Lloyd Orr has been appointed the official representative of TIME (Tourism India Management Enterprises) –
a specialised DMC based in New Delhi. Lloyd Orr will be focusing its efforts on promoting luxury experiences
in India, such as deluxe trains, resorts, and wildlife lodge experiences as well as MICE travel to the country.
Ravi Shaw has been appointed account manager
THE introduction of South
Africa into the BRICS
(Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa)
community has resulted in a
steady stream of business
tourism between South Africa
and India.
The meetings, incentives,
conferencing and events
industry is growing with New
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
Bangalore, Hyderabad and
Kolkata attracting a large
number of international
conferences and events, says
Tourism India Management
Enterprises (TIME)
representative Ravi Shaw. He
adds that India’s status as
the IT capital of the world has
drawn significant numbers of
travellers to conventions in
Pune, Bangalore and Chennai.
More business travellers are
displaying interest in adding
a leisure component to their
trip. Shopping is a major draw
card, says Serendipity Tours
group operations director
Dinesh Naidoo, especially for
travellers planning traditional
events such as weddings. The
choices of traditional attire in
India are superior to what’s
available in South Africa, he
says, not to mention cheaper.
Medical tourism is another
fast-growing niche, with
medical care of quality on par
with South Africa’s private
sector offered at a fraction of
the price, says Dinish.
There’s plenty to entertain
adventure lovers too, Ravi
says, with activities ranging
from river rafting to trekking
and paragliding, while the
sports tourism sector is
buoyed by golf and less
conventional offerings like
elephant polo, a form of
polo played on the back of
an elephant. The Twenty20
cricket Indian Premier League
(IPL) has also helped raise
the country’s profile.
A number of hotels in India
have launched promotions
centred on cuisine and
cooking lessons, and this
has done much to attract
travellers with a keen interest
in food, says Sailesh Parbhu,
md of Nexus Travel.
Spiritual tourism is also very
popular, says Ravi, not only
because of the prevalence
of magnificent temples but
because of tourist sites
significant to religions such
as Buddhism.
India is a vast and varied
country, with each city
offering a unique experience,
says Alet Steyn, business
development manager of
Wendy Wu Tours. One of the
best experiences for a firsttime
visitor is to explore the
Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra
and Jaipur, she says. “Delhi is
a fast-paced metropolis where
Old Delhi – filled with ancient
monuments, fascinating
museums and bustling food
markets – meets New Delhi,
with its modern museums,
world class hotels and
stylish restaurants. Agra,
meanwhile, is home to the Taj
Mahal, the monument built
by the Emperor Shah Jahan
for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Finally, Jaipur is the capital
and largest city in Rajasthan
and will amaze visitors with
ornate palaces, forts and
museums.”
For those looking for an offthe-beaten
track experience,
Dinesh recommends the
backwaters of Kerala,
where visitors can stay
on house boats. With a
little forethought, a sevenday
Indian holiday can
combine beaches, lakes and
mountains, he says.
India is a surprisingly family
friendly destination, Alet says,
with entertainment options
ranging from rickshaw rides
in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to
a Bollywood performance at
the Kingdom of Dreams in
Gurgaon and searching for
Bengal tigers in Ranthambore
National Park.
Agents and clients need
to bear in mind that many
differences may exist between
South African and Indian hotel
standards. Because of this,
Ravi suggests that agents
upsell on accommodation,
offering clients upgrades.
Additional nights at a reduced
rate of 50% are also available
at many hotels. Agents could
also earn extra revenue
through selling add-ons such
as special dinners, including
a live cultural programme and
airport pick-ups and drop-offs,
he says.
India unaffected by Nepalese quakes
ALTHOUGH the ripple
effects of the recent
Nepal earthquakes have
been felt in India, tourism
to the country remains
unaffected.
Tremors from the
earthquakes were felt in
several parts of India,
including Bihar, West
Bengal, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Gujurat,
Assam, Jharkhand
and some parts of
Odish, informs TIME
representative Ravi Shaw.
Fortunately, he says, there
have been no reports of
damage or loss of life in
India.
However, Ravi says that
although Nepal has seen
a substantial decrease
in arrival figures – with
the quakes impacting
significantly on tourists
travelling to Nepal for
religious and spiritual
reasons – India’s tourism
sector remains unaffected.
According to Serendipity
Tours’ Dinesh Naidoo,
this is largely because
north-eastern India, which
bore the brunt of the
quakes, is not a popular
tourist zone for South
Africans. “It’s still early
days, but we haven’t seen
many cancellations from
travellers,” he says,
adding that there is no
need for travellers to India
to feel wary about their
upcoming trips.
A new passage to India
SAA CUT its unprofitable flight
to Mumbai in March, putting a
halt to direct flights between
India and South Africa. But,
with many major airlines
offering connections to the
sub-continent from their hubs,
access is not the issue.
The pressure is on, however,
for agents to find flights that
are as convenient and cost
effective as possible. A direct
flight to India from SA takes
eight hours. Travel time for
passengers flying on Middle
East carriers, for example, has
now extended by an average
layover of four hours, with a
further four-hour flight to the
final destination, taking twice
the amount of time as it would
have in the past.
For some agents, SAA
remains the answer, thanks
to its codeshare with Etihad
and, by extension, Jet Airways.
The domestic carrier provides
daily flights to Abu Dhabi
from where Etihad connects
with seven Indian cities:
Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Trivandrum and
Mumbai. “This gives travellers
more choice over their final
destination in India,” says
Ravi Shaw, of TIME.
Sailesh Parbhu, of Nexus
Travel, believes Emirates
Airline to be the best
option; not only because
the airline flies daily
from three South African
destinations (Johannesburg,
Durban and Cape Town)
but also because fares
are favourable. The airline
covers airports in 10 Indian
destinations: Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi,
Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata,
Kozhikode, Mumbai and
Thiruvanthapuram. The
Mumbai route is serviced
by a new A380, which was
introduced in mid-2014.
Dinesh Naidoo, of Serendipity
Travel, agrees: “The layover in
Dubai is shorter plus, with the
new Abu Dhabi airport being
revealed only in 2017, Dubai’s
airport environment is a more
pleasant experience,” he says.
Air Seychelles’ decision to
re-launch its Mahe-Mumbai
route in December last year
has also been welcomed by
the industry. The airline’s
route operates four times
a week and, thanks to a
codeshare with Jet Airways,
offers connecting flights
to Ahmedabad, Kochi,
Thivandrum and Jaipur.
The shortest travel time
to India is offered by Air
Mauritius, says the airline’s
regional manager, Carla Da
Silva, with a four hour trip
to Mauritius, then additional
six to seven and a half
hours onwards to India. “Air
Mauritius flies to four major
points in India: Mumbai, Delhi,
Bangalore and Chennai, with
seamless connections from
South Africa on the outbound
sector, and a one-night
stopover in Mauritius on the
return flight.” This stopover
is provided free of charge.
Air Mauritius also offers
value-adds, such as 40kg of
checked luggage and 8kg of
hand luggage for economy
passengers and one free date
change.
Uniworld launches new destination
UNIWORLD Boutique River
Cruise Collection will debut
its newest destination, India,
in January 2016.
The newest itinerary,
“India’s Golden Triangle and
the Sacred Ganges” takes
guests on a 13-day journey
that delves into the spirit
of the country, including
seven nights aboard the
56-passenger, all-suite
Ganges Voyager II and five
nights onshore at Oberoi
hotels in New Delhi, Agra,
and Jaipur.
The itinerary includes visits
to the Taj Mahal, Jaipur’s City
Palace, Mother Theresa’s
tomb and former home in
Kolkata, a Vedic temple in
Mayapur, and five Unesco
sites.
The new Ganges Voyager
II features the one-of-akind
Maharaja Suite, two
Viceroy Suites, two Heritage
Suites, and 20 Standard
Suites. Guests staying in
the Maharaja and Viceroy
Suites will enjoy a daily butler
service, laundry service,
and one complimentary spa
treatment per person. Public
areas include the Governor’s
Lounge with onboard
entertainment and cultural
events, the observation deck
with 360-degree views, a spa
and fitness centre, and the
East India Restaurant with
menus featuring both Indianinspired
cuisine and Western
food.
Rates are from R91 200pp.
Couples who book and pay in
full by June 30 can save up
to R12 000
News flash
Lloyd Orr has been appointed the official representative of TIME (Tourism India Management Enterprises) –
a specialised DMC based in New Delhi. Lloyd Orr will be focusing its efforts on promoting luxury experiences
in India, such as deluxe trains, resorts, and wildlife lodge experiences as well as MICE travel to the country.
Ravi Shaw has been appointed account manager.
Go for gold
Travel Vision is offering six days in India’s Golden
Triangle (Delhi, Agra and Jaipur) from R12 947pps.
The special includes return airfares from JNB, airport
taxes, all taxes and porterage, two nights each in
Delhi and Jaipur, one night in Agra, with four-star
accommodation (breakfast included), all transfers,
sightseeing and tours with entrance fees, transport
services, English-speaking local guide, and an elephant
or Jeep ride at Amber Fort in Jaipur. Valid until June 18.
