Bird Travels launches Silversea Cruises in India
Bird Travels appointed as the Preferred Sales & Distribution partners

New Delhi, India, November 25, 2009: Bird Travels, a fully owned subsidiary of Bird Group and Silversea Cruises today announced the launch of Silversea Cruises in India. Present during the launch were Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, Enrico Origone, SVP, Sales & Marketing, Silversea Cruises and other dignitaries.

Bird Travels Pvt. Ltd. will be the preferred Sales & Distribution representative for Silversea Cruises in India catering to the high end luxury cruise market. The partnership entails Bird Travels to market, advertise and sell exclusive destinations worldwide which was not available to the Indian market till now, offering an unmatched luxury lifetime experience to the discerning traveler.

Speaking at the launch, Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, said “We believe in developing partnerships that redefine customer experience. And, as the preferred partner for Silversea Cruises in India, we are geared up to set new industry standards, characterizing luxury, and personifying elegance. The business of creating memorable vacations in India is ready to scale newer horizons, and innovation in services along with world-class expertise will play key catalysts in taking it to the next level.”

Silversea Cruises sail across 7 continents in over 80 countries covering more than 400 destinations through the year. Bird Travels will be promoting travel across these exotic locations, untouched by the Indian audience. Silversea Cruises is an epitome of luxury offering tailor made and customized packages to suit the destination preferences of its guest’s. The costs involved are dependent on the itinerary and the destination being covered, however, a 7 days package would, on average, cost anywhere between USD 6000 to USD 7000.

“We are convinced that the Indian cruise sector is evolving and has a great potential of growth. We are proud of our preferred partnership with Bird Travels and we will surely and successfully contribute together to the development of the Indian cruise industry. Silversea has continued investing in its product and luxury service, from the refurbishment of the Silver Wind, to the butler service extended to all the categories of suites. Moreover Silversea presents a wide range of cuisine specialties together with Relais & Chateaux on all the fleet and especially on the new vessel Silver Spirit, where the inclusion of the trendsetting menus of the Stars Supper Club and the Sushi and Asian seafood specialties of the Seishin Restaurant complete the culinary experience designed for every own personal preference of our guests. I am sure our luxury product will know a great success in India,” said Enrico Origone, SVP Sales and Marketing for Continental Europe and New Markets, Silversea Cruises.

The Indian cruise sector is at a nascent stage with less than 0.5% share and is evolving with a huge potential for growth. It is estimated at Rs. 240 crore with approximately 80,000 travelers every year. The sector is increasingly gaining momentum and popularity amongst Indian travelers. With the Indian economy getting stronger and spending power increasing, Cruising in India will increase at a steady pace. Infrastructure development at key ports such as Mumbai, Goa and Kochi will boost the sector enormously. India’s travel and tourism industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% by 2014 according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). This is well above the expected growth in South Asia and the world aggregate level. High disposable incomes and the significance of the middle class over 150 million is expected to lead the growth of the sector in the coming years.

The Indian government has been exploring the possibility of exploiting the potential of India’s long coastline. According to recent reports, the Union Shipping Ministry has approved the Cruise Shipping policy keeping the potential of the sector in mind. In 2008 – 09, the Ministry of Tourism had sanctioned projects across Indian ports to develop Cruise tourism; notable being the development of tourism infrastructure at Cochin Port, Kerala for Rs 1450.00 lakh to Cochin Port Trust, Kochi. The Cochin port has also been credited with hosting the Volvo Ocean Race in December, 2008.

About Bird Group
The Bird Group was founded in 1971 with the incorporation of Bird Travels. Today, with over 40 years of experience and more than 40 offices supported by over 3500 well trained staff and an impressive clientele of over 500 top corporates, Bird Group can claim to be one of the largest and most diversified entities within the industry in the Indian subcontinent. With businesses as diverse as pioneering back-office processing to being the representative for many of the world’s leading airlines; from managing the backbone of the technological framework for airline IT and distribution to managing crucial relationships of international service providers, Bird Group has ensured that a comprehensive portfolio of service offering has been created to add value to an extensive client base and add new potential customers. And in recent months, Bird Group has taken bold steps to increasing the value offering while broadening business horizons with new ventures. Today Bird Group’s core business includes Travel Technology, Comprehensive Airline Representation & Management, Hospitality, Passenger Aviation Services & Ground Handling, Cargo Management, Education & Training, Business Consultancy & Luxury Retail. Together, the various companies within these verticals generate direct revenue in excess of USD 100 Million.

For more information, visit the Bird Group website www.bird.in

About Silversea Cruise
Silversea, an innovator in the ultra luxury segment is recognized for defining the elite luxury experience, offering guests an ambience of welcoming hospitality and casual elegance. SilverSea has received regular laurels and accolades for its excellent service standards by leading consumer and trade publications. Voted the “World’s Best” in the US by readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times) and rated the “Best Luxury Cruise Operator” according to Asia’s Travel Weekly (2008) - Silversea creates exceptional ocean journeys with unique opportunities to explore remote ports-of-call from an intimate haven of incomparable luxury. Each voyage aboard Silversea is a unique masterpiece. SilverSea offers its guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit, launching in December 2009. All these ships are designed to offer a special lifestyle. With the addition of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II, the itineraries encompass all seven continents.

On board Silversea, guests will discover genuine European expertise reflected in every detail, from our tranquil all-suite accommodation and uncompromising service to distinctive fine dining and a carefree all-inclusive philosophy. Guests hail from across the globe, yet share an appreciation for the spectrum of choice offered in Silversea’s array of exotic destinations and exclusive explorations ashore. By blending these elements together with enrichment experiences, each new port transforms itself to being more than a mere destination. They become a state of mind, transcending the traditional concepts of cruising. It is this distinction that has earned Silversea the reputation of being the World’s Best.

For further information please contact Six Degrees PR:
Bird Group
Ritu Bararia                
Corporate Communication
Tel: +91 11 30613300
Fax : +91 124 4610667
e-mail : rib@bird.in

Six Degrees Public Relation
Supriya Gupta/Vilsha Kapoor             
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Email: supriyag@sixdegreespr.co.in /vilshak@sixdegreespr.co.in