OUTLOOK – 2:

 

IHCL TO ADD 300 HOTELS NEXT FOUR YEARS

 

BY P S SUNDAR

 

Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) will add 300 hotels in the next four years, said Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO.

 

Of them, Taj will have 100, Vivanta and SeleQtions 75 and Ginger 125.

 

Along with, there will be 500 homestays and 25 Qmin (culinary and home delivery platform). 

 

Presently, IHCL has 236 hotels (including 60 under development) in over 100 locations in 11 countries across four continents.  In the past five years alone, it signed 100 hotels and opened 40 hotels.

 

IHCL’s goal is to maintain 50-50 portfolio of owned hotels vs management contract hotels.   Currently, 46 per cent are under under management contract and 54 per cent are owned.

 

“I see a scope for increase in occupancy and Average Room Rate across the industry”, Chhatwal said. 

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)  

OUTLOOK -- 1

 

TOURISM IS GROWING IN THE POST-COVID ERA.

 

By P S SUNDAR

 

That the tourism sector is growing in the post-Covid era is evident from various studies undertaken by Government and private units.

 

In particular, a study by Tourism department of Government of India projects the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of tourism sector to grow by 17.30 per cent in the period 2020 to 2029.

 

The value of tourism sector is projected to rise to $ 512 billion in 2029 from $ 194.3 bn in 2019 and $ 121.9 bn in 2020.  

 

Last two years were testing time for the hospitality sector as a whole because of Covid-linked restrictions.

 

Travel and hotel stay have already picked up in 2022 due to the easing of restrictions across the globe.   

 

In 2020, Bangladesh topped the inflow of foreign tourists to India.  Tourists from the USA, UK, Canada, Russia, Australia, France, Germany, Malaysia and Sri Lanka followed in that order.

 

The largest number of outbound tourism (Indians travelling abroad) was to the UAE.  This was followed by visit to the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Oman, the UK, Thailand, Canada and Kuwait in that order.

 

In the case of domestic tourists’ visit in 2020, Tamil Nadu topped the list.    UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, MP, Gujarat and Punjab followed in that order.

 

Among foreign tourists, the largest number visited Maharashtra, closely followed by Tamil Nadu.   UP, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Bihar and Goa followed in that order.  

 

Largest number of domestic travellers visited Taj Mahal.   The other monuments they visited were Mamallapuram, Sun Temple (Konarak), Golkonda Fort (Hyderbad), Qutab Minar (Delhi), Upper Fort (Aguada), Agra Fort, Hazardurai Palace (Mushidabad), Chaminar (Hyderabad) and Gol Gumbaz (Vijayawada) in that order.

 

Likewise, Taj Mahal was the monument visited by the largest number of foreigners.  The other monuments they visited were Agra Fort, Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Saranath, Red Fort, Baori at Abhaneri, Itimad-ud-Daulah Tomb and Mattancherry Palace (Kerala) in that order.  

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)