The industry, surveyed over the first six months of this year, shows a near ICU state of affairs for the industry. This report argues that urgent steps are needed for the industry’s resuscitation! In this report we present an analysis of hotel performance in India for the half year Jan-June 2020. All comparisons are with H1-19 or Q1 and Q2 of 2019, as relevant. If 2019 was the best performing year (among the last 10 …
Puneet Chhatwal, and Hotel Association of India, have been relentlessly pursuing solutions for the hospitality industry, post the COVID crisis. Continuing their efforts, in a recent interview on ET NOW, shared his views in what can be described as a broader expression of industry’s concerns and interests as it moots ways to undo the damage. As President, HAI, he has sustained the association’s efforts to represent before the government to underscore the sector’s importance in …
Binod Chaudhary run CG Hospitality, the hospitality arm of CG Corp Global, the first multi-billion-dollar conglomerate from Nepal, has announced the acquisition of 2 iconic Fairmont properties in Kenya namely, Fairmont Mara Safari Club & Fairmont The Norfolk. The recent HVS (HVS Global Hospitality services) Indian Hospitality Industry Overview 2019 Report, ranked ‘Concept Hospitality’ (a member of CG Hotels & Resorts) first in property openings and fourth in terms of keys in India. Strategically perusing its global …
As food safety and hygiene take centre stage, Roseate Hotels has commendably shown the way by providing live feed of its kitchen to assuage consumers’ concerns The Coronavirus pandemic has forced hotels and restaurants to further scrutinize their established processes around handling and serving F&B. Several new nomenclatures have come about, from contactless dining to zero-contact dining, among others. While many believe that contactless dining may be a far-fetched, even an absurd idea given various …
The Saraf family started their hotel business with Yak n Yeti in Kathmandu, later developed Hyatt in the same city; co-promoted the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi with Sushil Gupta and Shiv Jatia; now run 12 hotels across the country with 3800 keys. Director, Arun Saraf, speaks with TourismFirst and shares his insights into the business. There is widespread distress being witnessed in the hospitality industry. As the single biggest franchisee of the Hyatt family …
Humans have evolved over thousands of years to become social beings; however, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have another agenda. From a world of hugs and handshakes, ours has become one of gloves and masks. People are afraid of other people; human contact is being avoided and social distancing is the new norm. The travel and hotel industries are primarily based on human interaction between not just the ‘host’ and the ‘hosted’ but also amongst …
It would be a national waste, if we let stocks reach their expiry, and then let them get washed into kitchen sinks. It is a worthy suggestion to allow hotels and restaurants to deliver liquor home. It will bring revenue, when governments are looking at new streams. It eliminates wastage. It would create new and additional points of sale, reduce pressure on vends and ensure social distancing; it would be a win-win situation for government, …
In Times Like These, the winner is who reads the writing on the wall quicker and clearer. Conserve cash, cut on non-essentials, plan newer revenue streams and ensure comfort and confidence of your customers. TourismFirst in an exclusive interview, engages with Neeraj Govil, Senior VP, Marriott International, for India Much of the scene has now become familiar territory, but there is always room to capture the highlights again, for greater understanding. Where and how did …
We take a look at Aerocity as a hotel zone, revisit some of the large format hotels that had begun successful forays into weddings, banquets and conferences. Small would appear beautiful, again, as the industry gears towards a slow start to business again. We have so many opinions going for what will become the new face for hospitality into the immediate future, I am venturing to share mine. I will not look too far, I …
Among the many voices speaking for hospitality industry, there is one significant representation made by FHRAI, the large representative body of small, medium and big hotels and restaurants across the country. In this interview, TourismFirst speaks with Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, acting President, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India. How big is the problem, as you see it? Let us look at the global picture. Tourism and hospitality is $ 28Bn activity employing …
To say that these are testing times for the hospitality industry, may sound a trifle repetitive. But the truth be told, the industry is waging an unprecedented battle against COVID-19 – a crisis that threatens the existence of a large chunk of businesses, especially those with thinner pockets to tide over the impending liquidity crunch. Zubin Saxena, MD & VP, Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, shared his understanding of what lied ahead for the …
HVS has released its annual review for the hospitality industry for the year 2019. Much of it, unfortunately, relates to a period before the COVID-19 set in, bringing its wrath upon the hospitality industry. It still makes important reading as this was the forecast for 2020 before the disaster struck. Introduction 2019 has been a mixed bag for the sector. The year started on a positive note, with the first quarter of the year performing …
Weddings are big business for India’s hospitality industry. Wedding tourism is the single biggest growth segment in recent years. Organisations like Marriott have created a special vertical, Shaadi By Marriott, to tap this growing segment. We interview Neeraj Govil and find out how it has evolved. How has the wedding scene grown overall in 2019? What kind of growth did it record for the hospitality industry, and for Marriott Hotels in particular? The wedding segment …
Imagine experiencing Taj Mahal without a guide, said Manish Kumar, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation, in an interview with Tourism First. However automated and tech-centric the world may become, human capital will remain an invaluable asset that will drive customer loyalty and profitability. As MD & CEO of National Skill Development Corporation, Manish Kumar brings to the job his experience at the World Bank, working as Country Coordinator and Senior Institution Development Economist, Water and …
Presenting a uniquely insightful perspective of the industry scenario from an international standpoint, as a hotelier with serious interest in India, its constituent regions and beyond, Binod Chaudhary is a leading collaborator with Taj Hotels, with hotels in Kathmandu, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and the safaris in India. “Admitting that there is a problem is the beginning of correction”, he elucidated. The comparatively enabling environments of countries such as Spain and Thailand, or South Asian countries …
India’s leading hospitality consulting, asset management and investment advisory, Hotelivate, in its recent report on 2018/19, says growth was muted, occupancies were higher but not the rates. Reviewing the 2018/19 performance of hotels across the length and breadth of our country, we were pushed to wonder what was causing them to be ‘stuck in orbit’. Why was it that despite the demand-supply equation favoring growth across most markets, the nationwide numbers (both occupancy and average …
