Grand past, future uncertain

All set to set off from Ghum station, the highest in India. 

Place: GHUM

One of the most iconic symbols of Indian railways, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway may be a World Heritage project, local politics has ensured that has come to at its worst ever.

The train / route has played such an important role in popular culture, especially at a time when Bengal and Calcutta were the centre of Indian elite. For well over a century, it has delighted generations of tourists as entire families would take the train to the matchingly beautiful destination of Darjeeling.

When it was listed by UNESCO in 1999, it became only the second railway to get that honour, though it has since been joined by two more routes in India alone.

The track passes through picturesque little towns, and from almost
within touching distance of houses! 

The 86-km route was commissioned in 1881, and has since been modified a number of times, usually to better align to the hill gradients, as it rises from 100 m above sea  level to 2,200 through a spectacularly beautiful countryside - starting with verdant forests of Sukna, meandering through low hills at first and then increasingly higher mountain towns. The towns it passes are lovely as well, with house balconies often adorned with flowers growing in polythene bags! The tea gardens, uniformly arranged, with narrow passages and colourful tea plucking ladies, add their own charm.

The steam engines chug along for the better part of the journey along Hill Cart Road, which connects Shiliguri to Darjeeling. As a child, my mother, who grew up in the tea estates of the region, remembers running along the train, and getting on and off at will, so slowly did it move in parts. The route is steep, and in parts the train goes through loops, of which the Batasia is most famous. There are even parts where it reverses to move forward. For many parts, it almost seems to pass through people's houses, and travelling on it can give the passenger a first look at hill homes of the region, up close.

Due to damages to the rail track, the Darjeeling
Himalayan railway currently operates only from
Kurseong to Darjeeling

There are many small stations, though Kurseong is the major halting station. Quaint names such as Ghum and Sonada are like dream towns, where the townspeople, used to stares from passengers, go about their lives without noticing the train much.

Today the Gorkhaland dispute has meant that most of the route is in disarray. The train only runs from Kurseong to Darjeeling as unrepaired tracks means the route upto Kurseong is no longer operational. The carriages require upkeep, and there are comparatively few tourists as people are unwilling to come to a politically disturbed area. However it continues to draw some tourists and railway enthusiasts. And despite the hard times, hardly any visitor goes away without leaving a part of his heart behind to this Himalayan heritage. 

Erotica, up close

646 sculptures cover the facade of the temple 

Place: KHAJURAHO

Khajuraho is known for its collection of 'free expression' sculptures. The Kandariyâ Mahâdeva Temple is the largest and most ornate of these medieval temples, and even has its 'erotica' tour.

Built about a thousand years ago, supposedly by Chandella ruler Vidyadhara, the main spire  of the eleventh century temple represents Mout Kailas (now in Tibet), while the surrounding spires are meant to represent other peaks.

The temple is not huge, rising 31 metres, but such intricate facade carving makes the head spin if you look intensely, even for a short while. Go up close and look up, and you will feel that you are looking up a mountain slope.

Today a UNESCO World Heritage site, this temples, and surrounding ones have been enclosed a protective enclosure, which if unimaginatively designed, at least is maintained decently. The green grass sets of the beige of the temples quite well, and once the risque remarks have been passed by companions/ passers by, take time out see this and its surrounding temples. For they are definitely a feat of architecture and imagination. And observation?  

Mid morning stroll

NH 75 passes right through Panna, providing lots of opportunities 
to its residents go about their daily life in full public view

Place: PANNA

Elephants taking a mid morning stroll at the Panna National Park.

This pic was taken when returning from an assignment in Madhya Pradesh. NH 75 passes right through the national park, and it was a really rewarding stretch of an otherwise tedious journey. Once a tiger reserve, by 2007, authorities had seen to it that none survived. Today, some have been brought from other parks in an effort to recreate it as a tiger reserve.

However it is otherwise a rather pretty forest - teak and evergreens dominate, and the Ken flows through the park, making it a meeting point for lots of fauna, which includes hundreds of bird species.

Navarino dreams

By the beach of our hotel

Place: MESSINIA

As I write this, the peak tourist season is just beginning in Greece. A country riddled with economic crisis, Greece nevertheless is the amongst the top choices to visit for many around the world. Tourism contributes about 15% of its GDP. Yet when I went last October, every person we spoke to was a little down, unsure of how they would sustain themselves. The intervening winter has only helped in minute doses. Somehow, I found Greece itself will have to shake things up a little. Wherever we did go, in Athens, or beyond, people are clearly worried – at the Plaka bars, in souvenir stores, by the Acropolis, cabbies in their taksis, in hotels – and it was a bit of a dampener.

Part of the common area between the hotels.
On the left is a restaurant

It is such a beautiful country, and I was fortunate to experience the countryside as well due a longish drive, and every nook and cranny seemed alive to possibilities of people wanting to come and spend time to relax. With its sumptuous offering of world shaping history, ancient cities, exotic architecture, pristine beaches, magical islands, Med cuisine - the landscape is just what the traveler wants. It would be shame if it fell into disarray due to economic hardships.

Here are a few pics of a brief but extremely enjoyable stay at Costa Navarino, the new luxury resort that has been highly recommended by travel experts and might just be able to energize tourism into Europe again. Unfortunately I lost my camera midway, so no pics of Athens, but of course I am really glad to have seen it. Hope many more see it this season, contributing in their own way to reviving the economy, and bringing some smiles back.

Devi family

Durga in the middle with here children, from left to right - Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kartik. Works of art, today there are a many competitions to see who can make the best idols. And competition is fierce! 

Place: DELHI

It's that time of the year again - chuti from office, lots of food, pandel hopping, all kinds of finery, mughlai porota, parar baccha der natak, prosad bitoron, raate cinema dekha, shokaler anjoli and, I almost forgot, the customary nod to Durga and her progeny.

Durga Pujo is the most anticipated time of the year for Bengalis, wherever they are. It is held usually in October, and exact, as every date in the Hindu calendar, differs from year to year. 

This is a glimpse of the devi in a pandel in Delhi's Dwarka Sector 4. Such temporary idols of the the goddess spring up four days right across the city - there are thousands now, and all over the world where there are Bengalis, or Bongs. 

For those who enjoy it, these are four days of bonding as few other communities experience it. They look forward to it the entire year, and in less materially prosperous times, it was the time of the year when new clothes were bought and worn, new activities undertaken as it was an auspicious hour. And for some, it was also the time to go on vacations as a month long holiday in Bengal meant freedom to travel! 

Kolkata of course is where the biggest celebrations are, and the city grinds to a halt during those four days. There are thousands of pandels, and people constantly travel to see idols in different pandels, visit relatives and friends, renew bonds and come together to celebrate the goddess and each other. 

Forced break

Pedestrians and bikers take shelter under a
foot overbridge in south Delhi as a sudden
monsoon downpour overtakes them

Place: DELHI

Indian monsoon is sharp, and for many parts of India, last just over a month. Indians have an ambivalent attitude towards it. For most of India, it brings an end to the searing heat of the summer, and has been celebrated in song and prose since recorded history began.

But it does impact the brings with it humidity, disease, and disruptions. It interrupts life quite considerably in that brief period. 

Unholy mess

Place: GARHMUKTESHWAR

Boatmen have meagre business during most of the year except for a few holy days on the Hindu calendar

As almost any Indian will know, if not admit, in India, religious and dirt are synonymous in the country. Whether it is that the major religious texts of the country do not stress on this aspect, or it is simply the people who do not want care, there is hardly any public place in India associated primarily with religion which is not simultaneously a garbage dump accompanied by a melee of poor.

Garhmukteshwar is no exception. The closest point on the Ganga to Delhi, where those following rituals go to fulfil those obligations, it has all the failings of a religious site in India. The ghats are a short distance away from the city centre. Now there is a huge bridge that goes very near the ghats and offers great views of the ghats.

Right from the time you approach ghats, and you will have either ways taken the NH 24 to reach here, the general look of apathy and decay start.

The way to the ghats is not paved, and you often have to wade through slush mixed with cow urine, manure, sometimes human excreta, decaying fruit and vegetable droppings, little tea shops with their garbage piled right next door, so that you can check whether they have by chance used anything that might benefit your health. Never an easy experience unless you are a rural child of unruly disposition.

Then there are the shops. You have navigate through a short walkway that goes past small shacks selling a mix of religious needs - brass utensils, prayer beads, flowers, incense sticks, plastic and glass bangles, plastic toys, cups etc and plastic toy shops that cater still to the rural hinterlands. You would have to strive hard to find anything that costs Rs 100 or more. And this is pushing sale, so you may touched and told, begged, cajoled, berated into buying stuff that you would not want to be seen dead with.

The ghats here have been concretised a few years ago, and theoretically are decent. But the The river here is broad and muddy. It has already lost most of its speed after reaching the plains, though here is it generally fairly fast, and quite in torrent during the monsoons.

Garhmukteshwar is also famous for its Ganga Fair, held in October - on the day of full moon in kartik, when it is estimated that about eight to ten lakh people take a dip in the river. This is regarded as auspicious, though exactly what good things have happened to people who have taken the dip in still unclear to me.

There is a fair amount of aquatic life, including the famous, and famously shy, river dolphins. You have to sit still in a boat in the middle of the river to catch a site of these beautiful creatures. There are a number of birds as well. The other bank of the river is largely fields, and in season ie late winter and autumn, they are lovely.

Just before the ghats are another unique offering, cane furniture. This is basic, and at prices that are a fraction of branded offerings, though more than in other unbranded places. Increasingly there are innovations happening, and this time I saw a shelf that was positively enticing. We did end up buying a few modas though for my cousins!

For me, what was most rewarding was the drive up to the place, through lush green fields and ripening crops. 

Fire in the sky

Place: DELHI

At least that seems to be the case. It seemed as if flames of fire would simply devour the entire sky and leave nothing to see next morning.

The skies at sunset somewhere in west Delhi.

New Himalayan range?

The Himalayas are actually at quite a distance, though they look
temptingly close from Rudrapur

Place: RUDRAPUR

Well, actually timber ready to be shredded, made into dust and then compacted to made MDF particle boards.

This is actually at the foothills of the Himalayas, at the Action Tesa factory in Rudrapur district of Uttarakhand. It was an impressive facility, with all kinds of processes and machinery churning out piles of particle boards of different densities. Then they were getting a sheen of a range of designs.

None of these could really my eyes for ever darting in the direction of the majestic mountains rising - isn't is just behind the factories - and wishing I could run and climb them! 

When in Chinatown, shop and eat

Place: SINGAPORE 

A view of Chinatown. Note the timber windows with narrow 
slits, a characteristic of almost the entire, which along 
with pastel shades of walls, gives it an elegant look

The place for the best bargains. Okay, perhaps not many in Singapore are not as desperate for bargain as us Indians, but then Singapore's Chinatown not just offers the best prices, but also a great experience.

With its huge range of merchandise, especially souveniers at great prices, roadside vendors, and even bargaining, it is sure to remind Indians of their bazaars.

Chinatown is located in the southern part of the city, in Singapore's early areas of settlement. In Chinese the name means 'bull cart water' as once water was transport in carts to cater to the needs of the area. The area is worth traipsing around in, for this where the genesis of today's modern community lies.

The area, once overcrowded, has been restored to a great extent, and is today full of beautiful facades. The architecture is a combination, almost a cross, of Victorian, Baroque and Italianate styles. In the evening the area additionally takes on the look of a huge eatery as streets close to traffic and instead tables are laid for people to dine out. 

Sentosa straits

A view of the Singapore Straits. You can just about make out
the circumference of the Earth! 

Place: SENTOSA

Looking out to the Singapore Straits from my room at the Rasa Sentosa hotel on Singapore's Sentosa island.

This relatively small body of water separates Singapore from Indonesia. But the separation seems to be more on paper as I was told there are many men crossing frequently to satisfy certain needs!

It is also a a main channel to the Straits of Malacca. It is busy all the time, and ships and boats crowd this water body along with small sandy islands. Good for a leisurely boat ride. 

How's the action?

Place: SINGAPORE

Voyeurism? Well a view of balconies from my room on the 11th floor of my hotel. I had not realised that one could look and see so clearly into other's balconies! Despite overlooking a beautiful sea view, there were very few people out then! May be still catching up on excitement from the night before?

This is in Singapore on a beautiful early morning. 

Hang it

Place: SINGAPORE

A clotheshorse in the room at Wangz hotel, Singapore.

Made of wood, and probably from Ikea of one its cousins, it added a splash of colour in a room that even otherwise was interestingly designed and stocked.

Boutique hotels in Singapore make the stay even more interesting in this city state, as each has its own theme, and everything is designed around that. 

Anatomy of a meal

Place: JORDAN

Jordan's cuisine is to live for...

An unexpected bounty while travelling is usually the food. Each new places offers its own delights, and insights into a place. Jordan to date remains the destination I most vividly remember for every meal being such a absolute delight. Obviously Mediterrranean in its contours, the cuisine is extremely close to what most would know as Lebanese cuisine.

Here is a glimpse into the first meal we had, which is after a delightful few hours spent marvelling at Jerash. It was a late lunch, it had rained lightly and a light drizzle still continued. The weather was perfect for an outdoors meal, but we did the next best thing, sat next to a huge glass window.  

The idea of taking a pic came rather late in the meal,
when we had satiated ourselves! 

By far the most common and best way of eating is the communal mezze, which is what we followed. It consists of various individual dishes. It starts with a drink, which our case was a most refreshing lime mint juice. 

The food to arrive were platters of hummus and the falafel, great favourites. The salads include the tabouleh and the fattoush. There is also the familiar bagdonsyyeh, parsley blended with tahini and lemon juice. There are more dips on way - moutabal, pureed eggplant, a cousin of the babaganoush,  and in their variety of flavours are a hit at the table. There are bowls of olives and pickled veggies - carrot, radish, cucumber and a local veggie we couldn't identify. There is olive of course to add the to anything. There were wonderful breads to accompany all these, along with the familiar pita came the less known  ka'ak, round, thick and soft - think sheermal without the sweetness. perfect accompaniment for the rest of the meal. 

The centre piece is a very large kabab platter, which also had a bed of biryani type rice. We had stuffed ourselves, already as we had to idea that was coming! But proudly we can say we followed the eco friendly adage of not wasting anything. Coffee followed, and we did not decline! Amazingly, the meal was light enough for us to do more walking around. 

View from the top

Place: GURGAON

The rooms are to the right and the public areas to the left,
both fronting the pool at Oberoi Gurgaon

It’s been awaited with bated breath. The Oberoi Gurgaon, in the making for a number of years, has finally thrown up its steel and glass frame. Given that the group has made a city hotel after a gap of nearly two decades, the anticipation, and secrecy, about the project had been high.  

For those familiar with its sister brand’s hotel, the Trident Gurgaon, with domed architecture, lush picture-perfect gardens and adjoining water bodies, its new neighbour, The Oberoi is as unlike it as it could be.  

The challenge was to do up the Oberoi as differently as possible from its existing flagship hotel in Delhi. The Oberoi Gurgaon, built at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore over nine acres, has been imaginatively conceptualised and painstakingly built from scratch, largely by the in-house team led by PRS Oberoi, Chairman of the EIH group, arguably India’s top end luxury hospitality chain and RSP Architects. The group is on an expansion spree, and is adding five new properties to its existing 32.  

The new hotel, which is on a management contract for the group, has spared little to make itself a destination of choice for NCR’s elite. It opted for a clean look, prepared a freshly built hill topped by a forest, a vertical green wall, and a lobby at the top of the hotel. The hill, built on flat land, took about five years to complete, and trees were planted atop that with enough depth to ensure that no one can reach the massive 36,000 ft2 cobalt blue tiled pool in middle. Shades of blue, soft in most parts, with a touch of vibrancy here and there, surprise you as wander around the property. The hill also leads to the lobby, placed a la a property in hills, at the top level of the five-floor hotel. The retail section at the entrance is yet to come up, but will have brands such as Bottega Veneta and Jimmy Choo. The way up to the lobby will have the choicest of global luxury brands besides the Oberoi’s patisserie and deli.

Another F&B highlight is an extension of the Oberoi Delhi’s popular all day dining outlet, 360º. Only, Gurgaon goes several notches higher in its threesixtyoneº - which at about 10,500 ft2 is the largest of its kind in the country. It has three distinct sections – one each for Japanese, Italian and a combined Chinese and Indian. Even with its greatly spacious seating, it can accommodate 202, and being on the pool front, offers a spectacular view on nightfall.  It even has a poolside, but its prospective popularity, chances are slim that you will get seating there easily! There is also another fine dining restaurant, Amaranta, an Indian seafood restaurant. It has a live crabs and other sea food on offer, including the blue Saurashtra crab, fresh caught! In fact fresh catch comes in from Kochi, Chennai and Vizag every morning, even if the sea is a thousand miles away.

The hotel has, perhaps deliberately, not created a huge inventory of rooms, especially given the fact that there are luxury hotels already in the proximity, and many more in the offing. The smallest of the 202 rooms however measures a goodly 620 ft2, while the suites range from 1,240 to 5,300 ft2. Yes, the largest three have private pools, cantilevered outdoor heated pool deck. Yes, living experience justifies its cost. The hotel is all about experiential luxury. ‘Height, light and space’ are the three magic words he uses as he proudly points out the special features of the property. Which includes what the hotel claims as the largest green wall anywhere in the world, about 10,000 ft2. But the smallest, ‘deluxe’ rooms have all the amenities from electronic safes to I-pod docking stations and media hubs.

The hotel has all the facilities of a top end business hotel, with large meeting and banqueting facilities, with a separate entrance of its own. Did I forget to mention the Piano bar or the Cigar Lounge or the butlers trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers, the first Rossanno Ferretti salon in the country, the 150-odd black and white photographs of leading Indian monuments and numerous paintings by emerging Indian artists or the 24 hour spa or the 18,000 of conference facilities or an art gallery by Nature Morte? Take out some time when you come to explore NCR’s latest and last word in hospitality till date.

Bridges can be pink too

It's a long drop to the bottom, don't even think about the jump, 
there's too much time to reflect en route! 

Place: SEVOKE

Yes, that's the super impressive Sevoke bridge over the Teesta in north Bengal. And its got a recent coat of paint.

Now called the Coronation bridge, it was opened in 1941. Named to commemorate the coronation of King George VI in 1937, it has since been a crucial link linking north eastern India to Bengal.

As it was built over a fast flowing river, it was apparently never an option to get any help from the river in construction, so the two sides of the river are anchored on the rock ranges on either side. It's a very long drop to the bottom - note the size of the vehicles on the bridge to put its size in perspective- and for the adventurous, there are some roughly hewn steps down to the river bank.

For decades, it has been one of the most important tourist spots near Shiliguri, though there is very little place to spread out - it is in the Himalayas. The bridge offers spectacular views of the Teesta as it flows through a narrow gorge.

There's a popular temple nearby. But you will have donate elsewhere too - the bridge has monkeys that are ready to snatch any eatables you might display! Experts at eyeing their targets - chips packets, bananas, corn, etc, the speed at which they approach can be disconcerting. 

Period piece

Glenary's reputation continues to attract visitors

Place: DARJEELING


Glenary's in Darjeeling is definitely among the places where time has stood still. Here the days of the Raj continue to hold sway as the entire ambience of this restaurant is geared towards maintaining it.

The main eatery still has items like meat pie on the menu. Try the cakes and pastries on offer. The best - look out of the window to get a great view of the Himalayas.

There is even a bar, The Buzz, on the floor below, though today it plays more local music than anything else. Along with the rest of this once glittering city, this restaurant has been in decline since the separatist Gorkhaland movement has affected the region.

May its halycon days return soon, for it is too precious too be permanently lost. 

Before the climb

Place: SUKNA

The Sukna forest at the foothills of the Himalayas on the way to Darjeeling is a quick getaway for those tired of Shiliguri's rampant commericialisation.

Where have you heard the name Sukna? Well, it has been in the news for a massive scam in the army due to sale of land in the area!

The forest, formally called the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, is just north of Shiliguri. Known much more its elephant herds, it also has lost of peacock and deer. This terai forest is famous for its rich variety of birds, making it a favourite haunt of birders. 

PLTs

Place: NORTH BENGAL

Hill flowers are just amazing. Or rather, flowers in the hills are amazing. just beautiful - the colours are vibrant, they last longer, all due to the weather of course.

Of course, we plains folk only see them in summer, not when they are asleep in winter.

This is somewhere enroute to Darjeeling on an April early afternoon

Golgappas in Macau

Yes, so popular is MICE tourism getting that operators, both global and domestic, are going all out to ensure that all whims of the well paying and increasingly frequent Indian client 

The ruins of St Paul in Macau, a top MICE destination
out of India

Unlike most perceptions about MICE travel, it is not a new practice for AB Pal, a dealer for electric equipment giant Havell’s. Except once when he was not well, this Bhagirath Place, Delhi-based dealer, has not missed any of the company’s trips over the past 37 years! Though he admits they have taken really off in the last seven or eight years. “The trips are advantageous both for business and leisure,” he beams. There are clear business advantages, he says. “On the last trip, about 650 dealers from across India had gone to Macau. I knew only about 50 of them personally. So this was a good opportunity to meet the others. In our business, there is often a sudden requirement, and then you can tap a dealer you know to meet the customer requirement.” The leisure purposes are also met. “We go with our families, and the ladies like to travel. They were very surprised and pleased to have chaat and golgappas in Macau.” The organizers had also flown Bollywood stars Bappi Lahiri and Anant Mahadevan, and this made our spouses very excited, he says. “They carry cooks who can prepare food even for the fussy Indian, who wants his kadi chawal or can prepare food by specific instructions.” No wonder MICE is popular!

Setting up to meet 4,000 at a meal in Melbourne's Convention Centre

The company benefits too. Vijay Narayanan, vice-president, marketing and communications, Havell’s, says the trips serve to bond between the dealers and the customers. “There are open meetings between the top management of the company and the dealers, and concerns are discussed in open forums. There are also awards presentations, ‘gala’ nights and a lot of entertainment” A lot of queries get sorted out, and a relationship gets built, which has stood the company in good stead over the decades. While the initial trips costs little and were domestic, last year the company spent about Rs 15 crore. “There are usually two to three trips a years, for about 600 dealers each that last for about a week,” he says. The destinations depend on the level of dealers and achievements.

Vinayak Kumar Lal, GM-Marketing, Intex Technologies, a 15-year-old IT company, agrees, saying his company spends about 3 per cent of the marketing budget on MICE as it clearly helps business. “We generally go twice a year, which depends on the rewards or schemes.”

All set for a conference at Singapore's Resorts World in Sentosa

Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox and Kings Ltd says the MICE industry is growing at 30 per cent both from the inbound and outbound perspective. “Indian corporate houses eager to keep their high performing employees, dealers and associates happy, are wooing them with exotic holiday options. It may be a cruise on the Bahamas or a stay at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai there is enough demand.” He says that “at the lower end, people travel to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal. This is followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Dubai. The more exotic ones travel to Istanbul, Australia etc.” The budget, he says, varies from Rs 60,000 per person to up to Rs 2 lakh per person.

Kashmira Commissariat COO Outbound Division Kuoni India travel is perhaps the most preferred leisure activity, and travel incentive products serve as immense motivation for internal and external customers. “They have great inspirational value, and those who qualify for overseas trips tend to perform better than their peers.” She points out that the average numbers of trips vary according to the different industries. For instance: pharmaceutical industry arranges multiple number of MICE trips, whereas insurance industry arranges the trip on half yearly basis.

Stephane Fabregoul, General Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, says the trend is still emerging with various industries performing in different months. “Conferences is a budgeted head in companies across industries. Hyderabad also has a significant share of international conventions, which is poised to grow with the launch of Visit Hyderabad – Hyderabad Convention Promotion Bureau. Large inventories coupled with matching infrastructure help generate demand for larger conventions.”

While cements, paints, FMCG, are industries that are spending more, sectors like pharma and mutual funds have reduced their spend, Keyur Joshi, COO and Co-founder, MakeMyTrip.com. he classifies company budgets and average spends as follows:
Category 1 = Rs.10 – 20K (Usually domestic)
Category 2 = Rs.25 – 35K (Usually one stop destinations like Far East/Middle East)
Category 3 = Rs.40 – 60K (Usually Bali, Turkey, Egypt, HongKong & Macau, Philippines)
Category 4 = Rs.60 – 80K (France, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa)
Category 5 = Rs.100k + (Australia, USA)

Incentives, exhibitions… 

At an exhibition and conference in Manila's Convention Centre

Incentive tourism is often still the biggest within the MICE segment, especially as infrastructure within India does not match up the rest of the region. Incentive tourism is big for us, says Amanpreet Bhatia of MSC Cruises. He points to the advantages cruises have for corporate clients. “Cruises give time for people to interact, provide 5-star luxury, a captive audience and a one vendor contact, all of which make it easier for the client.” He says that cruises are an increasingly popular option for Indians. The choice of destination is considerable, and this depends on the time and value. Food is a major concern for Indians, he admits, but also points out that adequate care is taken to provide for food. While the charge per night ranges from Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000, the usual tariff is about Rs 10,000 to 12,000.

MICE often ventures into the more offbeat as well. Team building is what Colonel Nirmal Mahajan, who runs an outdoor adventure company, Colonels' Adventure, says is the biggest benefit that those participating derive. “The best place to learn is at rafting camps, where they get a lot of time to bond,” he says, explaining that among the benefits are the development of calculated risk taking ability, team spirit, decisiveness and physical and mental toughness. “A lot of people who want to get away from the 5-star culture come to our camps,” he points out.

Priority for hotels
For hotels too, MICE generates considerable business. “About 15 to 20 per cent of our revenue comes from MICE, points out Roger Wright, General Manager, The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. Given that this hotel is adjacent to a mall in a business district and near the airport, it is unabashedly a business hotel and caters to the high end of the meetings markets – board meetings and conferences. “A lot of the MICE business comes from northern India, and it is an absolutely vital market for us,” he stresses.

“MICE is key to the survival and growth of hospitality,” sats Pradeep Kalra, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Sarovar Hotels. “We have mid scale hotels, with a stress on conference facilities. “15 to 2- per cent of our revenues come from MICE.” He points out that leisure locations derive more from the MICE segment due to its very nature such as the requirement for a conference with residential facilities, only city hotels can cater to really large conference that have about 10,000 people attending. He points to the opportunities in cities such as Hyderabad and Bangalore. In the latter Sarovar is coming up with a 234 room Park Plaza. Certain hotels such as Taj Palace, is a popular MICE destination with the capital’s largest conference venue and luxury convention centre, offering a cumulative 40,000 sq feet. Renowned  large scale conferences such as the World Economic Forum, World Atomic Nuclear Organization and Global Steel Conference among others have opted for it. It has been named as ‘Asia’s leading meeting and conferences hotel’ at the 17th World Travel Awards 2010 and awarded the India’s Leading Conference Hotel by World Travel Awards 2009 Asia.

Hotels outside India are as eagerly looking at Indian market. Oliver Bonke, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East says 30 per cent of its overall business comes from MICE. Europe is a major incentive market for Indians, he points out. “Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, construction and finance are choosing their destinations in our region, pointing out that industry conferences too have significant Indian presence.

“An innovative approach to conventions like the signature Westin Clutter Free meetings and the meetings concierge can help drive the demand of conferences across hotel categories,” says Stephane Fabregoul of Westin, Hyderabad. “MICE is a potential growth segment for hotels, which drives both the occupancy, and thereby the RevPAR of the hotel. As India Inc reports higher profitability and returns, they tend to spend more on MICE through new launches, dealer meets, sales incentives, review meetings and the like.”

Travel company Yatra.com set up a dedicated section for MICE from April last year. Narendra Singh, Head, MICE Business, Yatra.com points to the popularity and growing importance of the segment. “Both domestic and international destinations have potential.” He points to the advantages dedicated teams like his have to offer for clients. “If a client is spending a crore, he wants it to be in safe, experienced hands. If you hand over the conference to a professional team, the responsibility goes to them for everything. As MICE PRs, we are cost effective, and have established relationships with channel partners.” He says that different clients have varying demands, and meeting them is a challenge.

Meeting far and wide

Entertainment is a significant part of conventions globally

Many global destinations are actively promoting themselves as MICE destinations. “There are many destinations presently that are packaging and promoting themselves as MICE destinations,” says MakeMyTrip.com’s Keyur Joshi. Some of the popular ones are: Hua Hin in Thailand, Bali in Indonesia, Manila in Philippines, Cape Town in South Africa, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Macau, Spain apart from the traditional favourites Singapore, Dubai and Malaysia. Kuoni India’s Kashmira Commissariat says the preferred destinations at the moment are Dubai, Thailand, Kenya and Africa. Cox and Kings’ Karan Anand points out Australia, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Hong Kong as the destinations promoting MICE very aggressively.

According to Hotels.com’s Hotel Price Index, prices paid in Asia Pacific, and their pace of recovery, shows clear variations across the region, points out Abhiram Chowdhry, Marketing Director- Asia Pacific, Hotels.com. “Large business and convention hubs, like Singapore and Hong Kong, have seen rates go up on the back of returning corporate travel demand.” According to the report, Singapore tops the biggest rise list - Indian travellers spent Rs.7,949 per room per night (up 27% from the same period a year earlier). With new conference facilities development in Macau, Vietnam, Hainan and Shanghai in China, these places are one of the new emerging popular MICE locations, he says.

The most popular city for MICE in Turkey is Istanbul and it offers many attractions for a MICE group, says a Angelina Ambrose of the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office. “Istanbul not only boasts excellent convention facilities with many world class heritage sites but also offers excellent dining and night life options too. Apart from Istanbul, beach city of Antalya and cave city of Cappadocia are getting popular with India MICE groups. There have been many groups ranging from 50 –500 persons and the average stay of the groups is about  3 to 4 nights in Istanbul.

Another favourite is Singapore, an award winning BTMICE destination, points out Jessica Sim, Area Director, Northern-Eastern India, Singapore Tourism Board. “The MICE market makes up a sizeable portion of our visitor arrivals, with a share of around 35% of total Indian arrivals. Singapore assures an enriching experience with an excellent range of state-of-the-art convention centers, exhibition halls and meeting spots to suit a variety of needs and budgets along with the convenience of nearby accommodation and dining. In the recently organized CEI Asia Industry Awards 2010, Singapore was announced as Asia’s Best City for Business Events and Asia’s Best Convention Bureau.” India is a significant market for Singapore and continues to remain as one of the top five visitor generating markets for the city-state. India recorded a whopping 829,000 visitor arrivals for the period January to December 2010, she says.

The Singapore tourism industry entered a watershed era in 2010 with the opening of two magnificent integrated resorts namely Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay, she underlines. “With the grand opening of integrated resorts, Singapore offers the Indian MICE segment a unique opportunity to organize a complete getaway with hotels, fine dining, shopping, entertainment and nightlife options as well as meetings and incentive facilities. Venues to hold corporate events at the Marina Bay Sands include a grand ballroom that can hold at least 6,600 people (one of the largest in Asia) or an exhibition hall which can accommodate approximately 2,000 exhibition booths and a flexible convention centre comprising more than 200 meeting rooms with capacity for over 45,000 delegates. At Resorts World Sentosa, themed functions among dinosaurs at ‘The Lost World’ and a gala dinner dressed up as movie characters at Universal Studios, is a hot favourite.”

Thailand is the premier destination for MICE tourism out of India, stresses Sheema Vohra,
Representative – India, Thailand Convention and Exhibitions Bureau.  She says there are no separate numbers for the MICE market, but many want MICE packages – usually a half day conference, gala dinner, award function, followed by leisure activities. “There is a growing interest from India in group activities within the MICE segment,” she says. She points to the advantages that makes Thailand the top destination – quick access from India, flights from different parts of the country, ease of visa regulations and excellent infrastructure. While Bangkok as the international gateway remains popular along with Pattaya, other emerging destinations include Phuket, Kosa Mui and Chiang Mai. “Indians are ready to spend, and they usually for 4 or 5 star hotels for their stays,” she says.

Time to upgrade 
India is still not seen as a MICE destination, bemoan most travel professionals. Sarovar Hotels’ Pradeep Kalra admits India will take to match the amenities South east Asia offers in terms of MICE infrastructure. “India is getting there, we have good accessibility, good food, tremendous sight seeing options, and rapidly improving infrastructure, so it should not be too long before we catch up,” he says.

“India’s infrastructure is insufficient and the government is not taking adequate steps, says Yatra.com’s Narendra Singh.  He points out the even on the Golden Triangle circuit, India’s top domestic tourist earner, there are hardly any facilities for clean drinking water and restrooms. “Even if the government can see to it that these two facilities are in place, there could be a quantum leap in the number of travelers, even for MICE.”

“India’s MICE sector is fast gaining its pace with the advanced technology and facilities being made available at a better cost than many other countries,” Abhiram Chowdhry of Hotels.com.  says  Simplified visas and greater accessibility (including both local infrastructure and new regional air services) are helping India to become an emerging MICE destination in Asia’.

If all the concerned players can act in concert, that day could come sooner rather than later.  

Suman Tarafdar

(This article was published in Business India in March 2011)

Motoring jewels

Place: DELHI

Cartier reaffirms its affinity with India with an ambitious vintage car show as it looks to grow its Indian market

Classic cars came up one by one to claim
their prizes at the Cartier Concours d'Elegance 

India’s elite have long enjoyed their favourite equine speedsters win races at Delhi’s Jaipur Polo Grounds. On a recent pleasantly sunny Saturday afternoon however, the horses were replaced beauties from another era, and species, as 56 vintage cars competed for honours in the second Cartier Concours d'Elegance in India. On hand were not just vintage car enthusiasts but some leading car collectors and experts from across the world.

Cartier and India have had a long, though interrupted, love story, dating back to the days of the erstwhile maharajas. It is no surprise therefore that despite India’s current negligible share in global sales that the world’s top jewellery brand, or maison as it prefers to be known as, sees India as an important potential market that needs to be nurtured so that it can deliver up to a tenth of global sales in future.

A winning beauty roll up 

“India is in love with jewellery and its aesthetics have influenced Cartier over time,” says Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier, who was in Delhi for the Cartier Concours d’Elegance, one of the four big concours globally. The Cartier Concours d'Elegance is globally positioned as the ultimate show of motoring grandeur. The first in India was held in Mumbai in 2008, and contributed considerably in introducing new local clients to Cartier, whose largest sales in the country come in watches and jewellery.

The maharajas had wanted not just the best, but also often wanted their pieces to be unique, and that was reflected in the number of unique customized cars on show among the cars selected by Manavendra Singh, curator of the Cartier Concours. And that reflects still in the jewellery that Cartier, now part of the global luxury conglomerate, Richemont, is selling in India.

This one belongs to the erstwhile royals of Mayurbhanj

“There is great potential in India, but the taxes are an impediment,” says Fornas. Cartier opened its first 300 square metre boutique at Delhi’s Emporio two years ago, and has since been looking for other locations to open in.

India’s share in global sales are still a very small percentage, though Fornas declines to disclose figures. While jewellery is a great love for Indian women, watches also contribute an equal share for India in revenue, he says.

Various challenges remain. “A boutique in Mumbai would be good,” says he, pointing out that while there were no set rules for a store location, the overall environment and central location were crucial for any potential store site. A high street works as well as a mall, Fornas points out, pointing to the success Cartier has had in China, where weather can be a challenge too. Cartier today has 37 boutiques in China, which range from 400 to 900 square meters in size. And China could be Cartier’s largest market, a growth story Fornas would like to see replicated in India.

Louis Ferla, Cartier MD for Middle East and South Asia, says the Indian market for Cartier has grown by 30 to 40 per cent in the last three years. “The boutique is doing well, but high import duties and lack of a high street are impediments to the growth story in India,” he says.

He also admits that Indian customers have traditionally gone for local jewelers, though he is encouraged by the response international jewellery houses are getting of late.

In India, even as Cartier waits to open more stories, Cartier is investing in communication and staff besides of course events and car restoration. Even ‘The Best Car of the Show Award’ went to a historic 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Dome Roof Limousine, a throne car that belongs to former princess Ezra of Hyderabad, which Cartier helped restore to its original form. Whether the cars spur more Indians to try out Cartier timepieces or jewellery remains to be seen.

Beyond love

The Taj Mahal has visitors lining up from before
the monument opens at 6am! 

Place: AGRA

What is left to say about the Taj Mahal? As the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, its fame has ensured that people have seen it through a populist frame, where the excellence of design and aesthetics have got overshadowed by a 'love story'.

The love shared by Khurram and Arjamand Bano Begum, better known today as Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal, clearly involved a lot of intercourse, and Mumtaz died giving birth to their 14th child in Burhanpur. Grief stricken Shahjahan, newly Mughal emperor, pledged to build something the world would marvel at. Shahjahan commissioned the Rauza-i Munauwara or the tomb of his wife to be built across the bend in the river and visible from his then residence, Agra Fort.  In this of course he was absolutely successful, and to date the monument to love is something visitors from literally all corners of the world. 

For me, what has been remarkable is the extreme symmetry of design in the monument complex. The complex does follow the Timurid concept of charbagh, associated usually with Islamic paradisical imagery. The entire complex is 55.5 acres in a rectangular plot that stretches from the Yamuna southwards, acquired from Raja Jai Singh. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was roped in as architect, though Shahjahan himself was very active in conceptualisation. 

The numbers are mind blowing. The project took 22 years (1631-53) to finish. Just the foundation, plinth and main structure took 15 years - can't even imagine planning and waiting for so long! Of course, the builders had no modern equipment at all - not even a plastic scale, of course no cranes or forklifts, or computers. 20,000 workers reportedly worked on the project over time. 28 varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work.