tourism asia online

Vol. 08 | No: 6. June 2012

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08

A survey conducted by UK-based profes-sional service firm Deloitte has revealed that 80 per cent of middle class consumers in India and China are more likely to visit Britain as a result of publicity surrounding Olympics 2012.

80% Indian and Chinese travelers to visit UK during Olympics

Tourism Asia | June 2012

Check on hotels carbon foot-print

12

Cambodia woos more airlines14

AI, KFA crisis: Emirates grabs lion's share of India's outbound traffic

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Wares for sale in Batu Ferringhi

contents june

contents june

4 Tourism Asia | June 2012

Malaysia introduces spa ratings to build visitor confidence

Fresh Procurement Interest With 50% New MICE Buyer and Corpo-rate Travel Manager Registrations

20

16 24 ITB Berlin 2013: New invi-tation to participate in the international competitions TO DO! and TOURA D'OR

InnerSea Discoveries Adds an Expedition Vessel to

The "TO DO!" competition aims to show how important it is for people to be able to have their say and that their role in tourism is not just an economic one.

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Hong Kong announces new marketing campaign for

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Space Tourism: First Flight Booked 2013

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Vietnam cities go Wi-Fi22

Managing EditorGroup EditorExecutive EditorPhoto EditorArt EditorSenior CorrespondentSenior Sub EditorEditorial Team

MarketingLegal AdvisorFinancial Controller

From the editor’s desk

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Edited and Published by:Sreekumara Menon

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soil and the sky of India.

India is the land of gods and diverse religions where lies the serenity of its heritage. India is dotted with pilgrimages. Great religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have originated on the Indian soil. Over 80% of India's population practices Hinduism, the ancient indigenous religion of India which has a wide variety of forms and expressions. Muslims constitute about 10% of the Indian population. Other significant religious groups in India include Jains, and Christians. Buddhism is almost extinct in the land of its birth, but many exiled Tibetan Buddhists now make their home in India, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. India's famed spirituality has made it a popular destination for spiritually-inclined travelers..

There are a number of Tour operators in the country that offer various pilgrimage tour packages to tourists. These operators also arrange for the stay, the food and other comforts for the pilgrimage. Any pilgrimage tour in India is sure to make you feel elated. These pilgrimage tours are sure to provide the tour-ists with peace and tranquility.

Pilgrimage tourism as a business has also become big in India in the recent times. There is no denying to the fact that Indians are religious and religion is a part of their life. The boom in the travel industry has helped tourists to visit these pilgrimage spots often. A lot of people from across different parts of the world are being attracted to India for its pilgrimage destina-tions.

V.Sreekumara MenonEditor & Publisher

[email protected]+91 9447798108

India is probably the ultimate destination of all kinds of pilgrims following any faith around the world. The great religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Christi-anity and Sikhism are the integral part of Indian culture and heritage whose values and faiths are mingled with the air,

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: Sreekumara Menon

: Janeesh Jalaluddin

: Kriebel George

: Madhu Menon

: Dileep

: Subhash Ghosh

: Anish Kumar

: Anu S

: Viji V S

: Suresh Kumar S

: Adv. Preeja K S

: Abhilash S P

Representatives

: Vinod Chandana

: Gagan Sarangi

: S K Singh

: Shine G Nair

: Bhagvan Din Kumar

: Gagan Sarangi

: Balachandar

: Shinu

: Annie Chacko

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: S K Singh

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: Ajith Menon

: Prebuddha

: Tae

North IndiaEast IndiaWest IndiaBahrain BangaloreBhubaneshwarChennai DubaiNew DelhiPhilippinesPuneQatarSingaporeSrilanka Thailand


Tourism Asia | June 2012 08

News & Views

80% Indian and Chinese travelers to visit UK during Olympics

A survey conducted by UK-based profes-sional service firm Deloitte has revealed that 80 per cent of middle class consum-ers in India and China are more likely to visit Britain as a result of publicity surrounding Olympics 2012.

Deloitte conducted an online consumer survey of 6,000 adults in six markets including India, China, France, Germany, UK and US.

The survey also revealed that out of 6,000 respondents, 60 per cent said that they would like to buy more British prod-ucts and 77 per cent want to learn more about UK as a whole.

The research also shows that 76 per cent of respondents in China and India associ-ate the Olympic Games with UK, a higher proportion than consumers elsewhere in Europe or US. Only UK’s history, universi-ties and its capital city, London, are attri-butes more closely associated with UK in the minds of Chinese and Indian consumers.

Graham Pickett, head of travel, hospital-ity and leisure at Deloitte, said, “London 2012 clearly provides a direct and imme-diate opportunity for consumer busi-nesses. However, our research shows the potential is there for a longer term benefit too, but only if companies are prepared to exploit the opportunity.”

“As the global population is evolving, so consumer spending power is shifting. The emerging middle classes of China and India are increasingly powerful consumers of Western goods – both as visiting tourists and increasingly as strong consumer markets develop in their home countries. This trend will continue to accelerate over the next few years,” added Pickett.

Compared to Europe and the US, the emerging middle classes of China and India are more likely to associate Britain with luxury brands (78 per cent in India and China vs. 47 per cent in Europe) and fashion stores. This view reinforces the success British brands have had in build

ing strong bonds with Asian consumers who have driven a large share of luxury sales growth in recent years.

Simon Oaten, director in the consumer business industry at Deloitte, said, “There has always been a strong underlying demand to visit Britain, but London 2012 is giving the UK a shot in the arm. Given the UK economy’s growth prospects, it is important for consumer businesses to develop relationships with overseas customers, particularly from markets such as India and China. Retailers and hospitality operators in the UK who understand the shifting global demo-graphics will reap the rewards. London 2012 provides the UK with a unique moment, a unique competitive edge over other countries.”

News & Events

witnessing a huge surge in manpower requirement from India. In this case, I think a no-objection certificate could have been obtained from Indian indus-try as a whole and someone should say we can't overlook Indian carriers before taking such decisions," said Jitendar Bhargav, a former executive director of Air India.

Orhan Abbas, Vice President, India & Nepal, Emirates, said, "India is our larg-est market in terms of operations on our global network and contributes significantly to the overall revenues of the airline. The country has a large population of global citizens and frequent travellers. It is difficult to say what our market share is, but we are the largest international carrier serving India."

"Our company has registered a 50% rise in bookings for Emirates over the past three months, which is by far the largest jump for any airline during this period," said, Pratik Mazumder, Mar-keting Head of online travel portal yatra.com.


AI, KFA crisis: Emirates grabs lion's share of India's outbound trafficEmirates, one of the largest airlines of the Middle East, is currently playing the role of India’s national carrier. As Air India continues to struggle with various crises, Emirates is operating 185 flights per week from India, more than any other foreign carrier.

It has garnered 20 per cent share of the total outbound traffic over the past year, according to industry sources.

Emirates is well ahead of its gateway peers such as Singapore Airlines which is operating 86 flights per week and British Airways, operating only 48 flights per week.

Emirates has also overtaken leading German carrier, Lufthansa.

Emirates as gateway carrier, picks traffic from other countries and routes through its hub, which is Dubai. Dubai is a major destination in its own right and is also ideally positioned for Indi-ans wanting to catch flights to other parts of the world.

An industry official expressed concern at what he describes as Emirates' ability "to get what they want" from the Indian government.

"Emirates has always enjoyed govern-ment confidence better than other carriers. They have always been able to get what they want from India, in spite of the fact that Dubai is no more


News & Views

Green Leaf Foundation will launch its latest version of a certification programme this October, which will include carbon emission reduc-tion in the grading questionnaires.

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Check on hotels carbon footprint

A representative from the Green Leaf

Foundation, who attended the Thailand

Travel Mart Plus,last week, said carbon

emission reduction was now a criteria for

hotels seeking qualification in the

programe.

The initiative involves cooperation

between Green Leaf, Designated Areas

for Sustainable Tourism Administration

and Germany’s Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and

Climate Visualised Tool, a carbon emis-

sion calculation programme.

The software calculates and visualises the

carbon footprint of a property based on

a set of input values such as the electricity

use, fuel and the amount of waste.

Green Leaf will soon make it available

online to hotels so they can use the

programme to see how their properties

measure up.

Participating hotels have to draft their

own detailed carbon offset projects, while

Green Leaf will be giving advice on

appropriate practices.

Last year, DASTA and its partners intro-

duced the Climate Visualise Tool to hotels

on Chang Island as a pilot project. Based

on field observation the programme is

now being offered a wider application in

Green Leaf

One of the main problems is getting

hotels to input accurate data and even

obtaining the correct data from their

systems that are designed to offer finan-

cial related or performance data. There is

also a trust aspect as hoteliers have to

input genuine information to make it

work accurately.

Green Leaf admits it is difficult to intro-

duce and to even convince hotels there is

value. But in the long-run it will help to

identify both strengths and weaknesses.

If short-comings are corrected it could be

used as a marketing tool to attract more

guests.


News & Events

Cambodia woos more airlinesCambodia’s Ministry of Tourism says more airlines should serve the country this year possibly from Japan, Russia, India and Indonesia.

Ministry of Tourism deputy director, marketing and promotion, Lor Thoura, told TTR Weekly at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus last week that the Ministry of Tourism was hoping to attract more airlines to the country from emerging tourist markets.

“It will require cooperation with the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation to move the plan forward,” he said.Even without direct flights, Japan was the fourth top supplier after Vietnam, Korea and China and that positive trend continues with a +6.6% at the end of 2011 and +10.6% at the end of Q1 this year.

shows impressive growth potential (+25.2% to 15,817) in 2011. Apart from Brunei and Indonesia, all ASEAN countries have air links with Cambodia.

Mr Thoura added the government has a project to upgrade Rattanak Kiri Airport in the northeast to facilitate travel to that area.

The northeast provinces such as Rattanak Kiri, Kratie and Stung Treng are ecotour-ism areas, but facilities need to be upgraded.

Russia is a rising star. By the end of 2011, arrivals almost doubled over 2010, +98.3%, supplying 67,747 vsiits. During January to March this year, the Russian market came in at ninth place (+49.6%,).

Arrivals from India are also higher (+12.5% to 15,240 in 2011), but the deputy director said due to the religious influence of Hindu and Buddhism the market has potential to grow much further.

Indonesia, a small market at present,


News & Views

Fresh Procurement Interest With 50% New MICE Buyer and Corporate Travel Manager Registrations

CTW 2012. With the support of our part-ners, we have introduced a specially tailored conference package which will include air fare, accommodation and conference registration fees for the delegates.”

CTW’s increasing popularity and market value is evident through an emerging trend of large multinationals nominating more than one of their travel profession-als to attend. Leading organisations like Accenture (Japan, Malaysia, Australia, India and Singapore) Shneider (Indonesia, Singapore), General Electric (Singapore, Malaysia, Italy), Bosch (Asia), MSD Merck (Indonesia, Singapore), are examples of this trend.

Initiatives to engage a fresh pool of corporate travel managers have been stepped up through extensive acquisition of databases from partners, associations, confirmed exhibitors, and strong referrals from sources such as media affiliates and focus groups comprising leading travel managers and decision makers in Singa-pore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Intensive buyer acquisition efforts for IT&CMA and CTW 2012 has attracted close to 800 applications from MICE buyers and corporate travel managers across the world, including new markets such as Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico and Tanzania. The event also has a reported a 50% surge in registrations from Australian buyers.

Noteworthy among the interested buyers this year are American Express, Helms-Briscoe, HPN Global, MCI Group, MMCO World and Thomas Cook Business Incen-tives.

The 2012 event aims for a 55% of Asia-based buyers and 45% of international buyers. This aggregate 10% shift in focus from last year ’s 50/50 split is due to the volatility of the business environment in the UK and US. The hosting committee expects a possible reduction in the purchasing power of buyers from these countries, and predicts that Asian buyers will be able to utilize IT&CMA’s three business days to realize business with shorter lead times.

This year, the Corporate Travel World (CTW) conference programme plans to woo influential travel managers with its quality content and networking opportu-nities. Said Mr. Darren Ng – Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, “This year, we have introduced a number of initiatives to capitalize on the increased interest in


News & Views

post-show tours for experiential interac-tion with our brand new destination offerings that can be tailored to suit every requirement. Delegates can now plan their itineraries according to the newly released post-show programmes.”TCEB has revealed this year ’s post-show tour destinations to be Chiang Rai, Krabi and Pattaya. From 5th to 7th October 2012, MICE buyers and corporate travel managers will have a chance to visit these popular destina-tions. The pre-show city tours, which have also been announced, display some of the experience-based highlights that TCEB has planned this year, such as the opportunity to take a Thai cooking class. This novel approach, coupled with the chance travel managers and media can

join our to see famous landmarks in and around Bangkok, is expected to drive interest in the tours.

Engagement efforts are slated to continue next month at the Preview Reception on 6th July 2012, which will be held at the newly inaugurated Sofitel So, Bangkok. The by-invitation-only preview and networking event will give the attending association buyers, MICE buyers and corporate travel managers, an exclusive glimpse into IT&CMA and CTW 2012.

About IT&CMA and CTW 2012

2 to 4 October | Bangkok, ThailandIT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is The World’s Only Doublebill Event in MICE and Corporate Travel. This year forward, the event will incorporate Luxury Travel in its ambit. IT&CMA is the Asia-Pacific region’s leading international MICE show, offering the largest collection of Asia-Pacific MICE suppliers. IT&CMA brings together MICE suppliers and buyers in a 3-day exhibition showcase coupled with intensive business appointments. Exhibi-tion features include destinations, prod-ucts, services and solutions relating to meetings, incentives, conventions and events. CTW Asia-Pacific is a conference and exhibition on Travel & Entertainment (T&E) management for the Asia-Pacific region. Influencers, planners and decision-makers of Corporate Travel functions in their organisation attend the annual conference to keep themselves abreast of the latest trends and knowl-edge that enable them to get the most out of their T&E decisions. This 2012 will see the 20th and 15th instalment of IT&CMA and CTW respectively

This year, the event will focus on drawing corporate participation from new markets that have high potential to procure corporate events in Asia. Partici-pation from these countries including China, Hong Kong, Philippines and Australia, will allow participants the opportunity for balanced exposure and knowledge sharing.

Mr. Thongchai Sridama, member of the Board of Directors and Acting President of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said, “Thailand is a desti-nation teeming with choices, and we are geared up for all delegates to experience Thailand’s MICE potential and unique products. International buyers, corporate travel managers and media can join our

News & Events


THE MALAYSIAN tourism ministry has implemented a star-rating system for spas in the country to improve the quality of the wellness industry.

As part of this initiative, authorities have inspected 402 spa establishments nationwide since March. Among the 147 qualified premises, 69 per cent were ranked with three to five stars, said tourism minister Ng Yen Yen.

“Spas which did not qualify for rating will be provided with advice on how to raise their standards, while those which are illegal will be weeded out with the support of local authorities,” she added.

A Tourism Malaysia spokesperson said the rating system will be publicised on the website, with further promotion from the Association of Malaysian Spas.

The rating will also enable spas to employ foreign therapists once they receive endorsement from the ministry, said Ng. The Malaysian spa industry currently faces an acute shortage of skilled therapists – foreigners comprise 60 per cent of the country’s 1,300 professional therapists.

To develop the local talent pool, the tourism ministry has jointly established the Centre of Excellence with the Min

istry of Human Resources to offer six-month spa therapy training programmes. Graduates will be guar-anteed employment in the spa industry upon completion, Ng said.

“Malaysia certainly can develop a unique spa brand based on the country’s Malay, Chinese, Indian and other therapy traditions, provided we do it well. Ultimately it is up to the qualified (spa) players to develop the brand,” she added.

Malaysia introduces spa ratings to build visitor confidence

CAMBODIA

CHINA

HOLYLAND TOURS

HONG KONG

INDIA

JAPAN

KENYA

MACAU

MALAYSIA

MALDIVES

MAURITIUS

PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE

SRI LANKA

THAILAND

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UNITED KINGDOM

U.S.A

VIETNAM

COMBO TOURS


Wi-Fi for visitors, but they have started a trend that will hopefully force hotels at all tourist destinations to offer free Wi-Fi instead of charging exorbitant fees.

By 2015, Quang Ninh province home to the famous World Heritage Halong bay will provide free Wi-Fi service at economic and tourist hub cities such as Uong Bi, Cam Pha, Van Don and Mong Cai.

Tourists welcome the service as it saves them the expense of paying for internet access at expensive resort hotels. Guest houses and homestays were the first to offer free Wi-Fi in Hoi An. But as a general rule the higher the category of hotel accommodation the less likely it will be prepared to offer free Wi-Fi to guests.

“We are learning from the example of Hoi An that has already embarked on a free Wi-Fi service,” the deputy chairman said.

Currently, Hoi An and Halong Bay are the two other tourist destinations offering free

News & Views

Vietnam cities go Wi-FiThe Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People’s Committee says it will offer free Wi-Fi throughout Hue City to lure more tourists to the former imperial capital. It is now the third Vietnamese tourist destination to make the move to free Wi-Fi.

The provincial people committee deputy chairman, Phan Ngoc Tho, said the project aims to develop user friendly access to internet services throughout the downtown districts visited by tourists.

“It will help to improve the city’s tourism infrastructure, introduce Hue’s images to international friends and improve tourist service quality as well as help tourists gain free access to the internet.”

To cover Hue City with free internet Wi-Fi, the committee has instructed relevant agencies and the Hue City People’s Com-mittee to survey and start the project in tourist areas and public places across Hue using weather protected Wi-Fi routers.

The "TO DO! – Competition for Socially Responsible Tourism" has been announced throughout the world for the 18th time in 2012 by the Study Group for Tourism and Development (Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V.). The competition is open to companies as well as to public or private institutions whose tourism activities meet the interests and needs of the local population in an exem-plary manner.

The "TO DO!" competition aims to show how important it is for people to be able to have their say and that their role in tourism is not just an economic one. Many different factors can contribute to starting the self-determined, sustainable develop-ment of destinations. To achieve this goal, tourism concepts must be worked out, opportunities and risks weighed up and development issues linked with environ-mental aspects and social responsibility. The "TO DO!" winners will be chosen by a panel of judges that also includes a repre-sentative of ITB Berlin. The world's leading travel trade show is supporting this com-petition. The winners will be honoured after an on-site inspection at ITB Berlin in March 2013.

The international "TOURA D´OR – Film Contest for Sustainable Tourism" has been organised every other year since 1990 by the Study Group for Tourism and Devel-opment (Studienkreis für Tourismus und


News & Views

Entwicklung e.V.) and is aimed at producers, directors, editors and the commissioners of films related to tourism – whether professionals or amateurs. The German Human Rights Film Prize (Deutsche Menschenrechts-Filmpreis) has been secured as an addi-tional cooperation partner of "TOURA D' OR".

After selection by a panel of judges, prizes are awarded to productions which cham-pion socially responsible, environmentally compatible and therefore sustainable tour-ism. Entries are accepted for films in German or English which have been completed between the beginning of 2010 and the end of 2012. Productions available on the Internet are being accepted for the first time. The "TOURA D’OR" awards ceremony takes place during ITB Berlin 2013 and is also supported by ITB Berlin.

ITB Berlin 2013: New invitation to participate in the international competitions TO DO! and TOURA D'OR

News & Views

InnerSea Discoveries’ 76-guest expedition vessel Wilderness Explorer begins active adventure cruising among the Hawaiian Islands in fall 2013. The boat joins the line’s 36-guest upscale yacht Safari Explorer offering island explora-tions from the sea. From November 2013 through April 2014, the Wilderness Explorer will sail seven-night AdventureBound Hawaii cruises between Oahu and the Big Island and reverse. The itinerary visits Ka’ena Point State Park, Wai’anae Harbor, Maui, Lana’i, Honomalino Bay, Opihihali and Kailua-Kona. Guests will also enjoy scenic cruising and searching for whales and dolphins in the wildlife-rich Humpback National Marine Sanctuary.


platform for easy access to water sports equipment and entry into the water. A specially built kayak launch platform comfortably launches four kayaks at once. Guests enjoy included water sports activities such as kayak-ing, snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, skiff explorations and swim-ming. Guests may also take a spin on the innovative human-powered water-craft powered by two peddlers and up to six paddlers.

On board, innovative meals are served buffet style to accommodate a flexible schedule of adventure activities. A wellness program includes a sauna, fitness equipment, complimentary

yoga on deck and massages for a fee. Cabins feature a flatscreen TV/DVD player, iPod dock and eco-friendly bath amenities. In the lounge, guests will find a selection of games and a library of books and DVDs. For luxury adven-tures in the Hawaiian Islands, the line’s 36-guest Safari Explorer sails seven-night cruises between Hawaii, the Big Island and Lana’i with two days of activities on Moloka’i. Guests making a new reservation on the yacht by September 30, 2012 receive a $500 travel credit per couple for cruises November 2012-April 2013. Cruise fares on the Wilderness Explorer start at $2,495 based on double occupancy.

InnerSea Discoveries Adds an Expedition Vessel to Hawaii in 2013

“We are sending the Wilderness Explorer to Hawaii to add another option for travelers seeking an active island adventure at a moderate price.” said Tim Jacox, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “It’s a tremen-dous value when you add in all the included activities and the ability to explore multiple scenic islands.” High-lights of the new itinerary include snor-keling at Molokini’s undersea volcanic crater, a night snorkel with Giant Pacific Manta Rays, watching whales and dolphins and guided hikes exploring scenic areas on all four islands. Expert naturalists provide interpretation on guided excursions ashore and at sea. The Wilderness Explorer has a swim


Anchored by Bollywood actress Sandhya Mridul, the travelogue will kick-start with an exciting half-hour programme where she will take viewers around Hong Kong re-visiting and showcasing her favourite spots during her stay and also discovering new attractions in the city

The first episode of the show will be aired on 16th and 23rd June on CNN-IBN and CNBC TV18 respectively. The second capsule is scheduled to broadcast in the winter season and is targeted towards the young working segment and couples. It will showcase Hong Kong as a romantic destination.The second episode will also feature the Hong Kong’s popular Canto Pop singer and actor Aarif Lee.

News & Views

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced its flagship marketing cam-paign for the FY 2012-2013 to boost tour-ism promotion in India. For the innovative promotional campaign, HKTB has tied up with India’s leading television network, Network 18 for its channels CNN-IBN and CNBC TV18.

Riding on the promotional campaign, HKTB will further collaborate with travel agents to launch ‘value for money’ Hong Kong summer leisure packages bundled with popular theme park offers and special shopping and dining privileges offered by Harbour City and Times Square.

The promotional campaign will be divided in two phases targeting the summer and winter holidaying season in India. Target-ing the Family for Phase I, young crowd

Hong Kong announces newmarketing campaign for India

and Couples for Phase II, the campaign will roll out through a travelogue giving a firsthand experience about the destination.The objective of the travelogue is to showcase Hong Kong as Asia’s World City with highlights on its vibrant and cosmopolitan lifestyle along with its unique fusion of East and West as well as great diversity of attractions.

News & Events

30Tourism Asia | June 2012

A front row window at the west end of Pall Mall has the words “Space is Virgin Terri-tory” in it. This is the new headquarters of the Virgin Galactic lead by Richard Bran-son who aims on taking tourism on a whole new level. The space inside will show visitors a picture of its launch base in New Mexico with its space craft taking off. According to the company’s commercial director, Stephen Attenborough, they are hoping to replace those photographs on the wall with the real thing because every-thing is going well as planned. Branson spent more than £162m along with inno-vative and striking technology in the design and production of the WhiteK-nightTwo mother ships alongside a SpaceShipTwo planes which is a smaller one. These are expected to bring space tourists 100 kilometres above the earth which is already outside the earth’s atmo-sphere. Each space place is able to carry two pilots and 6 passengers which will be then strapped into a mother ship. The launch is

described to be stomach-churning. As the rocket engine will ignite, the passengers will be rammed back in their positions and the space vehicle with rocket its way outside the earth at the speed of 4,000 km/h. The passengers will see the sky turn from blue to black as they travel into space. A 90 second mark will cue the pilot to pause the engine and the tourists on board will experience weightless silence.

Space Tourism: First FlightBooked 2013

The earth’s curve will be very visible amidst the dark background of outer space. Passengers will be given about seven minutes to literally float inside and take pictures. Afterwards, the wings of the giant ship will point upwards and then the shuttlecock will go back to earth. Once back to an altitude of 15km, the wings will return to their initial position and it will be ready for an airport landing. So far, Virgin Galactic has received £64m in deposits from about 520 customers. The first flight is scheduled 2013. Soon, Branson will have competitors in this busi-ness venture as a European conference for space tourism will be held According to Attenborough, this activity was claimed dangerous and was under the governments control for over 50 years. There is a big gap from what his been done before to what they are going to attempt to do.

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Documents

pilgrimage tourism

sky of india

space tourism

pilgrimage tours

indian population

indian soil

tourism asiaground floor

number of tour operators