Asia Pacific Opinion Articles

September 20, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Rebuilding the MICE Segment in India

If ‘virtual’ was the key trend in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) industry in 2020, ‘hybrid’ has been the buzzword in 2021, as in-person attendance made a comeback at large-scale events in various countries. All popular international MICE locations are taking measures to resurrect the segment, with Singapore and the UAE leading the way, having hosted multiple hybrid events successfully in the past year, with even international delegates in attendance.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Development

September 17, 2021

Low-Touch Hotels are Here to Stay

At the start of the pandemic, I implemented, when considered in retrospect, was an uncharacteristic experiment. For an entire day, I tried not to touch anything in a public space. After a few hours of what seemed like a long game of playground tag, I realised that it was impossible to shun much of our physical contact outside the home effectively.

By Ross Beardsell, JLL Executive Vice President, Advisory & Asset Management Australasia, JLL

Australia

Opinion Article Operations & Strategy

September 8, 2021

HVS Musings: Indian Luxury Hotel Segment: The Competition is Heating Up!

The luxury hotel segment, which currently accounts for around 11% of India’s total quality hotel supply, has regained developer interest in recent years due to its tremendous potential on account of limited supply. Domestic hotel brands such as IHCL, Oberoi, and ITC traditionally dominated the luxury segment in India. However, in recent years, several international hotel chains, including Marriott, Accor, Hilton, and Hyatt, have entered the luxury and ultra-luxury hotel categories in the country, making the segment more competitive. As a result, luxury properties contributed 11% of overall brand signings by key in 2020, up from 9% in 2018.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

August 23, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Upholding Traveler Confidence – the First Step in the Road to Recovery

Traveler confidence is improving post the second wave, renewing hopes of a recovery for the travel and hospitality sectors. Domestic aviation traffic has been steadily increasing month after month, growing by 47% in June 2021 (compared to May 2021) and 61% in July 2021. The surge in demand has even prompted the ministry of civil aviation to increase domestic airline seat capacity to 72.5% of pre-COVID levels from 65% earlier.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

August 16, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Government Initiatives to Rebuild Indian Tourism Post the Second Wave

Travel demand – both leisure and business – is gradually improving in the country, bringing in a newfound enthusiasm and euphoria in the Indian travel & hospitality sectors. The declining cases, easing of restrictions across states, and increasing momentum of the vaccination drive, coupled with people’s inherent need to travel, are key factors driving this revival. A uniform national travel guideline is also expected to be implemented soon, which will further ease travel within the country.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

August 16, 2021

In Focus: Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. The country comprises 1,192 coral islands, which are divided into 26 major island rings, known as atolls. For administrative purposes, these 26 atolls are organised into nineteen administrative districts across an area of 90,000 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean.

By Hok Yean Chee, Chariss Kok Xin, and Peggy Lee

Maldives

Opinion Article Food & Beverage

August 9, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Indian Restaurant Industry – Riding Out The COVID-19 Storm

The Indian restaurant industry has been on a roller coaster ride, with several lows and few highs since the onset of the pandemic. The strict lockdown regimes of the first and second pandemic waves in the country have had a severe and long-lasting impact on the dine-out culture, with industry associations estimating that 25-30% of the outlets have shut down in the last year. However, with the easing of restrictions in the last couple of months, the restaurant industry is gradually getting back on its feet, though subdued customer sentiment on in-restaurant dining is still a major roadblock.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

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Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

August 2, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Bhopal – The Unexplored City Of Lakes In India

Bhopal, also known as the ‘city of lakes', is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in central India. Bhopal is developed along the banks of beautiful natural and artificial lakes and is a perfect fusion of scenic landscape, historical architecture, and modern urban planning. The old part of the city houses several mosques, palaces, meandering alleys, bustling marketplaces, and scrumptious eating spots, while the new Bhopal is well-planned with wide roads, exquisite gardens, commercial complexes, restaurants, and hotels – the two contrasting halves providing a multi-faceted profile to the city.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

Bhopal, India

Opinion Article Food & Beverage

July 26, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Growth Of Cloud Kitchens In India

Technology has become a part of every industry, and the foodservice industry is not far behind. Online ordering has become the norm as the convenience of one-click orders, timely delivery, and integrated payment systems are available from the comfort of your home. As per a recently released report, the Indian foodservice delivery market has grown at a CAGR of 33% during FY18-FY20 to US $5.2 billion in FY20 and is further expected to expand to US $13 billion by FY23. With the increasing penetration of food delivery services, the concept of cloud kitchens or delivery-only outlets, also known as ghost kitchens or virtual restaurants, has gained momentum in India.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

July 19, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Sri Lanka Tourism – Achieving The Next Growth Frontier

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has become a mainstay of the economic development in the country in the past decade, contributing over 10% to the country’s GDP and 11% of the total employment in 2019 as per WTTC. Having realized the potential of the tourism sector as a chief economic propellant, the Sri Lankan government, over the past several years, has focused on facilitating its growth through effective policy measures and massive infrastructure development. For instance, upgrading the Colombo airport is a major step to improving infrastructure that has helped increase the number of flights into the country. Hotel development in the country has also seen significant growth from 113 classified hotels with 9,377 rooms in 2010 to 156 classified hotels with 14,232 rooms in 2020, as per the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

Sri Lanka

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

July 12, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Rebooting Inbound Tourism In India

As the world gradually reopens for travel, there is a massive race between countries to attract international tourists to their shores. Several countries have already opened their borders to fully vaccinated international tourists, while others are gradually resuming inbound tourism in a phased manner.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

July 5, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Sri Lanka Tourism – The Post-war Growth Story

The island nation of Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in South Asia since the three-decade-long civil war in the country ended in 2009. The country, popularly known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean due to its rich natural beauty and cultural heritage, offers tourists a plethora of experiences with multiple attractions ranging from pristine beaches, beautiful rainforests, tea plantations, wildlife parks, to historical sites, ancient ruins, temples and even casinos. The country’s tourism sector bounced back immediately after the war, becoming the key economic driver in post-war Sri Lanka.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

Sri Lanka

Opinion Article Human Resources

June 22, 2021

Taking Care Of The Key Assets, The Taj Way!

November 26, 2008 is etched as a black letter day in the history of hotels in India. It would not be wrong to say that before that date and largely after it too, most parts of India have been considered safe and essentially terror free. Still, that red mark in our recent history plays heavily on our minds and the ecosystem we live in.

By L. Aruna Dhir, Author of Bestselling Memoir - "Hotel Adventures with the Stars" and Columnist, YouTube Show Host of "High Priestess of Hedonism", L. Aruna Dhir

India

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Opinion Article Human Resources

June 8, 2021

India: Evolving the Service Playbook

As the hotel sector prepares for life after the second wave (W2), we must recognise that this was not the same as W1.

By Vijay Thacker, Managing Director Horwath HTL India, Horwath HTL

India

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

May 19, 2021

HVS Musings: ‘Vaccine Confidence’ Is Driving The Recovery In The Global Travel Sector

Governments across the globe are continuing their race to vaccinate citizens amidst rising concerns about new variants and soaring cases in some parts of the world. Globally, over 1.3 billion doses have been given so far and 4.2% of the global population is fully vaccinated, as per the Our World in Data website.[1] While some countries such as Israel, Seychelles, Maldives, UAE, the US, and the UK are way ahead in the race, others are slowly catching up.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

May 14, 2021

Why Study In Singapore According To The Dean Of EHL's Newest Campus

Dr. Luciano Lopez been Assistant Professor of Macro & Microeconomics at EHL Campus Lausanne since 2018. As an economist, his research focuses on applied economics, particularly on circular economy practices in the hospitality industry. His outstanding teaching skills were recognized with the Credit Suisse "Best Teaching" award in 2016 and the EHL "Best Distance Teaching" award in 2020.

By Luciano Lopez and Beatrice Venturini

Singapore

Opinion Article Markets & Performance

May 10, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Vacation Home Rentals – The Next Big Story In The Making In India

Traveler preferences have evolved drastically since the onset of the pandemic. Social distancing, hygiene, cleanliness, safety, and privacy are the main priorities for travelers post the pandemic. An increasing number of people now consider smaller, independent, and private spaces to be 'safe havens' for travel. These evolving preferences have been driving the growth of vacation home rentals in India during the last year.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

May 7, 2021

Market Perspective: Is Sri Lanka South Asia’s Hidden Tourism Gem?

"Undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world" proclaimed Marco Polo upon visiting Sri Lanka in the 13th century.

By Kimberly Yoong, Assistant Vice President, Hotel Financing, Aareal Bank AG

Sri Lanka

Opinion Article Sustainability

May 3, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Will EV Charging Stations Be The New Service Offering At Hotels In India?

Indian domestic travelers have discovered the pleasures of road trips in the past year and an increasing number of these tourists will be electric vehicle (EV) owners going forward. EVs are considered the 'future of mobility' and are fast gaining popularity in India. As per a recent report, annual sales of EVs in India are expected to increase from 380,000 units in 2019-20 to 6.3 million units by 2027. However, EV owners are still wary of long road trips due to the lack of adequate charging stations in the country.

By Mandeep Lamba and Dipti Mohan

India

Opinion Article

April 28, 2021

A Time For Reflection

Spring has sprung a spiked surprise, second year running. And sadly caught us napping again. Lockdowns abound, soaring hopes have been negated; frustration and despair are rising – in different measures and pressures, depending on a person's station in life, and business responsibility.

By Vijay Thacker, Managing Director Horwath HTL India, Horwath HTL

India

Technology Yesterday

Travelers want AI to track room rates, not plan their itinerary

A Mews survey of 3,250 travelers finds guests accept AI for functional tasks like rate tracking but resist it for personal decisions, and prefer personalization built on data they knowingly shared.

Mews

Technology Yesterday

Undefeated So Far: Pricepoint Dares Hoteliers to Out-Price Its AI in New Game Rate War

Pricepoint has launched Rate War, a free 2-minute browser game at ratewar.ai that challenges anyone to out-price its AI on 30 nights of hotel inventory.

Pricepoint

Operations & Strategy Yesterday

AI makes information abundant, trusted local expertise becomes a differentiator

Citing Hilton's 2027 Trends Report and four industry studies, the article argues hotels should position staff expertise as a trust differentiator as AI handles discovery but falls short on high-stakes decisions.

GCSTIMES

Human Resources 2 days ago

IDeaS Leadership Development Programs Win Two Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards

IDeaS won two Silver Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards for its Learn Lead and Leadership Matters internal programs, both designed to build leadership capability across career stages.

IDeaS

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