Travel

Cleaner production should be a standard practice

Cleaner Production has been pursued for many years by many countries, but is often a misunderstood concept.

If one were to first explore the technical definition of Cleaner Production it could be defined as the continuous application of an integrated, preventive environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment, said President-Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) Srilal Miththapala.

He was addressing a seminar on cleaner production demonstration project for hotels organized by the National Cleaner Production Centre.

He said the difference between Conventional Production and Cleaner Production is that conventional production, processes, products and services, are designed without due consideration given for waste prevention, nor is there any thought given for reusing by products.

All these approaches collectively address the triple bottom line of the environment, economy and society - or the people, planet and profit approach. In the private sector today, some form of triple bottom line reporting is being incorporated into company accounts with greater commitment and focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he said.

Hotels have been perennially stereotyped as energy 'guzzlers' and 'wasters'. The total hotel load is estimated to be about 6 per cent of the total demand of the national grid. Energy cost of a typical hotel ranges between 20 to 25 per cent of its total operational expenses, up from 13 to 14% few years ago.

Many hotels have embarked on some form of energy conservation and energy auditing, but so far it has been mostly limited to reduction of electricity. No methodical and analytical approach has been made in a comprehensive manner to study entire processes, usage of raw materials and wastage, Miththapala said.

The tourism facilities hold tremendous scope to adopt environmentally responsible practices and to develop in a more sustainable manner. Cleaner Production has much to offer to the hospitality industry.

It is easy to adopt, easy to implement and the environmental and financial savings are extremely attractive. It does, however, require a paradigm shift among managers and employees to ensure that the objectives are not only sustained in the workplace, but consistently upheld, monitored and improved.

"For Cleaner Production to make a lasting difference in the tourism sector it needs to be entrenched as standard practice, in training establishments, hotels, tourism and hospitality associations and in Government bodies dealing in tourism", he said.

Sabre renews airline distribution agreement with Qatar Airways

Sabre Travel Network, has renewed its airline distribution agreement with Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar.

The agreement provides Sabre travel agencies and corporations around the world with access to their content, including fares, schedules and availability through the Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS).

"We have always been uniquely positioned to help airlines get the maximum yield for each seat sold through our extensive corporate, online and agency partnerships around the world.

This agreement also guarantees Sabre-Connected travel agents efficient access to Qatar Airways' extensive range of fares," said Senior Vice President, Sabre Travel Network in EMEA Martin Cowley.

Qatar Airways said Sabre's strong growth in the Middle East combined with its extensive global reach made the company an ideal partner to support the airline's expansion plans, which include its new daily non-stop service between Doha and Houston being launched on March 30.

The airline said a good growth strategy involved working with a marketing distribution partner to enhance global reach for business and leisure travellers.

Sabre currently has a strong corporate and online customer base around the world.

Special offer to woo Japanese tourists

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau joins SriLankan Airlines in presenting the country as an attractive destination for Japanese visitors.

The special offer which was launched last month will continue till June 2009, and bring together SriLankan Airlines offering a special rate for air passage. Endorsed by officials of the Japanese market, several travel itineraries have also been finalized in coordination with the SriLankan Airlines.

The Japanese traveller has always found Sri Lanka's ayurvedha, tea, world heritage sites, wildlife, and beaches and the recent relaxation of the travel advisory and the special promotional packages on offer, a heightened interest in travel to Sri Lanka is predicted.

Mongolian delights at Cinnamon Grand

The Cinnamon Grand launched its 10-day Mongolian promotion, with an all you can eat dinner buffet boasting of over 60 exotic preparations from yesterday. The promotion is from March 19-29.

"Any one or a combination of the 20 seasoning sauces holds the key to the good taste of Mongolian BBQ.

The unique method employed to speedily cook the food on the steel grill over an extremely high-temperature, opens fire excites the flavour of those natural ingredients to their fullest. And the flavour is sealed in as the entire cooking process is done so rapidly", said Executive Chef Morugama. Legend has it that after a long day of hunting, Genghis Khan and his Mongolian warriors would make camp and prepare extravagant feasts.

Using their swords, the warriors would prepare slivers of meats, combined with whatever vegetables and spices on hand, and grilled them on their upturned shields over a hot blazing fire. This type of cooking has become known the world over as Mongolian BBQ.

India launches campaign to attract foreign tourists

In an effort to reverse the decline in international tourist arrivals in the country after Mumbai terror attacks, India has launched a new tourism promotion campaign to woo the foreign visitors.

The new campaign 'Visit India Year 2009' has been launched at the current International Tourism Exchange in Berlin to present the country as an attractive destination for the holidaymakers.

The campaign is a joint initiative by the government and the tourism industry to win back international visitors who have stayed away since the terror attacks in Mumbai last November, said Secretary for Tourism Sujit Banerjee, who launched the campaign at a conference of international media and travel trade representatives.

India's tourism industry has to cope with global terrorism and global economic downturn, which are threatening to put a break this year on a decade of phenomenal growth in international arrivals, driven by the successful 'Incredible India' marketing campaign and steady improvements in the tourism infrastructure, Banerjee told PTI.

International tourist arrivals in India continued to grow last year even after the financial crisis began to unfold in some major tourism markets such as the United States and Britain, but the Mumbai attacks dealt a severe blow to foreign tourist travelling to the country, he said. Berlin, PTI

Foreign tourists flock Kashmir

Notwithstanding the terror strikes on Mumbai, India continues to attract tourists with a majority of them flocking Kashmir, a top Indian tourism official has said.

"India is a safe destination and Kashmir is absolutely safe. It is open for tourist traffic," Director, India Tourism, UK, Jagdish Chander said at the First Incredible India 2009 Roadshow at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel here last night. Kashmir is fully booked for tourists this summer, he noted Pranav Sarkar, Hon. Secretary of Indian Associations of Tour Operators said tourists from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are flocking Kashmir.

India's High Commissioner to the UK, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, who formally launched the Road Show by lighting a lamp, said "It is really an incredible India, a land of vast diversity. The Incredible India Programme reflects the truth." The Road show showcases hotels, airlines, attractions and tours.

"This year our road shows are bigger and better than ever before. Over 30 exhibitors participated in the Road show, raising awareness of their product among those working in the travel industry in the UK," Chander said. London, PTI

Online travel agencies decline on rival promotion

Shares of online travel companies fell Wednesday after privately held Travelocity followed rivals Priceline.com Inc. and Expedia Inc. in eliminating booking fees for domestic and international flights.

Travelocity is a subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corp., which also provides services to travel agents and airline companies through its Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions divisions.

Last week, Expedia Inc. announced a deal that cancels booking fees on flights through May 31. The company was following in the footsteps of Priceline, which has gained market share since removing its air booking fees nearly two years ago. Travelocity's promotion also ends on May 31.

Late Tuesday, Citi Investment Research analyst Mark Mahaney said Travelocity's new move counters the benefits of Expedia's promotion, which now may hurt the company's profits without significantly boosting market share. New York