Tie the knot in Pushkar

Ananta Resorts and Spa, Pushkar, is eyeing the destination weddings segment to establish Pushkar as a favourable hotspot for tourism.

TT Bureau

In 2017, Ananta Resorts and Spa, Pushkar, clocked nearly 67-70 per cent occupancy and this year, the property is planning to up this percentage to 77, informs the property’s General Manager— Rajesh Ballabh. The property has also recorded a year-on-year increase of Rs 300-400 in the ARRs. “A lot more properties are opening up in Pushkar which has made the market competitive and there is rate parity. We are not concentrating on the ARRs but on ways to increase occupancy at the hotel.” This year destination weddings are a key focus for the property. Ballabh points out that as many as 20 weddings are in the pipeline out of which 8-10 weddings are confirmed.

The itineraries have been shortened and thus Pushkar has become more of a stop-over for a few hours. Some markets that are doing well are Spain, France and the UK

The domestic travel market forms the base of guests at the property. “Pushkar is a weekend getaway destination and thus we usually receive our guests largely from the northern belt of India. The inbound market has declined. The itineraries have been shortened and thus Pushkar has become more of a stop-over for a few hours. However, some markets that are doing well are Spain, France and the UK,” says Ballabh.

The property promotes itself largely through word of mouth and advertisements in traditional media platforms. Ballabh adds, “Almost 40-50 per cent guests at the property are repeat clients and have stayed with us at least five-seven times. These clients give feedback to others which increases traction to our hotel.”