Creatively Yours

December 2010



		Destination News.....................click Indian Tourism Ministry to Improve & Promote the Buddhist Travel Circuit...... Sri Lanka gets 30 proposals for reservoir tourism.....

		Hotel News...............................click Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka.... Sri Lanka gets more attention from India's Taj hotels....

		Aviation News..........................click IGI operations take a big leap.... Airlines in India to set fare based on distance..... .

		Special Feature.......................click Rann Utsav....

We at Creative Travel and our specialist brands - "Signature Tours", the luxury travel specialist and "Plan it!", the finest conference management team in India are proud to offer the best of India and her neighboring countries to the discerning traveller. With a 33 year award winning history behind us, we look forward to the opportunity to show you what true destination management is all about. To read more about us, you can download a copy of our company profile at - http://www.travel2india.com/who-we-are.htm We appreciate the support our partners all over the world have shown us. It is with your partnership that Creative is where it is today. For those of you with whom we have not had the pleasure of working with, all I can say is try us and see the Creative magic for yourself. Through "Creatively Yours" we hope to keep you informed on the latest news in Team Creative and the destination. We hope you find this to be useful.

Rajeev Kohli, Joint Managing Director

Welcome to another edition of "Creatively Yours"
the newsletter from Creative Travel India

Dear Industry Colleagues:

Here is another edition of the award winning "Creatively Yours".

Wow !!! Its December and the end of yet another decade. And what a year it has been. Business has started moving up the graph. Creative has won 5 prestigious awards over the year, including 2 National Awards and the TTG Best Agency award. We had a great and incident free Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The world's 6th largest airport opened in India, beginning a new era in air travel. It rained in India like it never has in modern history. The world came to a stand still due to Mother Earth spewing her anger through a volcano. The Indian Rupee became only the 5th currency in the world to have a unique symbol. And much, much more... it was an exciting year indeed.

We at Creative look at 2011 as a year of hope, excitement and prosperity for all. More to follow when we come back in the New Year.

We in the Kohli family and the team at Creative wish you and your loved ones Merry Christmas and a great start to 2011.

Our product development team is busy creating different tours for all our partners all over the world. If you would like to see how can we add some magic to what you do, let us know. We after all take pride in our ability to make a trip to the Indian sub-continent something very different.

Have a Creative Day - Rajeev

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In this Edition....

Special Feature of the month - Rann Utsav
Where you can find us next - FITUR 2011
Guest Comment of the Month - Find out what our clients have to say about us in this section
Festival Alert - Christmas
Destination News - Indian Tourism Ministry to Improve & Promote the Buddhist Travel Circuit, India Plans 8 More Tiger Reserves, India Tourism to be the guest of honour at Geneva Festival 2011, PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2011 returns to Nepal, Sri Lanka gets 30 proposals for reservoir tourism.....all this and more update on hotels
Hotel News - Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka, Sri Lanka gets more attention from India's Taj hotels, Marriott to expand India portfolio to 100 hotels....all this and more update on hotels.
Aviation News - IGI operations take a big leap, Airlines in India to set fare based on distance, Kingfisher Airlines to launch 14 flights , Cathay Pacific Airways unveils new business class seat.....and more
Indian Recipe of the month - Goan Fried Fish

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Special Feature of the month......


			Rann Utsav The Rann of Kutch located in the Gujarat state of India celebrates its cultural heritage every year on the winter new moon. A plethora of colours, design, culture, music and dance takes place in the arid landscape, creating a mosaic which reflects the identity and spirit of the region. 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 2010 and 1st January, 2011 for New Year.*

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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. This is one of them : Saturday, November 27, 2010 From - Lim-Kannan, Susie To - Creative Travel Dear Rajeev What an eventful and fruitful week it was for us. I just want to say how much we appreciate the efforts of Pankaj and Parvinder. Having Parvinder as the one contact point at the 3 cities was a big comfort to us. He was always calm, professional and dependable. There’s some outstanding matters we have to follow up and invoices to handle. I will arrange a call to share some post-mortem feedback with Pankaj and Parvinder next week. It’s been an incredible start for Swissotel Hotels & Resorts reaching out to the press and clients through this roadshow in India. You and your team played a pivotal role in this success. Thank you. Best regards, Susie Susie Lim-Kannan Singapore

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Destination News.....


			India

			Indian Tourism Ministry to Improve & Promote the Buddhist Travel Circuit The Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an agency of the World Bank, to improve and promote the Buddhist tourism circuit in the country. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists throng Buddhist destinations in the country every year, but most of the places suffer a severe lack of amenities. Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Tourism and Rachel Kyte, Vice-President for the IFC's Business Advisory Services, signed the agreement.

			India Plans 8 More Tiger Reserves India will now get 8 more tiger reserves, in addition to the existing 39. A new tiger reserve will be set up in Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu, BR Hills in Karnataka will have another, and while Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh will have two each, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa will get one each.

			India Tourism to be showcased at Geneva Festival 2011 India Tourism will be the guest of honour at the Geneva Festival 2011. The annual festival to be held from August 4-14, 2011, with the pre festival celebrations on July 21, 2011, Geneva festival appoints a country as its guest of honour each year offering the nation an opportunity to showcase its tourism potential. In the forthcoming edition of the festival, India Tourism will avail this opportunity. The festival will provide India Tourism great chance of showcasing the destination to large number of international visitors attending the event.

			India named most dedicated country towards tiger conservation India has been identified as the most important country for tigers with 18 source sites dedicated solely to their conservation, according to a recent study. In a worrying discovery, the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have found that most of the world's last remaining tigers - long decimated by overhunting, logging, and wildlife trade - are now clustered in just six per cent of their available habitat.

			Nepal

			PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2011 returns to Nepal The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has expressed its pleasure to bring back the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2011 (AT&RTCM) to Pokhara, Nepal. The AT&RTCM will take place at the Fulbari Resort and Spa, from February 7 to11, 2011. Under the theme ‘Social Give Back: Doing Well by Doing Good’, the conference will focus on current issues on sustainable and responsible tourism such as ‘Greening of Travel and Tourism’ and ‘Experiential and Indigenous Tourism’. ‘Extreme Adventure Holidays’ will also be discussed, according to a press release issued by PATA.

			Billionaire Saudi Prince willing to invest in Nepal in the tourism & aviation sector Billionaire Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has shown his keen interest in investing in tourism aviation sectors in Nepal. Saudi Prince, who is the 19th richest person of the world, articulated such an interest during his four-day visit to Nepal from November 13 to 16, 2010. Talking to journalists after holding a meeting with influential Cabinet members and bureaucrats, the Prince said, "We will be able to have investment in the pipeline. We are not specific in one area. But we will emphasize on tourism." The Prince, who is also an international investor, said that that he would study the possibility of linking Saudi Arabia with Nepal by his airline-- Nas Air. The Saudi Prince has an estimated $19.4 billion fortune. During the meeting, the government ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala had requested the Prince to invest in development of infrastructure, hydropower, energy and tourism.

			Kathmandu-Lhasa bus likely to restart As the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is approaching, the Kathmandu-Lhasa bus service is likely to resume soon. The bus service was suspended over three years ago. The resumption of bus service will help promote bilateral tourism between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Initially, two buses from Kathmandu and two from Lhasa will be ferrying tourists. It takes about 14 hours for a bus to reach Lhasa from Kathmandu and the vice-versa.

			Sri Lanka

			Sri Lanka gets 30 proposals for reservoir tourism The government asked for proposals from private parties to operate boat services and restaurants at irrigation works connected to Sri Lanka's Mahaweli river development project. The operators would be subjected to 30 conditions including environmental regulations and boats have to be powered by engines smaller than 15 horsepower. Proposals were called to operate boat services and restaurants at newly built Kotmale, Polgolla, Victoria, Randenigala, Ulhitiya, Maduru Oya, Bowatenne and the Udawalawe reservoirs. In addition Kandalama, Kala, Chandrika, and Iranmadu reservoirs which are so-called 'tanks' dating back from Sri Lanka's ancient irrigation related settlements were also opened for leisure activities.

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Hotel News.....


			India

			Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka Located in Asia’s largest sub-city Dwarka, it offers quick and easy access to the Delhi International Airport via the Delhi Metro Airport Express and the Delhi-Gurgaon Express Highway. It also offers much desired connectivity to the Central and West Delhi Business Districts via Delhi Metro Rail Network. Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka is the perfect choice for the discerning traveler. The hotel will feature 400 well-appointed rooms along with Culture Café – an all day diner serving World Cuisines. The business and conference facilities, spread over 13,500 sq ft, include 2 elegant ball rooms namely Opal & Quartz. Hotel also houses one of Delhi’s most happening places - Nuclear - a spectacular nightclub in the city to reverberate your senses and take you off your feet. The hotel would soon be launching Tatva – a fine-dine Indian restaurant and Cyprus – a Mediterranean delight.

			Marriott to expand India portfolio to 100 hotels Marriott International Inc , the largest U.S. hotel chain, on Thursday said it aims to expand its hotel portfolio to 100 hotels in India over five years, as it chases growth in emerging markets.

			Sri Lanka

			Sri Lanka gets more attention from India's Taj hotels India's Taj group is looking for opportunities in Sri Lanka's war-torn eastern coast and a city hotel it controls will also need 30 to 35 million US dollars to be upgraded to fit the group's new brand portfolio, The listed Taj Samudra hotel in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo has 300 rooms. "It will take 30 to 35 million US dollars to re-do this property," executive director finance of Taj Resorts and Hotels, Anil Goel said. The group is now evaluating the property to decide where to place it on the group's new portfolio of brands, he said. Listed Taj Samudra is majority controlled by the Taj group. Taj also owns a 50 percent stake in Taj Exotica, a 160 room resort in Sri Lanka's South West coast, which has been re-branded as 'Taj Vivanta Bentota' from this week. It also manages a 130-room hotel near Sri Lanka's only international airport. The Taj Airport Garden hotel, owned by Sri Lanka's Hirdramani group will be put under 'The Gateway Hotel' brand from January 2011. Its owners are upgrading 40 rooms and building 100 new rooms to increase capacity. Taj is now evaluating the Colombo property to decide which brand to place it under. Chief executive Raymond Bickson said the group has been scouting opportunities in the war-torn eastern province of Sri Lanka which has long undeveloped stretches of beach.

			Serene Pavilions, Sri Lanka’s Latest Luxury Boutique Hotel Joins Small Luxury Hotels Of The World Serene Pavilions, a new venture in luxury hospitality located in Wadduwa on Sri Lanka’s west coast, has joined the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand. Opened at a cost of $US5.5 million in November 2009, Serene Pavilions is a beachside retreat offering 12 lavishly appointed Pavilions with private Butler service set in a seven acre coconut grove facing the Indian Ocean, just a 45-minute drive from Colombo. According to the Chairman of Serene Pavilions, Clive Leach CBE: “The hotel offers an ideal Sri Lankan holiday experience for those seeking luxury, seclusion, tranquillity and exceptional service.” The luxurious Pavilions, each with individual private plunge pools, have been designed with an emphasis on space and tranquillity using Balinese and Sri Lankan influences and architecture. The 12 pavilions are interlaced with walkways and water features and have spacious decked outside living areas. Serene Pavilions’ signature centrepiece is The Pavilions’ Restaurant, and The Amritha Bar, which links the garden and pool areas to the beachfront gardens and quiet beach. Within the gardens there is a large swimming pool with four sunken Jacuzzi beds, and a clay tennis court. Also available is the Serenity Spa, the well-equipped Asana Gym and a large Reception Lounge with an exclusive Gem Boutique. The Dhaarana Reading Room is home to the library which can also accommodate small meetings or private events.

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Aviation News......


			Domestic

			IGI operations take a big leap Delhi’s IGI airport is the busiest airport in the country at present, handling an average of about 843 flights per day. On November 29, it handled its highest ever traffic with 865 operations. Officials say that there has been a drastic increase since the winter schedule kicked in, specially with Air India having introduced hub operations . However, the high numbers could also spell massive delays during fog if both runways are not available for operations. In September, before the winter schedule kicked in, IGI airport was seeing an average of 795 movements per day. ‘‘ There has been quite a major jump in movements since September. We are also seeing a lot of unscheduled movement and military operations because of which the numbers keep fluctuating each day. However, at optimum utilization , Delhi can handle a much larger number of flights,’’ said senior airport officials.

			Airlines in India to set fare based on distance Domestic airlines on Wednesday proposed to make public a range of fares for every month, with four different distance bands in place—up to 750 km; 750 to 1,000 km; 1,000 to 1,400 km and above 1,400 km. If the airlines’ proposal is accepted, the distance band will remain in these four zones, while the range of fares will keep changing every month. According to a report in The Times of India, in December 2010, the maximum economy fares on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai has been capped at Rs 17,000 and Rs 22,000 for low cost carriers (LCCs). For full service carriers, the maximum is Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000, respectively. The average price is much lower if tickets are bought in advance and fares would reach their peak if purchased on the day of travel or just a day before.

			AI Express to increase frequency to Dubai, Mumbai from Tiruchi from December 10, 2010 Air India (AI) Express has announced an increase in the frequency of its services to Dubai to seven flights a week and to Mumbai to two flights a week from Tiruchi. The increase in frequency of the services, under the winter schedule of the airline, will come into effect from December 10, 2010. With this, the total number of flights operated by the airline from the city will go up to 34 flights a week from the current 32.

			Kingfisher Airlines to launch 14 flights "The new launches will offer better connectivity and more options between metros and other important cities in the country. These 14 flights have been introduced with convenient timings and have been planned in such a manner that they offer a same-day return for travellers," Kingfisher Airlines President (Commercial) Manoj Chacko said in a release on Friday. With this the total number of flights introduced in the 2010 winter schedule goes up to 36, Chacko added.Currently, Kingfisher Airlines flies to 59 cities in the country and eight international destinations, with a total fleet of 66 aircraft. Kingfisher has launched two additional fights en route New Delhi-Hyderabad. With this the total daily flights on this route goes up to three in each direction. It has launched one more flight in the New Delhi-Chennai route taking the number to two in either direction. The New Delhi-Bhubaneshwar route, that earlier had only one flight, will now have two new flights. It also added two more flights on Mumbai-Lucknow route.The airlines further stated that it has a special introductory offer wherein all its frequent flyers can earn double the number of miles if they fly on these new flights before January 15.

			International

			Lufthansa to offer daily services on Mumbai – Munich route effective April 1, 2011 Effective April 1, 2011, Lufthansa, with the start of the next summer schedule, will be offering daily flights on its Mumbai – Munich route, up from five weekly flights now. As a result of the flight increase between Mumbai and Munich, the Lufthansa Group, including SWISS and Austrian, will be operating 77 weekly frequencies from seven Indian destinations to Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna in the next summer schedule. Lufthansa’s Mumbai-Munich route is currently served by an Airbus 330-300 with eight First Class, 48 Business Class and 159 Economy Class seats. The flight departs at 01: 50 hours and arrives in Munich at 05: 50 hours, giving travellers a wide option of convenient onward connections to Europe and the US. Click here for the flight schedule....

			Cathay Pacific Airways unveils new business class seat Cathay Pacific Airways has unveiled its new business class seat during an event, ‘Light Up the Sky,’ at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. According to the company release, the new business class seat will offer both privacy and openness, with a wing-back chair that cocoons passengers in their own private area and has been carefully designed to maximise living space. The seat can also be converted into a bed. The first aircraft to feature the new business class seat will be an Airbus A330-300, which is planned to enter service on some of the flights on the Sydney route in March 2011. The new seats will be rolled out rapidly, being installed on all Cathay Pacific’s new long-haul A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER deliveries and progressively being retrofitted on existing aircraft. By February 2013, all 30 Boeing 777-300ER and 20 long-haul A330-300s in the fleet are expected to have the new seats. Tony Tyler, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Pacific Airways said, “We are pleased to unveil product innovations that will not just do Cathay Pacific proud, but Hong Kong proud.

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Indian Recipe of the month......


			Goan Fried Fish Click here to read the recipe....

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Newsletters Archive.....


	Click here to visit the 'Creatively Yours' Newsletter Archive.....

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