NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Changing Dimensions

What’s the new four-letter travel buzz word? SARS - yes, that’s right. It has nothing to do with travel you may say, but along with the 9/11 New York terrorist attacks and the Iraq war, these troika of events have completely changed the dimensions of global travel and India is no exception. Even business travel has been affected, no longer does it entail simple travel arrangements. The business traveller now has to check whether the destination he is travelling to is branded ‘unsafe’, does he make any ‘dangerous’ stopovers and whether the airline (if it hasn’t shut down yet) still services the desired destination! A mass hysteria seems to have gripped the travel community worldwide, compelling a rethink in travel priorities and travel planning - safety and security has today become the primary concern even for the business traveller, over-shadowing time and cost-effectiveness. Keeping the new concerns of the business traveller high on our agenda, this issue of feBusiness Traveller presents an in-depth feature on travel insurance as our cover story, showcasing the various options offered by a host of new entrants in the Indian marketplace. Our Spotlight section also focuses on overcoming the ‘SARS syndrome’ and coping with travel anxiety. While business travel in India goes through a period of uncertainty and continues to evolve, there is not a single medium that exists in India today which would facilitate an exchange of views between the corporate travel manager, the business traveller, the travel agent or travel management company and the service providers (hotels, airlines, car rentals, credit card companies, etc). The feBusiness Traveller is an effort to fill this very void of information and is positioned to cater specifically to the needs of the Indian business traveller. It will be our constant endeavour to provide comprehensive information on pertinent issues related to travel, satiate your need for leisure and entertainment, keep an eye on your health and fitness, ensure that you’re abreast with the global developments in travel, update you on the best travel deals available and be your constant travel companion.

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Sheldon Santwan
Editor - FeBusiness Traveller

Sheldon can be reached at editor@businesstravellerindia.com