Hotelscapes: Unprecedented Growth Amidst Challenges

This event is being held in the middle of the city, imagine how Delhi has grown? From being the first airport hotel, is now neighbours to a dozen more around it? 

Then I remember fondly, how the Unitech family, prominently including the late Dr. Ramesh Kapur, engaging with industry, putting up the Radisson flag for the first time in India – it feels like just yesterday, and now the Raddison Hotel group with more than 200 hotels, opened and signed, imagine how this industry has grown?

Radisson Blu, Delhi Airport, is between Central business district and the millenium city of gurugram, equidistant – I urge you in this hall, do not let your close colleagues miss out on this event. Message them to join earliest. Share your enthusiasm and expectations with them. We will be delighted to welcome them, to engage seriously in this knowledge sharing forum.

A moment of rare momentum, unprecedented in the history of Indian hospitality, when profits are up, cash reserves, new entrants, pipelines so strong they could burst, as challenges are galore. 

Imagine a company like IHCL, carrying a cash reserve of over Rs. 3000 crores, and there are others. Oberoi Hotels is close to 650, Club Mahindra and ITC are other notable examples. A pipeline of over 1,000 properties among the majors!

With such profits and good showings, one thing is certain, that taxes will remain, they are not going away, unless the government decided to increase them. One can hope for some realignment when the GST rates are revised with number of slabs coming down to just three. What however hotels need is the industry status that gives them certain advantages which will spur more growth.

Our 21st edition underscores this growth, amidst challenges. 

36 speakers, 8 sessions, offering a variety in formats, a virtual chat, a hard talk, panel discussions, one destination presentation, on subjects that matter.

Our speakers are decision makers, they carry the last word in their organizations. It is therefore, an exchange of ideas that will help understand the dynamic changes happening in hospitality.

Numbers are not what we chase, quality!! This conclave, too, brings the best minds in our business.

Hotels are fast witnessing a transformation in the nation’s understanding of their form and function. In their positioning in our society and economy. From being earlier seen as part of sair sapatta, they are fast catching up in a new avatar. As essential components of any city’s infrastructure. Just as critical as a hospital, school, roads, signages, whatever else is needed to get any city on the go.

The economic contribution of hotels as tourism is also growing exponentially. I don’t have the figures but I hope we can get this answer later in the day, when the true professionals get onto the stage.

All this while, hotels have become the drivers of tourism, as they have become the new destinations in themselves. So, for leisure, especially, driving out of town, inspired and lured by the feedback on specific hotels, tourists are driving across the country. Aas Paas travel is the buzzword. And rightly so!  I don’t know how many of them are going sightseeing. But yes in family and friends groups, they look for holiday, in fun and frolic, clicking selfies, bonding and forging strong relationships over quality spent time.

We at BITB remain grateful to Mr. Nitin Kapur, the MD of the owning company of this property, Mr. Ashwni Goela and his team for supporting us to hold this event. Without their support, the entire event might have gone virtual. Which also proves the power of meetings in person, and no amount of technology will take away the warmth and desire of people to meet each other. 

So, explore, today, some more of this power of meeting and exchanging our thoughts for the betterment of our industry.