Heavens Portfolio, a renowned hotel representation company based in Asia, has announced its strategic expansion into Dubai, marking its first office outside of Asia. This move signifies a significant step in the company’s global growth strategy and underscores its dedication to providing comprehensive services to its clients. Dubai will serve as the 16th office for the Heavens Portfolio Group.
In its bid to enter the Middle Eastern market seamlessly, Heavens Portfolio has acquired The Travel Collection (TTC), an established representation agency in Dubai founded by Jacqueline Campbell. Following the acquisition, the merged entity will be rebranded as The Travel Portfolio, continuing its mission to represent top global luxury travel partners in the GCC region.
Christine Galle-Luczak, Founder and Managing Director of Heavens Portfolio, expressed her excitement about the expansion and acquisition, stating, “I have known and collaborated with Jacqueline for many years. We share common values, work ethics, and a commitment to our clients. The addition of Jacqueline and her team to the Heavens Portfolio Group as we extend our presence beyond Asia reflects our dedication to excellence and innovation. Dubai’s dynamic environment aligns perfectly with our vision, and we are eager to explore the potential opportunities this brings for The Travel Portfolio, our clients, and the talented individuals joining our expanding team.”
This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone for both entities as they aim to cater to the growing Indian and global luxury traveller market by offering tailor-made luxury travel experiences in the enchanting island destination of Sri Lanka. Through this partnership, Red Dot Representations strengthens its position in the luxury destination management sector.
Jacqueline Campbell, Managing Director, The Travel Collection (TTC), also expressed optimism about the collaboration, mentioning, “The launch of The Travel Portfolio signifies a significant milestone in the evolution of our company. By joining forces, we are creating a formidable entity that combines our unique strengths, expertise, and resources to redefine industry standards and deliver exceptional value to our clients. I am confident that together, we will navigate today’s business landscape with resilience and shape a promising future.”The strategic acquisition and expansion into Dubai highlight Heavens Portfolio Group’s commitment to growth, innovation, and providing top-notch services to its clients in the luxury travel sector.
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Kazakhstan takes a significant stride in international tourism promotion with the opening of its first-ever international office in India. Kairat Sadvakassov, Chairman Kazakh National Tourism JSC, inaugurated the office at an event at SAATE on Thursday.
At the event, Kairat Sadvakassov appointed Prashant Chaudhary, the head of Salvia Promoters, as the official representative for Kazakh Tourism in the Indian market.
Salvia Promoters, known for its expertise in promoting Central Asian and Russian markets, received a certificate of representation from Sadvakassov. With years of experience in visa center operations and market promotion, Salvia Promoters said it is set to elevate Kazakhstan’s tourism profile in India.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Kairat Sadvakassov highlighted the strategic importance of tapping into India’s booming outbound tourism market. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s diverse attractions, visa-free travel for Indian passport holders, and convenient flight options connecting major Indian cities to Almaty, making Kazakhstan an attractive short-haul destination.
Talking to ETTravelWorld, Sadvajassov spoke about prospect of increasing flight connectivity to Kazakhstan going forward. “We have two airline currently flying double daily flights to Almaty. However, we feel that that capacity will not be enough, shall we start promoting the destination heavily. So, we will be working with the National Civil Aviation Authority and local airlines to see the network and the frequency can be expanded. But most importantly, there is a visa free regime and India has been on the Visa Waiver Program, so it should definitely boost the visitor numbers,” he added.
Chaudhary on the occasion echoed the sentiment, expressing his honour to represent Kazakhstan’s tourism offerings. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s status as the world’s largest landlocked country, boasting diverse landscapes, vibrant city life, and rich archaeological heritage. Chaudhary underscored the untapped potential of Kazakhstan in attracting Indian tourists, projecting a substantial influx of visitors in the coming years.
Highlighting the surge in Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka, the events celebrated the doubling of Indian visitors from 13,759 in January of the previous year to 34,399 in January 2024. This exponential growth was attributed to enhanced connectivity between the two countries, with 95 flights connecting Sri Lanka to nine Indian cities, ensuring seamless travel experiences and smooth transactions facilitated by India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
The collaboration between Kazakh Tourism and Salvia Promoters aims to attract tourist groups from India to Kazakhstan while effectively representing Kazakh Tourism’s interests in the Indian market. Chaudhary, with over two decades of experience in territory promotion and marketing, brings valuable expertise to the partnership.Chaudhary anticipates Kazakhstan hosting up to 500,000 Indian tourists annually by the same year, underscoring the vast potential for bilateral tourism cooperation between the two nations
“Using our expertise, we are planning to make Kazakhstan one of the preferred destinations in the Indian market. So last year around 100,000 Indian visitors travelled to Kazakhstan. So this year we have a target to double the number by end of this year. Almaty is a popular destination among Indian travellers, and now we want to make Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which is also a historical city popular among Indians. We have plans to participate in other exhibitions, organise roadshows pan India and organise press trips going forward,” Chaudhary said during a conversation with ETTravelWorld.
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For a destination that is heavily reliant on tourism, Thailand‘s economy suffered a big blow during the pandemic as its robust industry virtually collapsed. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand, the country received about 40 million visitors in 2019, and the government estimated they spent 1.9 trillion baht (USD 53.2 billion) – an amount that plummeted by more than 99 per cent by 2021.
Ranked at number five in terms of top source markets for the country, in 2019, the Indian traveller arrivals to Thailand was almost 2 million. Last year, when Thailand fully opened its borders in July, it clocked almost 1 million Indian travellers. “So the recovery is about 50%,” said Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), New Delhi office.
“And this year, from the first of January until August, though we have surpassed last year’s numbers, we feel we may just not be able to touch the 2019 level. The main reason for that is that the recovery has been gradual. However, in terms of revenue, Indian travellers are spending more and booking longer trips,” said Trirattanasongpol.
A tourist from Shanghai, who identified himself only as Dai, said he was impressed with the “very lively” welcome ceremony at the airport, though he noted that the immigration officer who checked his passport did not immediately know about the temporary visa exemption policy. He said he plans to stay for two weeks and visit other cities besides Bangkok, including Chiang Mai and Phuket.
According to Trirattanasongpol, after the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, Thailand has been focused on the resumption of tourism the most. “The market has not picked up at the same level as in 2019,” she said. “So, in this year, and also the next, we will focus on the reception of the market. We will boost our connection and reach in not only the metro cities, but in the secondary cities as well,” added Trirattanasongpol.“Luxury experiences have picked up and we are seeing a lot of women travellers visit Thailand,” said Trirattanasongpol. “If Bangkok was the first choice for Indian travellers (being the aviation hub), Phuket as a luxury destination has really caught up with the Indian traveller,” she said.
The popularity of Pattaya, a pre-pandemic favourite, appears to have waned among the travellers due to health and hygeine securities. “People are more concerned about hygiene and health security than before. The same is the case with Indian tourists. Instead, they are opting for newer destinations and more luxurious experiences,” she said.
The two new destinations that are fast catching the Indian travellers’ fancy are Krabi and Khao Lak in Phang Nga province. The government is now promoting smaller cities as destinations for tourists to encourage them to stay longer and spend more, she shared.
When it comes to the revival of tourism, Malaysia remains the number one source market for the country. “Because we are neighbouring, we are the preferred weekend destination for Malaysia. Also, people in Malaysia can travel as many times as they want,” said Trirattanasongpol.
China is ranked number two followed by Russia and then Korea. At number four is Japan. “The revival rate from most of these markets has been steady, except for Japan, which has been the slowest to pick up,” she shared.
Under the scorching sun, Thai archaeologist Tanachaya Tiandee clambers through ruined pagodas in the ancient town of Si Thep, trying to unlock their mysteries — a task made harder because many of the clues are missing. “The big picture like the building was discovered, but the artefacts which tell little details are missing, making a lot of stories untold about Si Thep,” Tanachaya said.
Of the lot, Malaysia and Korea have been the most aggressive in the number of tourist arrivals in the country. Lately, Thailand has even introduced a new visa-free policy for the Chinese to boost tourism.
For the India market, Thailand has been consciously and successfully promoting MICE and Wedding tourism, apart from leisure. TAT has well designed benefit schemes for the tourism partners, especially big groups that are over 100 pax. “We have lucrative offers that partially cover expenses for them. For big wedding groups, too, we have attractive benefit schemes for the wedding planners. In fact, we plan to revise the same in the next fiscal year, starting October. The new scheme will focus more on the customer itself,” said Trirattanasongpol.
Ease of business and consumer satisfaction have been two big factors in driving big groups to Thailand. “We are getting good business from secondary cities in India and are looking at active collaborations in Bhubaneswar and Guwahati, and we plan to focus more on tier two and three cities,” she said.
The big challenge for Thailand is to encourage and induce the travellers to embrace sustainability, particularly with larger groups. “We are consciously directing our marketing campaigns towards more high value and sustainability opportunities,” she shared. Food waste has been a tricky aspect to handle in case of big weddings but now with the hospitality sector taking on active campaigns, TAT is actively steering the change.
Increasingly, its marketing campaigns are focussed on mindfulness and slow travel, driving home the point of responsible tourism. “Our current ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign is focussed on ‘write your own new chapters’, where it encourages a traveller to discover new things and focus more on oneself. It is all about mindfulness and deeper explorations,” she said.
In terms of focussed promotions in India, TAT has been holding roadshows to engage and connect the trade partners, in India and Thailand. “We are looking to do more collaborative and joint promotion with the partners, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities. Our focus would be new destinations, new segments and active senior citizens. We are also looking at special promotion with women travellers as our TG,” she shared.
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