As record heat waves strike across the northern hemisphere this summer, climate change seems beyond our control

The northernmost US state of Alaska is not a place where you would expect temperatures to exceed 30 degrees celsius or people to slap on sunscreen and sit under parasols. But it is happening so this year despite large parts of its geographical territory being above the Arctic Circle. This would be an odd occurrence if it happened in isolation but it is in continuity with warming trends of the last few years linked partly to a decline in sea ice and Arctic Ocean warming. Permafrost or the frozen ground that makes up about 85 per cent of Alaska, is thawing and affecting life as we know it, from building foundations of liveable structures, saving wildlife habitats and growing Tundra berries. Last year, puffins died in huge numbers because their prey fish had migrated away from warmer waters. Concurrently, Europe is suffering some of the highest temperatures in living memory with parts of France and Spain seeing temperatures more akin to an Indian summer. Scientists have, therefore, concluded that such persistent highs were not just about a micro-climate zone but had indeed been brought about by climate change. Europe reported the hottest June since 1880, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The temperature was 3oC above the June average a century ago. And because heat waves now have a repetitive pattern of occurrence, there is no doubt that global heating, caused by carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activities, is manifesting itself sooner than expected. 

Some are saying that the warm draft from the Indian sub-continent is the reason behind the heat wave in continental Europe. With the delays in the monsoon rains and their lower than expected volumes this time, weather patterns are worrying not just climate scientists but even the general public and governments. We may be staring at a new wave of climate migrations, refugees and deaths of vulnerable people unused to temperature shocks. The toll on human health is already visible with estimates that thousands of elderly and infirm people across Europe will succumb to high heat. In India, we cannot even contemplate the results of a poor monsoon and resultant drought, desertification and starvation in outlier pockets. Warmer waters mean rising sea levels which will threaten hundreds of millions of people staying in low-level areas, both in India and in neighbouring countries. So we have to start preparing for the worst and have an original green template than be ostriches burying our heads in the sand. India is doing its utmost to ensure equitable and sustainable development that will allow citizens to grow economically and consume more energy while harming the planet lesser. Water conservation should be in mission mode, too. 

Writer  & Courtesy: The Pioneer

Young social entrepreneurs are using the language of tourism to redefine the contours of the Thai economy, identity, outlook and culture

They could be rebels but they chose to be who they are, not ashamed or diffident or overtly proud, but honest and true to their grain. And in a country inured to a democracy that is now governed by militarists, they embody a new kind of nationalism and people’s power that’s subtly changing the socio-economic narrative of Thailand, demolishing every known stereotype and forcing a policy change. You could call them social entrepreneurs, who are rescuing vulnerable communities, redrawing the Thai identity beyond the sex-tourism gaze, lending voices to real issues and solving them in their micro-environs. These little dots of resistance to status quo may not qualify as protests or political movements but are more collective impacts of individual efforts that can no longer be brushed under the carpet. There’s an old Thai proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” And this second best time is being spearheaded by the country’s globalised youth, who are back to reclaim their destiny on home ground, one that is buried in the legends of Siam. And they are talking in a language that everybody understands — tourism.

Beginning as a marine biologist, Sirachai Shin Arunrugstichai had a passion for photography and hoped to be a journalist covering stories like protests, religious events and politics in Thailand. But lost in a crowd, he applied his newly-acquired skill set to something that his years as a deep sea diver had taught him, the need to conserve marine habitats which Thailand was fast losing to over-tourism and the beach economy. His photo stories on what once was and what it has become are telling reminders of human depredations of natural resources that could spell doom for Thailand’s tourism sector, which constitutes 20 percent of the nation’s GDP. His work on Maya Bay, the sharks of the Andamans Sea, the plight of water nomads, the reappearance and disappearance of fish, restoration and regrowth of corals and mangroves has gone a long way in influencing tourism policy and getting a global audience. Thanks to him, the authorities have bravely shut down the fragile Maya Bay for four years, crumbling as it was under the weight of 5,000 footfalls when it is equipped to handle only 170 visitors at a time. As the sharks are slowly making their way back to the waters there, Shin asserts he isn’t against tourism as such but over-exploitation. He argues if there is no sustainable management module, then there would be no tourist economy or marine resources left for livelihood or humanity. “With our dependency on rich resources of the surrounding two seas, the marine and coastal ecosystems of Thailand have borne the cost. In accommodating mass tourism, which does not exactly serve the purpose of conservation of resources, and unable to prevent continuous degradation throughout the years, we need to change now. Some specks of islands have completely changed in five years and I document the changes to build a consciousness.” Shin now works closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, which for the first time is regulating the beach economy with permits, graded arrivals and limiting stay periods on the country’s pristine stretches. Shin’s narrative-driven photo stories are now what he calls Lego blocks that make for a larger story of exploitation and a new-age colonisation by greed. Even the Western tourists, who once turned Thailand’s sylvan beaches into an indulgent and hedonistic hideaway, are now being forced to reshape their ideas of the permissive and expansive Orient.

Then there is Lee Ayu Chuepa, who has turned Thailand coffee, traditionally very bitter and had with condensed milk, into a specialty brew with applied research and his US training on growing and roasting techniques. Born to the Akha hill tribe, the traditional growers of coffee, he wasn’t really committed to it till he completed university, worked for an NGO and learnt how curating specialty coffees could lead to high economic worth. So he turned agriculturists into agri-preneurs and made coffee, a crop he had grown up with, as a tool of community development. Having experienced the creature comforts that he obtained through a Western knowledge system, he realised they would have no meaning in a resource-scarce or depleted world. “Look at what our conveniences and aspirations have given us. We chased gains but look where it has landed us, a plastic sea, no water and poverty of our people,” says Lee, highlighting the growing Thai consciousness to save neighbourhoods, culture, communities and people without subjecting themselves to the approbation of others. Today Lee’s Akha Ama Coffee is both a national and international brand, with a chain of boutique cafes in Chiang Mai and other cities. Lee’s social enterprise is based on smart logic and the right market linkages. His farmers follow sustainable cropping methods, adapt them to customise the coffee to flavour profiles in demand, rotate other crops like avocado in lean times and directly sell to the buyer networks, primarily the tourism industry. So all boutique hotels in Thailand pick up curated batches of Akha Ama coffee from the farmers themselves. Not only that, Lee emphasises on creating a bio-diversity rich plantation that is complete with living organisms, birds and honey bees, allowing natural processes like pollination to improve the ecosystem for his coffee. He even consults  R&D and knowhow specialists on growing best coffee varietals and ensures a zero-waste model where leftovers of a harvest are used as fertilisers, manure and even body scrubs for the cosmetic industry.

He has made every young person of the community a stakeholder in the coffee enterprise so that each knows how to present his/her products and where to sell. In short, the growers collectively dictate the market than the latter forcing them into a straitjacket. “We need to start a movement in our agriculture sector,” he says, his idea already cascading into local fruit buffets at every tourist hotspot, allied products at every shopping hub, plantation tourism and more importantly international branding of local fruits. The much sought after Durian is a Southeast Asian favourite but the Thais have marketed a superior variety that sells at $10,000 a kg! “The dream may not be as beautiful as you imagined, so I am motivated by new dreams. I have followed the ancient wisdom of banana leaves from our people. This is not a textbook project. More than money, social values matter,” Lee tells us, summing up the resurgent face of Thai entrepreneurship from the hinterland.

But in Bangkok itself, the luxuriant world city that’s ever ready to serve your every craving, its repressed underbelly has found a voice in Somsak Boonkam. He has been inspired by India’s Dharavi to conceive his own slum tourism project at Klongtoey and transform the community that the city hides under its flyways. “We are using our backward clusters as a powerful communication tool. We are not denying but owning up to the reality and helping tourists get a rounded perspective of this city that I was born in and not see it through borrowed lenses,” he tells us. He isn’t looking for sympathy or empathy but is pooling limited resources of small host communities and sharpening their collective competitive advantage in the booming tourist economy. He keeps it real, training communities to design travel packages based on local carrying capacity, skilling local youth as savvy tour guides, empowering women to set up craft and cuisine classes, forming collaborative clusters of communities which can share limited resources and offer homestay facilities. And he uses social media to market his tours to keep a steady flow of visitors.

His beehive approach has helped individual tour operators from getting wiped out in a highly competitive tourism market and developed a system of affordable tourism seen from an insider’s perspective of Bangkok, taking you to unknown sights and experiences. Financial sustainability is on the top of Somsak’s agenda, so he allows local hosts to keep 70 per cent of the tourism revenue and diverts five per cent for public projects such as education and waste management. Through his module, Somsak has been able to restore pride among local communities who tend to become subservient and faceless employees of the large hospitality industry in a global tourist destination like Bangkok or set up formulaic home-unit massage parlours. But with the slum redevelopment project, locals are for the first time becoming an equal stakeholder and owner of the throbbing tourist economy. With 36 million tourists coming into Thailand and Bangkok being its catchment area, locals continue to be excluded from a lion’s share of profits although they lend their resources, culture, heritage and skill sets to define the Thai experience for the world. Somsak is continuously upgrading his tourist packages and creating specialist groups of tour guides, transport operators, pricing experts and hosts. He has even created a system of an elected body to manage the community development fund that comes from tourism and allocate it for addressing the most pressing need of the community that he might have overlooked himself. That could be something as basic as creating a playground for children of the host community. This has encouraged a democratic participation in everyday lives among locals outside the semi-dictatorial governance structure at the central level. Somsak believes that tourism can be a sustainable business only if it enhances and does not replace local businesses and jobs. Thailand’s young brigade are applying the rules of Muay Thai and championing their own causes that are setting off a slow revolution of ideas and independence. Despite the obstacles.

(The writer is Associate Editor, The Pioneer)

Writer: Rinku Ghosh
Courtesy: The Pioneer

Maldives is a country nothing less than a dream. Surrounded with water, spread over 1200 dispersed islands of which barely 200 are inhabited, this is what we call paradise. Interested to go but the costs are burning a hole in your pocket? Many would be surprised to know that this country can be visited on a budget. You do not have save it for a special occasion like a honeymoon or an anniversary, but visit this country multiple times as it is bound to surprise you every time. Here is how you visit the Maldives without splurging your savings.

Book flights early

This is a key to travelling within the budget. International carriers flying to the Maldives are a mixture of scheduled and charter airlines. Indian low cost carrier like Go Air operates from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Travel in low season

Go during low season, which runs from May to November, Maldives will surprise you with the rates of accommodation. However, since this period coincides with the monsoon season (May to October), you will get cloudy skies and rains, which has a charm of its own.

Stay in a local island

Maldives offers two types of islands: local and private. The private islands are usually owned by resorts while the local islands are the ones that are inhabited and offer the true Maldivian flavours and also offer a wider range of shops and restaurants. An ideal stay at this destination would include a guesthouse at a local island along with a few days in resort islands.

Since the tourism industry has been booming, the type of guesthouses are nothing less than a 4-star hotel and offer exclusivity as its unique selling point. Consider this, an island which has only 30 inhabitants including the staff of the guesthouse and you. Such could be your stay at Plumeria Boutique Maldives on the Thinadhoo Island (Vavoo Atoll). Enjoy a sandbank breakfast or swim with the sharks at reasonable prices here and be assured this would change your perspective on affordable luxury.

For those who wish to consider staying at private islands, the Aitken Spence properties—Adaaran Club Rannalhi (Kaafu Atoll) and Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi (North Male Atoll), are some good options to consider. At these properties stay in ocean villas to experience the ocean up close like never before.

Travel by ferries

Since 99 per cent of the Maldives is covered with water and only one percent contributes land mass, it is quite natural that most of the transport is by ferries and boats. Though speedboats are a faster way to travel, they cost much higher for a single trip as compared to a local ferry. Local ferries run on a somewhat infrequent schedule but are quite cheap. Avoid the seaplanes if you’re on a budget but if money is not your concern then this too is an experience not to miss.

Good to Know

When staying a local island be aware of the restrictions on wearing a bikini in public beaches. There are designated bikini beaches for tourists.

If you want to visit a resort, you’ll have to pay for a speedboat, as the local ferries don’t stop at the resort islands.

Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) is a nonconvertible currency only available in the Maldives. US dollars, all major credit cards and currency are acceptable.

Alcohol is only permitted for foreigners in resorts or on liveaboard vessels. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages are not allowed on any inhabited island even for guests staying in a guesthouse or hotel.

A Green Tax of $6 per person per day is levied on guests staying at resorts, hotels and liveaboards. For those staying in guesthouses, the Green Tax is $3 per person per day.

Writer: Ankita Saxena

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Creating and sustaining an organisation’s business model, in the short and long-term,  requires it to interact with external factors, its relationships and use of resources

India has a huge railway network — its full track length can circle the equator one-and-a-half times while the total distance it covers daily equals three and half times the distance to the moon! It carries more than 25 million passengers every day, more than the entire population of Australia. It is also the world’s ninth largest employer, serving even the farthest locations in India. However, the Railways incurred a loss of Rs 4,000 crore in the last three years. Does that mean it is not valuable as an organisation and does not add to the GDP and growth of our economy? The answer is no. It is, in fact, a very valuable company but the worth is not reflected in the reporting. Here comes the significance of Integrated Reporting (IR), which brings about improved cohesion and efficiency in the corporate reporting process as it allows a business to incorporate its value creation in a holistic manner, the outcome of which is efficient and productive allocation of capital.

Integrated Reporting is able to bring in the value generated by a business by integrating the financial and non-financial performance of a company in a single report. This helps in providing a greater context to the non-financial data such as how the company performs on environmental, social and governance (ESG) parameters, how sustainability is embedded in the core business strategy and so on. It is important to note that Integrated Reporting doesn’t only mean merging financial and sustainability reports into one report. Its true meaning is to link sustainability strategy to business strategy and help the company and its stakeholders identify the non-financial priority areas.

For some years now, the limitations of the current reporting practices have been felt by both the investors and other stakeholders and there has been a significant drive towards more transparent, relevant and comprehensive reporting practices. In India, the Companies Act 2013, Corporate Social Responsibility Legislation, SEBI Listing Requirements, Business Responsibility Reporting and so on are some of the key regulatory developments that are focussed on improving the quality of disclosures and increasing business accountability towards societal issues.

SEBI has taken a step forward in this direction by its circular dated February 2017, where it has encouraged the top 500 companies to adopt the Integrated Reporting framework. The circular delivers on the IOSCO Principle 16 that states, “There should be full, accurate and timely disclosure of financial results, risks and other information that is material to investors’ decisions.” SEBI recommends that Integrated Reporting may be adopted on a voluntary basis from the financial year 2017-18 by the top 500 companies, which are required to prepare Business Responsibility Report (BRR). The information may be provided in the annual report separately or by incorporating in Management Discussion & Analysis or by preparing a separate report (annual report prepared according to framework). Subsequently in 2017, SEBI formed the Kotak committee to help improve corporate governance in listed companies.

Apart from regulators, corporates have also started to understand the importance of the change in reporting practices to not only focus on financial capital but to demonstrate the value created by the entity while operating within its economic, social and environmental system. The intended change requires an in-depth understanding of all the building blocks of the value creation process of business to enable corporates to develop a reporting model, which gives an insightful picture of its performance and is considered sufficient to assess the quality and sustainability of their performance. In India, information on emissions management, water conservation, energy reduction, human rights and similar topics are included in the annual report or published in a separate Sustainability Report (SR). The transition from CSR to SR focussed on moving from philanthropic social impact to stating the impact on natural and human capital. This is inclusive of all materially relevant capital, connecting them to business risks, decisions and outcomes in the short, medium and long-term.

Drivers for adoption of Integrated Reporting comprise both pull and push factors. Stakeholder groups such as investors, customers and so on can demand greater level of disclosure. On the other hand, regulations and compliance standards such as those by stock exchanges, government regulatory bodies and so on can act as another driver for adoption of Integrated Reporting.

The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession and NGOs, has given a series of six principles and content elements for preparing an integrated report:

1. Organisational overview and business model: What is the business model of an organisation and how does it create and sustain value in the short, medium and long-term?
2. Operating context, including risks and opportunities: What are the circumstances under which the organisation operates, including the key resources and relationships on which it depends and the key risks and opportunities that it faces?
3. Strategic objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives: Where is the strategic orientation of an organisation, and how is it going to achieve it?
4. Governance and remuneration: What is the organisation’s governance structure and how does it support the strategic objectives of the organisation and relate to its approach to remuneration?
5. Performance: How has the organisation performed against its strategic objectives and related strategies?
6. Future outlook: What opportunities, challenges and uncertainties is the organisation likely to encounter in achieving its strategic objectives, and what are the resulting implications for its strategies and future performance?

The creating and sustaining the business model of an organisation, in the short, medium and long-term,  requires the businesses to interact with external factors, its relationships and use of resources.

In doing so, businesses consider six capitals: financial capital, which is the pool of funds available to the organisation; manufactured capital, manufactured physical objects, as distinct from natural physical objects; intellectual capital, which is the intangibles that provide competitive advantage; natural capital that includes water, land, minerals and forests and biodiversity and ecosystem health; and social capital, which is the relationship established within and between each community, group of stakeholders and other networks to enhance individual and collective well-being. It also includes an organisation’s social licence to operate, in addition to the human capital.

This Integrated Reporting, then, will include a lot more information about how the company fits within the environment and society and how it creates long-term value. The focus will move from being merely concerned with reporting the past in financial terms to considering the past and short, medium  and long-term futures in a connected strategic manner. It will be tailored to the reporting entity’s specific circumstances and likely have a greater degree of transparency.

According to IIRC, the integrated reports can be developed on the basis of certain guiding principles.

1. Strategic focus: An Integrated Report provides insight into the organisation’s strategic objectives, and how those objectives relate to its ability to create and sustain value over time and the resources and relationships on which it depends.
2. Connectivity of information: Connections between the different components of the organisation’s business model and external factors.
3. Future orientation: Assessment of expectations and prospects.
4. Responsiveness and stakeholder inclusiveness: Insight into the organisation’s relationships with its key stakeholders and how it responds to their needs.
5. Conciseness, reliability and materiality: It provides concise, reliable information that is material to assessing the organisation’s ability to create and sustain value in the short, medium and long- term.

We have the responsibility to leave a better future to the next generation  when we are witnessing a transition to a sustainable society from a consumer one, where there is a requirement for companies to determine their strategies within the framework of the development criteria.

The management should monitor and manage both financial and non-financial elements across the whole value chain (from design and supply chain to operation and from consumer purchases to the end of the product life-cycle) rather than focussing on financial performance only. The goal is to ensure that financial and non-financial data are integrated.

(The writer is Assistant Professor, Amity University)

Writer: Hima Bindu Kota

Courtesy: The Pioneer

A series of discoveries on certain species that were thought to be extinct reminds us of the unfinished job of wildlife conservation.

While it may seem like a miracle, especially at a time when biodiversity is under threat, but species believed to have been extinct are being rediscovered, changing our perceptions about the continuity of the evolutionary chain. With reports of the Galápagos tortoise making a comeback after 100 years in the islands, India, too, has been notching up sightings of rare creatures, once considered exotic by colonial era naturalists, but lost to time. On February 15, researchers discovered a new species of keelback snake in Arunachal Pradesh. A brownish-yellow frog was also spotted in Arunachal Pradesh in June 2017, with markings that turned fluorescent in torchlight, last seen nearly 36 years ago in Tibet. Over the last couple of years, the Northeast has been in the limelight for discovery of sub-species of endangered hog deer, frogs, geckos, diatoms and insects. Even the Western Ghats have reported rediscovery of species that have been found to be endemic to the region’s moss, ferns and rocks. Global studies indicate that 400 species of mammals have been discovered since 1993 with some scientists calling our times the “new age of discoveries.”

So how does one explain this boom in the discovery of new species at a time when even dominant species worldwide are disappearing at unprecedented rates and human depredations have resulted in a significant negative impact on the planet’s ecosystems? Even livestock is predicted to be in short supply by 2050. But there is nothing miraculous or inexplicable about it. Turns out that the loss of major species as we know them has fuelled an unprecedented, multi-nation alliance on conserving existing ones and documenting every life form unaccounted for so far. And with the United Nations prioritising biodiversity as a common concern of humankind, countries have joined hands to find species and then draw up a plan to contain their loss. This rekindled interest in biodiversity studies is leading researchers and conservationists to once again go out on scientific expeditions to under-explored regions of the world, carefully cataloguing the richness of creation. One of the study zones of the multilateral team of experts happens to be the foothills of the Himalayas. So what we are seeing is essentially a revival of the explorer’s spirit in the 18th and 19th centuries when recording natural history was equivalent to the thrill of a new discovery. We simply stopped looking around with the same spirit of inquiry and the advent of the industrial age. This means that we are discovering what has been unseen so far and in certain cases have missed their mutation to a different kind of subspecies or migration to a more fertile ecosystem. Now with advances in the field of molecular genetics and genomics and technological aids, we are able to identify and classify creatures better. For example, the frog species in Arunachal inhabits moss-covered rocky stratum along hill streams in mixed wet tropical forest types everywhere. Previously only thought to inhabit the Talley Valley, where it thinned out over time, it is now being found in a wider range due to the availability of similar habitats. There are over 50 species of frogs with many exhibiting overlapping morphological characters, making their identification in the field difficult. What we have completely  disregarded is that the degradation of forests and ever-mushrooming urban development has meant that some species have chosen to survive in a modified habitat. However, that doesn’t mean that species are safe. It just means that we need to conserve and find the original species more. Rather than aliens, we must be curious about the earth-born, which are out there, waiting to be rediscovered. And saved for posterity.

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Writer: Editor – The Pioneer

South African Tourism is unveiling newer destinations to discerning Indian travellers in a quest to reach its target of 100,000 tourist arrivals from India in 2019. It is aggressively marketing adventure sports and other unique experiences that also include destination weddings

In an attempt to reconnect and develop new business ties with the travel trade fraternity in India, the South African Tourism conducted its annual roadshows in the key metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi. During this year’s roadshow, the tourism board unveiled its strategy charted to surpass 100,000 Indian visitors in 2019. The roadshows are intended to capitalise on the strong potential for high consumer demand in India.

Recognising the evolving demands of the Indian traveller and in continued efforts to enable trade partners, the 66-member South African trade delegation, that included six new SMMEs, reiterated the tourism board’s emphasis on expanding the destination and product offering. In addition to experiences, representatives from accommodation establishments, destination management companies, airlines, tourism associations displayed their products and engaged with the Indian travel and trade partners.

For the period of January to September 2018, Mumbai contributed 45 per cent to the overall Indian arrivals to South Africa while Delhi was at 17.4 per cent, Chennai at 7.7 per cent and Kolkata at 1.6 per cent. “Our brand research shows that Indian travellers prefer South Africa as a holiday destination, due to the memorability and value for money it offers. We will continue to drive this demand by introducing a wider geographical area, thus allowing us to introduce new experiences. We remain focused on customising our engagements and product offerings to suit the unique requirements from each of our target regions within India,” said Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head for the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia, South African Tourism.

With iconic cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban as draw cards, the tourism board is growing efforts to promote the engaging surrounds of newer regions like Stellenbosch, George, Simon’s Town, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth and East London in the current year. In 2018, there was a higher uptake in the demand for and travel to new and off-beat provinces like Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Free State.

In response to the need for introducing new experiences, the tourism board will lay special emphasis on promoting the diversity of activities and experiences. With Indian travellers consuming the highest adventure activities outside of South Africans, the board will deepen focus to promote the 3000+ adventure activities that the country offers including off-beat activities like long tom toboggan rides, fatbike tours, mountain boarding and walking safaris, along with popular activities like abseiling and paragliding.

Along with building, cementing and sustaining two-way tourism ties between India and South Africa, the brand is also seeking new and creative ways to enhance the destination’s USP. “We are keen on optimising our collaboration with complementary African nations to enhance our value proposition. In particular, we have been exploring partnerships with Mauritius and Seychelles that will enable us to co-promote both destinations,” added Nkani.

While consolidating its position in wildlife, adventure and cultural offerings, the destination will also target the niche wedding market, for which South African Tourism has seen an upswing in enquiries. For this, the tourism board is engaging aggressively to educate trade partners about the variety of world-class facilities, distinctive attractions, unforgettable and value for money experiences available at the destination.

Nkani further said, “As India plays a key role in achieving our 5-in-5 target, which includes four million international visitors, we are now looking to double our marketing efforts and enhancing destination marketing support within the region. While we are already widely known for our wildlife offerings, the 5-point strategy for 2019 will ensure that we incorporate certain measures and leverage partnerships to position and cement ourselves as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, while building preference as a wedding destination for the India market.”

To make travel easier to the destination, the South African Tourism has been working closely with the Consulate General of South Africa in Mumbai to introduce an updated visa procedure. For this, they are collaborating to accredit select travel agents and tour operators to allow fast-tracking visa applications from preferred partners. At present, the visa process takes  5-7 days, which is a lot shorter than some of their competitors.

With 86,405 arrivals as of November 2018, the destination board shared a positive outlook for the Indian market, noting that as of June 2018, the total spend by Indian travellers in South Africa had increased by 20 per cent and that there was an upswing in the average length of stay, a growth of 7.7 per cent and the total bed nights increased by four per cent.

Writer & Courtesy: Pioneer

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may not agree that the Taj Mahal is intrinsic to Indian culture but it has topped the list of monuments with the highest revenue between 2015 and 2018. Going by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma’s statement in the Rajya Sabha, the others in the top 10 include Agra Fort, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Sun Temple in Konark, Mamallapuram, Ellora caves, the Khajuraho temples and the Ajanta caves in Aurangabad. Of course, the bigger question is that despite their popularity and the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI’s) year on year increase in expenditure, some of these have already made the headlines for their dismal state of maintenance. As for the pollutant-beaten Taj Mahal, we only seem to take note of it when the Supreme Court desperately appeals to our national conscience in its several rulings. Then there is the larger issue of crowd behaviour with Indians prone to engraving their own legacy on historical facades. There have been reports of old stones, friezes and statues being stolen and sold from sprawling complexes of the Sun Temple at Konark and the limb by limb decimation of figures in Ajanta and Ellora. Clearly, the resource-strapped ASI is finding it difficult to be a custodian and conservator.

Which is why there is no harm in engaging in private-public partnerships for ensuring upkeep. Countries like Italy, Egypt and around the Mediterranean have sought resource and management sharing with private majors like fashion houses and soft drink conglomerates. Varanasi’s ghats have been cleaned up and made presentable without tarnishing their cultural essence and ancient feel by private hotel chains. Delhi’s citizens have found summer evenings pleasurable again with the restoration of the Humayun’s tomb complex and the Sundar Nursery by the Aga Khan Trust. Both these heritage sites and the extended Nizamuddin Basti improvement project have not only restored Mughal architecture and gardens to their pristine glory but encouraged soirees, cultural confluences and most importantly, restored the city’s biodiversity hotspots. Many private players have restored Delhi’s havelis, converting them to heritage homestays. The big museum trusts around the world seek voluntary participation by experts and the community alike. And though critics may claim that corporates were encashing the footfalls while doing CSR, claiming tax benefits and were not entirely altruistic, fact is that signages or hoardings proclaiming their contribution have been limited to areas outside the core heritage arc. The privately run, family-owned Rajasthan forts have boosted the tourist economy and generated more resources for upkeep through specially curated walks and inner chamber access. PPP ventures have resulted in rescuing lost gems like the Nahargarh fort. Imagine a cleaned up Meena Bazaar elevated to the status of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Of course, any private initiative has to be monitored and implemented by an expert committee under the supervision of the ASI. This should have multiple representation of historians, conservationists, archaeologists and keeper family trusts. The execution can be entrusted to those with a proven track record and depth of expertise. Heritage is our badge of honour and the more participatory we make it, the better we will respect and keep it.

Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer

Blessed with pristine beaches and breathtaking natural beauty, Seychelles has a lot more to offer to the young adventure seekers. Topping it up with visa-on-arrival that is free of cost for tourists, and direct flights from India, this paradise destination makes for a great getaway with your loved ones. If Seychelles is on your bucket list, here are just a few reasons to go ahead and visit this paradisiacal islands this year.

Visit Gorgeous Beaches

For those who like less crowded beaches, must visit Seychelles to enjoy some private moments on the world’s most photographed beach—Anse Source D’Argent on the La Digue Island, or visit the Anse Lazio on the Praslin Island, which is widely acclaimed to be the world’s most beautiful beach on earth. Once can also enjoy motorised water sports like jet-ski and parasailing on the Beau Vallon, the longest beach on the Mahé Island or go sailing, snorkelling, diving, surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding on any of the other beaches. Island hopping, whether by boat, plane or helicopter, is recommended to experience the diverse character of each island.

Explore the underwater world

Indulge in snorkeling or scuba diving to experience a kaleidoscope of marine life. Spot turtles, spectacular coral reefs, nudibranchs, variety of fish, and if you are lucky, you can also swim alongside a 40-foot long Whale Shark. The ones who are less adventurous can go diving or discover the marvelous underwater world through a glass bottom boat or a semi submersible vessel.

Indulge in Nature

Seychelles islands are home to 13 species and 17 subspecies of birdlife that can be discovered only here, making the islands a paradise for avid bird watchers, naturalists, ornithologists and eco-tourists. Go on mountain hikes and nature trails to spot the Seychelles national bird—‘Black Parrot’, the rarest Jellyfish Tree, the famous ‘Black Paradise Flycatcher’, the world’s smallest frog, the largest nut ‘Coco-de-mer’, or the Indian Ocean’s only flightless bird among other seabird colonies in the world. One of the largest tortoises in the world—Aldabra Giant Tortoise, can be spotted here, especially on the Curieuse Island.

Relax and unwind

From signature treatments of the dedicated spas offering, relaxing massages with exotic herbal oils, scrubs, detox baths, wraps and invigorating wet-treatments, yoga and meditation, to a full range of beauty and grooming services, the spas in Seychelles are the mantra for complete renewal of mind, body and soul.

Relish in local delicacies

The food setting in Seychelles is a mix of a number of cuisines. The French settlers brought the French cuisine while the immigrants from China and India, added their Asian flavors to the Creole cuisine. you can sample some tasty dishes like the Ginger Crab and Filet Coral Fish served in a passion fruit sauce in Mahé. The palm-heart salad, served with curry leaves and truffles, is also a unique speciality of Seychelles. Another must try is a local beer manufactured on the island called Seybrew, and the popular Takamaka Rum infused with interesting flavours.

Attend the vivacious cultural festival

Seychelles’ culture is a reflection of the harmonious fusion of ethnic diversity. The Seychelles International Carnival of Victoria, also called as the ‘Creole Festive,’ is a three day-long event, generally held in the month of October on the Mahé Island every year. With participation from 30 countries around the world, visit the island during this period to witnesses a fun-filled parade where different countries showcase their cultures through song, dance and acrobats.

Party till you drop

Seychelles offers interesting nightlife options which include clubs in the Victoria and Eden Island region, and casinos in the Victoria and Beau Vallon region of Mahé. Most of the large hotels have public bars that often host entertainment programmes of local dance.

Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer

To ensure that Thailand remains the most preferred tourism destination among the Indian travellers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced new experiences and destinations for 2019. As a stimulus to encourage more Indians to visit the destination, the Thai government has extended the visa-on-arrival fee waiver from January 14 to April 30. So, if you’re planning to book Thailand tour packages with your family, loved ones, or friends, now is the time to visit!

The TAT Governor, Yuthasak Supasorn said, “We want to change the perception of Thailand in India from a ‘cheap destination’ to a more value-for-money destination. We have been working towards this for some years now. We started with four key segments namely weddings and honeymoon, sports tourism, health and well-being and responsible tourism. We want to move away from a mass tourist destination to a niche destination. After in-depth research on Indian travellers’ behaviour, we have identified some lesser known destinations and have formulated a strategy to promote them. I feel we will be able to achieve two million Indian tourists by the end of 2019, a year earlier than the previously set target of 2020.”

The TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tanes Petsuwan, informed that India is now one of the top 10 source markets for tourist arrivals to Thailand, a member of a small club of countries that generate more than one million visitors a year. In January-November 2018, the arrivals from India were up by 12.03 per cent to 1.42 million, generating an estimated 63 billion Baht in tourism income. In December 2018 alone, after the waiver of visa-on-arrival fee for Indians, Thailand recorded 143,000 Indian visitors, registering a growth of over 63 per cent as compared to December 2017, taking the total figure of Indian tourist arrivals to over 1.6 million in 2018.

Petsuwan said, “The growing sophistication and maturity of the Indian travellers has given us an opportunity to promote Thailand’s diverse range of niche market products to women travellers, high-net worth individual (HNIs), weddings and honeymooners and family groups. Today, a new strata of experienced, well-heeled and internet-savvy Indian travellers are venturing beyond the long-standing Bangkok-Pattaya circuit to new destinations such as Chiang Rai, Rayong, Trat, Hua Hin and Samut Songkhram.”

Sharing some highlights of the Indian tourists, the deputy governor said that in 2018, of the total Indian visitors, 58 per cent were repeat travellers; the average daily expenditure was recorded at approximately Rs 12,500; the average length of stay was 7.45 days and the visitor ratio of groups and individual travellers was recorded as 31 to 69.

“In 2019, the ‘Amazing Thailand Open to the New Shades’ campaign will be carried forward to invite travellers to indulge in unique experiences. We are targeting four segments of Indian travellers. A separate website—www.firstvisit.com, has been launched to cater to the first time travellers. We are targeting women travellers and thus have introduced the website—www.women’sjourneythailand.com. Almost 300 Indian destination weddings took place in Thailand in 2018 and to further this segment, we have introduced www.myweddinginthailand.com for specific needs of those who wish to tie the knot in Thailand. For the family travel category, we are promoting Samut Songkhram as a new destination for local experiences. Luxury travel from India is also a segment of focus this year,” added Petsuwan.

The tourism board further apprised that the bilateral airline capacity is at an all-time high with 307 weekly flights between Thailand and 16 major cities in India, served by 13 airlines which include, the Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Smile, Bhutan Airlines, Druk Air, Jet Airways, Air Asia, Spice Jet, Thai Lion Air, Indigo, NokScoot and GoAir.

In August this year, TAT will undertake an Amazing Thailand roadshow to Tier-II cities—Ahmedabad, Pune, Amritsar and Bhubaneswar as part of TAT’s strategy to tap the potential of India’s secondary cities. Thailand expects to welcome five million Indian visitors by 2023.

Writer: Ankita Saxena

Courtesy: The Pioneer

To ensure that Thailand remains the most preferred tourism destination among the Indian travellers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced new experiences and destinations for 2019. As a stimulus to encourage more Indians to visit the destination, the Thai government has extended the visa-on-arrival fee waiver from January 14 to April 30. So, if you’re planning to book Thailand tour packages with your family, loved ones, or friends, now is the time to visit!

The TAT Governor, Yuthasak Supasorn said, “We want to change the perception of Thailand in India from a ‘cheap destination’ to a more value-for-money destination. We have been working towards this for some years now. We started with four key segments namely weddings and honeymoon, sports tourism, health and well-being and responsible tourism. We want to move away from a mass tourist destination to a niche destination. After in-depth research on Indian travellers’ behaviour, we have identified some lesser known destinations and have formulated a strategy to promote them. I feel we will be able to achieve two million Indian tourists by the end of 2019, a year earlier than the previously set target of 2020.”

The TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tanes Petsuwan, informed that India is now one of the top 10 source markets for tourist arrivals to Thailand, a member of a small club of countries that generate more than one million visitors a year. In January-November 2018, the arrivals from India were up by 12.03 per cent to 1.42 million, generating an estimated 63 billion Baht in tourism income. In December 2018 alone, after the waiver of visa-on-arrival fee for Indians, Thailand recorded 143,000 Indian visitors, registering a growth of over 63 per cent as compared to December 2017, taking the total figure of Indian tourist arrivals to over 1.6 million in 2018.

Petsuwan said, “The growing sophistication and maturity of the Indian travellers has given us an opportunity to promote Thailand’s diverse range of niche market products to women travellers, high-net worth individual (HNIs), weddings and honeymooners and family groups. Today, a new strata of experienced, well-heeled and internet-savvy Indian travellers are venturing beyond the long-standing Bangkok-Pattaya circuit to new destinations such as Chiang Rai, Rayong, Trat, Hua Hin and Samut Songkhram.”

Sharing some highlights of the Indian tourists, the deputy governor said that in 2018, of the total Indian visitors, 58 per cent were repeat travellers; the average daily expenditure was recorded at approximately Rs 12,500; the average length of stay was 7.45 days and the visitor ratio of groups and individual travellers was recorded as 31 to 69.

“In 2019, the ‘Amazing Thailand Open to the New Shades’ campaign will be carried forward to invite travellers to indulge in unique experiences. We are targeting four segments of Indian travellers. A separate website—www.firstvisit.com, has been launched to cater to the first time travellers. We are targeting women travellers and thus have introduced the website—www.women’sjourneythailand.com. Almost 300 Indian destination weddings took place in Thailand in 2018 and to further this segment, we have introduced www.myweddinginthailand.com for specific needs of those who wish to tie the knot in Thailand. For the family travel category, we are promoting Samut Songkhram as a new destination for local experiences. Luxury travel from India is also a segment of focus this year,” added Petsuwan.

The tourism board further apprised that the bilateral airline capacity is at an all-time high with 307 weekly flights between Thailand and 16 major cities in India, served by 13 airlines which include, the Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Smile, Bhutan Airlines, Druk Air, Jet Airways, Air Asia, Spice Jet, Thai Lion Air, Indigo, NokScoot and GoAir.

In August this year, TAT will undertake an Amazing Thailand roadshow to Tier-II cities—Ahmedabad, Pune, Amritsar and Bhubaneswar as part of TAT’s strategy to tap the potential of India’s secondary cities. Thailand expects to welcome five million Indian visitors by 2023.

Writer: Ankita Saxena

Courtesy: The Pioneer

The Meet The Folks Events (MTFE) has announced the first-ever consumer tourism fest and exhibition— ‘Meet 2 Travel’, to be held at the Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden in New Delhi from April 5-7. Sharing the details on the upcoming event, Vineet Gopal said, “MTFE has covered four major aspects of the industry, where everyone can meet, connect and network with new people and transact business. ‘Creating Business Network’ is our tagline.” Meet 2 Travel (M2T), a unit of the MTFE, is providing a platform for the travel companies to showcase their brand, services and products directly to their clients. In today’s time, sourcing new clients is one of the biggest challenges for organisations when the online travel agents (OTAs) are taking up a major market share. M2T, the state-of-the-art B2C exhibition, aims at providing helpful and successful solutions.”

Megha Mittal stated that with guaranteed return on investments and  a 360° marketing strategy, M2T will bring travel companies, tour operators and other stakeholders of the tourism industry on a single platform over three days. “The exhibitors will get to meet and network with potential clients and customers and spearhead their business in the right direction. The event will take place on weekends to ensure a higher footfall,” she said.

On the sponsorship front, Manoj Babbar said, “This is a great platform for the Tourism Ministry, state tourism boards, international tourism boards and others to come on board as sponsors to showcase their tourism products to consumers through cultural performances.”

Writer: The Pioneer

Source: The Pioneer