Know Your Market to Grow Your Market Seminar: Russia & India

The Seminar is designed to provide tourism and hospitality professionals with insights on Jordan's main source tourism markets, to help enhance knowledge of the Russian and Indian markets and market segments; address seasonality and highlight the opportunities for Jordan as a destination in a vastly changing travel environment.

It will also include expert advice on countering the effects of regional events and maximizing target segments in the short and medium terms back into Jordan.

Topics:

·   Market trends and insights.

·   Market segment opportunities including incentive and religious niches.

·   Developing market specific programs and engaging trade.

·   Know your Russian and Indian markets Cyberspace – engaging and closing business online.

·   Expert advice on countering the effects of regional events and maximizing target segments back into Jordan.

To download the profiles please click on each:

- Indian market profile.

- Russian market profile.

Seminar Leader and Speaker

Ms. Sandra Willett

Component Leader, Destination Marketing, Product and Experience Development, USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project

About the Speakers

Ms. Elena Harvardt

COO, NeXeN Group, JTB MBR in Russia

Elena has been the representative of the Jordan Tourism Board in Russia since 2011. She graduated from the Kyiv State University n.a. Shevchenko, which tops the UNESCO rating of Ukrainian educational institutions, with a degree in mathematics.  Head of the largest medical tourism project in Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe - Moscow Medical & Health Tourism Congress and Exhibition, and editor of the Medical & Health Tourism Magazine www.treatment-abroad.ru, Elena Harvardt is a well-known tourism industry expert. Elena has received awards and diplomas in Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland and Cuba for her professional experience in market research and strategic analysis and planning in the field of tourism for government bodies and corporate customers in the markets of Russia and Eastern Europe.

Ms. Margarita Lebedeva

Business Development Director, Space Travel, Russia

Margarita Lebedeva has more than 8 years of experience in the travel business and is currently Business Development Director at a multi-sectoral tour operator - Space Travel in Moscow.  The company specializes in individual and group tours, mainly to eastern countries, such as Morocco, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Seychelles, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, South Africa and others. During her professional career, Margarita was responsible for organizing charter programs from Moscow to Agadir (Morocco) and to Muscat, and has also worked with the ministries of tourism of those two countries to organize press tours and develop exclusive programs. She has also worked on MICE projects with international companies such as L’Oreal and Mazda. She has given interviews for the radio program Echo of Moscow, reviewed the travel market in various print and online publications, including TourBusiness, Hot Line Tourism, Tourdom.ru, Tourprom.ru, and participated in numerous workshops in Russia.  Margarita graduated from the State University of Service in Moscow, Department of Tourism.

Ms. Olga Bogatyreva

Director General, Pilgrim Center Pokrov, Russia

Olga studied theology at the St. Filareth Orthodox University and took courses for Administrators of Pilgrim Organizations under the Moscow Patriarchy. She began working in the travel industry in 1997, starting her career as tour guide specialized in religious tourism. She worked for Strannik, which organized pilgrimage travel and later became an executive officer at a specialist in pilgrim travel organization, Favor, which was founded under the aegis of the Orthodox monastery. At Favor Olga developed many pilgrim itineraries to European countries, especially Italy. In fact, she was the first to arrange organized pilgrimage tours to Italy and the itinerary that she developed is still used today by her present company and many other companies. In 2007 Olga founded her own company, Pokrov, where she continues to develop programs for pilgrims as well as guiding groups.

Mr. Yuri Schegolkov

 Head of Tourism Editorship, Ria Novosti, Russia

Yuri owns a publishing house in Moscow and was winner of an award for "Best news agency in the field of tourism" in 2011. Yury has more than 22 years of experience in media and is currently the head of tourism editorial at the Russian Information Agency RIA Novosti. Formerly, Yuri was head of advertising and marketing at TEZ TOUR - Russia's leading tour operator. He also was Director of Sales, head of the network of travel agencies "Intourist", and an advisor to the Director General of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Mr. Shireesh Sharma

Managing Director and CEO, Celebrations!, JTB MBR in India

Shireesh is Managing Director of Celebrations!, a world tourism consultancy firm specialized in destination marketing and strategic planning and market based representative of JTB. He has three decades experience in the fields of travel, tourism and hospitality, in both the public and private sectors.

Shireesh is responsible for the inception of the first tourism department in a county government in Washington State. He has received awards for Excellence in Tourism, and was appointed to the United States White House Conference on Travel & Tourism and Washington State Tourism Advisory Council. He has served on various Boards and Committees at local, state and international levels, such as Economic Development Councils and the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau (IACVB). He has been published and referenced in Reader's Digest, Essentially America (a U.K. consumer publication), Consultants Report International, Los Angeles Times, Recommend, Conde Nast Traveler, International Travel News, The Daily News and The Oregonian.

Mr. Ashwini Kakkar

Vice President, International Travel House, India

Before joining International Travel House, Ashwini was CEO and Managing Director at Thomas Cook India Limited (TCIL), where he was responsible for operations and profitability for the entire Indian Ocean territory between Singapore and Egypt. He also led the launch of the TCIL brand image from relative obscurity into the public consciousness as India’s foremost travel house. Ashwini has held a number of external positions such as President, Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Director, Alliance Capital & Asset Management Services (I) Ltd, Member of Board-Travel Partnership Corporation, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and has received several awards, including Chevalier de l’Ordre de Merite – Knighthood – French Government and Award for Excellence as Top CEO from the Institute of Marketing and Management, New Delhi.

Mr. Sidhartha Roy

Vice President – Marketing and Business Development, Travel House, India

Based in the New Delhi Corporate Office of International Travel House, Siddartha is responsible for customer retention and acquisition across all verticals. Sidhartha also teaches brand management and strategy at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Sidhartha is a management graduate from Banaras Hindu University and has an MBA from IIM Calcutta, specializing in marketing. He has been in the industry since 1985, primarily working in the service industry with major hospitality and tourism brands such as ITC Hotels, Accor, the Oberoi group and Hyatt. He also worked in the aviation business with Jet Airways in India, as well as spending nearly seven years in the Indian ventures of global advertising firms DDB Needham and Y&R. Sidhartha has been at the helm of several initiatives including launches of premium brands such as the WelcomAward and Jet Privilege loyalty programs in ITC Hotels and Jet Airways.

Mr. Sheldon Santwan

Editor & COO (Travel Division), Saffron Media Pvt. Ltd., India

Sheldon is the driving force behind two trade magazines – TravelBiz Monitor and Hospitality Biz.  He started India’s first and only weekly travel publication in the form of TravelBiz Monitor the only live portals for travel and hospitality-related news in India and ranks in the top 5 Google worldwide search for travel-related news.  Prior to his current position, he was the Associate Publisher & Editor for Express TravelWorld and Express Hospitality magazines – part of The Indian Express Group.

Through the years, he has worked closely with various state governments and tourism boards in an advisory capacity, along with government agencies like MEDC (Maharashtra Economic Development Council), and is also a part of the tourism sub-committee and steering committee of the Indian Merchants’ Chambers.

Sheldon is also affiliated with various key travel and hospitality associations in India and has been invited to speak at various national and international forums like EFT (Eye for Travel) and WTO (World Tourism Organization) Summits in Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.  As a media professional, Sheldon has received many industry awards, some major ones being the Marriott International Golden Circle Award in 2005 and the India International Tourism Council (IITC) Award for outstanding contribution in travel journalism. He is also the first Indian journalist to be conferred the Honorary Affiliate Membership of the HCIMA (Hotel & Catering International Management Association).