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Perfect destinations to exchange vows

Weddings are beautiful, a day filled with love and celebration. Dreamy aesthetics, ethereal and fairytale vibes emanating from beautiful destinations, makes for an eternal experience. With rumours of the upcoming marriage of Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal right around the corner, it has been speculated that the couple will tie the knot at Six Senses Fort Barwara, a resort in Sawai Madhopur. Though they may have chosen their destination, allow us to walk you through the process and help you narrow down the perfect place for a destination wedding. Many couples are planning destination weddings differently in the post-pandemic era. “The guest lists have reduced, couples are preferring intimate weddings at beautiful destinations which also turn into an extended holiday after a year of sitting at home. Apart from focusing on cleanliness, hygiene coupled with things like colour schemes, couples want to spend more time on experiences together.” says Pawan Chawla, wedding planner. A small guest list also means much more quality time with each attendee, destination weddings allow couples and their closest family and friends a one-of-a-kind experience without any stress “While many people follow the stereotypical way of tying the knot in their home towns, others live the fantasy, a once-in-a-lifetime fairytale destination wedding blending with travelling, experiencing a new culture with family and friends,” says Shruti Khandare, a model and influencer. “There is no doubt that the Q4 season is a boom for the wedding industry as the demand for destination weddings has gone up after the relief from the pandemic restrictions,” says Anam Zubair, Associate Director of Marketing - WeddingWire India, a part of The Knot Worldwide. “The concept of relaxed, luxurious, and experiential weddings is gaining demand, but the definition of a destination wedding varies from couple to couple. As we are aware that international travel restrictions are imposed, couples that were opting for luxurious destinations like Maldives, Bali have now shifted to destinations within the country,” she adds. Time to say ‘I do’ in the most picturesque destination. Soak in the splendour of these destinations while you are on a location recce for your wedding. We bring you a list of cities that will not only make your special day memorable but will also make you the talk of the town. From sun kissed beaches to opulent palaces, scenic mountains to ancient forts, India has everything to offer for an unforgettable wedding ceremony. 1. Udaipur When it comes to destination weddings, none like the city of lakes, Udaipur. Getting hitched against the backdrop of opulent palaces, beautiful lakes and clear blue skies sounds perfect. “The city promises a regal ceremony for every couple. The wedding pictures would come out colourful and vibrant - every bride’s dream,” says Sidharth Taneja, wedding planner. A destination wedding in Udaipur for 150 guests will cost anywhere between ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore. Best venues for destination weddings: Fort Fatehgarh Udaipur, is located amid Aravalli hills; City Palace is atop a hill and boasts of Mughal and Rajasthani architectural style; Taj Lake Palace is located in the middle of Lake Pichola and is an ideal destination 2. Jaipur From majestic forts to royal palaces, the pink city is a dream destination. It is the grandeur of the city that lends itself to be one of the most popular destination wedding locations. “Jaipur which already is a popular wedding destination, is seeing decent bookings for winter weddings. We have realised that Jaipur is finding takers for not just lavish luxury weddings but upper middle-class couples too,” says Vishal Lonkar - General Manager, Brand Development, Renest Hotels and Resorts. Folk dancers, sarangi players and local pagdi-walas would love to make your important day memorable. The cost of a wedding with 150 guests in Jaipur would range from ₹75 lakh to ₹1.5 crore. Best venues: Rambagh Palace, is an ideal place, fit for a royal wedding; Jai Mahal Palace, a heritage property will make your special day memorable; Alsisar Mahal with its beautiful architecture, depicting medieval Rajasthani motifs is a great choice. 3. Agra Nothing better than the symbol of love- Taj Mahal as the backdrop for the most romantic wedding destination. “Agra that houses the Taj Mahal- the ultimate symbol of love - is one of the most romantic sought-after destination wedding preferences for the new bride and groom. Agra thanks to its fabled history promises conjugal bliss for the duo. The city somehow manages to instill that feeling to embark the journey of married life from here. Moreover, tying the nuptial knot in the backdrop of the Taj Mahal is in itself an epochal postcard moment to cherish for life,” says Rahul Joshi, General Manager, Taj Hotel and Convention Centre, Agra.The budget to host a wedding in Agra for 100 guests would range from ₹24 lakh to ₹50 lakh. Best venues: Inspired by Mughal architecture, Amarvilas is a favourite of all; A boutique grand heritage hotel which overlooks the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and many monuments of Agra, can it get more romantic? We guess no! 4. Goa Grand churches, silver sands, old-style Portuguese mansions standing tall amid paddy fields and tall coconut trees are picturesque and heralds romanticism in the air. A ceremony on sandy beaches against the backdrop of a fiery copper hued sunset, you and your guests will remember for a lifetime. With wedding packages, the price will range from ₹50- ₹70 lakh in Goa. Best venues: Resorts located on Utorda beach in South Goa are everyone’s dream destination; Looking for a bespoke and exquisite experience, a wedding in Alila Diwa situated on Gonsua Beach would be a perfect choice 5. Kerala God’s own country has a lot to offer when it comes to being the best destination for a wedding. From the backwaters of Alleppey to the beaches of Kovalam, it is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. What’s more, a party on a houseboat and South Indian cuisine on banana leaves, and you have a taste of the rich Indian heritage. Best venues: Kumarakom Lake resort is situated along the bank of Lake Vembanand; The Raviz Kovalam adorns a traditional Kerela flavour with a hint of contemporary art and overlooks the beautiful Arabian Sea 6. Rishikesh Taking the saat pheras on the shores of the pious Ganga River sounds mesmerising, doesn’t it? Rishikesh is a perfect destination. Chanting of mantras and ringing of bells will just add to the mesmerising environment. “In Rishikesh too, the holy pristine river town has seen traction for pre-nuptial ceremonies. Honeymooners are also closing down on this destination to kick start their married lives,” says Kush Kapoor, CEO Roseate Hotels and Resorts.A wedding in Rishikesh for 50 guests can cost between ₹3 lakh to ₹80 lakh. Best venues: Aloha On The Ganges, Tapovan is a popular choice among those looking to tie the knot against the backdrop of tranquil waters; resorts near the Laxman Jhula promise a romantic view with the sun setting over the glistening waters of the Ganges. Things to keep in mind Choice of location Picking the perfect location is of utmost importance. Hills, beaches or royal palace, choose beforehand. Also, check the weather forecast, you wouldn’t want your guests cribbing about the weather conditions. Connectivity Choose a destination that is accessible to all and is not too expensive. Information regarding how to best get there should be given prior to the wedding. Also, ensure contact details of local travel operators are given. Gaurav Aggarwal, CEO & Founder, Savaari Car Rentals, adds, “The current Indian wedding industry is estimated to be a $50 billion market. The annual growth of the market over the years has been commendable with the advent of ‘destination weddings’ in India. While a decade ago, renting luxury cars during weddings was confined to the affluent families, today the middle and upper-middle-class families are also hopping on to the trend for that Insta-perfect wedding. Destination wedding hotspots are Udaipur, Bikaner, Neemrana Fort, Jim Corbett and Manesar in North India and Kovalam, Alleppey and Goa in the South” Hire local vendors Employing the services of local vendors won’t increase the expenditure of the wedding. Local decorators and caterers would understand the terrain and the place better and will work according to your theme.

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Global Destinations is now a proud member of the Global Travel Representation Alliance

Global Destinations is now a proud member of Global Travel Representation Alliance (GTRA). Officially launched in March 2019, GTRA is an association that was formed between a collective of experienced, like-minded travel representation companies, offering high standards, similar services and covering different international markets. GTRA works to set the highest standards in travel representation to create strong brand awareness and more importantly, increase financial return for its partners. GTRA’s global reach include members from UK, Ireland, USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and Russia, with India being the latest entrant to the list. Speaking about the alliance and its value that it brings to the business, Pranav Kapadia, Founder and Director, Global Destinations, said, “Alliances and collaborations in the post-vaccinated world is the need of the hour. We, at Global Destinations, have always believed in working with refined partners and collaborating with associations and associates that share our business ethics and vision. We found the alliance with GTRA a perfect fit. We are looking forward to the alliance and to work as partners for overall growth and to extend the benefits to our befitting partners.” With an eye to expand horizons while accelerating towards the goal of sustainable and inclusive global tourism, Global Destinations seeks to provide and benefit from the co-creation framework of GTRA. The alliance helps each partner to bring their collective resources, expertise, and integrated travel development plans to the benefit all the members. Select Representation Director and GTRA founding member Jonathan Wilkins also said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Global Destinations to the GTRA family. Since we launched the alliance in 2019, we’ve been keen to add an experienced partner to cover the ever-expanding Indian outbound market. Saying that, we have never been in a mad rush to find the missing jigsaw piece, as this alliance is about quality, rather than quantity. For the right reasons, we’ve taken our time to find a partner that follows the GTRA ethos of hard work, strong communication and delivering positive results.”

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Goa tourism department gives 50% relief on fees for various services

The tourism department on Tuesday issued an order giving a 50 per cent waiver on registration and renewal fees for various tourist trade activities. Shack operators as well as other service providers had demanded relief with the last two seasons being badly hit. The demand was also made as the department had implemented a new fee structure, hiking them for various services, rationalising charges. Services that were left out were also brought under the ambit of the law. Stakeholders wanted the government to keep the implementation of the new fees on hold until the situation improved, and submissions to the effect were made to the government. The government finally decided to offer a 50 per cent waiver instead. Last season, only beach shack operators were given a discount on licence fees. This year, the benefit has been extended to more services. Those eligible to receive 50 per cent relief in registration and renewal fees are ‘C’ and ‘D’ category hotels, dealers, travel agents and tour operators, watersports activities, private shacks and huts, photographers, tourist guides, deck beds and umbrellas, adventure sports activities and spice plantations. Fees already paid for the financial year 2021-22 will be adjusted against that payable for the next year, read the order issued by Tourism Director, Menino D’Souza. A tourism trader said that things have been very difficult for smalltime operators, whether a taxi operator or a person running a small guest house. “Paying EMIs was a huge problem though some relief was received on that front, but sustainability became difficult due to the prolonged shutdown. Then registration and renewal fees were raised, compounding our problems. Some relief is welcome,” a small-time watersports operator said.

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Kerala sets another tourism model; launches dedicated portal for RT Classification of hotels

As announced in the first 100-day programme of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government, Kerala has launched a dedicated classification system for hotels and resorts under the Responsible Tourism (RT) standards and guidelines. This is a first in India for any state to launch its own classification system for hotels and resorts under Responsible Tourism. The online RT Classification system was launched by the Tourism & PWD Minister, PA Mohamed Riyas, at a function held in the state capital today. He also released a short video about the standardisation schemes on the occasion. As per the scheme, hotels and resorts will be classified into RT Diamond, RT Gold and RT Silver categories, which is based on their score in following the specified environmental and responsible tourism criteria, the Minister said. “Also, properties earning more than 80 percent score in environmental responsibility criteria will receive RT Green Classification. With the launch of the online portal as part of the initiative, all processes will be eased and there will not be any delay in providing services,” Riyas said. "Now on, the accreditation process for homestays, service villas, Ayurveda centres & resorts, adventure tourism service providers, amusement parks, heritage homes conservation project Grihastali and license for tour guides will be available online," he said. The classification process under the project will be implemented by the state RT Mission. The parameters for RT Classification lays emphasis on ecological conservation, local economic development, experiential tourism, preservation of arts and culture, and sustainable growth in the tourism sector. Kerala Tourism Director, VR Krishna Teja, has said that the state RT Mission has successfully implemented a wide range of activities and the classification scheme is a remarkable one among many such achievements. RT Classification, which is valid for three years, will be awarded following the inspection by a panel comprising Tourism Director as Chairman, State RT Mission Coordinator as convenor and other industry experts as members. Presenting a report on the RT Classification, K Rupeshkumar, State Coordinator, RT Mission said that it is a major milestone in transforming Kerala into a fully responsible tourism destination. "With growing environment consciousness among travellers, the RT Classification will help travellers choose accommodation facilities as per their preferences," he said.

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Cruise Tourism: Sailing Through The Storm

Over the last few years, India has grown significantly as a source market for the cruising industry across the globe. Mediterranean cruising, Asian cruises, river cruising, expedition cruises, etc, every segment have welcomed Indian travellers and further foresee demand. There is a market for every product and segment in the India market. Today, also players are looking to develop river-cruising in India to tap the domestic segment. According to industry data, the cruise sector supports 1.2 million jobs and contributes US$150 billion to the global economy every year. Tourism is vitally important for Small Islands States, where it sustains millions of livelihoods and brings substantial socio-economic benefits. As per the latest reports by DataM Intelligence, the Global Cruise Tourism Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 per cent during the forecasting period (2021-2028). APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing market with a double-digit growth rate due to the demand from developing nations such as China and India. One of the most positive movement in the India market has been the launch of Cordelia Cruises with its first ship – the Empress. By August 2022, the cruise line is planning to add another ship to its fleet and, by 2025, have between four and six ships. Its first itineraries are around India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Speaking about the India market said Jurgen Bailom, CEO and president of Waterways Leisure Tourism, stated, “We believe that India has a huge potential. Given the fact that cruising is growing up to 15 per cent a year here and India having the third largest coastline in the world with 7,600 kilometers, it made automatic sense that India deserved its own cruise line.To further examinate and assess the strategies of the cruise industry and to understand the way forward, T3 recently organised a conference session during SATTE GenX, titled ‘Cruise Tourism: Sailing through the storm’. The session, moderated by Nishith Saxena, Founder & Director, Cruise Professionals, witnessed eminent panelists including Kathleen Randolph, Manager, International Sales, Princess Cruises; Peter Kollar, Head - International Training & Development, Cruise Line International Association (CLIA); Rakesh Nair, Head – Crew Lifecycle Business Support & Operations, Carnival Support Services India; Hans Lagerweij, President, Albatros International; Cdr Nevil Malao, V.P. Operations, J M Baxi & Co. Current scenario The good news is Cruising has restarted globally and has picked up well over the last couple of months. Experts feel that over 80 per cent of the vessels will be back in action by December 2021. Speaking about the global cruising scenario, Kollar, says, “There has been a lot of discussion with all the stakeholders across the globe to restart this industry. More than 1 million passengers have now cruised across Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, US, Caribbean and 200 CLIA ships back in operations. By December we expect 80 per cent of the vessels to be operating. Following a robust covid protocols that the industry is committed to.” Further sharing CLIA’s role in encountering the pandemic he added, “The past 18 months, we have gone through extraordinary times and now we are on way to resumption. There were a lot of challenges encountered during the repatriation phase. CLIA joined with the most respected medical experts around the world and have come up with a Covid-19 safety guideline which is amongst the most stringent. We have always been the leaders in the health and safety standards even before the pandemic. We always had the expertise onboard, the medical facilities, experience and these are our core functions. This will remain the foundation to rebuild confidence amongst the public. All the cruise sellers should be familiar with all the protocols in place, there are over 70 protocol. Prevention in terms of testing and vaccination, medication and detection, comprehensive response strategies along with the ports are three key areas.” India is growing at a steady pace in terms of cruise ship port of calls. With increasing awareness cruising is now becoming a mainstream tourism product. Speaking about the Indian market, Malao, says, “We are the representatives of the shipping line in India for all the communications with the Government and the vendors. We strive to be the single window for the cruise so that we can enable their operations to be successful in India. In India we have seen a steady growth in terms of cruise ships coming which has grown at 10-12 per cent year on year. India handles about 140-150 ships annually with the main cruising season starting from October to May, as monsoon hinders the operations during the remaining part of the year. We have handled ships of various sizes right from expedition ships to ships of the spectrum class which has around 5700 passengers. We have to adhere to covid protocols in operations now which makes our efforts more important.” The year that was During the early phase of the pandemic, many major cruiselines were stranded globally. One of the major challenges during the initial phase was to rescue and repatriate passengers and crew members to their respective nations. Nair said, “When the pandemic struck last year, one of the ships in spotlight were Princess Diamond in Japan, because of the impact it had globally, we had close to 225 Indian crew members onboard, we had a lot of positive appreciation notes from the passengers as the crew handled the situation. This is a testament for the trainings that we provide and handling situations during such crisis times.” JM Baxi were one of the companies who have handled over 30,000 crew changes in the last 18 months. The group initially had to re-strategise and plan the repatriation as it was a totally new scenario. Speaking about the initial challenges, Malao, stated, “We had to take approvals and convince the government as cruise ships are the safest bubbles as crew were already onboard for six to eight months. We were one of the few countries in the world who took quick decision of getting our crew back to India. It all started off in March end when we had a cruise ship waiting on Indian waters for six days with 145 crew. We did covid tests and crew were quarantined for 14 days before going to their final destinations. By June we got Ovation of the Seas with 900 passengers and a week later we got a cruise with 3000 Indian crew members. These were challenging but teams worked in tandem to solve these challenges. Regulations changed quickly and state to state had different regulations. Overall, not only cruise companies we handled, but we have also done 30,000 crew changes in last one and half years.” Niche markets and innovations With India becoming a major hub for outbound tourism and with the growing appetite for unique experiences, cruise lines have started promoting exclusive niche products in this market. Expedition cruises are gaining popularity in India market due to the uniqueness of the product. The restriction in passenger numbers and the price points further makes it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lagerweij said that expedition trip to Antarctica is quite expensive and has a higher price point. He further explained, “This will not change a lot even in the coming times as all the expeditions are done on vessels which has a capacity of 200 pax per ship. From a cost point we miss the big scale to lower the pricing. The reason why we all work with 200 pax is we are only allowed to land 100 pax at a time in Antarctica. From an expedition cruise perspective, I don’t see any dynamics changing. There are bigger vessels with close to 500 pax, but that is a product where visitors can see Antarctica from a distance, and you might be lucky to get out once or twice during the trip. With a true expedition product one can spend 7-8 hours outside the ship per day. There will be more attractive price points with bigger ships. But its about the experience which customers look for. We see a lot of people onboard who have saved money for expeditions for a long time as it is a dream of their life. India as a destination has everything to offer to the world except some few experiences like these expeditions. We see a lot of interests from India for our products.” Cruise lines are now further enhancing their products to further make the experience seamless and contactless. Princess Cruise has further invested into technology to provide unique offerings. Randolph added, “More than ever technology has become extremely important. We have always been investing into technology, but now we have increase and improved a lot of aspects in the business. We have introduced a lot of new features and options for travellers with the launch of MedallionClass. With MediallionClass app passengers can put up all their information online before their cruising and it helps in a seamless check-in experience. Once passengers are onboard, they have various experiences and options. One of the newest features is the virtual safety drills. We have also introduced Dine my way feature where passengers can book or reserve tables for dining, this helps us to control number of people in the dining rooms. As our fleet gets back all our vessels will be equipped with MedallionClass capability.” Way forward The pandemic has further increased the importance of a travel agent for booking cruise holidays. Cruise agents need to update and be ready to cater to the market once cruise tourism is fully back on track. Kollar, stated, “The real value of having a trusted cruise agent is clearer now than ever. In US and Australia as well travel agents are now moving to become travel advisors as they are specialists. Agents needs to grasp all the opportunities and cruising remains very strong with a lot of offerings. Travel agents should be ready with their knowledge and about the products available as the floodgates have already opened and there will be a lot of queries soon. Be confident, be honest, address and acknowledge the complains and communications. In India one of the most common questions are about misconceptions of cruiselines. We know people are going to travel, we need to educate travellers how cruising is different and more value for money. Cruise is the safest bubble of tourism right now.” Cruise liners across the globe are looking at India as a homeporting option with the growing demand. Malao, added, “A lot of challenges are being addressed in India now. There are 12-14 international cruise lines operating in India and 2-3 are looking to homeport in India. This industry is growing, and we see a healthy market in the coming times. We now have Cordelia cruise which has started, and we want to make this successful to welcome the world to India. In the near term our endeavor is to welcome cruise lines to come back to India.” In terms of expedition cruising, travellers should look out for various parameters. Speaking about how to go about selecting the right expedition cruise, Lagerweij, added, “We deliver specific products where one needs a lot of permits and guides need to be high skilled for the desired experience. It is not easy sailing to Antarctica like other cruises. The first criteria while booking an expedition is passengers would check if the company is an IAATO member. Second is to know who the expedition staff are and how experienced are they. Also, one should know the entire itinerary in detail and look at the activities offered.”

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Trend Spotter: Power, tourism sectors show potential for exponential rise

With India's economic recovery catching a faster pace, the next multibagger stocks might emerge from sectors like power, tourism, realty and IT sectors. Lately, banking, PSUs and even the stocks of brokerage firms have shown an upward trend. However, steep valuations have somewhat subdued investors' interest, said industry experts. Nonetheless, an accelerated economic recovery has boosted demand for sectors such as power and tourism. Consequently, stocks of companies in these sectors hold potential for giving future healthy returns. "IT sector has seen tremendous growth in the last two years since the lockdown as more and more companies move towards making themselves digitally equipped to tackle any such situation in the future," said Vijay Dhanotiya, Senior Research Analyst, CapitalVia Global Research. "We have also seen strong demand environment, sustained margins and improved cash flows which is expected to continue and hence we believe it will be one of the outperforming sectors in the market," he added. Besides, he cited power sector stocks to hold great potential. "Indian power sector has seen outstanding demand growth and India has become the fourth largest energy consumer in the world. Power sector has also seen growth due to the government policies as well as the demand increase," he said. He shared, "Indian government has allowed 100 per cent FDI in the sector and has allowed the private players to enter the market. The sector is seen as one of the top outperforming sectors as the demand of energy is sought to increase at an unprecedented pace." Furthermore, MOFSL's advisory subsidiary Teji Mandi, CIO said that travel and tourism sector is expected to "do well on account of the opening up of the economy and revenue consumption". "Even real estate as a sector is at an inflection point on account of low interest rates, tax savings on buying houses and increase in people's affinity to buy houses." He continued, "Furthermore, resumption of office life should help to increase demand for commercial real estate as well." According to Rahul Sharma, Co-Founder, Equity99, sectors such as real estate, specialty-chemicals and automobiles are guiding the next stage of rally. "This sector (specialty-chemicals) has sawn some correction in recent times due multi-fold rise in raw-material prices," Sharma said. "However, considering the increasing demand and steady increase in end products price by companies we expect the raw material price increase to not have significant impact," he stated. In addition, he pointed out that automobile sector has taken a huge hit by chip shortage crisis and is available at "good discount". "However, we think that correction in this sector is over and is ready for next stage of up-move," he asserted. "Also there has been significant demand for EV vehicles and most companies are launching many EV models. We are bullish on this sector and expect a good move here."

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