Shalini Srivastava

B.Com.II Year
2017-18

REGIONAL COLLEGE
OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES & RESEARCH
Affiliated to MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly

Pilibhit Bypass, BAREILLY (UP)

PROJECT ON

VIA.COM
(TITLE OF PROJECT)

(LOGO OF PROJECT COMPANY)

2016-2017

SUBMITTED BY:

SHALINI SRIVASTAVA

B.COM. (HONOURS) – II Year.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

REGIONAL COLLEGE
OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES & RESEARCH
Affiliated to MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly
Pilibhit Bypass, BAREILLY (UP)

CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PROJECT TITLED

“VIA.COM”
(Title of Project)
HAS BEEN PREPARED BY

Shalini Srivastava
AS PER REQUIREMENT OF CURRICULUM OF B.COM. (HONOURS)- II Year.
THIS WORK IS AS PER GUIDELINES LAID OUT FOR THE SAME AND IS WORTHY OF APPROVAL.

Signature of Panel of Teachers

Dr. Anjali Chaudhary
Dr. Priya Verma
Miss Surya Lata
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

REGIONAL COLLEGE
OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES & RESEARCH
Affiliated to MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly

Pilibhit Bypass, BAREILLY (UP)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I AM EXTREMELY THANKFUL TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED ME IN COMPLETION OF MY

PROJECT TITLED

“VIA.COM”.

MY PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE COMPLETED WITHOUT THE ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE

AND MOTIVATION PROVIDED TO ME BY Dr. Anjali Chaudhary, Dr. Priya Verma and
Miss Surya Lata mam. LASTLY, I WOULD THANK ALMIGHTY GOD FOR GIVING ME
COURAGE, WILL AND INTELLIGENCE TO COMPLETE THIS WORK.

Shalini Srivastava

B.Com. (Hons)

II Year
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Private banking is a concept which is new and fast emerging in the world of banking where

changes have become a necessity in order for banks to survive in this competitive environment

vis-à-vis not only from the public and private sector banks but also from the foreign banks. The

objective of the research is to explore the various products, which a private banker deals into

and the systematic process involved to match client requirements with the right kind of

product.

Through this research one of the main objectives is to explore the reason why most of the

banks are injecting private banking as business profile to their set of service offerings.

Though private banking evolved in late 80’s in Asia, in India its not more than 5 years old. ICICI

started it in Aug 2002 and since then it has been a remarkable success. Today there are

enormous solutions to cater client needs but what suits best to a client is where private banking

fits in. Every client will have different needs, liking and preferences. So a customized portfolio

for every client is the need of the day.

This research will highlight more on the product portfolio of ICICI Private Banking, how they

have changed or innovatively structured to be attractive and competitive.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER 1

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

According to Blaxter, Loraine; Hughes, Christina and Tight, Malcolm (2001), vi Research is often

presented as a fixed, linear series of stages, with a clear start and end. The type of research is

exploratory, based on exhaustive primary and secondary data. The research is descriptive as

well as analytical in nature. Kumar Das, K. (2006), vii states that Research in tourism requires a

close examination of, and making explicit, the assumptions and norms that percolate the area

of tourism that is being considered and the actual methods of research employed. It is the

process of continuous questioning and testing of ideas, concepts and views in a structured

attempt to reach a better understanding of subject and solutions to the problems investigated.

Empirical Research

The researcher has used descriptive research approach for this study. Questionnaires and

interviews shedules were used to collect the primary data from the stakeholders of the Tourism

Industry.

• Descriptive Research: The researcher has used questionnaires and interview schedules

to collect primary data from the stakeholders in Tourism Industry and allied services

that attract tourists towards the Tourist Centers in Maharashtra. To find and analyze the

various attributes and factors that attracts tourists to Maharashtra.

• Analytical Research: The researcher has analysed the collected data statistically and

logically to arrive at expected inferences for devising marketing strategies to promote

Maharashtra tourism.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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The study is aimed to identify the factors commonly associated with Maharashtra tourism,

gauge the present tourism scenario and bottlenecks to suggest suitable marketing strategies for

development of Maharashtra tourism.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a marketing analytical tool for assessing the strength and weakness of the

current scenario and as Maharashtra tourism has to be marketed effectively one needs to know

the strengths and weakness of the state as the tourist destination. SWOT analysis takes two

different directions - internal evaluation of strengths/weaknesses, and external evaluation of

current opportunities and possible threats to successful explanation. The use of SWOT analysis

is to help Maharashtra state develop a strong business strategy by making sure that all the

strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats it faces in the marketplace

have been considered.

Types of Respondents: The study is partly based on the primary data collected from following

respondents:

i. Tourists - 2000

ii. Tour operators, / Travel Agents - 251

iii. Hotels and Resorts Managers - 245

iv. MTDC- Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation official – 3 and

v. Ministry of Tourism, Government of India official – 1

 Shalini Srivastava
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Universe and Sample Design

Since the population of the respondents is quite large, a representative sample of each of the

respondents has been selected by simple random sampling method so that each unit in the

universe had an equal opportunity of being selected. This sample is thus free from bias.

Instrument for Data Collection

Following instruments were used for collection of secondary and primary data required for this

research:

• Library work for review of related literature and references from data sources, research’s

and government reports,

• Well structured Questionnaires for tourists, Travel Agents/Tour operators and Hotels and

Resorts.

• Structured Interview Schedules for Officers of MTDC, Ministry of Tourismgovernment of

India and one Senior Tour Operator.

Sources of Data

Following are the data sources for this work in hand:

(A) Primary Data:

Collection of original data using an accepted research methodology is referred as primary data,

Clark, Mona [et al] (1998). The primary data is collected through structured questionnaires with

both open-ended as well as close-ended questions for Tourists, Tour operators and Travel

Agents and also for Hotels and Resorts. A structured interview schedule was used to gather

information through an in depth interview of the Officers of MTDC,Ministry of Tourism,

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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government of India and one senior Tour Operator of the famous Chaudhari Yatra Company to

collect required data. The researcher has collected primary data from 2000 tourists, MTDC,

ITDC, 245 Tour operators and Travel agents, 245 hotels and resorts.

(B) Secondary Data:

Bhattacharyya, D. K. (2003),ix says when and researcher or investigator uses the data which has

already been collected and published for another research project, such data is called

secondary data. The researcher has collected secondary data from The Tourism Ministry of

Maharashtra, magazines, newspapers, research journals, government agencies and

publications, University bulletins, Government bulletins etc.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER 2

INTRODUCTION
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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INTRODUCTION

VIA was incorporated in February 2007 in Bangalore, India. The Company is one of the fast

growing & profitable travel company in Asia's online space driven by technology, better buying

due to demand aggregation & forward cash flows. The Company is a leading distributor of

transportation ticketing, accommodation reservation, packaged tours, corporate travel

management, travel ancillaries, retail and financial services. VIA offers a comprehensive suite of

travel & retail products and growing set of financial services products, provided by 10,000+

suppliers on the platform. The company offers its services through a robust, highly scalable

cloud based technology platform consisting of mobile apps, websites, corporate platform, and a

centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center.

VIA's Corporate Travel Management Business unit helps corporate clients effectively manage

their travel needs and significantly reduce travel expenses. VIA expanded its footprints to

Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and UAE. Today, Via's network include over 100,000 active

travel partners across 2,600 towns and cities & over 13,000 pin codes across Asia and over

7000+ signed SMEs.

 Shalini Srivastava
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OUR PHILOSOPHY

We make selling very easy

We started with the premise of selling travel, not necessarily under our brand, but to everyone

through our partners, world class travel products and services in every neighborhood and

deliver great customer service. We serve over 2 million customers that walk into our outlets

everyday, that you can practically find in your neighborhood. We are the 'Via' Inside Of the

Travel World.

Unbelievable customer service.

NO customer calls when all is well. We believe customer service starts with listening to the

customer, owning what is wrong and then going out of your way to fix it. That's it, it does not

mean, large call centers flooded with hundreds of souls or jazzy 1-800 numbers. Just a simple

email or SMS will do. We will call you back. We fundamentally believe most problems can be

eliminated by design and the rest by listening.

We hate to be a "me too"

We have always prided ourselves in attempting and solving problems which makes the life of

consumers and partners simple, and when we say simple means, in a few minutes, you can get

the best price and quality in your neighborhood. What we have achieved today is that we have

made quality travel accessible to a common man, in each and every corner of India through
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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partners, bringing the bus industry online, building the first known reservation systems for bus

operators to enable bus bookings in early 2007, be the first ones to build a automatic ticket

booking kiosk or through the mobile, or now launching a totally different way of booking travel.

You can book flight tickets and hotel rooms at the price you want. We are giving the power to

our customers to tell the price and we will find the best deal suited for your budget. Our vision

and dream of creating simplicity has lead to many successful incubations, new ideas puts us in a

league far ahead from our competitors. We are disruptive in our approach to destroy the

existing practices or create efficiency in them, and come up with new ones which gives our

customers great quality and savings in a few seconds always.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER 3

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

Via started in a small garage on 9th A Main Road, 2nd Block Jayanagar, Bangalore in early 2006

when we were solving the problem of how to make travel easier for the consumer. We saw a

very fragmented travel market in India, primarily driven by cash, which was lacking quality

products and services. The idea of selling travel FMCG style was born there. Today we are the

largest thing, of its kind on the Ground. We feel proud to have made it with the help of the

whole team.

We just kept one focus, that was how can a Via partner sell more efficiently to his customer and

what sales tools can we give him to service his customer better. That one focus and feedback

from all our partners let us to create a powerful platform where the word of mouth itself got

more and more travel agents join us and do business with us.

Our most valuable asset is our 650+ team.

We believe that the only way to succeed is to be the best and aim for being the best. We

cultivate a culture where our people are groomed to be leaders in their work areas and create

future leaders.

In a service business, we know that without dedicated, talented and thoughtful people, we

cannot be the firm we aspire to be. Our principal assets are our people, capital and reputation.

We are committed to maintaining a culture of diversity, integrity and strong business principles.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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Swaminathan Vedaranyam

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Effective Jan 2013 Swaminathan took over as the CEO, prior to that he was the COO of the

company. He has considerable experience in travel & IT. His primary focus is in making VIA a

valued relationship for all its stakeholders.

Himanshu Garg

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Himanshu has over 10 years of experience & extensive knowledge of both backend & frontend

technologies. He has setup mobile app and various other core initiatives at VIA. He has worked

with companies such as Google & Trilogy. He holds is a Master degree in Computer Science

from IIT Roorkee.

Ramesh Samineni

Country Manager – Philippines

Ramesh is an energetic business leader with over 20 years of experience in Business

Management, Customer Service, Business Growth, business analytics, problem solving, project

planning and management. He has grown Via in Philippines from zero to top position in a span

of 4 years winning awards from all the airlines. He is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate from

Osmania University, Hyderabad. Before joining Via, he had worked with Mercury Travels, E-

Travel India, Akbar Travels and Shanfari Travels, Oman.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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Srinivas Murthy

Country Manager – Indonesia

Srinivas has successfully setup VIA Indonesia operations. He has previously worked with SYKES,

ITC Group & DELL across various functions. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA)

from Bangalore University.

Shiva Ponnuchamy

Head B2C - South East Asia

Shiva has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry across functions such as B2C, B2B,

Retail & Corporate segments & is currently responsible for VIA’s international expansion. Prior

to Joining VIA, Shiva was Head of Sales India at GoAir. He has also worked with IndiGo,

Kingfisher, South African Airways & InterGlobe. He holds a Masters Degrees in Literature from

Jodhpur University.

Yogesh Mehta

Vice President Product Head

Yogesh currently heads the Hotels business division. He had over 8 years of experience in the

travel industry across functions such as sales, marketing & ecommerce. He holds an MBA

degree with specialization in Finance.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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Godfrey Pereira

Business Head – Holiday

Godfrey has over 20 years of experience in online and offline travel trade. Prior to joining VIA,

he was associated with MakeMyTrip, Cox & Kings and Trimurthi Holidays . He is a Commerce

Graduate.

Anil Reddy

Head – Corporate Business

Anil has over 15 years of experience in the travel, leisure & hospitality industry across various

functions such as operations, product management & business development . He holds a post

graduate degree in Sales & Marketing from Osmania University.

Ram Garg

Engineering director

Ram heads technology for Hotel, Holidays and B2B E-commerce. He has over 10 year

expereince in technlogy and over 5 year experience in Via in various products Including Flights,

Corporate, Hotel, Holidays and E-commerce. He holds a computer science degree from IIT

Bombay.
 Shalini Srivastava
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Ashu Gupta

Engineering director

Ashu has over 8 years of experience in technology both frontend and backend. Ashu has setup

technology for international expansion and various other core initiatives. He holds a Masters

degree in computer science from IIT Roorkee.

Kousik Bhattacharya

Head - Marketing & B2C Business

Kousik heads the overall marketing strategy and planning for VIA in India and the International

market. With extensive experience in marketing, technology and e-commerce, he has been

associated with the promotion of many big brands in different industries like BFSI, FMCG, e-

commerce, IT/ITES, etc prior to joining Via.

Ramya Bheeman

Human resource manager

Ramya heads the Human Resource wing at Via. She comes with rich knowledge and experience

working with multinational company such as Aditya Birla group. She is responsible for the

design and implementation of all human resources strategies, policies, process, as well as

overall talent acquisition and retention.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 4

PRODUCT AND SERVICES

 Shalini Srivastava
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PRODUCT AND SERVICES

 Top Flight Routes

 Top Holiday Destinations

 MICE Domestic Packages

 MICE International Packages

 Shalini Srivastava
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TOP FLIGHT ROUTES

Bangalore to Delhi Delhi to Bangkok

Fares from Rs. 3099 Fares from Rs. 2905

Hyderabad to Dubai Mumbai to Goa

Fares from Rs. 10100 Fares from Rs. 1996
 Shalini Srivastava
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Mumbai to London Delhi to Mumbai

Fares from Rs. 17568 Fares from Rs. 2750

Delhi to Bangalore Bangalore to Singapore

Fares from Rs. 2293 Fares from Rs. 8617
 Shalini Srivastava
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TOP HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

Dubai Goa

Kashmir Kerala

Singapore Thailand
 Shalini Srivastava
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MICE DOMESTIC PACKAGES

Shimla Rajasthan
Splendid Shimla Royal Rajasthan

Goa Kerala
Exhilarating Goa Picturesque Kerala
 Shalini Srivastava
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MICE INTERNATIONAL PACKAGES

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Dubai Malaysia
Glitzy Dubai Magnificent Malaysia

Paris Singapore
Exquisite Paris Sensational Singapore
 Shalini Srivastava
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CHAPTER 5

PLANT LOCATION
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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PLANT LOCATION

India (Head Office)

Level 4, Block B(Magnolia),
Manyata Embassy Business Park,
Outer Ring Road, Nagawara,
Bangalore - 560045
INDIA
Fax : +91 (080) 40433011
Email id : care@via.com

India (Delhi Office)

Building no. 2/14,1st floor,West Patel Nagar
Near Patel Nagar Metro Station,
New Delhi 110008
INDIA
Email id : holidays@via.com

Philippines
Unit 405-407, 4F Five E-com Center Building,
Blk. 18, Pacific Drive, Mall of Asia Complex,
1300 Pasay City,
Manila, Philippines.
Email:service@via.com
 Shalini Srivastava
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Indonesia
PT.Adya Tours (VIA | Indonesia)
Pakarti Centre, 6th floor
Jl. Tanah Abang III No. 23-25-27
Petojo Selatan, Gambir
Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia - 10160
Fax : +62 21 38901949
Email id : cs@via.com

UAE
Flightraja Travels Middle East FZ-LLC
DIC Building 16 P.O Box 85284,
Dubai, UAE.
Fax : +971 44458529
Email : support.ae@via.com

Oman
Flightraja Travels Middle East FZ-LLC
DIC Building 16 P.O Box 85284,
Dubai, UAE.
Fax : +971 44458529
Email : support.om@via.com
 Shalini Srivastava
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CHAPTER 6

MARKET SHARE
 Shalini Srivastava
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MARKET SHARE

Via Expense

Get visibility. Automate everything.

Via provides full visibility into spend and the ability to ensure policy and regulatory

compliance. Plus, it's all paperless-so you can ditch the spreadsheets, and pitch the pesky

receipts.

Via Travel

Build the perfect business trip.

Exclusive Corporate Login with self control and manage tools. Via Pre-Pays on behalf of

Corporate - Bulk Buying - VIA pays Hotel directly and bills Corporate later nullifying the risks

of Money Transfer for Corporate

Via Invoice

Streamline, and simplify.

Real-time Invoicing & Monthly Costing Statement for easy & transparent accounting and

expense management solution. Single Screen Offerings of Flight, Hotel, Bus and Holiday

Packages

Via For Mobile

Manage travel & expense, anywhere.

The Via Corporate web site is fully responsive and mobile friendly, so you can manage your

business trip from anywhere. You can also count on Via to deliver world-class security
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 7

MARKETING STRATEGIES
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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MARKETING STRATEGIES

MUMBAI: US based software and services company Ebix has acquired online travel portal

Via.com for $75 million. The acquisition will help Ebix expand its scope of offerings in the

travel segment and add more than a lakh of retail outlets to the EbixCash family.

Ebix also plans to cross sell its financial prod ucts to its customers using the platform to book

tickets. This is the fifth acquisition by Ebix in India in as many months, since it acquired Itz Cash

early this year and has helped expand the retail footing of EbixCash to around 2.2 lakh. The

company intends to create a financial exchange to cater to all the payment needs of its customers

starting from remittance, bill pay ments, insurance and even travel.

to around 2.2 lakh. The company intends to create a financial exchange to cater to all the

payment needs of its customers starting from remittance, bill pay ments, insurance and even

travel.

The acquisition of Via.com gives the company an expanded foothold in the travel booking space

and also an entry into the South East Asian market.

I believe that the addition of Via's integrated platform into our rapidly growing EbixCash

financial exchange allows us tremendous cross-selling opportunities through each other's

distribution networks as our product portfolio is complementary and a perfect fit for each of our

distribution outlets and corporate clients," said Robin Raina, chief executive officer of Ebix.

Bengaluru-based Via.com, which was backed by venture capital investors, including Kalaari
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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Capital and Sequoia Capital, had raised about $15 million in funding. Founded in 2007, the

company formerly known as FlightRaja, said having grown at 45% over the last three years, it

has a network of 1.1 lakh retail outlets across South East Asia and around 8,000 corporate

clients.

With around 85,000 agents in India alone and a hotel inventory of over five lakh, Via claims to

capture more than 5% share in both domestic and international airline ticketing in India.

Highlighting this acquisition as a part of the broader Ebix strategy , Raina said Ebix will

continue to drive investments in India from a $200 million fund to create the EbixCash Financial

Exchange.

Ebix is a logical home for Via, as it complements EbixCash's financial exchange portfolio

perfectly, opening up tremendous cross-selling opportunities on both sides. We are excited about

the possibilities this offers for both our customers and employees. Ebix's financial strength,

expertise, focus and commitment to the fintech sector were key in our decision," said Vani Kola,

MD, Kalaari Capital, which was one of the main investors in Via.

Before this acquisition, the payments company had acquired Wall Street Finance, YouFirst

Money Express and Paul Merchants, spending more than $50 million in total.

It also recently partnered with the BSE to create an Insurance Distribution Exchange platform.

Uber, transport ministry partner to push road safety awareness

 Shalini Srivastava
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MUMBAI: As part of its ongoing efforts to encourage road safety awareness, on demand ride-

sharing company Uber Tuesday joined hands with Union Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways to push for the cause in the country which witnesses around five lakh accidents every

year.

Uber will jointly promote road safety messaging on its mobile application and the social media

through co-branded materials and mediums, the US-headquartered ride-hailing firm said in a

statement here.

Ensuring road safety is key priority for the government as India witnesses around five lakh

accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths every year.

We are committed to reducing fatal road accidents by 50 per cent by 2020, being a signatory to

the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety," Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted as

saying in the statement.

This effort to make our roads safer has to be a collaborative multi-pronged initiative that needs

joint action from policymakers, civic authorities, automobile industry, civil society and

commuters in general.

Sensitising the public about their roles in ensuring road safety is as vital as placement of curbs,

under-passes and safety features for pedestrians," he added.

 Shalini Srivastava
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Advertisements and videos targeting prevention of drunk driving and promotion of rear seat belts

and hands on the wheel, among other themes, will be prepared and disseminated across the

country as part of this safety campaign, Uber added.

Another key initiative towards impacting road safety awareness and education among drivers,

both on and off the Uber app, is the decision to jointly develop learning aids and informational

tools that shall guide the driver training programme in driving schools across the country.

The ministry and Uber will jointly be preparing the learning materials which will be shared and

utilised by over 200 driving schools, including training institutes run by the government, the

statement said.

By jointly promoting road safety messaging among lakhs of riders and by guiding driver partners

on road safety measures through learning aids, we are focused on empowering people to make

better, safer choices and playing an enabling role in making our roads safer," said Pradeep

Parameswaran, Head, Operations, Uber India & South Asia.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 8

COMPETITOR
 Shalini Srivastava
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COMPETITORS

Comparing the results to its competitors, Viacom Inc reported Total Revenue increase in the

3 quarter 2017 by 4.73 % year on year.

The revenue growth was below Viacom Inc's competitors average revenue growth of 5.18

%, recorded in the same quarter.

With net margin of 20.94 % company achieved higher profitability than its competitors.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 9

DATA ANALYSIS
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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DATA ANALYSIS

DATA ANALYSIS

4.1 Primary Data presentation

A point that was made was that secondary data represented fast and inexpensive
research information. In addition secondary data rarely provide a complete solution to
a research problem. The secondary data are not matched to problems for three
reasons: 1) units of measurement, 2) class definition, or 3) publication currency
(Veal, 1992). So authors logically turned to primary data. The Tourist Survey
Questionnaire was designed and sent to foreign tourists, which is about 300 shares, to
answer. This was conducted mainly in two areas including Larnaca Airport and
Nicosia.
The followings are some findings by analyzing the statistics of respondence to the three hundred

questionnaires.

Table 1 Genders
Male
Female
52% 48%

According to the percentage of gender, we found out that female travelers are nearly half to the

total respondents. They are more discriminating and security conscious than male travelers. It can be

suggested that lodging properties can offer additional amenities (such as makeup mirrors, premium

shampoos and lotions, hair dryers, etc.). Also, additional security measures should be taken to meet the

female traveler’s needs.

 Shalini Srivastava
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Table 2

Ages
AGE PERCENTAGE

18---27 12%

28---37 23%

38---47 31%

OVER 48 33%

The bigger percentages of age are mainly the middle-aged and the old. We can see that, in off-

season, tourists over 30 years old have more free time and money to travel abroad. Among them,

people over 47 years old are most.

 Shalini Srivastava
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Table 3 Nationalities
NATIONALITIES PERCENTAGE

U.K 23%

GERMANY 20%

NORWAY 16%

SWEDEN 12%

DUTCH 8%

SWISS 5%

ITALY 5%

SPAIN 4%

IRISH 3%

AUSTRALIA 2%

KOREA 2%

From the figures above, British and germen are major tourists to Cyprus. Next is North European,

such as Norway and Sweden.

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Table 4

Occupations
OCCUPATION PERCENTAGE %

42%
RETIRED
HOUSEWIFE 18%

ENGINEER 6%

PUBLIC SERVICE 5%

TEACHER 4%

OTHERS 25%

During off-season of tourism, the retirees are the majority of total tourists, which is 42%. Many

housewives also have time to relax by traveling in wintertime. From the percentages of different

occupations, we can find that few people who have jobs have time to travel abroad in winter.

The following are findings from the responses of the twelve questions.

1. Shown as Figure 3, there are 28% tourists choosing safety. From here, we can find that safety is

still No. 1 consideration in tourists’ mind. Also it is proved that Cyprus is a very safe tourist

destination. Safety is its one of the most important advantages. 25% of tourists choose its

I like Cyprus because of.....

Figure 3
27% 28%
30% 25%
25%
18%
20%
15%
10%
2%
5%
0%
Historical heritage Culture and Scenery Others
Customs
 Shalini Srivastava
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historical heritage and 27% of tourists choose its cultural traditions and customs. From here, we

can find that the historical heritage and culture of Cyprus are very important attractive points

for tourists.

2. Shown as Figure 4, 73% of tourists are satisfied with the unique culture and environment. It

indicates that it would be successful for Cyprus on the aspect of maintaining its culture’s

uniqueness.

How satisfied were you with the unique culture and

Figure 4 environment?

73%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
16%
20% 8%
2%
10% 1%
0%
Very satisfied Generally satisfied dissatisfied

3. Shown as Figure 5, there are 28% and 19% of tourists choosing fairly and not very much pleased.

These two quite big figures indicate that problems exist in terms of the appearance of the

Cyprus beaches. As one of the main attractions, beaches problems should not be ignored. These

How pleased were you with the appearance of the Cyprus Beaches?
Figure 5

47%
50%

40% 28%
30% 19%

20% 5%
1%
10%

0%
very pleased fairly not very displeased
pleased much
pleased
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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problems should be discovered as soon as possible and solved properly.

The public transportation of Cyprus is

very conveinent for tourists.
Figure 6

50% 42%

40%
26%
30% 17%
20% 6% 9%

10%
0%
strongly agree strangly others, please
disagree specify

4. Shown as Figure 6, nearly 59% of tourists consider that the public transportation of Cyprus is not

convenient. It means big problem with public transportation problems include limited time,

limited lines, limited number of times, etc.

5. Shown as Figure 7, although most tourists are satisfied with the attitudes of local people to

them, they’re over 20% of tourists express their dissatisfactions. The impressions of tourists on

local people directly affect tourists’ repeat visit to Cyprus. In addition, tourists will tell their

friends their experiences in Cyprus.

Most local people treat tourists friendly

Figure 7 and hospitable.

49%
50%
40%
18% 23%
30%
20%
5% 5%
10%
0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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6. Shown as Figure 8, most tourists can find their favorite activities. But there are many people did

not agree it. For example, a tourist said that she liked Viking, but couldn’t find suitable places to

go.

You can always find activities, which are

suitable for you in Cyprus.

Figure 8
47%
45%
50%
40%
30%
20% 6%
2% 0%
10%
0%
strongly agree strangly others, please
disagree specify

7. Shown as Figure 9, over half of tourists considered that Cyprus is an ideal place for holding

meeting, or wedding ceremonies/ honeymoon. That is a big percentage, which shows that

Cyprus can develop its target market in this aspect.

Cyprus is an ideal place for holding

meetings, wedding and honeymoon.
Figure 9

52%
60%
50% 37%
40%
30%
20% 7%
3% 1%
10%
0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18
8. Shown as Figure 10, most tourists disagreed that sports tourism is well developed in Cyprus. It

indicates that sport tourism is still in the stage of beginning. But the potential characteristics to

attract the sport tourism market existing and need to be discovered.

Sports tourism is well developed in Cyprus.

Figure 10

72%
80%

60%

40%
18%
20% 6%
0% 4%

0%
strongly agree strangly disagree others,
agree disagree please
specify

9. Shown as Figure 11, a big percentage of tourists, who is 91%, considered that the rates of

lodging properties offering are high. This should be taken seriously. Compared with other similar

tourist destinations. This is an important and big weakness in the drastic competition today.

Figure 11
How about price in Cyprus tourist industry.

87%
90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%
6%
30% 4% 2%
1%

20%

10%

0%
very high high very low low fairly
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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10. Shown as Figure 12, most of tourists considered that Cyprus is very safe tourist destination. But,

still some tourists have opposite choices. One of them said that the traffic of Cyprus was too

dangerous; some drivers were not good at driving at all!

How would you define safety and security in Cyprus.

Figure 12

56%
60%
50%
40%
30% 20%
15%
20%
5% 4%
10%
0%
excellent good sometimes insecure others, please
specify

4.2Analysis of Secondary Data

The main secondary data were obtained mainly from CTO (Cyprus Tourism Organization). Upon

evaluating the secondary data, the analysis will be presented.

The Need for Differentiation

Tourism in Cyprus is at a critical turning point of its development. Thus far,
Cyprus has allowed mass tourism to develop with little regard to planning and long-
term sustainable development (Ten Years Strategic Marketing Plan). In the year
2002, GDP stood at us$ 6.3 billion and tourism accounted for 20 percent of its total.
The Cyprus economy has become overly dependent on tourism and is detrimentally
focusing on limited markets of sun, sea and sand. (See table 1).
One of key issues was the dependence of the rapid growth of tourism in Cyprus on a single tourist

market. As is evident from the below table (see table 1). British visitors accounted for about 55 percent

of all arrivals to Cyprus. Due to the fact that the British market has reached zenith levels in the Cyprus

tourism industry, this presents an over dependency on it. It becomes necessary to change the strategic
 Shalini Srivastava
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marketing for CTO to attract other European tourists. From the view of CTO, according to its

“Development of a Long Term Strategy for Cyprus Tourism, the tourist authorities are aware of the

increased risks associated with having a narrow source of origin for tourism and they are working

towards diversifying the market.

By evaluating the report “Sustainable Tourism and Competitiveness in the Islands of the

Mediterranean”, another important point arose was that Cyprus operates primarily in the mass tourist

market where price competition is intense and as a consequence, profit margins are being squeezed.

This clearly relates to Gilbert’s “status area” versus “commodity status”, in which he recommends that

it’s better to be unique and cost more than to be cheap and forgettable. He also recommends that

differentiation the tourism market gets better results rather than over extending the already stretched

mass tourist one.

Table 5

Tourist Arrivals By Country

Percentage %
Country Year 2001
United Kingdom 1486700 55.13%

Germany 214149 7.94%

Switzerland 76608 2.84%

France 32825 1.22%

Holland 50743 1.88%

Belgium/Luxembourg 31001 1.15%

Austria 31031 1.15%

Italy 21907 0.81%

Ireland 51875 1.92%

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Greece 89758 3.33%

Nordic countries 270789 10.04%

Russia + Other CIS 128504 4.77%

Countries in Eastern Europe 51232 1.90%

Israel 36676 1.36%

Arab Countries 50795 1.88%

Other Countries 72139 2.68%

All Countries 2696732 100.00%

To illustrate the above argument, Metaxas, the director of marketing of the CTO, referred to the

example of Ayia Napa, Cyprus’s number one destination, which attracts the young market (clubbers

which account of 35 percent of the total arrivals). A report by the CTO points out that in high season,

young British tourists are attracted to the area (Ayia Napa), but have negative results for the market not

only during high season but also during the remaining months. Most of the young crowds come on

cheap flight and accommodation package deals. They tan all day, sleep very little money on food and

engage in very limited recreational activities. Obviously then, by differentiating the tourist product,

there would be less pressure on sun, sea and sand to carry the entire tourism industry of Cyprus.

The necessity to raise the tourist product quality

Comparing with other similar tourist destinations, Cyprus has higher costs in providing tourist
products. One important factor should be taken consideration, which is a high labor cost. Labor costs in
Cyprus are particularly high. This factor needs detailed examination with a view to making a case to
government for special consideration. The tourism sector is especially labor intensive and therefore,
additional burden. Another factor is the issue of seasonality. An uneven pattern in demand means that
tourism operators have under-utilized plant that is not earning money at some periods of the year,
reducing profits. This leads to a series of problems; it forces operators to recoup their investment over a
limited period of the year which tend to lead to high prices and in some cases, a poor quality product
since standards are compromised in and effort to reduce overheads.
 Shalini Srivastava
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Therefore, it is not easy to lower prices of Cyprus tourist products. The resolving of the problem is
turned to raise the product quality. “By raising the product quality rather than lowering prices, this
would simultaneously attract higher income tourists as well as tourists who want more value for their
money and are willing to pay more to receive it”, Metaxas said.
Additionally, by raising the product quality, diversification and seasonality are encouraged. To
overcome the constraint of seasonality, the strategic plan suggests attracting visitors who are prepared
to come to Cyprus outside of the peak months. Specifically the share of arrivals during the peak season
(July-September) should decrease to 33% from 40% that is the case in recent years, while the share of
arrivals during the remaining months should increase accordingly (CTO, Strategic Plan for Tourism 2010).

Developing Special Interest Tourism

Shown as “Percentage Distribution of Tourists By Location of Stay 2001”(see table
2) over ninety percent of tourists choose to stay at the seaside cities, such as Ayia
Napa, Larnaca, Lemesos and Paphos. It indicates that sea and sun are still the main
stimulus for most visitors who come to the island. While, the tourism resources of
Cyprus are not unilateral. Cyprus has historical sites, museums with a large collection
of antiquities and treasures, themed routes, nature trails, and many other interest
products, which are dispersed, in the different areas of the island. Attracting tourists
to visit different areas of Cyprus should be made great efforts.
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Table 6
DISTRIBUTION OF TOURISTS BY LOCATION OF STAY 2001
LOCATION OF STAY AGIA HILL
LARNAKA LEMESOS PAFOS LEFKOSIA
MAIN COUNTRIES PARALIMNI NAPA RESORTS

11,96 9,38 5,66 16,52 49,74 0,92 0,07

UNITED KINDOM

GERMANY 7,88 15,08 6,78 10,01 52,31 0,41 0,26

SWITZERLAND 15,56 51,97 8,30 10,49 10,66 0,48 -

FRANCE 4,43 5,05 20,10 27,40 16,19 3,33 -

HOLLAND 4,13 9,67 10,80 11,56 49,78 1,04 -

BELGIUM 0,32 1,39 8,01 14,19 66,90 1,77 -

AUSTRIA 8,71 32,54 20,87 15,83 16,78 0,41 -

ITALY 13,36 18,89 6,39 18,98 28,72 5,44 -

IRELAND 22,43 45,48 3,27 20,56 4,98 0,93 -

GREECE 2,98 1,99 21,79 31,30 6,01 26,29 0,09

NORDIC COUNTRY 34,92 48,39 8,34 5,30 1,78 0,31 -

RUSSIA + OTHER E S -
1,16 10,86 15,04 41,47 26,25 1,74
N

COUNTRY IN -
4,29 18,18 37,56 35,35 2,35 1,21
EASTERM EU

ISRAEL - 22,81 22,46 35,54 3,80 7,96 3,01

ARAB COUNTRIES 0,46 7,44 24,02 45,25 4,13 15,40 0,20

ALL COUNTRIES 10,58 16,01 10,48 19,00 33,40 2,86 0,14

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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The strength of the appeal of a destination to tourists is critically linked to the type
and quality of ‘activities’ it offers. It is the activities that Cyprus offers that will
stimulate an interest in visiting the country. More reasons should be given to potential
visitors to come to Cyprus. One extremely important way of achieving this is to
develop a wide range of special interest tourism products. This is important because it
not only targets those who pursue a special interest and therefore, opens up new
market potential but it also attracts individual with a more generalist holiday in mind.
“Strategic Plan For Tourism 2010” regarding Special Interest Products, focuses on the
creation of products that can project the uniqueness of Cyprus as a destination.
The Special Interest Products will act as attractors to the destination, which of the same time they

will offer opportunities for activities and entertainment. In this case it does not generate new business

but it does lead to a higher level of satisfaction. For example, a person may seek a resort-based holiday

but also be attracted by the additional prospect of walking in the Troodos Mountains. It is an additional

incentive and can result in providing that extra reason to choose one destination from another.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER 9

FINDINGS
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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FINDINGS

The OTA segment in India is expected to grow by further 30-40% by the end of 2017

fiscal year.

Yatra.com enjoys the 30% market share in the Indian Online Travel Industry after

Makemytrip.com which has approx. 48% market share.

The OTA channel in India has gone from being Niche to Mainstream, especially in the

top eight to ten cities in India.

A top OTA such as Makemytrip.com said it sells more than 12,000 flight tickets, 1,000

hotel nights and more than 100 holiday packages everyday. The site attracts more than

4.5 million unique visits every month.

Tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23% to the

national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India.

The tourism industry in India generated about US $ 100 billion in 2017 and that is

expected to increase to US $ 275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual rate.

Online travel industry is to be worth US $ 6 billion in 2017.

The OTA (Online Travel Agency) business in India is currently expected to be approx. $

800 million and depends largely on air-travel related transactions (2015).

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18
People are not aware aboutVia.com much as they know about Makemytrip.com.

Revenuewise, Makemytrip.com was the market leader with $360 million in revenue in

2015-16 followed by Cleartrip.com which had $ 200 million in revenue.Yatra.com was

third with $ 150 million in revenue, with the other players sharing the rest of the pie.

Most of the businessmen prefer to book their tickets or packages through their travel

agents.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER 10

LIMITATIONS
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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LIMITATIONS

The limitations that were faced are mentioned below:

1) The responses of the officials were not always free from bias because of some compulsions

and busy schedules did not help the matter. Also the availability of the officials was always a

cause of concern for getting relevant information.

2) Cost factor is always a cause of limitation creeping into the project, though an effort was

made to overcome it.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 11

RECOMMENDATIONS & SUGGESTIONS

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTION

Via.com should be more flexible in their policies if they want to capture the major

chunk of corporate sector, they should come up with CREDIT FACILITY.

It should focus more on their promotional activities so as to create awareness about

the company among the masses.

As it’s an online travel portal, so it should have more such tie-ups as they already have

with Yahoo! And eBay.

 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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CHAPTER 12

CONCLUSION
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18
CONCLUSIONS

Online Travel Industry is the fastest evolving service sector industry in India.

The OTA segment in India is expected to grow by further 30-40% market share in the

Indian Online Travel Industry.

Yatra.com Online Private Limited is presently enjoying 30% market share in the Indian

Online Travel Industry.

Makemytrip.com is the market leader in the sector, enjoying almost 50% market share.
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
2017-18

CHAPTER-13

BIBLOIGRAPHY
 Shalini Srivastava
B.Com.II Year
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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Websites:

Google.com

via.com

Wikipedia.com

Journals/Magazines/Newspaper

Dainik Jagran

Amar Ujala

Hindustan Times