Saxena,
Managing Director & CEO,
Delhi Tourism.
GG Saxena
Managing Director & CEO
Delhi Tourism
LPTI and Kingdom of Dreams
enthrall PATA delegates
Kingdom of Dreams invited the PATA delegates for dinner and
showcased the art, heritage, crafts and more of Indian culture to them.
TT B U R E AU
Arjun Sharma, Managing
Director, Le Passage to
India and Asad Aslam, Senior
Vice President, Kingdom of
Dreams, invited all the PATA
delegates for dinner and to
attend the world’s Biggest
Musical Extravaganza on
September 8, 2011. The
place brings to life the magic
and timeless mystique of
India in a unique blend of
Indian art, culture, heritage,
crafts, cuisine and performing
arts, with the technological
wizardry of today.
Sprawling across acres
of land, ideally located in
Gurgaon at the apex of the
Golden Triangle of Jaipur,
Agra and Delhi, is the magnificent
Kingdom of Dreams,
India’s first live entertainment
and leisure destination.
Nautanki Mahal, a dynamic
state of the art theatre at
Kingdom of Dreams, India’s
first unique live entertainment
destination, is host to
Zangoora, The Gypsy Prince
- world’s biggest Indian cinematic
themed, theatrical,
musical extravaganza. The
musical designed, scripted,
composed and produced with
the best of Indian and
International talent is an
unforgettable experience.
Integrated with state-of-theart
modern technology and
wizardry, Zangoora is a perfect
combination of Indian
cinematic entertainment and
India’s rich cultural heritage.
The Culture Gully, the
food boulevard at Kingdom of
Dreams presents a magnificent
Indian carnival showcasing
14 states of India in all
their splendour on a single
street enveloped under a
breathtaking skydome.
Kingdom of Dreams
is an architectural masterpiece.
A Magical, Mystical
& Memorable experience
of India!!

NTO P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 3
‘10 year plan’ for India by early 2012
Tourism Australia has worked out a long-term strategy
for the Indian market and expects to receive close to
3,00,000 Indians by 2020.
A N I TA J A I N
The tourism board will
introduce a special
’10 year plan’ for India and
China to meet their expected
targets in next 3-4 months.
According to Andrew
McEvoy, Managing Director,
Tourism Australia, India will
move from US$826 million
and 1,45,000 visitors to
US$2.4 billion and 3,00,000
visitors by 2020, registering
a growth of over 200 per cent
as compared to 2010.
McEvoy said, “We will
further enhance our trade
activities and will involve
travellers through active digital
social media marketing
practices. Tourism Australia,
along with major international
airports from Australia, are
in talks with Air India,
Kingfisher and Jet Airways to
start direct connection on
India – Australia route to further
boost the Indian arrival
figures. We are expecting a
200 per cent growth from
India and receive more than
3,00,000 Indian visitors in
next 10 years.”
Andrew McEvoy
Managing Director
Tourism Australia
Delhi Tourism at PTM 2011
Upasna Singhal and
Sudhir Sobti from Delhi
Tourism, at the PATA
Travel Mart on
September 8. Delhi
Tourism is showcasing
Dilli Haat at the PATA mart
being held in Delhi.
Craftsmen are offering
authentic indigenous
goods which have been
lapped up by visitors.
With a good response to
their products, Delhi
Tourism hopes to particpate
in similar marts
to give their product
more exposure.
PTM 2011
gets going...
Contd. from page 1 col. 1 u
tourism, this would be
one area where we would
see the industry active in
pursuing in terms of deliberations
and product showcase.
India has received a lot
of positive publicity post
the Common Wealth games
and Delhi is positioned
much better for such events
due to the improvement
in infrastructure
Will PTM 2011 help infuse
confidence in the existing
membership base and help
PATA-India Chapter add
new members?
PATA’s global membership
base has grown over
the years in a significant
manner, with the regional
chapters and the global body
as a whole, strongly working
towards creating cleaner
and greener work environment.
PTM 2011 is also an
opportunity for the members
to participate in an
Interactive workshop ‘Get
the Insights - Build the
Business’, where we expect
a large turnout of both
Indian and International
members. They all will be
interacting in an atmosphere
of frank, open discussion
and collaboration.
How will PTM help India and
your members leverage the
true potential of tourism?
Incredible India,
through all its segments of
tour operators, hotels, airlines,
tourism boards are
doing a grand job at the PTM
2011. With many companies
seeing the value of participation
from the 2008 event, we
have got a very encouraging
response from new and
niche PATA members who
are keen to reach a larger
audience in the international
space. An overwhelming
response for booking exhibition
space from the region
has been encouraging.

4 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA 2011
Andhra & Karnataka host PATA delegates
Department of Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh & Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, jointly hosted the
PATA delegates for cocktails and dinner on September 7 at The Ashok Hotel. Both the states did their best to woo the delegates
with presentations on their tourism products, attractions and offerings. The evening also witnessed some vibrant musical performances.

6 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA 2011
Thanking those who
made it happen
Poonam Makhija
Director, Business Development
DDP
Poonam Makhija
Director, Business Development
DDP
From planning logistics and coordinating with
the Ministry of Tourism, to obtaining hotel rooms
for the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2011 delegates,
Poonam Makhija, Director, Business Development,
Durga Das Publication has been engaged throughout
in various day-to-day responsibilities with the
organisation of Mart in New Delhi. Makhija, with her
years of experience with DDP across verticals, has
provided invaluable guidance and assistance to ensure
that PTM 2011 is a success. She has acted as the catalyst
in bringing the industry stakeholders together to achieve
a successful PTM 2011.
Who said what@PTM 2011
We are working towards making India a credible destination so that it can
become truly ‘Incredible’ for inbound travellers. We want to make India
a prime destination in Asia in terms of heritage, adventure and peace.
Subodh Kant Sahai
Union Minister for Tourism
Our historical and cultural ethos for tourism is embedded in three words
‘Athithi Devo Bhava’.
RH Khwaja
Secretary, MOT
Iam glad to be here to build business in the region. We are back (PATA
organised its Mart in 2008 in Hyderabad) because India is now a compelling
success story.
Hiran Cooray
Chairman, PATA
Bobby Sawhney
Director
Bakshi Transport Service
Bobby Sawhney
Director, Bakshi Transport Service
My role in the mart is to oversee transportation and
movement of delegates from their arrival till departure.
These include type of vehicle for a delegate, review
routine of the delegate, etc. That is going to be a tough
task as quite a few members have not registered.
In some cases there is re-scheduling of flights, which
forces us to change the planned schedule. Some delegates
have not submitted their arrival time.
India has so much to offer. From palace hotels to temples, deserts to skiing
in the mountains, swimming and diving at beautiful beaches, boat houses
in Kerala and Kashmir, it has it all.
Bill Calderwood
PATA Interim, CEO
All the delegates attending PTM 2011 should know that India is a large
country and Delhi is a tiny little world in it, which has all the cultures and
religion thrown into one. Delhi is a micro-miniature of India with its rich history
of over 5,000 years. You will get to experience a modern airport and the most
ancient monuments.
Sheila Dixit
Chief Minister, Delhi

8 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
AGENTS
Ayurvedic Village at Panvel near Mumbai
The Ayurvedic Village at Morbe, Panvel is a solution to modern day ailments such as stress and ageing. This
traditional Kerala Ayurvedic Treatment and Health Rejuvenation Centre has recently introduced special packages
to lift one’s spirit and to heal from within. gives details on the diverse offerings that the village offers.
TT B U R E AU
Panchakarma to other
therapies like Shirodhara,
Pizhichil, Navarakizhi,
Choorna Swed and
Udwarthanam are offered at
the Ayurvedic Village. All the
treatments are based on the
need of the physical condition
designed to ‘lift one’s spirit
and to heal from within’.
The treatments at the
Ayurvedic Village emphasise
on the diet and purification
of the body. Located 10 km
from Panvel, this retreat
serves as the perfect getaway
for those willing to
have a refreshing and
healthy holiday while getting
treated. The Village is surrounded
by hills with greenery
around with huge tracts
of paddy fields, and is an
ideal location for those seeking
peace and calm, away
from the city.
The Ayurvedic
Village offers
visitors an
experience
of true ‘satvik’
life with
vegetarian food
prepared from
organically grown
vegetables with
less oil and spices.
Rejuvenation
packages are for 3,
7, 14, 21 and 28
days. Expert
physicians, trained
physiotherapists
and masseurs
ensure visitors
enjoy a peaceful
and healthy stay.
NK Bhupesh Babu
Founder
Ayurvedic Village
Spread over 65 acres of
land between Matheran and
Haji Malang Hills, the residential
treatment centre is
well-equipped with all basic
requirements. The wellmaintained
rooms are large
and well-ventilated. Large
windows offer good view of
the area. Special care is taken
to maintain hygiene.
The Clinic at the
Village comprises separate
rooms for men and women
and all in-house facilities for
Panchakarma Therapies.
The equipment for
Panchakarma and massage
therapy is designed
using the modern technology
and traditional
knowledge. Special oils
and herbs are bought to
prepare oils and medicines
at the Village. All therapies
are administered under
supervision of expert doctors
and therapists. Besides,
there is a reception lobby
and cafeteria.
Dr. Radha Krishnan, the
specialist at the Village
said, “Ayurveda is the
science of life and aims
at holistic and permanent
healing. It believes in healthy
way of living.”
The centre even
offers treatment for
chronic disorders such as
arthritis, paralysis, insomnia,
infertility, obesity and stressrelated
problems.
The village has mango
orchards and lush green trees
of various types and it
works wonders for
the tourists and those
seeking treatments to purify
the mind and body in the lap
of nature.
Founded in 2001 by
NK Bhupesh Babu, in association
with Oushadhi, a
Government of Kerala
undertaking, the Ayurvedic
Village also has centre in
Vashi and Sanpada but these
do not offer residential treatment
facilities.
Babu and his team is
now constructing a fullfledged
100-bed Ayurvedic
Medical College-cum-hospital
at Panvel, which will be ready
in another 10 months.
The hospital will offer
only specialised Ayurvedic
Treatments while students
will get necessary education
and training. Babu said,
“We hope to have team
of 200 medical experts
ready to look after patients.
Senior doctors will teach
Ayurveda to the students
while treating the patients.”
Ayurvedic Village
Founded in 2001 in
association with Oushadhi, a
Government of Kerala
undertaking
Spread over 65 acres of land
between Matheran and Haji
Malang Hills, the residential
treatment centre is wellequipped
with all basic
requirements
The Clinic at the Village
comprises separate rooms
for men and women and all
in-house facilities for
Panchakarma Therapies

1 0 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
STATES
MP promoting Bhagoria, a tribal festival
of Jhabua, as the new tourism product
Following the concept of mass ‘Swayamvar’, Bhagoria Haat festival is held a few
days before before the Holi festival in the tribal belt of Jhabua and surrounding areas.
TT B U R E AU
If you have not already
known or heard of the
Bhagoria Haat festival, you
soon will. This bustling festival
of spot marriage, dance
and merry-making and drinking
revelry is an age-old tradition
of the Bhils and Bhilals
tribes, residing in Jhabua,
Alirajpur, West Nimar and
surrounding districts of
Madhya Pradesh.
It has been there for centuries
and can be termed as
the original showcase of what
rural India is – from the local
bazaar spread on the sidewalks,
children peeping into
the ‘bioscope cinema’, adults
shouting on ‘Giant Wheels’, to
tribal dance and music. The
essence of the festival remains
in the freedom exercised by
boys and girls to choose their
respective partner.
Young boys and girls all
decked up in colourful clothes
and jewellery congregate in
Hari Ranjan Rao
Managing Director, MPSTDC
the village fair during
Bhagoria. The festival is a
series of fairs held one after
the other at various villages
on their specific market days,
commencing eight days
before Holi. As the name of
the festival indicates, (Bhag
or run), after choosing their
partners, the young people
elope and then they are subsequently
accepted as husband
and wife by the society
through predetermined customs.
It is not always that the
boy and girl, who intend to
marry one another meet in
the festival for the first time.
In a large number of cases,
the alliance is already made
between the two, the festival
providing the institutionalised
framework for announcing
the alliance publicly.
The tradition is that the
boy applies Gulal, red powder
on the face of the girl whom he
selects as his wife. The girl, if
willing, also applies Gulal on
the boy’s face after which both
of them run away from the
place. This may not happen
immediately but the boy may
pursue her and succeed eventually.
The tribal people of
Madhya Pradesh form an
important part of its culture
and contribute. Their unique
traditions and vibrant culture
come alive in the Bhagoria festival.
The festival marks the
onset of the spring season and
falls a few days before Holi. It
also coincides with the completion
of harvesting, adding
it to the dimension of being an
agricultural festival as well. If
the crops have been good, the
festival assumes an additional
air of gaiety.
MP Tourism has
embarked on an ambitious
plan to develop Bhagoria into
a tourism product. “Bhagoria
has been talked about for
over 30 years. However this
is the first time we have tried
to give this festival a tourism
dimension. It is a potential
tourism product and caters to
experience seeking travellers,”
said Hari Ranjan Rao,
Managing Director, MPSTDC.
Acknowledging the challenge
of developing a new tourism
product, Rao added that for
any new tourism product to
take off there has to be an initiative
taken. A couple of
months ago we came to know
that tour operators from
Gujarat have promoted
this festival and also
brought foreign tourists. We
are hopeful of developing it
as a product in demand in
next 4-5 years.

AGENTS
100% growth for Carnation
Travel Services every year
Established in the year 1995, Carnation Travels is
one of India's most upcoming & leading Travel & Tour
management company. reveals the future plans
of the company.
TT B U R E AU
Carnation Travel Services,
a largely outbound
travel-based company, is witnessing
a 100 per cent
growth almost every year
amid the highly competitive
travel market.
“We are doubling our
B2B network and turnover
almost every year. Indian
travellers overseas are
very price sensitive but
also crave for quality experience
that is based on value
for money,” said Rajesh Sethi,
Managing Director, Carnation
Travel Services.
“The outbound market
in India will continue to grow.
The UNWTO projections suggest
that the outbound figures
will breach the 50 million
mark by 2020. We also
hope that we continue to
Rajesh Sethi
Managing Director
Carnation Travel Services
grow at the same momentum,”
he added.
It is professionally managed,
with an extensive
knowledge, expertise and
resources, which specialises
in conceptualising and
execution of events,
group tours, business delegations,
business seminars &
conferences with a difference,
both in India and across
the world. “There is an
urgent need of constant reinvention
to push the destination
to a new level, especially
in case of the places
that have been more frequently
travelled. In this
regard, destinations like
Thailand and Malaysia had
been lacking, whereas
Singapore had done very
well,” said Sethi.
“To unleash the true
potential of the outbound
market, addition of new destination
is very important. As
part of the mandate to grow
our business at a strong pace,
we are focussing on Macau,
Vietnam, the Philippines,
South Korea and Taiwan to
name a few. We are also willing
to work with all NTOs that
are keen on promoting their
destination,” he added.
New iPhone application for
business travellers
n Egencia, the corporate
travel arm of Expedia,
launched new mobile features
and capabilities for
business travellers on
August 2, 2011. This Egencia
Mobile for the iPhone application
is equipped with new
innovative and user-friendly
features including smart itinerary,
flight and destination
alerts, flight schedules,
online check-in and
click-to-call.
“With the number of
mobile phone users in Asia
rising to a 3 billion and over
5 million new subscribers
n For the fourth time consecutively
- The Heritage
Village Club has been awarded
the Thomson Gold award
for being the best Hotel in
the ‘Faraway Shores’
Program for the year 2010-
11. The Thomson Gold
Awards are based on
Customer Score Quotient -
CSQ’s (detailed feedback)
received from guests by
Thomson Holidays on their
flight back home and is the
actual barometer of a
hotel's performance.
The programme consists
being added every month in
India for smart-phones, we
understand that the need of
the business traveller has
evolved. The Egencia Mobile
for the iPhone will deliver
global best-in-class experience
and technology solutions
to Egencia clients in
India. This will soon be
extended to all other
smart phone platforms
like Android, Blackberry &
others,” said Gaurav
Sundaram, Country Director,
Egencia India.
Egencia Mobile is
currently available in the
of Thomson’s long haul destinations
and includes hotels
from India, Sri Lanka,
Maldives, Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Mexico, Aruba,
Jamaica and Barbados and
features a vast array of
hotels and resorts.
Heritage Village Club,
Goa is a beautiful resort facing
the beach. Located close
to the White sands of
the Aroossim Beach,
this beautiful landscape
in Goa is India’s first allinclusive
boutique resort
making it an idyllic
Gaurav Sundaram
Country Director
Egencia India
following countries: US,
UK, France, Germany,
Netherlands, Switzerland,
Belgium, Spain, Italy,
Canada, Australia, and
India. Languages supported
include English, French,
German, Italian, Spanish,
Swedish, Canadian, French
and Dutch.
The Heritage Village Club bags the
Thomson Gold award – the 4 th time
getaway for one’s vacation.
The charming 97 room,
5-star resort offers a choice
of the very best of contemporary
accommodation
in Goa.
The Heritage Village
Club, Goa is a part of Select
Hotels and is also the pioneer
to the ‘all-inclusive’
holiday concept - where not
only accommodation but
unlimited food, snacks inbetween
meals, in-house
beverages and entertainment
activities for the whole
family is covered.

PATA 2011 P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 1 3
Networking continues on Day 2
The action heats up, as on Day 2, the PATA Travel Mart 2011 witnessed some hectic activities amidst the buyer-seller business
meets and networking. Buyers were seen rushing from one booth to the other to keep up with their pre-scheduled appointments.
Union Minister of Tourism, Subodh Kant Sahai, who missed the opening ceremony of the Mart on September 7, also visited the Mart.

1 4 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA 2011
Red Carpet welcome for PATA delegates

PATA 2011 P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 1 5
India leaves fine imprint on tourism map

1 6 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA 2011
The making of ‘brand India’ in the tourism
Philippine Tourism Board hosts lunch
for select travel agents in New Delhi
High tea hosted by Holidays to
Treasure on Palace on Wheels
AHS and Pacto host travel
agents for dinner at Le Meridien
Holiday to Treasure
AHS

HOTELS P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 1 7
Ananta in Pushkar
With a debut property for its owners in the hospitality sector, the group
is leaving no stone unturned to make a lasting impression.
TT B U R E AU
Owners of Country Inn &
Suites by Carlson in
Jaipur are coming up with a
spa resort named Ananta Spa
& Resorts on Ajmer-Pushkar
highway. Mukund Goel and
Sanjay Goel are from the
exports business and after
diversifying into hospitality
business, they will be formally
launching the spa resort
before September-end.
The resort offers 26 villas
with independent rooms
on ground & first floor, offering
an exotic blend of
nature’s delight and modern
lifestyle decorated in minimalist
vision. Each villa has a
spacious living room on the
ground floor that opens into
a lush manicured greens
attached with an open-to-sky
bathroom surrounded by
waterfalls. The rooms on the
first floor have a balcony that
provides spectacular views of
the Aravali Hills.
Enveloped in contemporary
Balinese architecture,
Ananta Spa & Resort offers
62 luxurious rooms, offering
spectacular views of the
rolling Aravali Hills. All
rooms are designed to bathe
in natural light, built with
minimal vision, appointed
with rich wooden floors, a
walk-in closet, open-to-sky
bathrooms and an independent
balcony overlooking the
lush greenery around.
The spa area provides a
sense of pristine serenity and
self realisation. In its 17,000
sq ft sanctuary, it offers age–
old rejuvenation, therapies
and treatments, culled out
from ancient manuscripts
across India and the West at
12 therapy rooms. The spa
also includes an area for yoga
& meditation, jacuzzi, sauna
and steam rooms, a treatment
area and a fully
equipped gym.
Ananta offers a thrilling
choice of dining options.
There is an all-day dining
restaurant and a multi-cuisine
restaurant brimming
over with the taste and aromas.
A pleasant touch of dining
in the open is offered by
our pool side Gazebo. For
those partial to a tipple or
two, there’s a sophisticated
and very well stocked bar
with mixologists adept at
concocting exotic potions –
alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Billed under five-star
category, teams from the
property have been visiting
markets such as the USA and
Europe to create awareness
and to ensure tie-ups are
secured. Prospective domestic
source markets identified
are Rajasthan and Delhi. It is
divided into categories and
the cost per night is ` 9,500
for Deluxe and ` 11,500 for
Super Deluxe. The property
is expecting that once the
property is operational, a
good chunk of their clientele
would be from the corporate
segment.
USP
The spa in a 17,000
sq ft offers age–old
rejuvenation, therapies and
treatments among many
others
The property offers 62
rooms with a view of the
rolling Aravali Hills

1 8 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
NTO
India, a star market for Malaysia inbound
With a 16 per cent growth seen in 2010 in tourist arrivals, Malaysia is expecting an increase in numbers. The
country has laid out detailed plans for the Indian market. Speaking with , Dato Azizan Noordin, Acting
Director General, Tourism Malaysia Promotions Board explains how.
J U S T I N T H O M A S
How has the Indian market
been in the past one year for
Malaysia. Could you support
it with some figures?
The Indian tourism
market has always been a
star market for Malaysia, to
an extent that at one time,
the essential promotional
funds were diverted from
some long haul markets to
generate greater potential of
arrivals from India. This
strategy worked so well for
Malaysia that over the years,
we have generated good
growth in the tourist arrivals
from India. We registered
6.89 lakh tourists for the year
2010, registering a growth of
16 per cent over the previous
year. We are hopeful that by
the end of 2011, we will have
registered a similar growth or
even more.
What are the new initiatives
taken by Tourism Malaysia to
increase the numbers from
India?
While we are quite
pleased with the overall
arrival performance from
India, we hope to see greater
improvement in the high-end
segment such as MICE and
luxury. We all know that the
competition for MICE business
from India is heating up.
In fact, many destinations
offer special incentives and
benefits such as Visa-on-
Arrival facility to facilitate
travel. This is a great boost
for the MICE business sector.
On the part of Malaysia, we
have established MyCEB (the
Malaysia Convention and
Exhibition Bureau), the
national agency to promote
Malaysia as a leading business
tourism and international
events destination.
We are also viewing
with concern, the element of
competition for leisure travel
from India and will continue
to seriously support industry
members here in making
Malaysia the preferred holiday
destination. These are in
the form of tour operator support,
training, familiarisation
Dato Azizan Noordin, Acting Director General, Tourism Malaysia Promotions Board
tours and tactical campaigns.
One good example is to lure
wedding planners to offer
Malaysia as a destination for
Indian weddings.
What are the key features of
the Indian market?
India is a market where
the decision to travel is
more often than not made at
the eleventh hour. Countries
that have VoA facility stand
to gain much from this
travel pattern. As for
Malaysia, we may need to
seriously look at coming up
with some form of mechanism
that will make it convenient
for Indians to travel
to Malaysia.
While European travellers
prefer options and the
ability to plan the details of
their holiday in DIY-fashion,
Indian travellers are quite
dependent on the advice of
travel agents in getting a
comprehensive level of
travel-related services. As
such, we need to constantly
engage with the Indian travel
agents, build a strong relationship
with them and provide
them with product
knowledge and support.
While India is slowly
moving towards more online
travel booking, largely, the
preference is still to engage
the services of travel agents
and plan a holiday using traditional
means.
These characteristics of
the India market have a bearing
on our marketing strategies
in India.
What are your objectives and
expectations from the
upcoming PATA Travel Mart
in New Delhi?
Our participation in the
upcoming PATA Travel
Mart in New Delhi is to
promote Malaysia and
update the trade members of
our latest tourism products
and services.
The products which we
are pushing include the
Malaysia My Second Home
programme which has been
a success, attracting increasing
numbers of new participants
every year. The total
number of participants from
2002 until July 2011 is
15,951. The top five countries
are China (2,623),
Bangladesh (1,952), UK
(1,720), Japan (1,385) and
Iran (906).
We will also take the
opportunity to announce
Malaysia as the host for the
PATA Annual Meeting
2012 in Putrajaya from
April 20-22. Also, the
Visit Malaysia Year 2013 is
in the pipeline.
We also see the PATA
Travel Mart as an excellent
opportunity to push attendance
for the PETRONAS
Formula 1 in 2012 and to this
end, we are unveiling for the
first time the 2-seater race
car by Minardi.
Our delegation to PATA
Travel Mart in New Delhi
consists of hoteliers, tourist
attraction operators and tour
operators. We have scheduled
almost 40 appointments to
meet buyers.
As next PATA Annual Meet
is scheduled in Putrajaya,
Malaysia, how is the preparations
coming up for the
event?
We are very happy and
honoured to organise the
PATA Annual Meeting 2012
in Malaysia. Our past
involvement with PATA
events in Malaysia has
always been not only successful
and rewarding, but
enjoyable as well. Our past
experience will certainly be
of great value as we coordinate
and organise the PATA
Annual Meeting.
Putrajaya is a beautiful
destination and although it is
an administrative centre, its
unique architecture, parks
and gardens, lakes, characteristics
and the green environment
somehow became a
huge attraction to tourists.
So now, it is timely for us
to promote Putrajaya as one
of the must-see destinations
in Malaysia.
Hosting the PATA
Annual Meeting 2012 in
Putrajaya would be a
great boost to the city. As
such, Tourism Malaysia is
working very hard with our
industry partners to make
the PATA Annual Meeting
2012 a success.
We have set up a main
committee to oversee the
project and we have also
received interest from several
parties who would like to collaborate
with us to make the
event a great success.
In fact, we are in discussions
with a university
right now to provide industry
exposure to students of
tourism/hospitality schools
via the PATA Annual
Meeting 2012. It’s a great
opportunity for students,
who are going to be graduates
and become a member
of the tourism industry, to
understand how the industry
is managed internationally.
This exposure would,
no doubt, be an amazing
learning experience for
them besides providing
them the bigger picture of
the tourism scene which
they will eventually be part
of. Therefore, Tourism
Malaysia is only happy to
offer them this opportunity
and platform to nurture the
talents of young and future
industry practitioners in
this way. A series of lectures
would also be conducted
with industry and Malaysia
PATA Chapter members
with focus on PATA and the
youth tourism.
What key initiatives have
Tourism Malaysia taken for
the event?
Since sustainable
tourism is such a big and
important concern currently,
we thought it would
be timely to promote a
‘green’ PATA Annual
Meeting this time around.
We are thinking of implementing
several green initiatives
during the meeting
itself such as going paperless
as much as possible,
managing indoor temperatures
to reduce unnecessary
power usage, using locallysourced
services and products
to reduce our carbon
footprint, etc.
In keeping with this
theme, even the post-event
tours will be carefully
crafted out. We have
plans of working with
the Malaysia Homestay
Association to provide
delegates with an unforgettable
experience of life
in the countryside,
where the concept of ‘living
off the earth’ is widely
practised by village communities
through their agriculture
and aquaculture
traditions and self-sufficient
lifestyle.
Describe the host city and
what it has to offer?
Putrajaya lies just outside
the city of Kuala Lumpur
with a convenient and close
access to the Kuala Lumpur
International Airport, Melaka
and the city centre.
Designed as a model
city, it was created with
the intention of making
it the government’s administrative
centre. It is a
thoroughly modern township
displaying the best
of Malaysian design and
architecture in an environment-friendly
setting
of beautifully landscaped
lakes and parks. The attractions
here include the mix
design of the government
buildings and mosques
as well as prominent structural
landmarks, the 12
parks, a man-made freshwater
wetland, and eight
signature bridges.
We look forward to seeing
more international
tourists to visit Putrajaya
in the coming months
and years.

NTO P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 1 9
PATA Annual Meeting 2012
In Putrajaya, Malaysia
The city which serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia,
will be a host to PATA’s Annual Meeting from April 20-22.
Malaysia’s federal administrative
centre,
Putrajaya, has carefully
planned infrastructure,
breathtaking architecture
and plenty of trees &
flowers to complement its
surroundings.
Designed to be a garden
city, Putrajaya’s imposing
buildings are set amid lots of
tropical flora. Marigold, zinnia
and bougainvillea line the
paths and streets, while tall
palms and other tropical trees
shade the tiled pathways.
Established in 1999 on
a former oil palm plantation,
Putrajaya sprawls over 4,581
hectares and is an environment-friendly
destination
which was once known as
Prong Besar in the state of
Selangor. It is located 25-km
South of Kuala Lumpur and
20-km North of Sepang
where the KL International
Airport is situated. Its name
pays tribute to the first premier
of Malaysia, Tunku
Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.
In the national language,
‘Putra’ means prince and
‘Jaya’ is success.
Apart from its parks and
gardens full of colorful flowers,
palms and native trees,
Putrajaya is famed for its
wetlands, a green sanctuary
reputed to be the largest
man-made freshwater wetlands
in the tropics. Covering
335 hectares, Putrajaya
Wetlands has marked trails,
picnic areas and other public
amenities. It is open to the
public for leisure and recreational
activities as well
as educational purposes.
The wetlands comprise
swamp and marsh cells created
along the banks of the
Chua and Bisa rivers. The
cells function as filters for the
river water which flow into
Putrajaya Lake.
A popular habitat for
local fauna, primarily mammals,
water birds, reptiles,
amphibians, fish and invertebrates,
the wetlands is
stocked with 24 species of
local freshwater fish. Several
species of local marshland
and water birds seen here
include the Little Egret, Little
Green Heron and Bittern
while migratory birds from
the northern hemisphere also
visit this spot annually.
The staff at the on-site
Nature Interpretation Centre
do research and compile data
on water and plant studies.
There is also a souvenir shop,
wetland diorama, wetland
handicraft display, an AV
room and café. Overall, nearly
half of Putrajaya has natural
open areas that have been
landscaped to feature lush
greenery in botanical gardens
criss-crossed by large bodies
of water and wetlands.
Today, Putrajaya boasts
of many exciting and interesting
attractions from grand
government buildings to
modern bridges, facilities,
amenities and natureinspired
parks and lake cruises.
Some of them are:
Perdana Putra:
An imposing office complex
and among the first
buildings in Putrajaya, it
houses the Malaysian Prime
Ministers office and other
government departments.
Putra Mosque:
Masjid Putra in the
Malay language is the most
distinctive landmark and is
one of the most modern
mosques in the world.
Palace of Justice:
This Taj Mahal-inspired
building houses the
Malaysian Court of Appeal
and Federal Court, which
used to be in the Sultan
Abdul Samad Building in
Kuala Lumpur. It is designed
by Solomon de Brosse and
incorporates Islamic &
Western influences.
Melawati Palace:
Located in Precinct 1 on
the North-Western slope of
the hill, this palace is the
royal retreat of His Majesty
the king and his family. It is
also the venue for royal hosted
meetings and functions.
Putrajaya Lake:
A 650 hectares manmade
lake that naturally cools
the city and is a site for recreational,
fishing, water sports
and water transport activities.
Its lake cruise appeals
to visitors.
Alamanda Putrajaya:
The first shopping centre
built in Putrajaya, it has
boutiques, restaurants,
bowling alleys, movie theatres
and food court. It
also features
Malaysia’s first
travelator within a
shopping complex
that connects the
retail outlets to
car parks.
Putrajaya Convention
Centre:
An impressive building,
its design is in the shape of
the pending perok (silver
Malay royal belt buckle).
The roof structure resembles
folded origami to accentuate
the plain roundness of
the structure.
Bridges of Putrajaya:
Putrajaya is also known
as the city of bridges as it has
seven bridges, each with its
own unique design to reflect
the overall concept - Islamic,
beautiful and modern.

2 0 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
HOTELS
Leela Hotels ties up
with Meta Wellness
for heart treatment
n The Leela Palaces ,
Hotels and Resorts today
joined hands with Meta
Wellness, a New York-based
health care company, to
launch India's first clinically
proven, intensive lifestylechange
programmes for
heart disease reversal and
prevention.
Meta Wellness programmes
are being offered
in partnership with The
Leela Palaces, Hotels and
Resorts, starting with the
Leela Mumbai and Leela
Kovalam properties.
The programme will
subsequently be offered at
other properties in The
Leela Group.
Meta Wellness is
launching in India with two
physician-led programmes
for heart disease -
‘re:verse’, for those who
already have heart disease,
and ‘re:tune’, for those
who may be at risk for
heart disease.
The re:verse is a 90-
day programme combining
intensive residential
components with remote
hand-holding.
Meta Wellness' clinical
teams remotely guide and
monitor re:verse patients as
they continue with their
daily lives outside. Re:tune
is being offered exclusively
at The Leela's resort properties,
Meta Wellness
re:verse, Director, Jyotsna
Changrani stated.
"This therapy will revolutionise
the treatment
of heart disease in India.
If one has heart
disease, intensive cardiac
rehab can stop it from
progressing and even
reverse it.
Even if one had a
bypass or an angioplasty,
but has not altered his
lifestyle, he is at risk for a
heart attack. Re:verse is a
vital long-term solution to
the heart disease,"
Changrani said.
Amruda Nair, Head,
Asset Management of The
Leela Palaces, Hotels and
Resorts, said, "Residential
wellness and therapeutic
programs at luxury
hotels and resorts are
tremendously
internationally.”
popular
Offering Swiss hospitality
at Swissôtel Hotel & Resorts
The Swissôtel brand name reflects the finest traditions of Swiss hospitality –
intuitive reliability, efficiency and warmth. speaks to Aiden McAuley,
Regional Vice President, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific
who shares about the individualised service imparted with efficiency and charm.
J U S T I N T H O M A S
What is the USP of
Swissôtel?
We believe that our key
differentiator and competitive
advantage is the dedication
to perfection - from our
exceptional service, stylish
and contemporary design,
culinary excellence and our
unyielding commitment to
perfection centred on our
‘Swissness’, is what makes
the difference.
Can you elaborate on the
corporate philosophy of the
chain?
The Swissôtel brand
name reflects the finest traditions
of Swiss hospitality –
intuitive reliability, efficiency
and warmth.
The ‘Swiss hospitality’
is best defined by our culture
which, where individualised
service is imparted with efficiency
and charm, for each
and every guest.
Our credo, ‘A
Passion for
Perfection’ is
apparent in everything
that we do,
from the locations
and designs of our
hotels, to facilities
and services that
we offer.
What is the expected clientele
of Swissôtel properties?
A typical Swissôtel
guest is a business traveller.
It can also be a group attending
MICE events as well as
independent and group
leisure travellers.
Aiden McAuley
Regional Vice President
Swissotel Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific
What is the average size of
rooms for Swissôtel
properties?
Our room sizes range
from 30 to 38 square metres,
with suites ranging from 60
to 110 square metres.
Is the chain looking at
MICE events? If yes, give
details on how Swissôtel
works on a typical MICE
event.
MICE events make up
an important part of
Swissôtel’s business and we
often tailor to our customers’
requirements to produce successful
and high-quality conferences.
In light of
the changing needs of
guests, we have launched
www.swissotelmeetings.com
which is designed to offer a
time-saving booking process
for event and conference
planners and meeting organisers.
One useful feature in
particular is the function that
enables organisers to compare
three different Swissôtel
properties at once from the
international hotel chain’s
portfolio, to ascertain
their capacity at a glance and
to check the availability
directly online.
BRYS Hotels makes a debut in
Jaisalmer with a 38-room property
Real Estate major BRYS Group’s hospitality venture called BRYS
Hotels is making its first stride at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan by opening
a 38-room 5-star property called BRYS Fort in November 2011.
Rahul Gaur, CMD, BRYS Group provides the details.
TT B U R E AU
BRYS Hotels is part of the
BRYS Group of
Companies – a Rahul Gaur
Enterprise. Founded with an
objective to establish new
dimensions in business,
BRYS Hotel’s aim is to promote
India as an incredible
tourist destination. BRYS
Fort, however, has all modern
amenities for leisure as
well as business travellers.
Starting with 38 rooms
(including 2 suite rooms and
36 deluxe rooms), one presidential
bungalow and 10
royal tents, the luxury hotel
has a plan to add another 40
rooms by 2012. BRYS Fort is
possessing about 9 acre land
and it has a huge potential
of further expansion (the
present building has occupied
only 30 per cent of the
total land).
“There is a huge
demand for quality hotel
Rahul Gaur
CMD
BRYS Group
services to address the
requirements of up-market
leisure and business travellers
in Jaisalmer. Hence, we
have decided to launch this
5-star property in this attractive
destination, to lure both
international and domestic
travelleres round the year,”
said Gaur. He asserted that
BRYS Fort will offer 5-star
services right from the nearby
airport (Jodhpur Airport),
which is about 300 km away
from Jaisalmer.
“Our USP will be our
services and innovations.
For instance, we are
offering ample of offers
inside the hotel premises
in addition to desert
safari and sight seeing.
The view of Jaisalmer city
from our property (because
of its position on high land),
golf course and various
games and fun activities
for kids will be the added
attractions of our hotel,”
added Gaur.
BRYS Fort will also promote
it as an attractive venue
for meetings and conferences.
Currently, the property
offers a conference hall for
150 people. It can also provide
conference facilities for
400-500 people at its open
courtyard.
Gaur appeared buoyant
about the success of BRYS
Fort because of the brand
identity of BRYS Group.
“We are a well-known
brand in the real estate
and medicare markets for
our quality services. We
are confident that BRYS
Hotels will create a new
chapter in the hospitality
industry in the country. The
new venture in Jaisalmer will
be followed by two more
hotels at Jim Corbett
(Uttarakhand) and Sahibabad
(in Delhi NCR) in the near
future.
The company is also
launching a Water Villa
Resort on its own island in
Maldives. Significantly, BRYS
Hotels has plans to create a
package combining all its
property in India and abroad.
Commenting on the companies
marketing strategies,
Gaur maintained that the
company would use all the
channels – in-house, travel
agents and online.
Premier Inn’s second
property in India
n Premier Inn has
launched its second property
in India, marking an
investment of ` 92 crore
into the local economy with
50 jobs having been
created. The new property
is situated in Shalimar
Bagh, New Delhi and features
143 air-conditioned
rooms, a multi-cuisine
restaurant (Linx) and bar
(87) along with various
other amenities at just
` 5,500 a night.
Speaking about the
new opening, Aly Shariff,
Managing Director, Premier
Inn India said, “There is a
huge demand for cost-effective,
good quality rooms
from both corporate and
n Sarovar Hotels &
Resorts has opened ‘The
Ashtan Sarovar Portico,
Green Park’, its ninth hotel
in Delhi-NCR region. The
hotel is promoted by
Ashwajit Singh of Eshaan
Holdings and was formally
launched on May 15. It
offers 50 rooms and is
leisure travellers in North
India and we believe that
Premier Inn, New Delhi,
Shalimar Bagh will meet
these needs. After the
success of Premier Inn,
Bengaluru, Whitefield we
are delighted to have
opened in the capital city of
India and would like to
invite business and leisure
travellers to come and try
out our fantastic value
for money hotel and
restaurant.”
Premier Inn is a
multi-award winning
hotel chain, and offers all
guests its unique ‘Good
Night Guarantee’ – a good
night’s sleep or your
money back.
The Ashtan Sarovar
Portico in Green Park
priced at ` 4,400. In-room
facilities include LCD television,
tea/coffee maker,
private mini-bar, electronic
safe, 24-hour room service,
laundry service and Wi-Fi.
The Sarovar Portico brand
currently enjoys presence
across more than 20
destinations in India.

HOTELS P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3 TRAVTALK 2 1
Hotel Suryaa cashes in on
its location and strategies
A member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, The Suryaa, New Delhi with
its wide range of facilities and services, has recently been renovated
to meet the needs of its guests.
TT B U R E AU
One of the oldest 5-star
hotel properties in the
national capital, The Suryaa,
New Delhi has been in operation
since 1982. Today, it has
emerged as an undisputed
hospitality landmark of South
Delhi. Its 242 well-appointed
guestrooms and suites, a wide
variety of delectable dining
options, technologicallyadvanced
conferencing features,
exquisite recreation
facilities as well as warm and
attentive services make it
Delhi’s preferred hospitality
address. Other facilities
include a well-equipped fitness
centre, swimming pool,
spa and salon.
The hotel is now a part
of the Summit Hotels and
Resorts, a division of the
Preferred Hotel Group, a
global leader in the hospitality
industry. It has previously
been associated with several
International Hotel groups,
including Accor, Best
Western and IHG.
conducting corporate meetings
and other similar events.
A dedicated team works tirelessly
to make every event a
memorable one. The hotel
guarantees a 2-hour response
for meeting enquiries, followed
by a detailed proposal
within 24 hours. Its delectable
dining options include
the casual 24 hour restaurant
‘Le Cafe’ serving delicious
Indian and Continental
cuisines, whereas Sampan, a
roof top restaurant, offers the
taste of Pan-Asian cuisines.
‘Seven’ is a fine dining
restaurant, French Crust, the
patisserie with its large bouquet
of options, is a delight
for those with a sweet tooth
and the hotel’s ‘Atrium Bar’
is a sophisticated backdrop
for a business meeting or a
quiet tête-à-tête.
The hotel is
now a part
of Summit
Hotels and
Resorts, a
division of the
Preferred
Hotel Group
The property is within
easy access of Domestic and
International airports. It is
located in close proximity of
South Delhi’s foremost business
district - Nehru Place
and the industrial hub of
Okhla. The hotel is situated
at a short distance from
Pragati Maidan - the
International Trade Fair,
Noida Promotion Zones,
besides being a stone throw
away distance from the
renowned Apollo and Escorts
Heart hospitals. Shopping
arcade and other recreation
facilities are within walking
distance from the hotel.
Technologically-advanced
conferencing facilities,
customised meetings services
and in-room business
amenities create ideal setting
for the quintessential
business traveller and for

2 2 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
HOTELS
Jaypee Palace Hotel and Convention
Centre in Agra tops MICE list
Known to be one of the leading properties to cater to the MICE segment, Jaypee Palace Hotel
and Convention Centre in Asia is marking its way to glory.
TT B U R E AU
In keeping with the specific
demands of business meetings
and conferences in mind,
Jaypee Palace Hotel and
Convention Centre has an
extensive convention backup
facilities like audio-video
recording, editing facilities,
multi-lingual interpretation,
satellite uplink, external
broadcasting room, projection
centre with logic and
sound control among many
other features. The convention
centre also provides
facilities for exhibitions.
Apart from these, the
business centre makes room
for facilities like laptops,
Wi-Fi, photocopiers, telex and
additional services in its
board rooms, meeting rooms,
convention hall, banquet hall
and other assembly areas.
The facilities are being constantly
updated to suit the
changing demands of the
business community.
The property has 350
well-appointed guest rooms
in its precinct, including 13
suites, one summit suite, one
presidential suite, 28 palace
rooms and 40 executive
rooms to cater to the accommodation
needs of large or
small MICE groups. The facility
is known to provide special
tariffs in case of large
business bookings. A majority
of the bookings come from
the medical industry, with 80
per cent of total events
being domestic and 20 per
cent international. The
advance bookings of international
events are done
as early as 2-3 years before
the event while the booking
is made one to two years
before the event for national
events. Conferences can
also be organised on
short notices, depending
on the availability of the
space. The venue can accommodate
up to 1,500 delegates
at a given time.
The facility is also
known to lend a helping
hand to companies who
want to engage in various
team building activities.
Jaypee Palace Hotel and
Convention Centre also
functions as the perfect host
for the city of Agra, as they
look into the post-conference
activities of the delegates;
they also provide special
packages for sightseeing,
which include luxury transport,
city guides and even
entrance fees to various
monuments.
MICE Features
350 guest rooms, 13 suites,
1 summit suite, 1 presidential
suite, 28 palace rooms and
40 executive rooms
Back-up facilities like audiovideo
recording, editing
facilities, multi-lingual
interpretation, satellite uplink,
external broadcasting room,
projection centre with logic
and sound control
The centre also offers
discotheques, bowling alleys,
swimming areas, health
clubs and spas for
rejuvenation
Laptops, Wi-Fi, photocopiers,
telex and additional services
in its board rooms, meeting
rooms, convention hall,
banquet hall and other
assembly areas
The centre also offers
fun and entertainment to
its guests with discotheques,
bowling alleys, swimming
areas, health clubs
and spas for rejuvenation
after long and stressful
meeting hours. A private
helipad with the facility for
three simultaneous landings
is an added facility at the
Jaypee Palace Hotel and
Convention Centre.

HOTELS
Orissa Calling!
JK Mohanty, MHCIMA, Chairman – Hotel & Restaurant
Association of Orissa (HRAO) and Managing Director –
Swosti Group, insists that no other state in the country
can boast of such rich tourism potential as Orissa.
TT B U R E AU
Would you call Orissa as the
tourist capital of the East?
If yes, why?
Orissa is perhaps the
only state in the country that
can boast of a combination of
mountains, beaches, forest,
mangroves, gorges, eco-sensitive
forest areas, tribal life,
rich cultural dance forms,
temples, stone crafts, etc.
Besides, the state is pollution
free, peaceful and people
have the attitude to go
all out to welcome tourists.
No other state in the
country can boast of such rich
tourism potential.
What are the lesser known
tourist attractions in
Orissa?
The lesser known
tourist attractions in Orissa
are the Bhitarkanika crocodile
mangroves, which I feel is a
mini Amazon. Satkosia Gorge
is an eco-friendly tiger
reserve forest and the
Mahanadi adjacent to the
Satkosia is known for its large
crocodiles and natural beauty.
The other lesser known
tourist attractions are the forest
and wildlife of Debrigarh,
the leaning Homa Temple at
Sambalpur District, the 64
tribes of Orissa, the rich
mountainous forests at
Koraput and Phulbani
Districts and Daringbari, the
Kashmir of Orissa. All this
JK Mohanty
MHCIMA, Chairman – (HRAO) and
Managing Director – Swosti Group
and more makes Orissa one
of the richest tourist attractions
of India.
How well is Orissa exploring
its eco-tourism sector?
The eco-tourism sector
of Orissa has been well-pro
tected by the Government and
the Forest Department and
although limited tourism is
permitted but, it is restricted
to mass tourism. Nature and
wildlife lovers are escorted to
these places through special
executives of Swosti Travels.
This is perhaps the richest ecotourism
state in the country.
But due to lack of publicity
Orissa is less known.
As chairman HARO and
the MD of one of the leading
group of Hotels in Orissa,
what would be your advice to
a tourist contemplating a visit
to our state?
My advice to tourists visiting
Orissa is very simple. If
they are lovers of nature,
wildlife, beaches, temples,
dance forms, tribal life, there
is no other place in this
country that can match Orissa.
Can Orissa be defined as
the convention capital of
the East?
Yes, today Orissa can be
called the convention capital
of East because of the huge
infrastructure in the hotels
and quality convention centres.
Most of the hotels at
Bhubaneswar provide 5-star
luxury at 3-star prices. Hotel
Swosti Premium has the
largest convention facility
with the highest number of
rooms available in the State
of Orissa.
Pashan Garh awarded Best Eco Friendly Lodge
at The Eco-Tourism Awards 2010-2011
n Pashan Garh lodge featuring
a cluster of stone cottages
huddled atop a small
hill, offering magnificent
views across the top of
Panna forest and a large
watering hole was recently
awarded the Eco-tourism
award 2010 -11 for Best
Eco Friendly Lodge/Resort
given by the Madhya
Pradesh Eco-tourism
Development Board.
The hotel topped basis
various parameters like minimum
land used for construction
of the lodge, the
eco friendly design of the
lodge, the fact that no trees
were cut during construction
and the lodge promoting rain
water harvesting via an artificial
lake.
Pashan Garh set on a
plateau dominated by tropical
forests, deep ravines and
cascading waterfalls was the
last of the Taj Safari Lodges
to open. The Panna National
Park provides an irresistible
allure for wildlife lovers.
Close to both the worldrenowned
temples of
Khajuraho (World Heritage
Site) and Panna National
Park the lodge offers guests
an opportunity to explore
the ancient temples and
admire the rich wildlife of
the region.
Commenting on the
recognition, Raymond
Bickson, Managing Director,
Indian Hotels Company, said,
“We are honored
that the Madhya
Pradesh Ecotourism
Board has
recognised Taj
Safaris’ Pashan
Garh for this coveted
award. This
acknowledges the
efforts of all who
put their heart and
soul into the
designing of this
lodge and our
employees who
work passionately
to strive for guest
delight while protecting
our natural
environment.
The Madhya Pradesh
Eco-tourism Development
Board presents the Eco
Awards for stakeholders of
Eco-tourism in Madhya
Raymond Bickson
Managing Director
Indian Hotels Company
Pradesh, in recognition of
their performance in their
respective fields and also to
encourage healthy competition
with the aim to promote
Eco-tourism. The selection
of the awardees was made
by a Committee constituted
for the purpose and the decision
of the Department of
Forest, Government of
Madhya Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism
Development Board
was final and binding for all.

2 6 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA TALK
Expectations, anticipations and aspirations
While many expressed satisfaction with PTM 2011, there was an underlying tone to explore further
possibility to improve the show. While some suppliers rued lack of quality buyers, fewer footfalls and
no-show; the buyers, on the other hand, felt that they should have been allowed to do away with the
appointments, they knew, they wouldn’t need.
This year’s Mart is better than the previous
one. We are one of the biggest
inbound agents in Sri Lanka and are basically
looking for clients who are interested in the
island nation.
Angelo Bernad
Assistant Manager
Jetwing Travels
Iam gathering information about India. The
best thing is that the country is growing
despite the global economic downturn. There
are some unique products in India like
houseboats, tigers and food destinations. We
are trying to get more people to India as the
country has lots to offer.
Harlin Lubbert
Operator
Air Travel Reiseservice Gmbh
This is my first visit to India. I am here to
make new partners and increase our
business. I also want to learn more about
unique destinations in the country.
David Song
Vice General Manager
Citizen Travel Service
The event has been managed perfectly and
organised well. For appointments that were
fixed by us, many of them didn’t respond, hence
that has been a disappointment.
Sabitri Thapa
Managing Director
Bhutan Century Tours
Iam a tour operator. I am looking forward to
meeting many inbound providers in the Asian
region. We are quite strong in Europe and want
to grow our presence in Asia. Our company specialises
in hotel rooms and my work involves
ground transportation. I have already met few
operators who are keen to work with us.
Jaime Arroya
Contracting Manager
Grupo Trans Hotel
It is good to see big numbers of Chinese participants,
since it is a big market for inbound
as well as outbound. We have a global reservation
system called Lama Connect. We have
around 70,000 hotels in our system and the
idea is to get in touch with hoteliers directly
and connect them to our system.
Kulwant Singh
Managing Director
Lama Desert Tourism
Iam a tour operator from Mexico. It is interesting
for me to attend such a mart because
I can find leading players of Asia. I want to build
relations with my partners in Asia. I am also
looking forward to make new partners.
Jaime Aquino C
Director
Infinity Travel
Iam here to see more suppliers who will help
us to promote travel for our clients. We sell
hotels, incentives, conventions and cruises.
Aileen O. Domingo
VP-Outbound
CCT.168 Travel & Tours
My expectation from this Mart is to identify
partners to promote India among
travellers from Greece. We specialise in FITs
and in taking tourists around Asia.
Panagiotis Panaousis
General Manager
Paradise Vacation Club
We are buyers from Cambodia and
are basically looking for new tourism
products and also new concepts and ideas
in the ever-growing field of tourism. We
specialise in outbound.
M. Andrew
Operator
La Route Angkor Travel & Tours
Contd. on page 28 u

2 8 TRAVTALK P ATA D A I L I E S 2 0 1 1 – D A Y 3
PATA TALK
Contd. from page 26 u
This is our first time in India and the country
has a lot of history. It is a fam trip for us as
we would like to learn more in order to get our
clients here. Since lot of Chinese are interested
to come here, we are looking to tie up with the
hoteliers and local operators.
Ding Hai Yang
General Manager
Suzhou Cits Co
It is quite nice out here as the arrangement
is perfect. It helps a lot if there is a good setting
for a meet like this. I would like to know
more about the markets in India and neighbouring
countries. We specialise in sending people
abroad to play golf.
Parichote Sukriket
Managing Director
World Splendour Holidays
Iam here to meet my old acquaintance. The
expectation is to make more contacts. We are
outbound and inbound operators and primarily
take clients to China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Paul Leung
Managing Director
Holiday World Tours
Over 80 per cent of our meetings had been
of superb quality. We look forward to meeting
new B2B partners at the PTM 2011.
Kroasakorn Rokrungroj (Pooh)
Director of Sales
Rembrandt Hotels & Towers
Iam looking at expanding our B2B network to
promote more number of Indian visitors to
UAE. I had renewed some old contacts and look
forward to attaining new B2B partners.
T Prahlad
General Manager
DBA & Sons Travel & Tours
Iam satisfied with the PTM 2011. However,
some 50 per cent of the buyers have not yet
responded to their scheduled meetings with us.
I would like PTM to ensure that the scheduled
meetings take place.
Tshetem Norbu
Managing Director
Sacred Himalaya Travel, Bhutan
Iwould like to see
quality buyers in
the future PTM. Also
the buyers’ number
should be increased.
Adel El Masry
Director
Egyptian Tourism Office
PTM has always
been productive
for us. However, I
think that security and
the layout, which are
good anyway, could
have been better.
Glen Agustin
Head, Team India
Philippines Tourism
Ithink lot of focus is
on attractions and
hospitality. We want
to let the buyers know
that we can help them
extend their service
right from the airport.
The
buyer-seller
meeting time is
very short. Also I
think there should be
enough free time for
the buyers to meet the
suppliers they want.
Linda Song
Executive Director
Plaza Premium Lounge
Guillermo L Garcia-Canedo,
General Manager,
Fantasia Travel Services
Chairman
Vikramajit
Publisher
SanJeet
Editorial Director
Rupali Narasimhan
Editor
Deepa Sethi
Editorial
Archana Sharma
Shayan Mallick
Vivek Sethi
Anita Jain
Justin J. Thomas
Raina Mandal
Marketing
Gunjan Sabikhi
Harshal Ashar
N Sanjiba
Manish Mangla
Amit Sarkar
Prem Sagar
Gaganpreet Kaur
Priyanshu Wankhade
Design
Nityanand Misra
Sudhir Mudgal
Vikas Mandotia
Renuka Mahich
Nitin Kumar
Production Manager
Anil Kharbanda
PATA Daily is printed and
published by
SanJeet on behalf of
Durga Das Publications
Private Limited
72, Todarmal Road,
New Delhi - 110 001
Ph: +91-11-23710793, 23716318
Fax: +91-11-23351503
E-mail: travtalk@ddppl.com
Printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt. Ltd.
B-62/14, Phase-II,
Naraina Indl. Area, New Delhi - 28
Offices
MUMBAI:
504, Marine Chambers, 43,
New Marine Lines, Opp. SNDT College
Mumbai - 400 020, India
Ph.: 022-22070129, 22070130
E-mail: mumbai@ddppl.com
MIDDLE EAST:
Durga Das Publications Middle East (FZE)
P.O. Box 9348, Saif Zone,
Sharjah, UAE ; Ph.: +971-6-5573508,
Fax: +971-6-5573509
E-mail: uae@ddppl.com
PATA Daily is a publication of Durga Das Publications Private
Limited. All information in PATA Daily is derived from sources,
which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report
accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any
responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot
accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this
publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed
by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not
necessarily shared by PATA Daily. However, we wish to advice
our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold
different views than those reported. Material used in this
publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are
advised to seek specific advice before acting on information
contained in this publication which is provided for general use,
and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular
circumstances. Contents of this publication are copyright. No
part of PATA Daily or any part of the contents thereof may be
reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form
without the permission of the publication in writing. The same
rule applies when there is a copyright or the article is taken from
another publication. An exemption is hereby granted for the
extracts used for the purpose of fair review, provided two copies
of the same publication are sent to us for our records. Publications
reproducing material either in part or in whole, without
permission could face legal action. The publisher assumes no
responsibility for returning any material solicited or unsolicited
nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged.
This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific
product or services offered. The publisher reserves the right to
refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all
advertisements without explanation.
All advertisements must comply with the Indian and International
Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any
damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure of
an advertisement to appear.