Jaipur to be abuzz with tourists on New Year

Monday, Dec26,2011

Jaipur, (PTI) With New Year eve just round the corner, the Pink city is gearing up for the festivity with hotel and resort owners hopeful of making good business this time unlike last year. Those in the event business are excited with the response and bookings this year as tourist inflow is normal as compared to last year which was marked by cancellation of trains, elevated fare of flights and Gujjar agitation. "Business this time is good and groups of visitors from different parts of the country are coming to celebrate New Year in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu," Sanjay Kaushik, a tour-operator said.

Another operator said hotels and resorts are offering different packages ranging from Rs 3,000 to 30,000 for one and two days. Meanwhile, security arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incident and road mishaps. "Several teams will keep watch on drunk drivers and miscreants, and action will be taken against them," DCP (Traffic) Rohit Mahajan said.

(sourced IBN.live.in)

Udaipur, a great winter holiday destination

New Delhi, Dec7, 2011

Udaipur, the City of Lakes, has a lot more to it than its picturesque lakes. Plan your New Year vacation to see the lush Girwa Valley, Aravalli ranges, stunning royal palaces, forts, temples and gardens that add to the kaleidoscope of this city.

Situated in Rajasthan, its rich
history and culture is linked to the royal Rajput rulers, The Sisodias of Mewar, one of the world’s oldest surviving dynasties.

A hot tourist destination for its landscape and pleasant weather, Udaipur is also home to many hotels. We were invited for a two-day stay at The Oberoi Udaivilas, situated along Lake Pichola.

A boat ride is recommended to this centrally located luxury hotel that’ll make your stay in the city unforgettable.

Lively markets
Full of stalls, the city’s narrow lanes are where you’d spot the real Rajasthan. Smiling faces, friendly greetings, two-wheelers and tuk-tuks (autos) flood the colourful markets. The bazaar near the City Palace is the place for antiques, puppets, terracotta, miniature paintings, silver and ethnic jewellery — all that the city is famous for.

You’d find knick-knacks priced as cheap as Rs 50 to prices running in lakhs here. Also, visit the Spice Market, and Hathipol market for the city’s handicrafts and traditional arts, and try local food specialities such as Dal-baati, Choorma and Dil jani.

Rich history
This small city has many palatial structures. Situated by the famous Lake Pichola, is the splendid City Palace that boasts of a series of courtyards, corridors and gardens. The Crystal Gallery nearby has a rare collection of crystals on display. It even has chairs, dressing tables and a bed made of crystal.

Many may not know that the Jag Mandir palace here, had inspired Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to build the Taj Mahal. Standing tall in the city is the Jagdish Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has an imposing 79-feet-high pagoda.

Another attraction in Udaipur is the fountain garden, Sahelion Ki Bari, that boasts of fountains that still work on the unique hydraulic system devised in 1700.

Romantic sojourn
Considered one of the most romantic cities of world, Udaipur is also known as the Venice of East, and is a hit among couples and celebrities to hold marriage ceremonies and parties. It was a backdrop for many movies, including the James Bond flick, Octopussy.

The hotels in the city too, offer an array of interesting activities.

Lake cruises in a Shikara, camel rides, heena, culinary and miniature painting demonstrations, relaxing spa treatments, a tour of their wildlife conservatory, and a walk to the historical buildings located within the hotel, are some of the activities offered by The Udaivilas.

Quick bytes
How to reach: Udaipur (663 kms from Delhi) is well connected through air, rail and road.

Other places to visit: Sajjan Garh, Fatehsagar Lake and Shilpgram. Or plan an excursion to Sri Eklingji, Haldighati, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Chittor Fort and Mount Abu.
(Sourced Hindustan Times)

Business Opportunity in Hospitality, Udaipur's HRH Group of Hotels eyes global brands for management of hotels

PTI Oct 16, 2011

NEW DELHI: HRH Group of Hotels, owned by the royal family of Udaipur, is exploring management tie-ups with international and domestic hospitality brands for its heritage properties in Rajasthan.

The Group that owns and operates 10 properties, including hotels and resorts with around 600 rooms across the state, is also investing up to Rs 150 crore on renovation and expansion of its assets.

"We are currently in negotiations with big international and domestic hotel brands to give our properties for management," HRH Group Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Singh Mewar told PTI.

Tags:HRH Group,Hotels,global brands, business opportunity

Sourced Economic Times

Bhutan Royal Couple's Rajasthan honeymoon trip

Friday, Oct21, 2011

One more Royal couple plan to visit Rajasthan for honeymoon trip.Newly married couple, Bhutan's king and queen. This is first visit to Rajasthan. Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck and King Wangchuck selected to Rajasthan due to Royal hospitality in Rajasthani cultural based hotel industry. In 9 days tour, couple will
be their trip to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur.

18 Days Itinerary programe from London to India, Rajasthan back to London

18 Days Itinerary Programe from

 LONDON to INDIA and back to LONDON

Day 1  – Day 18 in Year 2011

DAY - 1                                                 DEPART LONDON

Depart London Heathrow Terminal 5 by British Airways flight BA 257 at 1525 hours

DAY - 2                                                 ARRIVE DELHI (GURGAON)

Arrive Delhi International airport Terminal 3 at 0455 hours

On arrival transfer to The Leela Kempinski Hotel, in Gurgaon for breakfast (on direct payment) 

Later transfer to Delhi International airport Terminal 3 to board JetLite flight

Flight S2 255 for Delhi – Kochi (1230 / 1550)

Morning transfer to Mumbai domestic airport to board Kingfisher Red Airlines flight

Flight IT 3162 for Mumbai – Udaipur (1135 / 1300)

On arrival in Udaipur check in at The Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel (Premier Lake View Room) 

Hotel check in 1400 hours

Rest of the day at leisure

Overnight at hotel

DAY -  3 & 4                                          UDAIPUR

Morning sightseeing tour of Udaipur city

Rest of the day at leisure with car and driver at disposal; no guide

Overnight at hotel

DAY -  5                                                UDAIPUR – RANAKPUR – JODHPUR    

Morning transfer by road to Jodhpur enroute visiting Ranakpur Jain temples (approximately 06 hours and 30 minutes drive including stops) Temples open for foreigners from 1200 hours–1600 hours; driver to pick up local guide subject to availability

On arrival check in at Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel (Palace Room)

Overnight at hotel

DAY -  6                                                JODHPUR    

Morning visit Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada and spice market

Rest of the day at leisure with car and driver at disposal, no guide

Overnight at hotel

DAY -  7                                                JODHPUR – JAIPUR      

Morning at leisure

Hotel check out 1200 hours

Later transfer to Jodhpur Airport to board Kingfisher Red Airlines flight

Flight IT 4302 for Jodhpur – Jaipur (1640 / 1740)

On arrival transfer to Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel (Palace Room)

Overnight at hotel

DAY - 8                                                 JAIPUR

Morning excursion to Amber Fort with an elephant ride up the hill and descend by jeep

Rest of the day at leisure with car and driver at disposal; no guide

1700 Hours: Complimentary Champagne walking tour at hotel

 (organized by hotel for resident guests)

Overnight at hotel

DAY - 9                                                 JAIPUR

Morning sightseeing tour of Jaipur city

Rest of the day at leisure with car and driver at disposal; no guide

                                                            Overnight at hotel

DAY – 10                                              JAIPUR – RANTHAMBORE  

Morning transfer by road to Ranthambore (approximately 03 hours and 30 minutes drive)

On arrival check in at Oberoi Vanyavilas Hotel (Luxury Tent)

Hotel check in 1400 hours

Afternoon game viewing in Ranthambore National Park by shared jeep

                                                            Overnight at hotel

DAY – 11                                              RANTHAMBORE  

Early morning and afternoon game viewings in Ranthambore National Park by shared jeep

                                                            Overnight at hotel

DAY -  12                                              RANTHAMBORE – SAWAI MADHOPUR – BHARATPUR – FATEHPUR SIKRI – AGRA  

Early morning game viewing in Ranthambore National Park by shared jeep

Later transfer by road to Sawai Madhopur railway station to board train to Bharatpur

Train Golden Temple Mail for Sawai Madhopur – Bharatpur (1230 / 1458)

On arrival transfer by road to Agra enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri (approximately 03 hours and 30 minutes drive including stops)

On arrival check in at The Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel (Premier Room with Balcony)

Rest of the day at leisure

Overnight at hotel

DAY – 13 & 14                                       AGRA

Morning visit Taj Mahal

After breakfast visit Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-daulah

Rest of the day at leisure

Overnight at hotel

DAY - 15                                               AGRA – DELHI

Late morning transfer by road to Delhi (approximately 04 hours and 30 drive)

On arrival transfer to The Imperial Hotel (Heritage Room)

Hotel check on 1400 hours

Rest of the day at leisure

                                                           Overnight at hotel

DAY -  16                                              DELHI

Morning sightseeing tour of Old Delhi

                                                            Overnight at hotel

DAY -  17                                                          DELHI

Morning sightseeing tour of New Delhi

Room reserved till late night departure

Late evening transfer to Delhi International airport Terminal 3 to board British Airways flight

DAY – 18                                                          DELHI – LONDON  

Depart Delhi by British Airways flight BA 143, departing Delhi at 0330 hours and arriving London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 0715 hours 

* * * End of Tour * * *

Agent Contact Details: 

Udaipur

Ms. Sameera S. Ms. Nayna Singh Sameera Travels Rajasthan The Oberoi Vilas Road, H.D.Magari, Udaipur – 313 001

Tel:       +91 294 2430499 /              +91 9460352419 Fax:      +91 294 2430499 E-mail:  sameeratravel@gmail.com After office hours Mr. Ali Syed Mobile:            +91 9460352419

Travel portals enhance offline services to grow customer base

Monday, Mar07, 2011, 6:06 PM

New Delhi, Mar 7 (PTI) Online travel service providers, such as Yatra, Makemytrip and Travelmasti, are strengthening offline offerings to make people who do not have access to credit cards avail of their services, as they look to expand consumer base.

Yatra today announced launch of a new ''Cash on Delivery'' (COD) service that enables the consumers to make bookings online or through a call centre and make payment in cash.

Similarly, while Travelmasti is looking to double the number of retail outlets in the next two years, Makemytrip has recently launched a new mobile application to give consumers an additional platform.

"We are positive that this initiative (COD) will help us gain popularity with customers who have limited access to credit or debit cards or are reluctant to use them," Yatra.com Chief Customer Experience Officer Sonia Mehta told PTI.

Yatra.com has launched the service in Delhi, NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai.

"Three months from now, it will be rolled out in 14 new markets. With the new COD service, we are looking at a 5-7 per cent increase in out total offline business," Mehta added.

She said the offline business (that includes bookings made at the exclusive 34 Yatra retail outlets and through the call centres) currently contributes 20 per cent of the total sales but did not share absolute revenue figures.

The firm is offering COD payment option on international air travel and any holiday booking free of cost to customers.

Similarly, rival Makemytrip has also started COD service in Delhi and Mumbai.

"We have started offering cash on delivery for air ticket. As of today, this service is available in Delhi and Mumbai but will be soon expanded to rest of the country," Makemytrip Co-Founder and COO Keyur Joshi said.

Besides, the company is also using mobile telephony as another touch point. "We recently launched our exclusive application for BlackBerry mobile devices. Users can make instant booking by using this application," Joshi added.

On the other hand, another player Travelmasti that began operations in 2003 is also expanding its retail reach.

"We intend to double the number of lounges in the next two years. We are also considering introduction of COD services for consumers," Travelmasti CEO Saghan Aggarwal said.

The firm currently operates 24 lounges to book tickets offline.

He said the company has also struck partnership with leading private sector banks in the country for customers to make direct payments.

"Offline services account for almost 60 per cent of the total business," Aggarwal said without disclosing revenues. PTI VJR RKL

Kuoni buys Gullivers Travel to boost online business

Ma 7, 2011 2:45am EST

* To finance deal through debt, cash, rights issue
* Kuoni to pay 8.4 x Gulliver 2010 EBITDA

 ZURICH, March 7(Reuters) - Swiss travel group Kuoni (KUNN.S) said on Monday it had agreed to buy online travel services company Gullivers Travel Associates for $720 million, expanding its available online travel services.

Kuoni said it would use available cash resources, new long-term debt facilities, and equity raised through a discounted share offering to finance the acquisition from privately-held, New York-based Travelport.


"In acquiring GTA, Kuoni is investing in one of the fastest-growing business segments within the tourism industry," said Kuoni Chief Executive Peter Rothwell in a statement.

Kuoni said it had secured credit facilities of 600 million Swiss francs ($648.2 million), and would look to raise around 250 million francs in the rights offering.

"A real game changing acquisition for the company and we expect the market to react generally positively. The price looks reason able and it strengthens the company's destination management business", Jon Cox, analyst at Kepler Capital Markets, said.

Gullivers Travel 2010 net revenue totalled $294 million, a 10 percent rise on the previous year, while adjusted operating profit surged 42 percent to $84 million.

The transaction price, which includes $15 million in net cash, is at a multiple of 8.4 times Gullivers Travel 2010 operating earnings.

Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX)(CS.N) is acting as financial adviser to Kuoni, and will lead the capital increase.
Tags :  visit Rajasthan, Udaipur tour operater

Plan a Regal Wedding in Udaipur

Sharell Cook

By Sharell Cook, India Travel Guide

Many girls dream about being a princess on their wedding day. If you're one of them, you can't get much closer to living the dream than a wedding in Udaipur at the City Palace Complex, where the Mewar royal family still resides. And who better to organize the wedding than the royal House of Mewar, and the event planners of their HRH Group of Hotels.

The Mewar royal family were the pioneers in the concept of destination weddings in India, and have been at the forefront of organizing these weddings for over a decade. Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Chairman and Managing Director of the HRH Group of Hotels, explains that initially there was a great deal of opposition against holding weddings away from home in India. In order to sell the concept of destination weddings, they had to stage mock marriages. Now the bookings are flowing in.

The Zenana Mahal  The City Palace Complex Udaipur Photo by Eternal Mewa

Foreigners have also become very interested in the idea of getting married, royal style, in India. According to Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, he's been holding regal weddings for foreigners in Udaipur for around seven years now.

So what makes Udaipur such a standout destination for a wedding in India? Foremost is the setting. Known as the city of lakes and palaces, Udaipur really is one of the most romantic places in India. It's not just marketing hype. Udaipur is an incredibly charming city. A lot of this charm comes from its beautiful, regal palace buildings -- and the best bit, you can get married in them!

 

Contemporary wedding venues, they are not. However, their uniqueness and historical importance makes them very sought after. These venues offer couples the opportunity to truly live the royal fairy tale on their wedding day.

Let's take a look at some of the regal venues that are available in Udaipur, for weddings of all sizes:

Udaipur Wedding at Jagmandir Palace 

Jag Mandir is situated on an island in the middle of famous Lake Pichola, in Udaipur. It was built in the 17th century and used as.. visit... http://rajasthanroyalweddingplanner.blogspot.com/2011/02/plan-regal-wedding-in-udaipur.html?spref=fb

 

Tourist hot spots like Kashmir, Shimla, Goa and Udaipur are witnessing a boom in their business to get 5 Lacs more visitors this season

NEW DELHI: Hotels in states like Kashmir, Shimla, Goa and Udaipur are witnessing a boom in their business, as over five lakh tourists are expected to visit these destinations in this holiday season, an industry chamber study has said.

"Owing to the improved economic situation in the country the hospitality industry is recording a massive business boom during the New Year festive season," the Assocham survey said.

Besides domestic tourists, many foreign tourists are visiting India to escape from the freezing weather conditions in western countries, especially in Europe, it said.

The study said that the upsurge in the number of tourists has increased hotel tariffs by 35-40 per cent this year compared to the last year.

The chamber has surveyed 3,500 respondents in 10 major states including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

Of the total respondents surveyed, majority of them said that they prefer to visit hill stations to enjoy the snowfall, 35 per cent of them opted to visit coastal regions of Goa, Kerala and Pudducherry and rest 10 per cent chose to visit Ooty, Mahabaleshwar and Jaipur.

India Travel News by PTI,28Dec,2010