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Sustainable Practices And MICE To Boost Tourism In India: Rakesh Verma

The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai which is currently hosting ‘Tourism Fortnight’, organized two special sessions to promote sustainable tourism and MICE segment in the country. Key officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with industry representatives, participated in the sessions titled, ‘Tourism at Crossroads – Mainstreaming sustainability for future of tourism’ and ‘Meet in India: Emerging Hub for Business and Social Events’. The session on MICE tourism was important in highlighting India’s impressive combination of accommodation and conference support facilities that make the country a successful MICE destination globally. The session was addressed by Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau virtually. Addressing the session, ‘Meet in India: Emerging Hub for Business and Social Events’, Verma said, “MICE industry is an important contributor to national economies as it contributes to income generation and creates huge employment opportunities, provides an impetus to hospitality services including sectors like accommodation, food and beverages, convention services, transportation, tourism, and entertainment. India possesses excellent convention and hospitality infrastructure, unparalleled cultural, natural attractions and a rapidly growing economy all of which act as catalysts to India emerging as a hub of business and social events.” He added that India is also a very attractive market for exhibitions keeping in view the rapid economic growth and rising demand from consumers and industry destinations. Another crucial sector that Shri Verma highlighted is that of Wedding Tourism. He said, “Wedding is another important niche area which is growing rapidly, many destinations in the country are emerging as wedding destinations and industry is getting more organized.” Talking about the roadmap of MICE Tourism in India, Verma said, “Ministry of Tourism is working on the strategy to position India as a MICE destination in the world and a hub of mega conferences and exhibitions. It is working towards creating enabling conditions and institutional framework at the central, state and city level for the growth of MICE industry. The short-term goal of the Ministry is to enhance India’s share in MICE business to 2% from the current share of approximately 1% to promote the growth of MICE industry in the country.” The session on Sustainable Tourism, held on 9th January, was also crucial to address key challenges for tourism sector and the ways in which future of tourism could be shaped by sustainable and responsible policies and action by the Governments and Private Sector. The session was facilitated by G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, virtually where he highlighted strengths of India to work towards ensuring sustainably responsible tourism practices. Addressing the session, ‘Tourism at Crossroads – Mainstreaming sustainability for future of tourism’, Rao said, “Tourism is one of the important sectors globally as it provides almost 11-13% of employment globally, and ranges between 7-9% of the GDP of many countries. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has clearly defined guidelines for Sustainable Tourism which are to conserve government resources, protect biodiversity while respecting resources of the cultures, benefiting the local communities and to address the needs and benefits of the tourism industry.” He added that planning is a pivotal element of urbanization, and it needs to be addressed meticulously, for the future generations to thrive.

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Himachal set to get 38 more helipads

Highlighting how aviation can provide a fillip to tourism activities, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur, said that special emphasis was being laid on enhancing air connectivity in the state. Inaugurating the heliport near Sanjauli-Dhalli bypass at Shimla, Thakur said that to add to the existing 64 helipads in the state, 38 additional helipads were being constructed. He further informed that heliports were also being constructed at Baddi, Rampur, and Mandi under the Udaan 2 scheme. Thakur said that the state government would soon send a proposal for construction of new heliports at Reckong Peo, Chamba, Dalhousie, Jhanjeli, and Jwalaji, to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Talking about how heliports and helipads would prove beneficial to ensure connectivity for tourism purposes, Thakur said that these would also facilitate rescue operations and help in transporting patients to big hospitals in an emergency. Heliports would prove to be a boon in enhancing tourism and economic activities in Himachal Pradesh, he added. Thakur said that the heliport near Sanjauli-Dhalli bypass has been constructed at a cost of INR 18 crore, of which INR 12.13 crore has been provided under the Himalayan Circuit of Swadesh Darshan programme, and INR 6 crore has been sanctioned under UDAN-2 of the central government. He said that the heliport would not only provide much-needed relief to the high-end tourists visiting the state but would also be effectively used in case of a medical emergency as this heliport is near Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla. The Chief Minister further said that the three-storeyed heliport is equipped with all modern facilities like reception counter, heliport manager office, ticket counter, and VIP lounge. He said that the heliport also has porta cabin facilities, parking for 50 vehicles, a deck for helicopters, and a safety net.

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Nijhawan Group Appointed India Rep For Swiss-Belhotel International

Nijhawan Group has been appointed the India Sales, Marketing & Public Relations representation office for Swiss-Belhotel International. The hotel chain is ranked amongst the world’s top 125 international hotel management companies. Swiss-Belhotel International, with a growing portfolio of more than 125 hotels, resorts and projects, manages properties across 19 countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. On this occasion, Priyanka Nijhawan, Managing Director- Representations, Nijhawan Group said, “We take pride in announcing that Swiss-Belhotel International is the newest addition to our brand portfolio. We are prepared to magnify and pave the path for one of the top hotel companies in the world.” “India has always been a very important market for us and we want to continue working closely with our partners and clients there. Given the business uncertainty due to Covid, we are happy that Nijhawan Group will represent us, with their vast tourism experience and through their large network of offices the country” said Matthew Faull, Senior Vice President, Sales, E-commerce and IT at Swiss-Belhotel International.

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The Langham, Gold Coast to open this year

Langham Hospitality Group will be managing its third luxury hotel in Australia. Opening this year, the Langham, Gold Coast will feature 169 well-appointed rooms and suites. The group will also manage the Jewel Residences, Managed by Langham which consists of 170 serviced apartments. With their prime location on the beachfront in Surfers Paradise, the hotel and serviced apartments are in the central and tallest of the three landmark towers of the Jewel development. It is the first and largest development with direct beach access to be built in the coastal city within the last 30 years. The Langham, Gold Coast is located between the ground and 20th floors while the residences are on the 22nd to 49th floors which promises stunning city and ocean views. The grand structure and shimmering exterior of the Jewel are reminiscent of three colossal quartz crystals, visible for miles from the Nerang River to the Gold Coast hinterland. The crystalline forms of the towers are inspired by the gemstone shards discovered in the region which dates back thousands of years. “We are excited to bring quintessential Langham service to the Gold Coast very soon,” says John O’Shea, general manager of the Langham, Gold Coast. “The Langham is renowned for its exceptional hospitality, and when our hotel opens in 2022, we look forward to taking modern coastal luxury to new heights.” Developed by AW Holding Group, the appointed architects for the Langham, Gold Coast and the Jewel are DBI Design and US-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design respectively. The interior design firm for the hotel is Sydney-based Studio Aria which took the inspiration of the design concept from the prime coastal location and the nearby national parks and hinterland.

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First ‘Porsche Design’ hotel in Middle East will open in Saudi Arabia

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will have a ‘Porsche Design’ boutique hotel after a MoU between Tourism Development Fund and Deutsche Hospitality. It sets up the first ever ‘Steigenberger Porsche Design’ hotel in the region. The properties will have a minimum of 150 rooms, backed up by bespoke health and beauty facilities, a gym and wellness area. It thus becomes the latest hospitality brand to sign for a presence in the Kingdom, to populate the mega mixed-use destinations being created. “The project will cater to the sophisticated needs of the Saudi market, creating a unique and innovative experience within the Kingdom’s luxury lifestyle hotel segment,” said Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality, which is the umbrella brand of the German hotel company Steigenberger Hotels AG. TDF helps private investors to participate in the Kingdom’s tourism sector, by providing support to SMEs and large institutions alike. This takes the form of planning to providing support from various tourism-related government agencies. The Fund’s support programme also extends to direct financing, bank guarantees, and co-financing with banks.

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Hong Kong bans transit flights from over 150 countries

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong International Airport said Friday that it would ban passengers from over 150 countries and territories from transiting in the city for a month, as it sought to stem the transmission of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus. Passengers who have stayed in over 150 places deemed “high risk” in the last 21 days, including the United States and Britain, will be banned from transiting in Hong Kong from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15, according to a notice posted by the airport. The ban comes as the city grapples with an omicron outbreak, with most of the cases traced to two crew members of Cathay Pacific who had broken isolation rules and dined at restaurants and bars in the city before testing positive. Over 50 local infections have been reported in the community since the end of 2021. Prior to that, Hong Kong went three months with no community transmissions and had been in talks with the mainland to resume quarantine-exempted travel with the rest of China. Last week, Hong Kong imposed a two-week ban on incoming flights from the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Britain, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The city has also banned dining in after 6 p.m. and ordered venues such as museums, cinemas, gyms and libraries to close. Hong Kong has aligned itself with China’s “zero-tolerance” COVID-19 policy, with authorities intent on stamping out all outbreaks with sometimes draconian measures.

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