A distinguished panel of hotel executives took the stage last week at the 2013 Hotel Investment Forum (HIFI) in Gurgaon, Delhi. Now in its fifth year, HIFI is India’s most important hotel investment conference and has become the premier, annual meeting place for leaders in the Indian hotel and tourism industry.
Simon Barlow, president, Asia Pacific, was among those on a panel during the Forum, where he and other industry executives spoke optimistically about the development potential in India, citing the country’s growing middle-class, domestic traveler as fuel that will grow the future.
Simon is quoted in a story on HotelNewsNow.com, as “bullish on India,” where he underscored the opportunity for growth by pointing out that “there are fewer branded hotel rooms in the entire country than in New York.” To leverage the mid-level market, Simon says Carlson Rezidor will focus primarily on its newly reengineered Park Inn by Radisson brand over the next five years. The first four are already under development.
Tempering its positive vibes slightly, the panel agreed that there are development hurdles to overcome. The incredibly high cost of land, complicated permitting process and the lack of skilled labor create major challenges. But, with 31 hotel openings in the past two years and 43 currently in development, Simon says Carlson Rezidor is well on its way to its Ambition 2015 target.
Read more about the Hotel Investment Forum executive panel on HotelNewsNow.com.
Photo above right: Brand executives were optimistic about hotel development in India during a recent panel discussion at the Hotel Investment Conference in Delhi. From left: Simon Barlow, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; Puneet Chhatwal, chief executive officer, Steigenberger Hotels AG; and Simon Cooper, president and managing director, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.