September 2014

Rajeev Kohli
Joint Managing Director

Dear Industry Colleagues

Welcome to another edition of award winning 'Creatively Yours'.

We are a few weeks away from the traditional start of the inbound season. Arrival figures are already increasing day by day and we hope the coming season meets all our expectations.

India is in a state of euphoria these days with a new government that is working to make a difference. Yesterday, the Indian Prime Minister spoke before a packed house at Madison Square Garden in New York and addressed the world with a vision of a new and aggressive India.

We are proud to have been the first country in the world to have a Mars space mission that got it right on the first go. And that to at a cost of just US$ 74 million !! An unprecedented event in the history of man and one that has boosted moral across the country.

We in Creative are also proud at the election of Rajeev Kohli to the position of President Elect of SITE (the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence), the first time an Asian has even been elected to this position.

Next month we will expect the results of our nominations at the World Travel Awards. We are all keeping our fingers & toes crossed for some good news.

We have developed a few unique products based around food, festivals and wellness. These are now being put out to market and if you would like to receive them as well, please let us know.

In the coming season you shall see some new and exciting initiatives in the next season from Team Creative. New experiential inclusions, new circuits, new concepts... We take pride in our ability to make a trip to the Indian sub-continent something very different.

www.travel2india.com
www.creative.travel

For a brief period in the small hours of the morning of September 24th, a control room full of Indian engineers held their breath as Mangalyaan (Hindi for "Mars vehicle") hid behind the planet's dark side. A few tense minutes later, screens in the control room revealed that India had managed to do what no other nation had done before—succeeded in its first attempt to reach Mars safely. India’s Mars Orbiter Mission has swept with effortless ease into orbit around the Red Planet, making this country the first to achieve such a feat in a maiden attempt.

The entirety of India’s Mangalyaan mission cost just 4.5 billion rupees — or about $74 million. Compare this to NASA’s own MAVEN Mars orbiter, which has a total mission cost of around $672 million. This was also India’s first attempt to reach Mars orbit — historically, only Europe’s ESA made it to Mars on its first attempt.

That puts the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a league of just four space agencies in history to chalk up a working Mars mission. Formally known as the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan's principal mission is as a showcase of technological skill. Its success presents India as a frugal supplier in the burgeoning international space industry.

Other than the fact that the ISRO succeeded on its first attempt, the most notable aspect of the Mangalyaan mission is its extremely low cost

To Read more on India’s Mars Mission click at the below links:-

We are very proud to have our Joint Managing Director Rajeev Kohli elected at SITE's 2015 President Elect. This will be the first time someone from Asia has been elected to this post and is a tremendous testament to the growing focus on Asia in the world of incentive travel. SITE is the 'Society for Incentive Travel Excellence ( www.siteglobal.com ), a global association that brings together all stakeholders of the incentive travel industry. Founded in 1973, SITE is comprised of 2000 members in 90 countries. It’s 28 chapters span the globe and provide local connectivity for members. SITE’s members are incentive travel professionals who know from experience that incentive travel is a powerful business tool, and together, SITE and our members are on a mission to strengthen and support our industry. SITE today is the authoritative voice of the incentive travel industry. This is the body you need to join if you want to grow in the world of incentives, as a buyer or as a supplier.

Also moving up in the 2015 board are Aoife Delaney (Ovation Global) as Vice President Finance, Olga Navarro (ITB DMC Spain) as Vice President and Philip Eidsvold (AIMIA USA) as Executive Committee Member-at-Large who will form the Executive Committee of Rhonda Brewer (Martiz USA) in her tenure as President.

http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/d2812bf2073f4dd2af15eb6f30de375e.htm

A Hindu festival rooted in deep human values, strong mythical beliefs and legends, Diwali signifies the true essence of life where good overcomes evil. Celebrated with much gaiety, grandeur and festivity, the festival of Diwali transcends caste, creed and community to become all-inclusive and encompassing. In man's eternal quest for both spiritual enlightenment and worldly prosperity, Diwali marks the most auspicious day when family bonds and human relations become stronger while business ventures gain a promising head start. read more...

The festival celebrates the culture of the communities living in close proximity to endangered snow leopards. "A community based initiative for the conservation of snow leopards" Jomolhari Mountain Festival is an exquisitely themed two-day event celebrated at the base of Mt. Jomolhari, by communities located along one of the most scenic trekking routes in Bhutan. read more...

Scuba diving offers one a breathtaking experience in big waters in a report by Irene Susan Eapen. India is one of the growing markets for scuba drivers with the number of divers rising at a very high rate. More and more people are now into scuba diving with a varied age group of 12 yrs to 60yrs+. The industry is also growing by with a number of dive centres increasing in India. The scuba diving industry attracts people across the world as the beauty of this sport is beyond words and more of experience for one. read more...

Eyeing 36 per cent overall growth in tourist arrivals this calendar year, Chhattisgarh government is planning to develop Sirpur, known for its archaeological monuments, as a Buddhist destination to woo foreign visitors, PTI reported. Sirpur is 78 km away from Chhattisgarh's capital, Raipur, and is located on the banks of the river Mahanadi. read more...

Travellers can now enjoy an incredibly unique vacation midst the exotic tribal culture and pristine natural beauty of Chhattisgarh. In its constant endeavour to offer an innovative experience to the domestic and international tourists, Chhattisgarh Tourism is now concentrating on providing tourists the opportunity to transport themselves to the colourful tribal life with its Bed & Breakfast and Home Stay Establishment Scheme. read more...

Hilton Worldwide will open its second hotel in Jaipur under its mid-market brand Garden Inn, following the launch of the 179-key Hilton Hotels & Resorts Jaipur in May this year.
The hotel chain has signed an agreement with real estate developer Goverdhandham Estate for the 125-room Greenfield project, and is expected to be operational by end-2015, said Daniel Welk, vice-president, operations-India, Hilton Worldwide.

India features prominently in the group's expansion plans, where it has 13 properties operational with five more to come by 2015, including the first Conrad hotel and a DoubleTree in Agra. This year alone, Hilton added DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore and Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks. Hilton currently has four out of its 11 brands in India, but aims to introduce its other luxury brand, Waldorf Astoria.

"We are talking to a number of partners to introduce some of our other brands in India," added Welk.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre, in the capital of the state of Rajasthan. The hotel, which is the ninth Holiday Inn property in India, is located right in the centre of the city and close to popular tourist and business destinations. The 172-room Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre is located in close to key areas of Jaipur - including the main shopping centre, railway station, government houses, multinational companies and cultural venues. For guests travelling for leisure and sight-seeing, the hotel has convenient access to historical monuments and tourist attractions such as Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Birla Temple. The central location, coupled with the fresh and comfy guest rooms and facilities, make it an ideal option for business, leisure and transit travellers to the city.

The hotel offers contemporary rooms each equipped with 37-inch LED TVs, iPod docking stations and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel also features a gym, spa and a roof-top swimming pool. The hotel is well equipped to suit the needs of business travellers and event organisers, with five meeting and event spaces to suit a variety of functions.

Dharampal Satyapal Group has tied up with top international hotel chain, Radisson to open the first five-star hotel of the North East in September, stated a report by Suresh Nandim in Deccan Herald. Explaining the features of the first-ever five-star hotel in Guwahati, Arindam Mitra, Director (Sales and Marketing), Radisson Blu said the 196-room Radisson Blu Hotel located on National Highway 37 bypass at Gotanagar aims to redefine hospitality and provide the best in comfort in the North East.

Further, Mitra added, "We will open our doors to guests in September and offer 85-100 rooms to start with. We have started taking reservations."

Radisson will have a big advantage, continued Mitra, as it will be the first international brand to run a hotel in the region before others complete their projects.
 

TATA-SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL), the joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, yesterday announced the brand name of its full-service airline, which is expected to commence flying from October.

Vistara, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vistaar' meaning limitless expanse. It will begin operations in October subject to approvals from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation. read more...

SpiceJet will resume flights to Bangkok with a new daily service from Kolkata, effective 25 September, 2014. The carrier used to operate from Bangalore and Pune earlier.

SpiceJet will operate to Bangkok's Suvarnabhoomi airport from Kolkata. There is an all-inclusive introductory promotional one-way fare of just Rs. 2,999 (Kolkata-Bangkok)/THB 1,499 (Bangkok-Kolkata) for a limited period. Booking for tickets is open. read more...

Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR) and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will start its commercial seaplane services from August 25, 2014 with its first flight from Mumbai to Pawana dam(Lonavala).With the launch of the seaplanes service in Maharashtra, MEHAIR has facilitated a new mode of transport to be enjoyed and availed by tourists & locals for a leisure experience as well as point-to-point connectivity. read more...

Jet Airways (India) Ltd. will launch a daily service from Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, via Bangkok, Thailand, starting from November 5, 2014. The airline also plans to introduce a third daily direct service from its international gateway in Mumbai to Bangkok during its upcoming winter schedule. The afternoon service will make Jet Airways the only Indian carrier to operate three flights a day from Mumbai to Bangkok's International Suvarnabhumi Airport, as per a release. read more...