REGIONAL REPORT : INDIA
A suite at The Postcard Moira in Goa
infrastructure in new and existing locations to increase business and leisure travel , the spokesman says .
Canadian investor Brookfield Asset Management has offered to buy debtplagued Leela hotels ( the offer had yet to be accepted at press time ).
“ Brookfield has been looking at the Indian the real estate space pretty aggressively ,” says Thadani , adding that it is attracted by the country ’ s growth .
TAILORING OFFERINGS Western chains wanting to compete in India need to adjust some of their offerings , Thacker says . For example , food options are just as important as the bed and the bathroom to the Indian guest . A big , elaborate buffet is important , especially in the budget to mid-range hotel .
“ Some of the Western chains with their very limited-service product … that ’ s not going to ( work ). The Indian loves his room service ,” he says .
Mandeep Lamba , president , South Asia , HVS Anarock , says about 25 million Indians traveled overseas in 2018 , a number expected to double by 2020 . The market size is expected to reach US $ 45 billion by 2022 . Domestically the traditional areas like Rajasthan , Goa , Kerala and Uttar Pradesh are popular , with states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra rising stars .
Indians comfortable with traveling overseas are heading to neighboring Asian countries with Singapore and Thailand taking the lead , Lamba says . In long-distance travel , the U . S . is the favorite , followed by Europe .
“ More and more Indians are looking at experiences during their travel including those with adventure , food and shopping . Accommodation offerings such as AirBnB are getting popular with Indians traveling abroad ,” Lamba says .
Lemon Tree ’ s Keswani says the firm is eyeing the international Indian traveler and is opening brands in countries popular with Indians . It will open two hotels in Dubai this year – and is looking at other Arabian Gulf Coast countries , as well – and was poised to sign contracts in Thimpu and Katmandu , Nepal . And eventually , they want to consider places like Singapore , Bangkok and New York City .
“ We work our demand and supply based on cities that have the largest number of ( Indian ) arrivals in those countries ,” he says .
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LUXURY
Kapil Chopra , CEO of The Postcard Hotel , wants to change how Indian luxury hotels are viewed . The former president of the storied Oberoi Group , Chopra announced the new brand in December , opening three converted hotels in the Goa region on India ’ s west coast . Postcard offers no set check-in / check-out hours and immersion in the local community . HOTELS : Where are the gaps in luxury ? Kapil Chopra : Luxury hospitality in India was only opening in a few key sectors , like Agra or Goa or Kerala . We had not developed destinations . Even with the phenomenal growth in domestic tourism , the occupancy at luxury resorts was 90 % foreign , 10 % India . The aspirational Indian , now affluent , wanted to travel and was not getting an opportunity to travel domestically because she had the same hotels in two or three resort destinations . H : How do you want to change that ? KC : With a new generation that wants to spend , explore and experience , we are at the right inflection point . India has much more to offer in terms of cultural diversity and even flora and fauna and geography . Our next hotels will be in Uttarakhand , located in the Himalayan mountains , in the Konkan Coast in a place called Prasi in Maharashtra state , and in Kanha , which is one of the biggest tiger resorts in India … Transformational experiences only happen in places very well-grounded in nature .
H : How do you manage doing business in Indian cities , such as land entitlements ? KC : Entitlements are very cost-prohibitive if you are in the cities , but in the resorts it ’ s much easier . In wildlife areas things take longer ( to get approval ), so we buy the land and work on licensing long before we start the hotels . In other areas we work in three formats : longterm leases , full strategic buyouts or we look at managing the hotels , but we try to avoid that since we want to invest in our own products .
30 hotelsmag . com March 2019