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PATWA NEWS ONLINE |
REVIEW ON TRAVEL, TOURISM & AVIATION |
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HEADLINES
Safari India National Tourism Awards 2010
UNWTO Minister's Summit at WTM
Increase in Foreign Tourist Arrivals to India
AirAsia Starts Flight from New Delhi
Leela Palace New Delhi will Open in October 2010
VFS to Look After Malaysia Visa
Carlson Opens Radisson at Indore
Safari India Presents National Tourism Awards
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 Prem Ahluwalia, Editor, Safari India, lighting the lamp |
Safari India National Tourism
Awards, the most prestigious award event of the tourism industry was held recently in amalgamation with Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), at the Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. Since 2001, these awards are being given annually to professionals and organizations in travel and tourism industry, for having a meritorious edge in their field of work. These awards are given to recognize the leadership quality in the field of hotel, tourism and travel agents and professional work done by the state governments.
Sagar Ahluwalia, Secretary General, PATWA, welcomed the guests by giving an inaugural speech. S.K. Misra, Ex-Chairman, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Prem Ahluwalia, Editor, Safari India presented the awards.
Distinguished professionals, diplomats, government officials, representatives of international organizations and who’s who in the travel industry attended the function.
Safari India National Tourism Awards for the year 2010 were presented as follows:
‘Best Professional in Aviation’ was presented to Kaushik Khona, CEO, GoAir.
‘Aviation Man of the Year’ was presented to Orhan Abbas, Vice President- India & Nepal, Emirates.
 Sagar Ahluwalia, Editorial Advisor, Safari India, addressing the audience |
 A glimpse of audience |
 Audience at the Award Ceremony |
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R.K. Tyagi, CMD, Pawan Hans Helicopters received the award for ‘Promotion of Pilgrimage Tourism’. In the category of ‘Best Tourism Professional’, the awards were presented to seven people that include Deepak Brara, Director-Corporate Affairs, Air India, Jyoti Mayal, Director, New Airways Travels (Delhi) Pvt. Ltd., Sunil Kumar R, Hon. Secretary General, TAAI, Abinash Manghani, Head Sales & Marketing, Fortune Park Hotels, Carl Vaz, Director, Dubai India, Tae Shik Kim, Director, Korea Tourism Organization and Paramjit Bawa, Country Manager- India, VisitBritain.
‘Best Tourism Director from Overseas’ was presented to Adel El Masry, Director, Egyptian Tourism Office, India.
In the category of ‘Best Professional- Marketing’, the awards were presented to Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Gaurav Kant, Director of Sales- India, Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
In the category of ‘Best Hotelier’, the awards were presented to six people including Ramesh Arora, M.D & V.P- Marketing, Shaftsbury Hotels, London, Sudhir Sibal, Vice President (Hotels), ITDC, Vikas Sharma, G.M, The Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore, Oliver C. Martin, G.M, The Claridges, Surajkund, Greesh Bindra, G.M, Crowne Plaza Today Gurgaon and Anuraag Bhatnagar, G.M, Le Royal Meridien, Mumbai.
‘Best Chef- Indian Cuisine’ was presented to Chef Davinder Kumar, Le Meridien, New Delhi.
Gita Ramesh, Joint M.D, Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort, received the award for ‘Best Woman Entrepreneur for Promoting Wellness’.
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‘Best Restaurant for Indian Cuisine’ was presented to Bukhara.
The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon received the award for ‘Best Business Hotel’.
Fortune Park Hotels received the award for ‘The Best First Class Hotel Chain’.
‘Best Resort Hotel’ was presented to Fort Rajwada, Jaisalmer.
Air Astana received the award for ‘Best Regional Airline for Inflight Service’.
‘Best Outbound Travel Organisation’ was presented to Kuoni Travel Group, India.
‘Amritsar- Best Heritage City’ was presented to Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board.
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation received the award for ‘Best State for Mountaineering’.
‘Best Upcoming Tourism Department’ was presented to Gujarat Tourism.
Sikkim Tourism received the award for ‘Best State for Adventure’.
‘Best State for Heritage & Wildlife’ was presented to Madhya Pradesh Tourism.
Karnataka Tourism received the award for ‘Best Performing State’.
Farooq Ahmed Shah, Director Tourism, Kashmir received the award for ‘Making J&K a State for Innovation and Promotions’.
In the category of ‘Top Industry Leader’, the awards were presented to five people that include Rajinder Rai, President, TAAI, Vijay Thakur, President IATO, New Delhi, Rajindera Kumar, President, FHRAI, Zubin Karkaria, CEO & M.D- India & South Asia, Kuoni Travel Group, India and Vivek Nair, Vice Chairman & M.D, The Leela Venture, Mumbai.
Pradip Lulla, President, TAFI received the award for ‘Best Industry Leader’.
‘Young Achiever Award’ was presented to Satyen Jain, CEO, Pride Group of Hotels.
‘Achiever Award in Marketing’ was presented to Rajiv Makin, Director- Commercial and Marketing, ITDC.
Surendra Yadav, General Manager, Air Astana and Pradeep Kalra, Senior V.P - Sales & Marketing, Grand Sarovar Premiere, Mumbai received the award for ‘Young Achiever in Marketing’.
Dr. Mahipal S. Sachdev, Chairman, Medical Director & Senior Consultant, Ophthalmology Centre for Sight received the award for ‘Best Eye Surgeon’.
‘Best Cardiovascular Surgeon’ was presented to Naresh Trehan, Chairman & M.D, Medanta- The Medicity.
A special award ‘HALL OF FAME- Lifetime Contribution in Tourism’ was presented to S.K. Misra.
A national seminar on ‘Tourism Leaders’ Conclave’ and a speech on ‘Will Commonwealth Games bring Common Wealth’ were held by PATWA prior to the award ceremony. The event was followed by a very interesting Lucky Draw and a gala dinner hosted by The Leela Kempinski.
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 Sudhir Sibal, Vice President (Hotels),ITDC, receiving the award for Best Hotelier |
 Chef Davinder Kumar, Le Meridien, New Delhi, receiving the award for Best Chef- Indian Cuisine |
 Tae Shik Kim, Director, Korea Tourism Organization, receiving the award for Best Tourism Professional |
 Vijay Thakur, President IATO, New Delhi receiving the award for Top Industry Leader |
 Rajiv Makin, Director- Commercial and Marketing, ITDC receiving the Achiever Award in Marketing |
 Sikkim Tourism receiving the award for Best State for Adventure |
 Madhya Pradesh Tourism receiving the award for Best State for Heritage & Wildlife |
 Karnataka Tourism receiving the award for Best Performing State |
 Gujarat Tourism receiving the award for Best Upcoming Tourism Department |
UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at WTM
 TALEB RIFAI Secretary General, UNWTO |
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The fourth and largest ever UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market (WTM) will for the first time conclude with a Statement of Intent outlining the future direction of the travel and tourism industry. The tourism ministers attending this year’s November 9 summit - Shaping a Stronger Travel and Tourism Industry – Governance and business models for the future – will agree their plan and direction for the industry for the next 12 months. It will be the first time global travel ministers agree a set of actions and principles for the future of the industry.
The UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at WTM is poised to be the largest ever surpassing last year’s record of 147 ministers and aides. The ministers and aides will be joined by senior business leaders from the industry to help agree the future direction for travel and tourism. Last year, private sector speakers included Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa.
Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, UNWTO, said, “The 2010 Ministers’ Summit provides a crucial platform for public and private stakeholders to address current global challenges. This is a unique opportunity for ministers from around the globe to share experiences and set the outline for the future of the industry.”
Fiona Jeffery, Chairman, WTM, said, “The UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market remains extremely significant for travel and tourism this year. This year’s Statement of Intent agreed by the largest ever meeting of tourism ministers, aides and leading private sector representatives makes the UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at WTM even more central to the future success of the travel industry. As WTM is the premiere global event for the travel industry, it is the ideal business environment for this far reaching and critical meeting, the outcome of which will set the agenda for the following 12 months.”
Also for the first time this year, WTM will host the WTM Ministerial Evening at the prestigious St.Paul’s Cathedral, London. The exclusive evening will host Tourism Ministers and Senior Aides from around the world and will offer entertainment from a leading London West End musical production. The UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at WTM takes place at ExCeL, London on Tuesday 9 November 2010.
Increase in Foreign Tourist Arrivals to India
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has complied monthly estimates of the Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism, on the basis of data received from the major international airports.
FTAs in India during the month of July 2010 were 4.52 lakh as compared to FTAs of 4.35 lakh during the month of July 2009 and 4.32 lakh in July 2008. There has been a growth of 4.1 percent in July 2010 over July 2009 as compared to a growth of 0.6 percent registered in July 2009 over July 2008. The number of FTAs in July 2010 increased to 4.52 lakh from 3.70 lakh in June 2010. FTAs during the period January-July 2010 were 30.85 lakh with a growth rate of 9.8 percent, as compared to the FTAs of 28.10 lakh and a negative growth rate of 7.6 percent during January-July 2009 over the corresponding period of 2008.
FEE from tourism during the month of July 2010 were ` 5444 crore as compared to ` 4983 crore in July 2009 and ` 3870 crore in July 2008. The growth rate in FEE in rupee terms in July 2010 over July 2009 was 9.3 percent as compared to growth rate of 28.8 percent in July 2009 over July 2008. FEE during the period January-July 2010 were ` 36817 crore with a growth rate of 24.1 percent, as compared to FEE of ` 29676 crore with a negative growth of 0.1 percent during January-July 2009 over the corresponding period of 2008. FEE during the period January-July 2010 were USD 8005 million with a growth rate of 32.6 percent as compared to FEE of USD 6035 million with a negative growth of 17.2 percent during January-July 2009 over the corresponding period of 2008.
TAAI Tourism Awards
 Sujata Thakur, Regional Director, India Tourism, Mumbai (Western region) along with Iqbal Mulla, Chairman, ITTE, Rajji Rai, President, TAAI and other delegates at the opening of ITTE 2010 |
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 Zubin Karkaria, CEO & M.D, Kuoni- India & South Asia, receiving the ‘Outbound Tour Operator of the Year’ award by Shri Chhagan Bhujbal, Deputy C.M, Maharashtra, Govt. of India |
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The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), in a first-of-its-kind initiative, organized the India Travel Trade Expo (ITTE) that was held from August 6-7, 2010, at World Trade Centre, Mumbai. The expo registered 150 domestic suppliers and 50 international suppliers. TAAI intends to convert this as an annual event and is also looking for hosting the same in other cities of India. For participating exhibitors, ITTE will offer an opportunity to network and interact with their buyers and increase awareness about their products.
The two-day event witnessed business sessions– CEO's Think Tank and another on the trends in the outbound, inbound and aviation industry allowing them to gain insights from industry experts. The sessions addressed challenges faced by the industry and outcome of the discussions were submitted as a White Paper to the Central government highlighting issues like Service Tax and airline commissions.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of ITTE 2010, Iqbal Mulla, Chairman, ITTE 2010, said, “ITTE is the ideal platform that will help the exhibiting companies to establish a networking ground and thus scale up their businesses. Earlier, the trade expo was an activity that was limited to conventions; however, through ITTE we are looking at making it as an annual event.”
Rajji Rai, President, TAAI, said, “The ITTE initiative is another feather in the cap for TAAI. The tourism industry in India is likely to soar up to almost USD 275.5 million with an average growth of 9.4 per cent over the next ten years. The tourism industry contributes 6.1 per cent to India's GDP and it is also bound to create almost 40 million jobs by 2018. In this light, the ITTE initiative is a significant ray of hope.”
The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) also announced the winners of the second edition of TAAI Travel Awards at the sidelines of the ITTE. The Chief Guest for the awards was Chhagan Bhujbal, Deputy C.M, Government of Maharashtra.
Bhujbal highlighted the potential of the Indian tourism industry by stating, “India has a wide variety of virgin beaches, forests, forts and cultural heritage sites, while most other nations have only one of these features. However, Indians are spending more money in international tourist destinations as compared to domestically. Despite the government’s relaxation, there is little development taking place vis-à-vis the required amount.”
TAAI also presented two special awards this year. First was the TAAI President’s Award of the Year which was given to Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Corporation. The second special award, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Naresh Goyal, Chairman, Jet Airways.
Sheraton Udaipur Opens
As part of its expansion plan in Asia Pacific, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Rockwood Hotels & Resorts Ltd to debut the Sheraton brand in Udaipur. The Rockwood Palace Resort and Spa has been re-branded as Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa from August 1, 2010, and is managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Don Elliot, Regional Vice President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts in India, Bangladesh and the Maldives said, “The debut of Sheraton brand in Udaipur is indeed great news for international travellers. Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa captures the romance and splendour of the royal era with its magnificent architecture and grandeur.”
According to the company release, the 240-room Sheraton Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake. Facilities include approximately 600 square metres of meeting space and three lush gardens, four restaurants and bars, a spa and an upcoming club floor.
AirAsia Starts Flight from New Delhi
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The world’s best low cost airline, AirAsia X landed at the swanky Terminal 3 of IGI airport and the momentous touch down marked the completion of its route network in India from Kuala Lumpur. New Delhi is AirAsia X’s 10th destination worldwide and the 2nd in India after Mumbai. To celebrate the inaugural flight, AirAsia is offering fares from as low as INR 1*. This amazing low fare airline is open for booking. Promotional seats are limited and available on first-come, first-served basis.
Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X, said, “We are delighted about adding the 2nd Indian destination to the AirAsia X network. We have been operating in the Mumbai market since its launch in the month of May and the response has been very encouraging. We are looking forward to replicating the same success in the national capital of India as well. Our special focus on in-flight comfort and safety of our guests makes us the preferred choice worldwide.”
The launch of services to Delhi not only signifies the completion of AirAsia’s India launch, but also adds considerable strength to the tourism between both countries. AirAsia X’s launch of services will open up the ASEAN market along with many other destinations beyond with their unrivalled low-fares. Guests flying on this new route will have the chance to experience the new comfortable ‘Premium flatbed seats’ on the brand new A330 aircraft. The flatbed seats are standard business class specifications of 20” width, 60” pitch and stretches out to 77” in full recline position. This new improvement offers unmatched comfort to the guests and position AirAsia as the market leader, further bolstering the brand as the epitome of innovation and excellence.
Jointly, the AirAsia Group is planning for a total of 120 flights weekly to the various points in India which include Tiruchirappalli, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochin, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai (to Kuala Lumpur and Penang).
Abu Dhabi Airport Upgraded
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), owner and operator of all five airports in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and SITA, the aviation IT specialist, have announced details of a five year deal, which will bring changes to all of the emirate’s airports turning it into high-tech centres for passenger processing.
Abu Dhabi International Airport, which saw 11.7 percent passenger growth in the first half of this year, will become the first major hub in the Middle East to benefit from the new IATA CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing Systems) passenger processing standard. This new move is as a result of an agreement with SITA to upgrade its Airport Connect CUTE check-in platform to CUPPS, which is now commercially available for the first time.
The agreement insists SITA to maintain over 350 check-in counters, 24 self-service kiosks for multiple airline use, and upgrade the baggage reconciliation system across Abu Dhabi Airport’s three terminals, Al Ain International Airport, Al Bateen Executive Airport and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) terminal and City terminal.
Michael Ibbitson, Vice President Information and Communication Services, ADAC, said, “Abu Dhabi International Airport is committed to delivering the best possible services to our passengers and airline customers. We are pleased to partner with SITA in this upgrade of our passenger processing systems. Airlines in particular will appreciate our efforts to adopt the latest technology available that is developed by an organization such as SITA, which took on the leading role in technology to implement the new IATA CUPPS standard. This pioneering system will eventually replace CUTE and we at ADAC want to be an early adopter as it will mean more efficient processes for passengers and lower operating costs for airlines.”
Hani El Assaad, Regional Vice President Middle East and North Africa, SITA, said, “SITA is proud to partner with the Abu Dhabi Airports Company in a project of this magnitude. The vision is clear; the United Arab Emirates is well on its way to becoming a centre for international excellence when it comes to managing passengers and delivering value to airlines.”
Leela Palace New Delhi Will Open in October 2010
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Leela Palace New Delhi will be partially operational in the first week of October 2010. According to Shashank Warty, Area Vice President, Hotel Leelaventure Limited, around 150 rooms and a couple of restaurants will be ready before the Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to be held in Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2010. He informed that the hotel will become fully operational by the end of the current year.
The Group bagged three-acre land from Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 2007 through an open auction at a staggering ` 611 crore in 2007. Initially, it had plans to fully open the hotel before the Commonwealth Games.
“Constructing a hotel of that size takes time. Otherwise, there was no delay in the project,” stated Warty. When asked about the other projects, Warty mentioned that the new hotel in Chennai will be ready in the next couple of months. He also said that the Group will take up the Agra project by end of this year after completing the New Delhi project.
VFS to Look After Malaysia Visa
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Aiming to attract more tourists, especially from India and China, Malaysia has decided to make application for visa easier for people visiting the country. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen said that tourists who wished to come to Malaysia could go to locally appointed representatives to apply for their visas instead of the consulates. The visa facilitation system (VFS) will become a ‘better alternative’ for tourists from China and India, where Malaysian consulates are located only in certain areas. Indians and Chinese make up for a large chunk of foreign tourists visiting the country.
"This means we now have a wider coverage to attract more tourists. People living in cities without Malaysian consulates will be able get their visas without the hassle. Applicants will need to pay a small fee to the appointed tour agents for their visas but they still can apply directly to a Malaysian consulate,” she said at the launch of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival.
The VFS has been available in India for two months with an international tourism company. The government's decision to cancel the issuance of visa on arrival (VOA) to tourists from eight countries would not affect the tourism industry as out of the 24 million tourists entering the country last year, only 9,000 came through VOA.
India Tourism Wins Awards
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) made the announcement of the PATA Awards for the year 2010 recently. This time, the PATA Grand and Gold awards will include 24 categories that figures out the outstanding contributions in each of those fields. Providing a proud moment for the Tourism Ministry of India, three awards were conferred to the Ministry.
The ‘Rural Tourism Project: A Case Study of Hodka Village’, conceptualized by the ministry in the year 2003, bagged the PATA Grand Award in the Heritage Category. The project was an initiation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at 36-rural sites in 20 states across the country. This has now been extended to another 133 villages. This winning entry for the PATA Gold Award 2010 is specifically for the Shaam-e-Sarhad resort of the rural tourism project at Hodka village in the Kachchh district of Gujarat.
In the context of an increased appeal towards eco-friendliness, the Eco Tourism Marketing Campaign, which was launched in Copenhagen on November 2009, got recognition in the category ‘PATA Gold Award in the ‘Marketing - Primary Government Destination’. The initiation was made to highlight the opportunities available in India for tourists exploring eco-tourism activities.
The advertisement, Mahatma Gandhi Creative, created in the aftermaths of the Mumbai attack achieved acclaim in the ‘Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Print Media’ category. It was created on November 2008 and released in the key markets overseas in January 2009. The objective of the advertisement was to project the resoluteness of the Indian nation and to convey to all stakeholders that such incidents would not deter India from following the key ethos and principles of the country, including democracy, secularism and non-violence, a cause espoused by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
The PATA Awards is being held every year to recognize the achievements of personals in the field of travel and tourism. This year, the award will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Macau on 17th of September.
Carlson Opens Radisson at Indore
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Carlson is expanding its India portfolio with the opening of its 30th hotel, the 201-room Radisson Hotel Indore. The Radisson Hotel Indore features a 38,000 square feet area for conferences, meetings and social gatherings and can accommodate up to 1,000 people. The extensive wellness facilities located on the hotel’s landscaped roof top, comprising a swimming pool and a world class spa offering a range of therapies, offers a breathtaking view of the city. The hotel is also well-located to several historically rich attractions, such as the Holkar Palace or Rajwada, a seven-story facade built two centuries ago; the Lal Baag Palace on the banks of the River Khan and the Central Museum.
K.B. Kachru, Executive Vice President, Carlson Hotels, South Asia, said, “The Radisson brand is famous for its vibrant, contemporary and engaging hospitality characterized by the ‘Yes I Can’ service philosophy. This hotel opening marks Carlson’s accelerated growth in India as part of our Ambition 2015 global growth strategy to expand our portfolio by at least 50 percent by 2015 to more than 1,500 hotels in operation. This is also the 12th Radisson hotel operating in India. With over 40 Radisson hotels under development throughout Asia Pacific, Radisson is the number one, fastest growing upscale brand in the region.”
Carlson offers a contemporary setting for the modern day business, and leisure traveller with 18 suites and 183 stylish and spacious rooms. The hotel features several distinctive dining options, including ‘The Creative Kitchen’, an all-day restaurant serving global cuisine, offering a unique dining experience and ‘The Lobby Bar’, an ideal venue to unwind, offering an array of international spirits and wines.
Karnataka Offers Packages
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Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) will introduce package tours around destinations of coastal Karnataka through Silver Chariots, the luxury Volvo buses on the lines of the Golden Chariot. The package tours will be offered from October this year. This information was given by Vinay Luthra, Managing Director, KSTDC.
On the accommodation front, Luthra informed that the Corporation will upgrade all the hotels owned and operated by the Corporation. KSTDC has 16 hotels across different tourist destinations in the state. When asked about setting up of new hotels, Luthra said that instead of adding new properties, the Corporation will add 50 more rooms to the existing hotels.
KSTDC is hopeful of increasing occupancy of the luxury train by about 40 percent this forthcoming season. The luxury train will commence this season’s journey on September 20, 2010 from Bengaluru. The luxury train has been revamped both in terms of interior and exterior, and the corporation is offering two itineraries this year- Pride of the South and Southern Splendour, which was a new route added in the end of the last season. These two itineraries will be operated alternatively throughout the season. More than 700 tourists travelled in this luxury train in the last season. To boost the sales, Luthra said that five General Sales Agents (GSAs) have been added to the existing list. These include SITA, Minar Travels, Comfort leisure, Lawrence Tours & Travels.