Ministry of Tourism27-September, 2017 14:08 IST
President presents ‘National Tourism Awards, 2015-16’ to Various Segments of The Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry on ‘World Tourism Day’

Incredible India 2.0 Campaign; ‘Adopt a Heritage’ Project and New Incredible India Website Launched

The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the “National Tourism Awards, 2015-16” to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at a function organised by the Ministry of Tourism on the occasion of “World Tourism Day” here today. Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism Shri Alphons Kannanthanam presided over the function. Tourism Ministers of States, Central and State Government Officials, Members from the Travel and Hospitality Industries, including leading Hoteliers, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Students from Tourism and Hospitality Institutes, Mainstream and Travel Media attended the function.

 

The President launched the “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign”; ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project and new Incredible India Website on the occasion. “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign” marks a shift from the present generic promotions being undertaken across the world, to market specific promotional plans and product specific creatives, with greater focus on digital presence and social media. ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project plans to entrust heritage sites to the public sector and private sector companies and individuals for the development of tourist amenities. They will become ‘Monument Mitras’ and adopt bthe sites. The “New Incredible India Website” is an advanced version of the website with more useful features.

 

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. Its evolution can be estimated from the fact that the number of tourists all over the world has increased from 2.5 crore in 1950 to 123 crore in 2016. The tourism industry contributes 10.2 percent of the world's GDP. It is estimated that every 10th person in the world works in the tourism industry. In India too, the livelihood of a very large number of people is linked to the tourism industry. In the year 2016, tourism’s contribution to GDP was 9.6 percent and 9.3 percent to total employment. The tourism industry can contribute significantly in generating permanent employment opportunities and eliminating poverty. According to an assessment, an investment of Rs. 10 lakh in tourism industry provides employment to about 90 people, while about 45 in agriculture, and about 13 people in manufacturing.

The President said that inclusive tourism development can strengthen inclusive economic development. Every citizen should strive to provide a good experience to tourists at his or her own level. In a tourism conscious society, the role of the government is only to provide direction and a facilitating environment.

He said that 'Adopt a Heritage Project' which was launched today, with the efforts of the Tourism Ministry, Culture Ministry and Archaeological Survey of India, has great potential to make our rich and diverse heritage monuments, tourist-friendly. He expressed hope that this project will help in the maintenance of our heritage with a partnership of the public and private sectors.

Shri Alphons Kannanthanam in his address congratulated the winners of the National Tourism Awards 2015-16 and called upon all to commit ourselves to transform India into one of the most preferred destinations for travellers around the world. He said that India’s Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Domestic Tourist visits are on a growth trajectory. India’s ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index 2017 of World Economic Forum moved from 65th position to 52nd position in 2015 and now India’s position has moved up by another 12 positions and are ranked at 40th position.

 

He said India is a destination which meets the needs of all travellers. Our collective goal is to develop the tourism sector in India in a sustainable and responsible manner. Tourism is in an enviable position with the inherent capacity to create large scale employment, eradicate poverty, benefit local communities economically and socially, and to generate awareness and support for conservation of the environment. Our policies and actions must aim to strengthen the benefits and reduce the costs of tourism. He called upon leaders of travel and tourism industry to share their vision and innovative ideas on tourism, so as to translate the grand vision of the Prime Minister in transforming India’s tourism sector.

 

In her welcome address Smt. Rashmi Verma, Secretary, M/o Tourism said that the tourism sector in India has been performing well over the past few years with an increasing growth. rate, higher than the World average growth rate. In 2016, India welcomed 8.80 million foreign tourists, an increase of 9.7% over the previous year. The current year also looks very promising with a double digit growth rate of 15.7% in Foreign Tourist Arrivals recorded during the period January to July 2017. This would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of our partners in the Tourism sector.

 

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India presents National Tourism Awards to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry annually. These awards are presented to State Governments / Union Territories, classified hotels, heritage hotels, approved travel agents, tour operators, tourist transport operators, individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their performance in their respective fields. The National Tourism Awards have, over the years emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. The date for the Awards function was selected to coincide with World Tourism Day which is celebrated annually on 27th September. The purpose of World Tourism Day celebrations is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

 

LIST OF AWARD WINNERS OF NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS (2015-16) IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES

 

Sl. No.

Category

Award Winner

 

HALL OF FAME AWARDS

1

Best State for Comprehensive Development of Tourism

Gujarat

2

Best State for Comprehensive Development of Tourism

Madhya Pradesh

3

Best Inbound Tour Operator – Category I

M/s Le Passage to India Tours & Travels, New Delhi

4

Best Inbound Tour Operator – Category I

 Ms SOTC Travel Services Pvt Ltd

5

Best Inbound Tour Operator – Category IV

Ms Travelite (India ), New Delhi

6

Tourist Transport Operator - Category I

Ms Alwar Tourist Transport Service, New Delhi

7

Most Innovative Use of Information Technology

Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL AGENTS / INBOUND TOUR OPERATORS

 

Category I - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore and above

8

First Prize

M/s Abercrombie & Kent India Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

9

Second Prize

M/s SDU Travels Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

 

Category II - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore

  10

First Prize

M/s Minar Travels India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

11

Second Prize

M/s Caper Travel Company Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon

 

Category III - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 25 crore and above but less than Rs. 50 crore

12

First Prize

M/s Pettitts India Tours Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

13

Second Prize

M/s GB Morrison Travel Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

 

Category IV - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.  25 crore

14

First Prize

Amber Tours Pvt Ltd,

New Delhi

15

Second Prize

Periplus Travels Pvt Ltd,

New Delhi

 

Category V - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 5 crore and above but less than Rs.10 crore

16

First Prize

M/s Centre Tours & Travels, Srinagar

17

Second Prize

M/s Vesna Tours Pvt Ltd , New Delhi

 

Category VI - Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs.2.50 crore and above but less than Rs. 5 crore

18

First Prize

M/s Special Holidays Travel Pvt Ltd

19

Second Prize

M/s Worldwide Rail Journeys Pvt Ltd, Noida

 

 

                                   

 

DOMESTIC TOUR OPERATORS

20

Best Domestic Tour Operator (Promoting and selling the tourism products of North East Region including Sikkim)

M/s Heat Travels & Tours India Pvt Ltd, Siliguri

 

Promoting and selling Tourism Products of the Rest of India

21

Best Domestic Tour Operator- Category I

M/s Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

22

Best Domestic Tour Operator- Category II

M/s Clubside Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd, Darjeeling

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOURIST TRANSPORT OPERATORS

 

Category I  - Turnover through tourist transport operation of Rs. 50 crore & above

23

First Prize

M/s ECOS(I) Mobility & Hospitality Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

 

Category II   - Turnover through tourist transport operation of Rs. 10 crore & above but less than Rs.50 crore

24

First Prize

M/s Bala Tourist Service,Chennai

 

Category III  -  Turnover through tourist transport operation of Rs. 1 crore & above but less than Rs.10 crore

25

First Prize

M/s FTT Cabs Pvt Ltd.,New Delhi

26

Second Prize

M/s Panicker`s Travels India Pvt Ltd.,New Delhi

 

 

 

 

Best Adventure Tour Operator

27

Best Adventure Tour Operator - Inbound

M/s Far Horizon, Faridabad

 

28

Best Adventure Tour Operator - Domestic

M/s Clubside Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd, Kolkata

29

Best MICE Operator

M/s Alpcord Network, New Delhi

30

Tour Operator promoting Niche Segments other than MICE and Adventure

M/s. Lotus Destinations Pvt. Ltd., Cochin

31

 

 

Best Tourist Guide

Mr. K Kasinath Rao, Telengana

 

32

Smt. Rama Khandwala,

Mumbai

(SPECIAL AWARD)

33

Best Wildlife Guide

Mr. Saeeb Khan.

Satpura National Park, Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh

 

 

 

 

AWARDS FOR PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

 

Excellence in Publishing

34

Excellence in Publishing in English

Madhya Pradesh Tourism for Coffee Table Book “The Heart of Incredible India”

35

Excellence in Publishing in Hindi

Madhya Pradesh Tourism for Simhasth 2016 brochure

36

Excellence in Publishing in Foreign Language other than English (Joint Winner)

Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala for Brochure in Spanish Language

37

Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Telangana for brochure in Mandarin language

38

 

 

Best Tourism Film

Promotional Films on Rajasthan ,Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan

39

“Visit Mysuru” by M/s Safe Wheels Tours & Travels,Mysuru

(Special Award)

40

Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material by States / UTs

Department of Tourism, Govt of Kerala for their publication “Your Next Blockbuster Destination”,  a Film Tourism Brochure

41

 

 

Most Innovative use of Information Technology – Social Media / Mobile App

Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, Panaji for their Social Media Campaign.

 

HOPITALITY SEGMENT

 

Convention Centres

42

Best Hotel Based

Meeting Venue

The Ashok, New Delhi

43

Best Stand Alone Convention Centre

Leonia International Centre for Exhibitions & Conventions, Hyderabad

 

 

 

44

Best Stand Alone Restaurant

Khyber Restaurant, Mumbai

 

 

 

 

Best Chefs

 

45

 In 4 star, 5 star, 5 star Deluxe, Heritage Classic & Grand category  Hotels

Mr. Arvind Rai, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

46

Best Lady Chef

Ms. Madhumita Mohanta, Executive Chef, The Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata

 

 

 

 

Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments

47

Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India

House of Kapaali, Greater Noida

 

 

 

 

HOTELS

 

48

Best Eco Friendly Hotel

ITC Maurya, New Delhi

 

 

 

49

Hotel providing best facilities for the differently abled guests

The Lalit, New Delhi

 

 

 

 

Heritage Hotels

50

Heritage Basic Category

Samode Haveli, Gangapole, Jaipur

51

Heritage Grand Category

Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur

 

 

 

 

Classified Hotels

 

52

3 Star

Hotel Bliss, Tirupati

53

4 Star

Vivanta By Taj, Kumarkom, Kerala

54

5 Star

Trident, Gurugram

55

5 Star Deluxe

(Joint Winners)

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

56

The Taj West End, Bengaluru

 

 

NICHE TOURISM AWARDS

 

57

Most Innovative & Unique  Tourism Product

Hanuwantiya and Jal Mahotsav. Madhya Pradesh Tourism

 

58

 

Responsible Tourism Project / Initiative

Sikkim for various Responsible Tourism initiatives 

 

59

Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala for Responsible Tourism in Kumarakom

 

60

Tourism Friendly Golf Course

Jaypee Green Golf Course, Greater Noida

 

61

Wellness Centre

Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital Pvt. Ltd, Kerala

 

62

Medical Tourism Facility

Apollo Health City, Hyderabad

 

63

Best Film Promotion Friendly State

Madhya Pradesh

 

64

Best State for Adventure Tourism

Madhya Pradesh

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER CATEGORIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Airport

 

 

65

Class X Cities

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, Maharashtra

 

66

Other Cities

(Joint Winners)

Srinagar International Airport, Srinagar, J&K

 

67

Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur

 

68

Tourist Friendly Railway Station

Ujjain Railway Station, Madhya Pradesh

 

69

Best Heritage Walk

Leading from the Front: Being Gandhi – Gandhi Tour  -  By India City Walks

 

70

Best Heritage City

(Joint Winners)

Warangal, Telangana

 

71

Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh

 

72

Best Maintained and Differently Abled Friendly Monument

Chaowmahalla Palace, Hyderabad, Telangana

 

 

Civic Management of a Tourist Destination

 

73

Category A

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation(GHMC)

 

74

Category B

Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

 

75

Category C

Sarovaram Bio Park, Kerala

 

76

Swachhta Award

Government of Telangana

 

 

 

 

 

Best State / Union Territory For Comprehensive Development of Tourism

 

 

 

 

77

Third Prize

(Joint Winners)

Kerala

 

78

Goa

 

79

Second Prize

Rajasthan

 

80

First Prize

Andhra Pradesh

 

 

*****

Sanjay Kumar/jk/Tourism/27.09.2017

 

 

 


(Release ID :171152)