The 63rd TAAI Annual Convention held at Abu Dhabi highlighted the fast growing travel trends in the industry while laying focus on how agents can tap on new opportunities. It also showcased the emirate as the cultural hub of the Middle East, blending history with modern experiential offerings By Saloni Bhatia
The Indian Travel Congress 2016 organised by Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) from October 14-16, 2016 was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE to showcase the city to its members and build on new opportunities. The 63rd Convention & Exhibition of TAAI was held at the famous Emirates Palace Hotel. The three day event witnessed participation from more than 700 delegates with active involvement of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA). The convention themed ‘Tomorrow Begins Now’ focused on the emerging opportunities in the world of tourism and how the travel trade can prepare for the challenges ahead. The inauguration ceremony was held at the prestigious Emirates Palace in the presence of key people from the Abu Dhabi tourism fraternity and Indian travel trade industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Kumar, president, TAAI, stated, “Abu Dhabi is a great tourism destination and we are happy to introduce it to the world. The aura, glamour and richness of the city makes it an ideal destination in the Middle East and through this event we plan to build more tourism between both the countries.”
Addressing the gathering, Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general, TCA, mentioned, “India is an important market for our country as it is the largest overseas source for hotel guests. In the first half of this year, we have already received 152,000 tourists which represents a 20 per cent year on year increase from the India market. Indian guests account for seven per cent of hotel stays with an average of 3.4 hotel room nights, which is slightly longer than their average stay in the emirates. There is enormous potential in tourism as we are connected to 15 different cities in India through 300 flights a week.”
Abu Dhabi has myriad tourism offerings from the old to the modern. From a world of adventure at Ferrari World in Yas Island, a sustainable tourism experience in Masdaar City, to the art hub at Saadiyat Island and a cultural experience in Al Ain. “There is a lot to explore in the emirate from the luxurious environs of the Emirates Palace and the Corniche area to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Al Ain and the west region where the desert meets the sea. There is more to come as new attractions come alive at Yas Island and Saadiyat Island. Our destinations are unique to meet the needs of Indian travellers,” Ghobash added.
Speaking on the occasion, Bejan Dinshaw, country manager for India, TCA, stated, “Our association with TAAI unleashes the true potential for Abu Dhabi. This event gives tremendous exposure to travel agents pan India as the local tourism stakeholders are also paying attention to the India market now. It is time to realise what a new destination like Abu Dhabi has to offer in terms of experiential tourism.”
The gala night on the opening day also saw some key industry people receive awards. Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global India and Dev Karvat, managing director, Trawelltag were honoured for their outstanding contributions to the industry. Sham Nijhawan, chairman, Nijhawan group was given the Lifetime Achievement honour.
Rising above the routine
The business sessions were kept well in line with the theme of the event. The opening address by Ashwini Kakkar, past president, TAAI and director, Mercury Travels presented some valuable facts for the audience to ponder upon. He remarked, “Innovation is taking root in the industry and companies are rising with a bigger market share. With US$ 10 billion being spent on online travel, 12 per cent of which is spent by Indians, the country will soon account for one third of travel across the world.” He quoted the example of AirBnB, a brand which is valued at US$ 26 billion, equaling the value of the IHG and Hilton brands put together.
This was followed by a panel discussion on the growth and impact of global tourism. Dhananjay Saliankar, regional manager, Starwood shared that it is important to stay connected with the audience through new technology. “Guest acquisition is still challenging but we plan to retain people through the SPG loyalty programme. Growth is restrictive as the market is highly competitive and changing with the demanding customers,” he said. Shaji Thomas, director, Ras al Khaimah Tourism Board, stated that 50 million tourists will be travelling out of India by 2020 and it is important to keep offering them new experiences. He mentioned that in 2017, the Jabal Jais peak in Ras al Khaimah would have the longest viewing deck at 1700 metres.
Another panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities in aviation was chaired by Ihab Sorial, president, Oman Air; Pankaj Srivastava, director – commercial, Air India; Sanjay Kumar, chief commercial officer, IndiGo; Praveen Iyer, vice president, commercial, India, Jet Airways and Neerja Bhatia, vice president, India and Indian sub continent, Etihad Airways. The panel unified on the view that more needed to be done to promote connectivity between India and the world.
The second day started with a keynote address by Kapil Kaul, CEO, Centre of Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) on the ‘riding wave of opportunities’ in aviation. Kaul clearly stated, “The size of growth in the industry has been remarkable in the last 40 years but we might have a capacity crunch soon seeing the numbers. We need to think beyond, have the knowledge of the industry and be prepared for the future. Only better infrastructure and good connectivity can make the Make in India dream possible.”
Ankush Nijhawan, Nijhawan group, who spoke on ‘Where’s the Opportunity?’ remarked that with the dramatic shift of travel bookings online, agents need to quickly adapt to changes. He added, “We need to leverage on customer strength and bring tech into play for growth in business.”
Revealing a new destination
Abu Dhabi has lots to offer through its MICE facilities, golf tourism, cultural hubs, entertainment centres and the biggest malls. Jasper Hyseus, director of sales, Le Meridien, made a presentation on the various golf tourism facilities in the emirate. He mentioned, “MICE, weddings and golf are potential markets for Indian travellers to explore in Abu Dhabi. In 2017, there will be a 12 per cent increase in the number of rooms in order to cater to more tourists.”
The farewell gala dinner was held at Ferrari World on Yas Island, which is one of the most visited destinations by Indian visitors to Abu Dhabi. Yochabel Dunstan, head of sales, Farah Experiences, informed, “India as a market has shown immense growth and we have opened some special restaurants catering to the Indian palate. We are also in talks to host an Indian wedding since Ferrari World is a unique destination in itself.”
Alongside the convention was the ITTE – India Travel Trade Expo offering an excellent B2B opportunity to the visiting delegates to connect with suppliers. The exhibition saw participation from both the local as well as international tourism stakeholders.
With inputs from Steena Joy