>> December 2008    >> Newsletter Archive  

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In this Edition.....

• India  - A few thoughts to ponder...........

• Hotels Reopen in Mumbai
   

• Creative News - TravelTrade: India Company Appeals for Support, TravelMole: Letter from India, "It's time to work out a strategy to keep the industry afloat"...........

• Where you can find us next - FITUR 2009

• Festival Alert - Christmas

• Guest Comment of the Month - Find out what our clients have to say about us in this section

• Special Update - Life as ususal in Mumbai after terror attack, Versace's launch at Mumbai Trident as scheduled, Argentinian football legend and national coach Diego Maradona visits Kolkata......and more

• Destination News - 2009 to be Visit India Year, Inbound Arrivals set to witness sharp drop in immediate future, Now disabled-friendly Agra eases Taj experience, Camel Festival, Bikaner : 10th - 11th January 2009, International Kite Festival - 14th January, Stilt fishing a huge draw card.......all this and more Destination news

• Hotel News - Taj Hotels launches Vivanta by Taj - Whitefield, Bangalore, The Grand hotels re-branded ''The Lalit'', Nadesar Palace in Varanasi to open on 1st January 2009, Ista Amritsar to open in January 2009, Nilaveli Beach reopens.......all this and more update on hotels

• Aviation News - IndiGo launches new services from Ahmedabad, SriLankan Airlines to suspend flights to Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore and Hyderabad from 15th January 2009, Reciprocal Frequent Flyer and Codeshare Deal between Emirates and Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines to launch Mumbai-London flights from January 5, 2009........and more

• Indian Recipe of the month - Palak Piazz Bhaji

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India - A few thoughts to ponder over.....

Post the events in Mumbai, we in the Indian travel industry saw many cancellations for trips planned to India. Some were for immediate travel and are understood, but we in the industry at large also received cancellations for journeys that were weeks and months away. That gives us concern not only from a business perspective for our company specifically, but for the image and welfare of the destination in general. 

One needs to remember that India is a large country. With borders of over 14,103 km (8,794 miles), a coast line of over 7,000 km (4,350 miles), with territorial borders with 6 different countries, India is more than a mere country. In reality it is more of a continent. 

India is also the 4th richest country in the world.  

Country GDP Rankings
1 - United States $11,750,000,000,000
2 - China $7,262,000,000,000
3 - Japan $3,745,000,000,000
4 - India $3,319,000,000,000
5 - Germany $2,362,000,000,000
6 - United Kingdom $1,782,000,000,000
7 - France $1,737,000,000,000
8 - Italy $1,609,000,000,000
9 - Brazil $1,492,000,000,000
10 - Russia $1,408,000,000,000

India has the second largest pool after the United States of students studying in universities. India produces 3 million graduates, 700,000 post-graduates and 1,500 PhDs per annum. India has the highest number of qualified engineers and the third largest pool of skilled manpower in the world.

This is not some tin-pot developing nation. This is a vibrant, live and growing democracy. Like every free country, we have our problems, but those problems are far outweighed by our positives. Terrorism is a problem, but is does not engulf the country as the media would like to portray. Here is an interesting snippet that came in the press - http://www.creative.travel/upload/dec08_toi_deaths.jpg

Also, India is physically a large country. See for your self -

• India is 13.4 times larger in size than the United Kingdom

• India is 6.5 times larger in size than Spain

• India is 79.6 times larger in size than Switzerland

• India is 6 times larger in size than the France

• India is 9.2 times larger in size than Germany

• India is 1.2 times larger in size than Argentina

• India is 1.7 times larger in size than Indonesia

• India is 3.28 times larger in size than Egypt

People looked at Mumbai and assumed the entire country was in crisis. The flight from Delhi to Mumbai takes about 2 hours. That is a considerable time to fly from one city to another. Let me put this distance in perspective -  

• London - Paris is a 1 hr 15 min flight

• London - Barcelona is a 2 hr 05 min flight

• London - Frankfurt is a 1 hr 35 min flight

• London - Geneva is a 1 hr 40 min flight

• London - Rome is a 2 hr 25 min flight

• New York - Miami is a 3 hr 15 min flight

• New York - Chicago is a 2 hr 56 min flight

• San Francisco - Vancouver is a 2 hr flight

• Bangkok - Kuala Lumpur is a 2 hr.10 min flight

• Singapore - Jakarta is a 1 hr.15 min flight

• Sidney - Melbourne is a 1 hr.30 min flight

See, just because Mumbai was under siege, it did not mean that other parts of the country were as well. We need our international travel industry partners to take this message to their clients and put things in perspective. We as a destination cannot afford to lose business and you as sellers of India cannot lose the opportunity to sell a package. We are in this together.

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Hotels reopen in Mumbai

Hotels reopen in Mumbai

Dec 21 saw a resurgence in support to the two hotels damaged in the Mumbai events. The Tower Wing of the Taj Mahal and the Trident form the Oberoi’s both reopened on 21st December to the public. Below are some links on this story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7782991.stm 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3867816.cms

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=arHF3i7mGx8I&refer=home

http://www.ndtv.com/

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Creative News.....

TravelTrade: India Company Appeals for Support
Creative Travel India, based in New Delhi, is appealing to the travel industry to support India after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai by continuing to book travel to India. In an email to former ASTA president Mike Spinelli, Rajeev Kohli, director of marketing for Creative Travel India, wrote: "Never has India experienced such a blatant attack on our guests to our country. We grew up on the philosophy that the 'guest is god,' which makes us even more certain that these aggressors are culturally, and perhaps nationally, outsiders." Click here to read more....

Click here to read more....

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Where you can find us next.....

To meet us at FITUR, Madrid, click here and email us your details   

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Festival Alert.....

Christmas
Christmas the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, is celebrated with great fervor all over India by the Christians. People decorate their houses, erect Christmas trees, make cribs with figures of baby Jesus, Mother Mary, Joseph, the three kings who come to visit the baby and shepherd boys and their herds grazing around depicting the scenes of Jesus's Birth in the Bible. They decorate the Christmas tree, hang stars, gifts and illuminate them. On Christmas day, people enjoy a sumptuous Christmas lunch. Christmas cakes and wine are served to visitors and exchanged as gifts among friends and relatives. All the major Indian cities wear a festive look. Shops and bazaars are decorated for the occasion and offer attractive bargains.

Creative Travel will be closed on 25th December 2008 and 1st January, 2009 for New Years..

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Guest Comment of the Month.....

We at Creative track guest feedback very carefully. Each evaluation form gives us an insight on our operations and allows us to constantly refine our service delivery process. Now and then we get a few letters that brighten up our days. These are some of them :

Monday, November 24, 2008

From - Patricia Whitfield

To - Creative Travel

Good morning,

Just a short note to say a big thank you for the arrangements for our holiday to northern India. We had the most fabulous time; our guides and drivers were fantastic and looked after us every step of the way. All arrangements were excellent and the hotels you chose were perfect. I know Peter Simpson, our fellow travellers will be getting in touch also to express his thanks.

This was our fifth trip to India having travelled North, South, East and West, it certainly is a magical place and I'm sure we'll be back again! Please could you convey our thanks to everyone involved in our holiday.

Best wishes and thank you

Patricia
UK

Sunday, November 23, 2008

From - Sharon Anderson

To - Creative Travel

Mr. Thakur

I recently returned from a trip to India and wanted to thank you and your team for the excellent service provided. This was my first trip to India, and I was traveling alone, so I was very nervous; I did not need to worry, your guides and drivers helped me feel safe and well taken care of every step of the way. All of the guides were punctual (very important!) friendly and knowledgeable. The entire trip was very well organized and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Please extend my gratitude to the Creative Travel guides who helped me, as well as the guides working with the tour groups you sub-contracted in Goa and Bangalore. All of the guides were outstanding and should be commended for a job well done.

Thanks again

Sharon Anderson
USA

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Special Update.....

Life as ususal in Mumbai after terror attack
Shrugging off the trauma of three days of terror, it was a return to normal life in Mumbai with students flocking to their schools and people heading to work while the stock market and Bollywood also resumed their activities. Click here to read more.....

Versace's launch at Mumbai Trident as scheduled : Donatella may attend Feb 2009 launch of Versace store in Delhi
Despite the terror attacks at the Taj and -Oberoi-Trident hotel in Mumbai, high-end Italian designer brand Versace plans to go ahead with its launch of Gianni Versace at the Trident later this month. The only change in the plans is a seven to 10 day delay in the launch of the luxury apparel and accessories store’s operations at Trident. We will open the first Gianni Versace store at Trident by December-end instead of mid-December as was previously planned. Click here to read more.....

Cafe Leopold opens
Cafe Leopold, famous restaurant of southern Mumbai which was one of the first sites to be attacked by the terrorists, opened on Sunday amidst patriotic slogans and presence of huge crowd outside it. Click here to read more....

Upper Crust is still intact
Luxury brands undeterred by terror attacks; going ahead with investment & expansion plans in India. Click here to read more.....

Argentinian football legend and national coach Diego Maradona visits Kolkata
Argentinian football legend and national coach Diego Maradona was in Kolkata last week. The football legend had a slew of programs lined up during his two-day stay which included laying of foundation stone of a football academy, attending felicitation at Yuva Bharati Krirangan, visiting Mother House (Mother Teresa) of the Missionaries of Charity, meeting Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu and meeting sub-junior boys at the football clinic on Mohun Bagan ground. Click here to read more....

Hotels in India beef up more security
Hotels and restaurants in India are beefing up security following the Mumbai terror attacks. The Times of India reports that “not only will all visitors be frisked, but managements are considering having armed personnel on different floors of hotels besides the entrance”. "We have asked all our members to increase security and use the help of outside agencies to frisk everyone without exception. We need these security measures," Rajindera Kumar, Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president, said. FHRAI - the largest association of hotels and restaurants - has more than 3,500 members. Amongst the measures that hotel chains are putting in place include physical checking of all vehicles and a three-pronged strategy at the main porch (frisking and clearing by metal detector for all visitors and X-ray scanning of all baggage). Barricades will be set up at the entrance of hotels and managements are likely to look at a higher presence of private security personnel.

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Destination News.....

2009 to be Visit India Year
Travelers from abroad who visit India in 2009 will have a chance to get an extra sample of the country's exotic adventure tourism and sublime eco, rural and wellness tourism in 2010 and 2011 too. The move, announced by Tourism Minister Ambika Soni Monday, is among many incentives offered to encourage repeat visitors to India.

Foreign tourists to be wooed with 'take two get one free' - The Economic Times - December 14, 2008

 

Now, disabled-friendly Agra eases Taj experience
Over the years, disabled visitors who came to see the Taj Mahal could only gaze at it from the entrance. Now, thanks to the efforts of the authorities they will be able to get a closer and more intimate view of the magnificent monument to love. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has responded to the needs of physically challenged tourists by constructing nine ramps at various points in the complex. This is the latest in a series of initiatives that have been taken to improve the quality of life of the disabled. The ramps apart, a dozen wheelchairs are also made available to enable the physically challenged to move conveniently around the Taj complex.

Kerala backwaters now add yachting to tourism attractions
Kerala backwaters, famous for their scenic beauty, snake boat races and huge house boats, offer you something more these days - a leisure ride on yachts. The increasing popularity of leisure boating in the state has opened up new opportunities. Spending a weekend on a boat, with a little fishing and barbeques on board, is slowly becoming an accepted norm these days. In Kerala, any boat bigger than 30 feet with cabins would qualify as a yacht. The Kerala Tourism Development Corp has announced it will set up a marina at the Bolghatty Isle in Kochi to solve the problem of parking of yachts and boats.

India Hosts Volvo Ocean Race with Elephants on 3rd December
The Volvo Ocean Race made a port call in India. The first of the teams to reach Kochi was Team Erisscon 4 on 30th November. The inauguration ceremony of the Race Village was held on 3rd December and the racing teams were given a "giant" glimpse of India's rich culture. This is the first time a prestigious sailing event has stopped over in India. And Kochi a favorite tourist destination in Kerala state hosted the ocean racers. This is the second of a number of stops for the sailors as they compete in the 37,000 nautical mile ocean race. Around 15 elephants and traditional folk musicians welcomed them to India. Helen, Volvo Team Official said : "This is awesome. We are filming it. It is such a great show. Since so many people have come here, it is really great for the race to get more people here and it's fantastic." For many of the sailors this was their first time in India. The yacht race started in Spain in October and will finish in St. Petersburg, Russia next May.

Camel Festival, Bikaner : 10th - 11th January 2009
A lively and colorful event, the Camel Festival is held in Bikaner every year. The Camel Festival begins with a colorful procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort, the festivity advances to the open sand-spreads of the grounds, followed by the best breed competition, the tug-of-war contest, camel dance, acrobatics, etc. The camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction of their trainers. Bridal, bridles, bejeweled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadow on dusky sands cast a magical spell. Hundreds of tourists and thousands of locals and dignitaries revel in this man-and-animal affair organized especially for the tourists. The evenings close with a different tenor and tempo altogether: a traditional rendezvous of renowned artistes of Rajasthan and the local folk performers. The jubilant skirt-swirling dancers, the awe-inspiring fire dance, and the dazzling fireworks light up the fortified desert city of Bikaner.

International Kite Festival – 14th January
In the year 1989, a new festival was born in India. Called the International Kite Festival, this event sought to take kite flying to the tourist by inviting participants from all over the world to competitions and displays of kites and kite-flying skills. The International Kite Festival is always held at Ahmedabad on January 14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. The people of Gujarat celebrate Uttarayan with a lot of enthusiasm and all business comes to a grinding halt for a couple of days. It is also a celebration to mark the end of winter. Kite flying begins at dawn and continues without a pause throughout the day. Friends, neighbors and total strangers battle one another for supremacy and cries of triumph rend the air when someone cuts the line of a rival. A tremendous variety of kites are seen and the connoisseur can choose precisely what he wants. Come night and the illuminated kites known as tukals soar into the sky to compete with the stars. A plethora of designer kites are also put on display.

Stilt fishing a huge draw card
Koggala and Ahangama sit on the southern corner of Sri Lanka, close to the historic city of Galle. They are also famous as a quiet fishing town, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Close to the shore and the picturesque reef, they are well known for an off shore which serves both as a tourist and Sri Lankan attraction – stilt fishing. It is a strange technique of fishing. Nobody knows how or where this technique originated from. But it works as the stilts are attractive sceneries. Being attractive and picturesque, these fishing towns are also an ideal base for snorkeling and diving. Stilt fishing is famous as a generational occupation among the fishermen. They make their own stilts on the reef and all stilts have their own fishermen. Stilts are made on the reef nearly twenty metres from the sea shore. They walk from the shore to these stilts with baskets, fishhooks and fishing rods. They collect their day's catch into the basket and carry it ashore.

Test flight of 'Danfe' held successfully
In what may be an historic event, a group of young engineers of Nepal successfully conducted a test flight of an ultralight aircraft in the tourist hub city of Pokhara on December 6, 2008. The students of Pulchowk Engineering Campus under the Tribhuvan University (TU), under the leadership of Mr. Bikas Parajuli and Mr. Ganeshram Sinkeman, had built the aircraft. The aircraft was flown by a Russian pilot Mr. Alexander Maximov. The aircraft flew four times– each time for less than a minute as prescribed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Fitted with an Austrian engine, the aircraft, which is named as ‘Danfe,’ has indigenous parts and technologies. Following the successful test flight, promising engineer Mr. Parajuli said, "As the aircraft flew, I felt that my dreams had come true." The young engineers had tough times while obtaining permit to carry out the test flight of the aircraft. According to them, the aircraft can fly for two hours at a speed of 100 kmph at an altitude of 6,000 feet.

Maldives ranked as the Best Beach and Rest & Relaxation destination
The Maldives has been ranked as the Best Country Brand for Beach and Best Country Brand for Rest and Relaxation for the year 2008. Maldives also ranked 2nd in the Best Country Brand for Natural Beauty and 3rd in the Best Country Brand for Resort and Lodging Options. The Country Brand Index was officially released during London’s World Travel Market in November 2008.Country Brand Index is a comprehensive study of approximately 2,700 international business and leisure travelers from nine countries. Maldives was ranked number one in these two areas. Maldives emerged as the number one in both Beach and Rest and Relaxation categories after successfully competing with countries like Tahiti, Bahamas and Australia.

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Hotel News.....

Taj Hotels launches Vivanta by Taj - Whitefield, Bangalore
Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces has launched its new premium city hotel in the IT nerve centre of Bangalore. The hotel also bears a new name and identity: “Vivanta by Taj - Whitefield, Bangalore” and is slotted in the ‘upper upscale’ segment. The stunningly designed hotel arrests attention, being located right at the entry-point of the International Tech Park (ITPB) at Whitefield. Vivanta offers 199 stylish guest rooms, eclectic entertainment and dining options and a spectrum of facilities offered specifically based on a deep study of the new-generation traveler's lifestyle. Vivanta is designed to deliver vibrant experiences, combining the charming hospitality that is the hallmark of the Taj, with a contemporary, vivacious twist! The name Vivanta is drawn from vivacity, vividness and ‘bon vivant’: an appreciation of the good things in life. It speaks of style, refinement and living life to the full.

The Grand hotels re-branded ''The Lalit''
All properties under the Bharat Hotels banner called ''The Grand'', including the InterContinental Grand, Delhi, will now be known as ''The Lalit'' after its late founder chairman Lalit Suri. The Lalit brand has as its logo a red square and a stylised ''L'' which resembles the Ganesha form. The franchise agreement with the InterContinental Hotels Group has ended and hence all Grand hotels will be called The Lalit hotels. However Mumbai and Goa will retain the name InterContinental for the next 18 months when the franchise agreement would end.

Nadesar Palace in Varanasi to open on 1st January 2009
Nestled in the heart of Varanasi, amongst mango orchards, marigold and jasmine fields lies Nadesar Palace. Built by the East India Company and acquired by Maharaja Prabhu Narain Singh in the 19th century, the palace is named after goddess Nadesari whose shrine is located in front of the palace. Step into its portico and let your journey, into the Maharaja's residence, begin. The Palace offers 4 luxuriously appointed Heritage Rooms and 6 Heritage Suites that come with a living room, a master bedroom and a dressing area. All accommodation at Nadesar Palace is generously scaled with large windows overlooking the gardens and spacious bathrooms in cool white marble. The royal kitchen serves up discerning fare in an informal but magnificently proportioned dining room. Treat yourself to a rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit, at any of the 3 treatment rooms and a yoga room. Holistic treatments, custom-made healing baths, aroma therapies and ayurvedic massages all conceived in a royal, relaxed atmosphere.

Radisson Plaza Resort & Spa arrives in Udaipur
Radisson Plaza Resort is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. The hotel exterior with it's traditional look but with all the modern features, offers the biggest inventory of rooms in the city along with many food and beverage outlet options, business centre, banqueting facilities and modern spa.. The hotel offers a wonderful view of the lake. The hotel is situated 28 kms northwest of the airport and only 3 kms west of the city centre. The hotel features 164 rooms with wooden flooring, modern furnitures, LCD TVs, mini bars, tea & coffee makers, big work stations, iron and ironing boards, snoozer mattresses, down feather pillows and duvets to provide high level of comfort. The dining options include Antara (serving Mediterranean & Indian Cuisine), Rajwada (An Indian specialty cuisine restaurant), Baithak (serving International favorite cocktails, liqueurs, scotch and cigars), Aangan (serving variety of teas, coffees and finest beverages with mini savouries and international pastries), Aravali Darshan (offering specialty meals and international cuisine) and Jal Darshan (An elite recline, overlooking the pool and the lush green lawns with international live music to soak your spirits to bring you alive on the dance floor, serving trendy international drinks).

Ista Amritsar to open in January 2009
Set in the heart of Amritsar with beautiful landscaping that includes several water bodies, Ista Amritsar has 248 elegantly appointed rooms including 10 suites, which are on the 11th floor of the Hotel, to ensure panoramic views of a historic city. All the rooms are carefully designed to the highest levels of sensuality, comfort and taste that are the hallmark of the Ista brand. The hotel offers a selection of world class dining - Collage (All day dining offering world cuisine with an interactive Teppanyaki & Tempura station & an open wood fired oven), The Lounge Bar (an all day “Lounge“ Experience) and Thai Chi (Fine dining restaurant offering authentic Chinese & Thai cuisine). The spa area of the hotel covers 3500 Sq Ft. and comprises of 8 beautifully appointed treatment rooms.

Park Premier Hotel opens in Gurgaon
Park Premier Hotel Gurgaon, the newest Four Star Business Hotel in Gurgaon, is located close to the Unitech Business Park in Gurgaon and is easily accessible from the Delhi Airport. The hotel boasts of all possible facilities like Gym, Spa, Swimming Pool, Parlor and Conference Halls along with a Business Center to suit the need of both business and leisure travelers. The hotel offers excellent accommodation in 94 well-furnished rooms, categorized into Deluxe Room, Premier Room and Executive Room. Each room is equipped with all state-of-the-art amenities. The dining options include 29th The Grill (a gilled cuisine specialty restaurant), Bar Lounge (a chic lounge that offers an array of liquors and exotic cocktails) and Downtown Café (a 24-hour coffee shop cum restaurant)

Park Plaza Noida opens
Located amidst blue chip multinational companies, world-class shopping malls and premier establishments; Park Plaza Noida is a 90 minute drive from the International airport. The hotel offers 88 spacious rooms & suites with the best of choices on amenities, facilities and conveniences. Highlights of the property include a fitness centre and swimming pool, The New Town Cafe (offering global cuisine), Great Kebab Factory (offering delectable kababs from all over the world under one roof) restaurant. The hotel is also equipped with a business centre and meeting facilities.

Nilaveli Beach reopens
Nilaveli Beach Hotel Trincomalee, the first planned hotel in the Eastern Province was reopened recently. The hotel was damaged during the tsunami and now has been reconstructed, with 35 air-conditioned rooms. Director, Nilaveli Beach hotel, Gerard Ondaatjie said that the management hopes to introduce air-conditioned restaurant and many other amenities in the future. Today the hotel offers a flood lit tennis court, swimming pool, diving and excursions to many places of historic interests in the area. The Hotel is located 275 Km from Colombo, on the East coast along the pristine beach of Nilaveli and considered as one of the finest unspoilt beaches in Asia with white sands and clear blue seas. The hotel overlooks the pigeon island now a breeding ground for migratory birds, was originally used by the British during the second world war for target practice. Pigeon island is also an excellent location for Game snorkeling. A popular Hindu temple perched high a top Swami Rock which divides Trincomalee's emeralds bays.

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Aviation News......

Domestic

IndiGo launches new services from Ahmedabad
Low-cost domestic airline IndiGo Airlines announced new non-stop daily flights from Ahmedabad to five other cities - New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Chennai. Click here for the flight schedule....

Jet Airways to re-launch Bangalore-Mangalore services from December 1, 2008
Jet Airways will reintroduce daily service on the Bangalore-Mangalore sector with effect from December 1, 2008. Click here for the flight schedule....

SpiceJet introduces flights between Delhi / Kochi, Mumbai / Kochi & Jaipur / Goa
Click here for the flight schedule....

International

SriLankan Airlines to suspend flights to Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore and Hyderabad from 15th January 2009
SriLankan Airlines’ flight schedule is undergoing several temporary changes, as the airline introduces new aircraft and retires four older ones in its narrow-body fleet. Two new Airbus A320 aircraft have already been acquired, the first of which arrived on 30 November, and the second due within this month. Two more are being actively sourced, and until they arrive the airline is temporarily suspending services to four of its less popular destinations – Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore and Hyderabad from 15 January 2009 until the end of the winter season. SriLankan will continue to serve all of the other destinations in its route network.

Reciprocal Frequent Flyer and Codeshare Deal between Emirates and Jet Airways
On 15 December 2008, Jet Airways and Emirates Airline will launch a reciprocal frequent flyer arrangement whereby members of Jet Airways' JetPrivilege frequent flyer programme, may earn and redeem miles across Emirates' rapidly-expanding international network, with the exception of flights between India and Dubai. Members of Emirates' Skywards programme can also earn and redeem miles on all Jet Airways flights operating within India. The same day, Emirates will also commence a unilateral code share on Jet Airways' daily flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to and from Dubai, offering passengers enhanced connectivity and a range of services between India and Dubai.
 

Kingfisher Airlines to launch Mumbai-London flights from January 5, 2009
Kingfisher Airlines will commence daily non-stop flights from Mumbai to London Heathrow from Jan 5, 2009. Kingfisher Airlines’ flight from Mumbai will take off at 1.50 pm in the afternoon and arrive at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 at 5.55 pm in the evening, local time. From London, the flight will leave at 8.30 pm in the night and arrive the next day at 11 am in the morning in Mumbai, local time.

Aeroflot resumes charter operations to Sri Lanka
Aeroflot Charter Flights resumed operations to Colombo on November 6th. Having had close operational ties with Sri Lanka, going as far back as 1964, Aeroflot Charters in the period 2000 -2001. Russian visitor arrivals saw a sharp increase during the last winter season and this winter is also set to be very promising. The first of the resumed flights came in with a Charter group of 256 passengers. Click here for the flight schedule....

Sama Airlines to operate double daily flights on Mumbai - Dammam route from January 2009
Saudi Arabia-based Low Cost Carrier (LCC), Sama Airlines has commenced thrice weekly operations on the Mumbai – Dammam route. The airline is offering 'All-Economy' services on this route by deploying B 737 – 300 aircraft with seating capacity of 147 people. Click here for the flight schedule....

India opens air space for ASEAN countries
India gave its formal approval on an open-sky-regime for ASEAN members at the 14th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Transport Minister’s meeting held in Manila, Philippines last week. With this, designated airlines from ASEAN members can now to fly into any Indian city, while Indian carriers can fly to these countries after modalities are worked out. As of now, airlines from these countries can operate only on approved routes within India. The Indian government said that India is looking forward to ASEAN member countries to liberalise their air policy. ASEAN consists of ten countries - Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei and Laos.
 

SriLankan Airlines to return to Rome in December
SriLankan Airlines is returning to the fabled city of Rome from 3 December 2008, with a thrice-weekly service. The flight, which will be operated with Airbus A340 wide-bodied aircraft. Click here for the flight schedule....

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Indian Recipe of the month......

Palak Piazz Bhaji

(Spinach Onion deep fried dumplings)

Try out this tasty recipe which can be served as snack or as starter for dinner. Click here to read the recipe....

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Newsletters from the past.....

November 2008, October 2008, September 2008, August 2008, July 2008, June 2008, May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2008, November 2007, October 2007, August 2007, July 2007, June 2007, May 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2007, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, June 2006, May 2006, April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2006, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005.

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Contact Us......

Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd.
Creative Plaza, Nanakpura, Moti Bagh, New Delhi 110021. India.
Tel : 24679192, 26872257-58-59, 26114281     Fax : ++91-11-26885886 / 26889764     Email : creative@travel2india.com
USA Fax: +1-646-349-1614       EUROPE Fax : ++44-20-7681-1242      www.travel2india.com

24 Hours International Emergency Contact Number : +91 - 99 11 266 277
(prefix a "0" before the number if dialing from outside New Delhi but from within India)

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Our Regional Sales teams.....

You may contact us or any of our regional sales team nearest to you.

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