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December 9, 2016 Lifestyle

Mobile Technology is Transforming Tourism Industry

Mobile Technology is Transforming Tourism industry. How do you Retain the Lead and Grow?

Transformation in the Tourism Industry

There are several factors that have transformed the tourism industry. One such factor is, of course, that of technology which is common to all the other factors that include the ease of transportation, the ease of booking, the Internet of course and the mobile devices. It is the digital transformation brought on by the challenge from the mobile devices that has totally changed the way we look at the tourism and travel sector today.

What makes this last factor unique is that this is not an option. If you wish to remain competitive it is imperative that you embrace this technology. Today everyone is a traveller, whether he/she is a millennial or a pensioner. While the millennial will look for adventure sports, the pensioner will look for cruises. But, everyone is now using the digital device for accessing all forms of information prior to the trip, while comparing different offers, checking out the opinions offered by previous travellers as well as carrying out activities related to the reservation of tickets and hotels. They will also book tickets for various shows, museums and theatres.

When the trip is over, reviews will be added so that other travellers will make use of them before their trip. In a majority of cases, a mobile device will have been used to do all the above. For someone in the travel and tourism sector, one can either be proactive or reactive. Therefore, one can either offer new possibilities that have not been thought of before or incorporate newer technologies that help cater to the needs of the customer. Owing to this, tourism as well as hotel companies are not only putting all their web functions in the mobile format but are today willing to create new experiences that have been designed especially for users of mobile devices.

The Digitization Challenge

The digitization challenge has changed the rules of the game. The customer is central to the theme in every phase of activity as he moves up from surfing the net to finally booking the tickets or the reservation for the hotel.

While seeking information prior to the trip most users will check the Internet before reserving the trip or booking the hotel room. This demands that the site is designed to be responsive to the needs of the customer. It is also imperative that all the content is easily accessible to mobile devices. Recommendations are also checked in a like manner.
Checking in or out of the hotel or a flight is a process that irks most travellers. This is yet another area where an online facility can save both time and the paperwork besides helping in improving the internal management of the company. It is also true that in some cases an online checking in will save you an additional cost.
There is considerable anxiety to ensure security in personal and financial data. It is, therefore, a challenge to offer a highly secure solution that is also effective both in cases of online reservation or purchase.
Today many apps have been thrown up in respect of tours and hotels. It is now feasible for the user to have customised mobile services as per one’s preferences.
We are now evolving to the concept of smart cities wherein beacons give out information related to tourism and hotels, weather and culture or transportation among other services.
Free mobile connectivity may now be available throughout the city or at least in central areas, hotels, airports and restaurants.
There are chains that offer devices such as smartphones or tablets to their customers during their stay either for a small fee or free of any charge.
There are apps that are focused on specific sectors such as the entertainment or the tourism sector and in cases narrower sectors that may include hiking or scuba diving or even ornithology and a family based tourism with kids.

The emerging trend of mobile apps in travel and tourism industry – Why Mobile Apps are becoming increasingly popular in the industry?

Mobile technology and Technologies like tour management software is fast transforming the tourism and hotel industry. It is necessary for all those in this segment to use the mobile device for expanding their business and retaining leadership.

*/ Preethi Vagadia is a business architect. She has worked in Mortgage and Finance software department with top-notch companies and has over 8 years of experience in Mortgage Technology, Mortgage lending software management etc. She has also worked on several process improvement projects involving multi-national teams for global customers in warranty management and mortgage. /*

December 7, 2016 Recipes

Recipes with Pumpkin

In my earlier post on ‘Pumpkin‘, I mentioned about nutritional benefits of Pumpkin. The following are recipes with Pumpkin…

Pumpkin Soup with A Savory Granola Topping

creamy vegan pumpkin soup with spiced savory granola pumpkin soup #Pumpkin #Soup

Ingredients:

3 ham/prosciutto slices, excess fat trimmed (chicken ham can be substituted)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped.

4 cups (1 litre,) chicken stock

Savoury Granola Topping

1 egg white, lightly whisked

45 gms rolled oats

100 gms pumpkin seeds

75 gms sunflower seeds

40 gms flaked almonds

50 gms white or coloured quinoa rinsed, drained

1 tbsp. black chia seeds

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt and pepper as needed

Cream for garnish

Method: To make the savoury granola topping preheat the oven to 180c. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the egg white, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, quinoa, chia seeds, sesame seeds, honey and cumin seeds in a medium-sized bowl and toss to combine. Spoon the mixture in a thin layer over the lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the prosciutto on a baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes until crisp and chop coarsely. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium flame and add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens. Add the pumpkin, carrot and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin and carrots are very tender. Cool and place half the pumpkin mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat on a low flame, season with salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the soup into serving bowls. Top with a dollop of cream and sprinkle with prosciutto and granola.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

400 gms butternut pumpkin, seeded and coarsely chopped

300 gms self-rising flour

250 gms castor sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 large eggs

125 ml vegetable oil

125 ml milk

1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp. flaked almonds

Butter and honey to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line the base and sides of a 10cm x 21 cm loaf tin with baking powder, allowing the sides to overhang.

Steam the pumpkin for 10 mins or until tender. Set aside and cool slightly, transfer to a small bowl and mash until smooth. You need about 1 cup of mashed pumpkin for this recipe.

Meanwhile combine the flour, sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, oil and milk in a jug and pour into the flour mixture and add the pumpkin puree. Use a wooden spoon and stir until combined, pour into the lined tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and almonds on the top.

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, cut into slices, toast under a grill and serve with butter and honey.

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December 5, 2016 Food

All You Ever Wanted to Know About a Pumpkin

In Hindi, pumpkin is called kaddu but the universal word pumpkin comes from the British Pumpkin which came from the British Pumpion which came from the French word Pompon, which came from the ancient Greek word Pepon which was also a word for a large melon. The American tourists changed it to pumpkin which is the word used today.

Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy smell, the seeds, the leaves and even the flowers. Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are edible and excellent nutrient -rich snack and can be easily found in grocery stores all over the world. In the United States and Canada, pumpkin is a popular Halloween and Thanksgiving staple often made in a pie or a dessert cheesecake.

In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy called halawa yaqtin. In India, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar and spices in a popular dish called kaddu ka halwa. Pumpkin is also used in South Indian cuisine for preparing sambar. In India, pumpkin finds itself being used in vegetable curries as well as a masala sabzi like aloo bhaji during Navratri. In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. In Vietnam, pumpkins are commonly cooked in soups with pork or shrimp. In Italian cuisine, it is used along with some cheeses as a savoury filling with ravioli. In Japan, small pumpkins are served in savoury dishes, including tempura. In Australia and New Zealand pumpkin is often roasted along with other vegetables and served as an accompaniment to roast meats. In the South- the western United States and Mexico, pumpkin flowers are popular and are used either for garnishing or dunked in a batter and deep-fried.

lantern from pumpkin — … Jack-o’-lantern | by wwarby

Pumpkins are generally carved into decorative lanterns called Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween season in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, was found in Mexico. Today pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes (such as animal feed) to commercial and ornamental sales. Of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkin; the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and China. As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year. The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Mini pumpkins at farmers market — A bunch of “mini” pumpkins at an open-air farmers’ market.

Nutrition and benefits

In a 100-gram amount, raw pumpkin provides 26 calories and an excellent source of pro-vitamin A beta-carotene and vitamin A (20% or more of the daily value). Vitamin C is present in a moderate amount and no other nutrients are in significant amounts. Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat, and 1% protein. However, pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, minerals, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Because the vegetable is low in calories and rich in dietary fibre, it is one of the food items recommended by dietitians in cholesterol controlling and weight programmes.

A cup of cubed pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light. It has also found to slow the decline of retinal function in those with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disorder that can lead to blindness, as per researchers from Harvard. And as a bonus vitamin A also helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth and bones.

Pumpkin seed oil is full of Phyto-oestrogens, which research shows are beneficial for preventing hypertension. Pumpkin seeds are rich in trypot-phan, the amino acid that contributes to helping the body make serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter that helps you relax and unwind. Not only do pumpkin seeds promote better sleep but the serotonin will improve your mood as well.

So, pumpkin laced desserts and lattes won’t quite cut it for a healthier you, but it will certainly make you feel happy and give you a smile, but , adding pumpkin chunks to your roasted vegetables medley, or a healthy soup, or a sprinkling pumpkin seeds with your daily breakfast cereal or your salads or a healthy pumpkin energizing smoothie every morning will perk you up and you will see a healthier you new year is approaching and the party season starts soon, and we all have to fit into those shimmering sexy new clothes so start the pumpkin binge, have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner- get innovative.

Did you know?

The American pilgrims were known to make pumpkin beer. They fermented a combination of pumpkin, persimmons, hops and maple sugar to make this early colonial brew.

In early colonies, pumpkin shells were used as a template for haircuts to ensure a round and uniform finished cut. Because of this practice, New Englanders were sometimes nicknamed “pumpkin heads”.

Stay tuned for recipes with pumpkin.

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December 2, 2016 Recipes

Recipes with Curry leaves

In my earlier post, I covered curry leaves and its benefits. The following are 2 delicious recipes to try out.

Curry leaf chicken

Ingredients:

1 piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3 cardamoms

1 tsp each fennel and cumin seeds

1 tbsp. peppercorns

1 cup loosely packed curry leaves + 20 more curry leaves

3 tbsp. oil

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

3 green chillies halved

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 cup sliced shallots or small onions

1 tsp salt

1 tsp coriander powder

250 gms boneless chicken

Method: Dry roast the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin and fennel seeds and peppercorns, until aromatic (for about 2 minutes) Add the cup of curry leaves and continue sautéing for two more minutes. Cool, and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, fry the garlic and ginger paste for two minutes, stirring continuously. Add the green chillies and sauté for a minute. Add the turmeric powder and stir.

Add the onions or shallots and salt and fry until the shallots soften. Add the extra curry leaves as well as the ground masala and fry until well incorporated. Lastly, add the coriander powder and the chicken and stir fry and continue cooking until the chicken is soft and tender and cooked through.

curry leaf chicken recipe — curry leaf chicken

Chicken 65

Ingredients:

750 gms boneless chicken

Marinate for 30 minutes with ½ tsp tandoori colour,

2 tbsp. brown vinegar,

4 tbsp. red chilli sauce,

1 tsp garam masala, salt, chilli powder and sauf powder,

2 tbsp. fried browned onions,

2 tbsp. tomato ketchup,

4 tbsp. plain yoghurt,

2 tbsp. corn flour,

1 cup oil,

40 curry leaves chopped,

6 whole red chillies,

1 tbsp. each chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste,

1 tsp each, jeera (cumin seeds) and kalonji (Nigella) seeds.

Method:

Heat the oil, fry the curry leaves, chillies, ginger and garlic paste until browned. Add the chilli powder, jeera, and kalonji seeds and when sizzling and golden add the chicken and cook until cooked and has a glossy sheen. Add more oil while cooking if needed.

curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65- By Amiyashrivastava [GFDLhttp://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons — curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65

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