TravTalk India Online Magazine
The Southern India Hotel and Restaurant Association (SIHRA), winner of the ‘Most Promising Regional Association’ award at the India Travel Awards this year, is all set to launch the Tamil Nadu Travel Expo (TTE) in Madurai from 20 to 22 September.
Surbhi Sharma
The Southern India Hotel and Restaurant Association (SIHRA) is emerging as a glimmer of hope in a landscape where the hospitality industry faces plentiful challenges. The association’s unwavering commitment to the hospitality sector made it won the ‘Most Promising Regional Association’ award at the India Travel Awards 2024. Expressing gratitude for the honour, Sundar Singaram, Director – Operations, SIHRA, said, “Since 1951, SIHRA has been a remarkable organisation. Under the leadership of K Syama Raju, President, SIHRA, we continue to move forward, providing the best possible support to our members and hoteliers in Southern India.”
Tamil Nadu Travel Expo
SIHRA is organising the Tamil Nadu Travel Expo (TTE) in Madurai from 20 to 22 September 2024, in collaboration with Travel Club, Madurai and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), along with support from the Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The event will be hosting 250 potential buyers from India and neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, with an aim to enhance the visibility of Tamil Nadu’s tourism potential and attract more visitors to
the state.
Singaram said, “To enhance the revenue of its member hotels, SIHRA is actively involved in promoting tourism and connecting hotels with vendors and suppliers. We have organised travel expos to attract more visitors to the region and facilitated business-to-business (B2B) meetings between hoteliers and suppliers. Additionally, we have simplified the membership process and offered various benefits to encourage more hotels to join the association.” He said, “Under the leadership of K Syama Raju, we have recognised the industry’s pressing issues, particularly the acute shortage of manpower in the hospitality sector and the need for increased business generation through innovative solutions.”
SIHRA has also partnered with the Tamil Nadu government to establish skill development centres in rural areas, providing free training and job placement guarantees to aspiring hospitality professionals.
A growing community
Highlighting SIHRA’s efforts, which have led to growth in membership, Singaram said, “We have witnessed a 30 per cent increase in membership, with a substantial portion of new members coming from tier II and III cities.”
