The hospitality industry in India is growing
According to industry reports, the hospitality industry in India is growing at a rate of 15 per cent annually. More and more companies in India are investing in the sector to fill in the gap between supplies (61,000 rooms) and demand (100,000 rooms).
The year 2010 saw the demand in Hospitality Industry pick up after a slow growth in 2009. A company in India such as Reliance Industries (RIL) is entering the hospitality industry through a JV with Mumbai-based real estate company Maker Builders. RIL plans to build two hotels in Mumbai Bandra Kurla Complex.
International hotel chains such as Hyatt, Radisson, Meridian and Marriot are expanding their chains in the country by tying up with companies in India. World hotels will be signing a deal for a resort at Aamby Valley in Maharashtra as well as opening business hotels in New Delhi and Chennai to enter the hospitality industry. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has tied up with Holiday Inn Express, a mid-market hotel brand, and its first property is expected to open in Noida in 2012. Lebua Hotels & Resorts, a Thailand-headquartered luxury hospitality chain is planning to enter India as well. Lebua has hotels in Bangkok and New Zealand.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2011 report, India is expected to attract 6,179,000 international tourist (overnight visitor) arrivals in 2011, generating US$ 15.05 billion (INR678.6bn) in visitor exports (foreign visitor spending, including spending on transportation). The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP is expected to be US$ 34.8 billion (INR1,570.5bn) in 2011 which is about 1.9 per cent of the country’s GDP. This reflects that the hospitality industry in India will have to gear up to cater to such high demand. Companies in India are investing their capital and industry reports predict that the capital investment in India, in the travel and tourism sector will grow at the rate of 8.8 per cent between 2010 and 2020.
Taking the cue, online travel companies too are making their entry in India to cash in the booming travel and hospitality industry. Hotels.com, an international online hotel booking portal, has plans to spend about Rs 25 crores on promotional activities. ERevMax, an online channel management technology provider, has developed an innovative product for the hotel industry. The product allows fully automated inventory management and rate calculation across over 700 connected websites based on channel performance.
Mandarin Oriental Group, which owns one of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences, will be adding 16 new properties in India in the next five years. Other Companies in India such as Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), a marketing firm of luxury hotels, is expecting to expand their foothold in India. Currently, SLH has 13 hotels in India and hopes to add 10 more hotels by the end of 2011. The company also has a website for travel agents through which agents can book rooms for their clients.
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