Travel Industry Hopeful of 10% growth during 2010 Games

Today's one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai not only proves to be turning point for a city that remains defiant in the face of terror, but also for India's tourism.

The industry is hoping to achieve a 10 per cent growth next year after a $1.3 billion drop in tourism revenues in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the same period a year earlier.

"Travel from the Middle East to India recorded a meager five per cent growth at the end of this year's second quarter, compared to nearly double the growth for the same period in 2008," said Waseem Rahmany, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing, Al Rais Travel.

"However, the end of Q3 saw summer travel provide a much-needed boost to the tourism industry, which bridged the gap between revenue generated in 2008 and 2009 for the period."

Kuoni Travel Group India CEO and Managing Director, Zubin Karkaria, reiterated the sentiment, saying: "In the first quarter of 2009, travel to India from the Middle East took a nose dive; however, nearly 80 per cent of that lost market share was regained by the end of Q3."

He said: "The outlook for travel from this region to India next year is quite positive, with leisure and corporate travel indicating an upswing of nearly 10 per cent growth."

In order to stimulate inbound traffic for 2010, Indian Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said last week at the World Travel Market that a number of initiatives and events have been put in place to reach this goal, including special packages for the World Commonwealth Games in Delhi, which is expected to attract up to 100,000 people in October next year.

"We are already in the initial stages of planning extended holidays into India for those travelers who are flying down to attend the Games," Shakir Kantawala, General Manager of Jet Airways, Dubai and Northern Emirates, told Emirates Business. "We are positive it will turn out to be a huge draw for tourists."

Karkaria said: "Our team has already started working on creating special packages for the Commonwealth Games, which will be rolled out to international travel agencies by January 2010."

As one of the largest tour operators in India, with a turnover of Rs22.29bn in 2008 alone, the company is also in the business of offering wholesale packages to international travel agencies around the world.

India's tourism woes began in Q3 last year, when the full impact of the global recession reared its ugly head. Adding to that was the terrorist attack on Mumbai's iconic hotels, Taj and Trident, along with Leopold Café - a popular hangout with foreign tourists.

Statistics revealed a sharp fall in foreign tourists in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, which persisted well into this year.

In the December following the tragic events, arrivals fell 12.5 per cent on the previous year - a heavy toll for hoteliers in the middle of the peak season for foreign tourists.

The latest available figures by the country's tourism board indicate that 2.4 million foreigners visited India in the January-September period - down 3.3 per cent on the same period in 2008. However, independent studies reveal a grimmer picture of nearly an eight per cent decline in tourism.

A recent report by global consultancy HVS Hospitality Services described the financial year 2008-09 as "an unforgettable one for the Indian tourism" with an overall decline in occupancy and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

"Mumbai reported the largest RevPAR decline of 20.1 per cent for 2008-09 amongst the major cities in India," stated the October report titled Hotels in India - Trends and Opportunities.

Revenue per room in Mumbai hotels fell to Rs6, 513 from Rs8, 155 a year earlier.

"This was due to the Mumbai terror attacks. The event raised concerns in the minds of international travelers regarding India's worthiness as a safe and secure travel destination," the report said.

Occupancy rates were at 60.9 per cent in 2008-2009, down 18.4 per cent on the previous year.

Nationally, tourism contributed 6.1 per cent to India's GDP - down 0.7 per cent on 2007-08.

"In the aftermath of the attacks in Mumbai, it was predictable that tourism in India took a beating and was in need of an image makeover," said Kantawala. "Our way to deal with the crisis was to partner with India Tourism Board and use the media to our advantage."

Through Jet Airways' Visit India initiative, the airline flew media down on familiarization trips to those very cities and hotels that had suffered from attacks of terrorism.

Kantawala said: "We flew media to Mumbai, put them up in the Taj and Trident hotels, and took others to Delhi and Jaipur to show everyone that India knows how to bounce back."

However, by the second quarter of 2009 the H1N1 pandemic had spread its tentacles into India, providing yet another setback for the tourism industry.

"The Swine flu scare was even more lethal than the attacks on Mumbai," said Al Rais' Rahmany. "Almost 30 to 40 per cent of our business comes through the summer travel. But this year's panic brought that percentage down by nearly 10 points."

Rahmany, however, believes the worst for India's tourism sector is finally behind us. "Christmas and New Year travel to India is regaining momentum, with flights to the metros almost booked out, along with airfares increasing with high demand," he said.

According to figures released by the Indian Tourism Board, tourist arrivals are expected to rise again, around December. However, 2009's Q4 forecast of 4.8 million tourists is still down from the 5.5 million recorded in 2008.

Next year's 10 per cent growth in tourism is inevitable, say industry sources, with the government even developing 150 rural sites to generate more revenue. "I am quite bullish on India next year and its increased presence at global travel and trade fairs are a step in the right direction," said Karkaria.

Guernsey takes up games baton

THE Queen’s Baton for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is in Guernsey.

Having so far been taken around the UK and Jersey, on Wednesday the baton will go to Gibraltar. By the time it arrives in India in June it will have been taken to 71 jurisdictions.

Its journey around India will end in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ready for the start of the games on 3 October.

It was escorted into the island by a team of three.

‘We have enjoyed Jersey,’ said Delhi 2010 organization committee representative Avny Lavasa.
‘Now we are looking forward to seeing Guernsey.’

A member of the team will be with the baton at all times. It is transported in a padlocked case.
Miss Lavasa said it was not too hard to keep up with the baton.

‘There were a lot of running relays in Jersey, but it was still good fun,’ she said.

‘Nobody has dropped it so far. It is robust, but we hope no one will drop it.’

Guernsey Commonwealth Games Association representative Deputy Peter Sirett said there would be a lot going on over the next three days.

‘It’s visiting four primary schools and a few sporting events,’ he said.

‘It will also be on display. We want to try and give everyone the chance to see it.’

The baton will be taken to St Martin’s, Forest, Vauvert and Castel schools as well as Government House. It will be on display at Beau Sejour today from 3.45-4.30pm.

Sanam eyeing for gold in 2010 CW Games

Andhra Pradesh's Isiah Rajendra Sanam, who became the first Indian male archer to win an Asian Championships gold in Dhaka recently, said his next aim is to bring laurels for the country in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

"I am really happy about my performance; it gives me immense confidence ahead of the Commonwealth Games. I hope to continue my good show and win a gold in Delhi," said the 32-year-old after the triumphant Indian team arrived at the SAI Eastern Centre here, after winning six medals at the Asian Archery Championships in Bali, Indonesia, on Monday.

Sanam, who clinched two gold in the compound team and individual sections in Bali, said he had a tough final against fourth-ranked Indonesian Nyoman Puruhito.

"We were going neck-and-neck and the conditions (in Bali) were extremely difficult with winds changing directions rapidly. In the last end of three arrows, I shot two bull's eyes and one nine points to settle the issue," said the 15th ranked compound archer about his 106-103 upset win over Puruhito.

Archery Association of India President Vijay Kumar Malhotra congratulated the Indian contingent on their impressive show in Indonesia.

India had won two gold, two silver and as many bronze medals.

The men's compound team of Sanam, Chinna Raju Srither, and Kh Ratan Singh won gold. Sanam then made a double winning the compound individual title at the tournament that concluded on Sunday.

The recurve men's team of Mangal Singh Champia, Jayanta Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee won silver, while the women trio of Jhanu Hansdah, Namita Yadav and Manjudha Soy finished second in compound team event.

Olympian Talukdar and Manjudha bagged bronze in individual recurve and compound categories respectively.

CWG opening, closing ceremonies will be a big event will cost around Rs. 84 Crores

India will spend Rs 84 crore in conducting the grand opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Sports Ministry said today.

Replying to a question at the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Sports Pratik Prakashbapu Patil said the theme and concept of the opening ceremony has been finalized while the same process is on for the closing ceremony.

"Rs 84 crore approximately has been earmarked for the two ceremonies in the budget of the Organizing Committee CWG Delhi 2010," Patil told the Lok Sabha.

"The concept and theme for the opening ceremony has been finalized. The theme and concept for the closing ceremony is in an advanced stage of finalization. The operational details are being developed by the Organizing Committee," he added.

Gill reiterates to organize successful CW Games

Even as sports minister M S Gill on Wednesday insisted that the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year would be a success, he stated that India, which he described as a poor country, should not be making any bid to host Olympics in the near future.

Responding to a calling attention motion in Rajya Sabha, Gill said India staging Commonwealth Games successfully would not in any way imply that it was in a position to host Olympics in 2020.

Gill's `reality check' has come as a dampener for those advocating India's case for the 2020 Olympics. "I don't think India should be thinking about Olympics. Look at the poverty of this country and its urban problems,'' he said.

"There is a certain class of us who want these great events because it's good entertainment. China spent Rs 50 billion on its Olympic Games. Think if you are in a position to spend like that,'' he added.

Gill made the remarks in response to Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan's assertion that India could host Olympics if it managed to stage Commonwealth Games successfully. Coming down heavily on the "lack of preparedness'', she said India could end up making a mockery of itself.”It's too obvious we are here to laugh at ourselves and make a mockery of the whole show. By now, we should have started our practice drills. But with a government of assessments, reports and then action I think we are in big trouble," she said.

"I really feel sorry for the (sports) minister because you have the baby on your lap but no nurse,'' she added.

Gill, however, assured that everything was in order. "The stadia will be completed in time. The government is investing substantial amount of money for the upgradation of various stadia to be used for the Games,'' he said.

"These stadia will become state-of-the-art venues of international standards. The government of India and the organizing committee are fully committed to completing all preparations for the Games in good time,'' he added.

Now Waste Plastic to Strengthen Roads

Government of Delhi started its initiative for a cleaner environment banning plastic bags some time before, now in a new move the waste plastic will be used to build roads in Delhi and NCR. Read on...

To ensure a smooth ride during the Commonwealth Games, Public Works Department (PWD) is going to use waste plastic technology to resurface a total of 242-km road length in the city at a cost of around Rs 250 crore. The new technology will ensure longevity of the roads.

Minister, PWD, Rajkumar Chauhan on Friday inaugurated the resurfacing work of roads in south Delhi. He said: "Special attention is being paid to roads leading to Games venues. All Delhi roads will be built using international technology.'' The waste plastic technology involves mixing waste plastic and bitumen. This ensures greater longevity and flexibility of roads.

Work on strengthening the roads using waste plastic and micro-surfacing technology has begun on 71-km road length under PWD in south Delhi and 32-km of roads in east Delhi. The technology has already been used to resurface around 60km of the roads in Delhi. This technology will help take care of plastic waste in the city.

Resurfacing of key roads in south Delhi using waste plastic technology will cost around Rs 33.22 crore. These roads include Airport area, Rama Road, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, IGP Slip Road, Bhairon Marg, Okhla Estate Marg no-13, Bhakti Vedanta Marg, Anuvrat Marg, etc. According to PWD officials, the resurfacing of roads will be completed by June 2010.

"Plastic technology is eco-friendly and consumes less material. The thickness is raised by only 10-15mm and such roads would last up to seven years,'' added Chauhan.

Said PWD secretary K K Sharma: "The bitumen melts at higher temperatures during summer and when mixed with plastic it adds to the flexibility and durability of roads.''

Besides waste plastic technology, PWD is also using in-situ technology to resurface roads and a 100 crore project has already been approved by the government. Under in-situ technology, raw material on the surface of the road is removed, heated and after adding some amount of new material it is used again for re-laying of road. This helps in maintaining the level of the road and is eco-friendly as well.

Yamuna Expressway to be completed before Games

The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated Metro services in Delhi few days before. Now the senior official is eyeing the revenue which the commonwealth games can generate for UP, so they want to finish other projects as well before games.

Intending to make Yamuna Expressway a growth engine for all future development of the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued directives that the expressway be completed and open to traffic before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Sticking to the time schedules, the concessionaire of the project Jaypee Infratech is working at neck breaking speed, having completed almost 80% of the earthwork and starting off with concreting from Noida end.

Speaking to FE on condition of anonymity, an official of the state government said lot of prestige is associated with the project as it will be the first infrastructure development project that would finally see the light of the day during the two-and-a half year reign of chief minister Mayawati. In a way it would be the yardstick by other developers for investing in the state.

The chief minister has many more ambitious plans for the state, all of which would either revolve around Yamuna Expressway or would be fostered by it. With land for the entire 165-km expressway already available with the developer, a massive workforce of around 10,000 people has been pumped in to work round the clock to complete the mega project. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 10000 crore.

The expressway, which will cross the five districts of Gautambudh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hathras), Mathura and Agra, will have six interchanges from point zero at Noida. Apart from these interchanges, other structures like car tracks, pedestrian pathways, canals, bridges and underpasses are also being constructed simultaneously.

A senior official of the Yamuna Expressway Authority said a total of six toll plazas are being proposed. While there would be two each at Gautambudh Nagar and Mathura, Aligarh and Agra would have one toll plaza each.

The project, which is being constructed on build operate transfer PPP basis, will be maintained and operated by the concessionaire during the entire concession period of 36 years and after expiry of the concession period, it shall be handed over to the authority. An official of the company stated that the toll amount is being worked upon and no final shape has been given to it yet.

Government Seeking Private Players for tourist bus services

The Delhi government is looking to rope in a private player to fund its hop-on-hop-off bus services for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

According to Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, bids for the bus service will be announced by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). “The initiative will be in partnership with Delhi Tourism, but the basic funding will be provided by the private player, who will supply the buses and bear the costs,” Mehta said.

Though the government had originally planned running double-decker buses along the lines of the services provided in London and Paris, Mehta said that with the Games deadline closing in, the government plans to run only ordinary buses for now. “Buses in line with specifications meant for Delhi will have to be planned, so we will begin with ordinary buses and take it from there,” Mehta said.

To be initiated on the lines of tourist bus services in London and Paris, the hop-on-hop-off service has buses running along pre-defined routes that connect the city’s heritage sites, museums and cultural spots. Tourists will have to buy a consolidated ticket and will have the option of boarding a bus at any of the tourist spots along the route and get off at their convenience.

DDA Cancelled Contract for not meeting Deadline

With six months left to the deadline, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) seems to have decided to become a strict paymaster. It has terminated the contract of the consortium building the practice areas in the Commonwealth Games Village, a first for the land agency in a Games-related project. The reason: failure to meet expectations and norms as per the agreement. Now, DDA plans to implement the project itself.

Admitted Neemo Dhar, spokesperson for the DDA, "We rescinded the contract as the terms of the agreement were not being met. The DDA will now implement the project through sub-contractors.'' The decision comes barely months before the deadline June 2010. The internal deadline for the agency's contractors is, incidentally, March 2010. The consortium Sportina Payce Infrastructure Pvt Ltd was to build the practice venues within the Commonwealth Games Village, including the swimming, wrestling and athletic tracks as well as the field area for hammer throw and other facilities. With the termination however, DDA will have to step into the breach, admitted officials.

Sources in the land agency claimed that one of the primary reasons for the termination was the consortium’s inability to provide adequate labor, resulting in unmet deadlines. A senior DDA official said, "The contractor had been engaged last year but deadlines were not being met consistently. Despite repeated warnings, there was no improvement, so the contract had to be terminated.'' Despite repeated attempts, officials from Sportina Payce were not available for comments.

Said a senior official, "We expect the work to continue without a hitch as the sub-contractors will remain the same, only they will be working for us directly now.'' Officials said that work on the venues had already started under the agency in order to meet the March deadline. "It is a tough task, especially as a large part of the work still needs to be done. With DDA directly handling the project, it is expected that the project will get back on track, though the internal March deadline may not be a possibility,'' added the official.

Its not the first time that work at the Village has come to a grinding halt due to differences with the contractor. Earlier this year, lack of funds had prompted Emaar MGF, the consortium in-charge of the Village construction, to stop work at the site. While DDA had eventually rescued the consortium at that time with a financial bailout, the interruption had resulted in delay of the project. This time, DDA is hoping that the termination of the contractor will not have an impact, despite the fact that only four months are left to the internal deadline.

2010 CWG going to prove a Very Tough Examination for Delhi

A year from now, the eyes of the sporting world will be on India, as the country's capital prepares to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games Oct. 3-14.

With the one-year countdown officially on, there are serious concerns that Delhi won't be able to pull it off.

"Two years before the Games, I had told the organizing committee that time was not your friend," Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell told reporters after an October meeting of representatives in Delhi. "And now, one year before it, I say, time is your enemy."

India has never hosted an event of this magnitude.

The 1982 Asian Games were held in Delhi, but that event was much smaller than the Commonwealth Games, which will feature athletes from 71 countries of the former British Empire competing in 17 different summer sports.

Delhi organizers must act quickly to hire experienced foreign consultants in logistics, infrastructure and ticketing, Fennell said.

With so much national pride invested in the event, the call for more outside help is a tough pill to swallow for organizers.

"A lot of in-house expertise has grown in India that is best in the world," Delhi organizing committee spokesman Uday Sahay said.

Organizers are prepared to hire additional foreign consultants, Sahay acknowledged, but in most areas, India feels it is capable of providing its own expertise.

Construction delays causing concern

As workers put in the final panes of glass and size up the solar panels at Delhi's shiny new netball stadium, engineer Umesh Bhansal beams with pride.

"We feel proud," he said. "But we are also under tremendous pressure to complete all the venues by December."

Bhansal's tasks seem to be going according to schedule, but it's a different story at many other venues.

Weeks before it's due for a final inspection, the national field hockey stadium is far from ready.
The playing surface is a messy mix of grey and maroon, full of mud and gravel. The bleachers are still missing — no seats for spectators, just row upon row of stone steps.

With so much work still to be completed, and so little time left before the test events in early 2010, this place should be a hum of activity, with the beeping of backhoes and grinding of hydraulic tools. But on the autumn day that I visited, it was virtually silent, except for the persistent sound of raindrops that had turned the site into a mud pit.

As the laborers lounged under the bleachers, small half-naked children provided the only action, playing around the scaffolding.

The cranes stood idle.

A report in July indicated that 14 of the 19 venues were at risk of not being finished in time for the fall construction deadline.

But according to organizers, only two venues, cycling and rugby, are running behind their construction schedule, and even those are still expected to be completed by the spring, months before the Commonwealth Games begin.

"The [federation] added a lot of other parameters to the existing ones," Sahay said in an attempt to justify the delays.

"In cycling, they said it had to have a wooden track, but we had already made a concrete track. To make the adjustments, it takes time. And, that was perceived by media that things [were falling behind deadlines]."

Gridlock a security concern

The roads leading up to the stadiums aren't in great shape either.

Many concrete overpasses and bridges remain in a constant state of construction, acting as pylons and obstacles for vehicles trying to navigate Delhi's labyrinth of streets.

The perpetual gridlock has officials worried, especially since some reports have indicated that the roadwork might not be completed in time for the Games.

The incomplete venues and transportation headaches stand in the way of security officials, as they desperately try to construct detailed safety and evacuation plans.

"We're confident that they're going to get it done," Sgt. Mark Bolduc of the RCMP said after a meeting of Commonwealth security officials in September.

It's a huge concern for Indian officials, especially after England pulled its badminton team from the world championships in Hyderabad in August because of security worries.

Message control

Keen to steer the attention to other areas and combat the negative press, organizers are trying to regain control of the message.

"There are more to the Commonwealth Games than just security and infrastructure," Sahay quips. "We have the whole green Games issue, cultural programs and housing projects."

Indeed, these Commonwealth Games could be among the greenest, with energy-efficient stadiums using less electricity than those at past events. Cultural programs and celebrations will likely be spectacular in a country renowned for its colorful festivals.

But the practicalities of venues and roads are still first and foremost on the minds of top federation officials.

Too soon to panic

Canadian officials aren't panicking, but they are concerned.

"I think all of us find it intriguing," said Andrew Pipe, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada.

"India has been such a dynamic commercial powerhouse that has got such great corporate citizens like Tata and Unisys, but it is having some of these problems.

"I think president Fennel's comments are designed to catalyze or galvanize activity on the part of the Indian government, the Indian hosts and the Indian community in Delhi so that those concerns prove to be ill founded."

At least a few of the engineers supervising the construction in Delhi are feeling the heat.

The criticism in the media and from senior federation officials are speeding up the work, Bhansal says. But there's no need to panic, according to Pipe. The fall deadlines for venue construction had a built-in buffer zone, and the Games aren't until next October.

Delhi organizers remain confident despite the criticism from Indian media outlets and federation officials.

But they are searching for ways to silence those critics — accepting more foreign help and embarking on an aggressive marketing campaign — to ensure the country's dream doesn't turn into a public relations nightmare.