TravTalk India Online Magazine
Customised programmes for Indians travelling to the Middle East & Africa, the ‘Namaste’ program caters to destination weddings, off-beat vacation spots, Bollywood shoots & meetings and Events, niche services, world-class facilities & memorable stays.
Exceptional quality, impeccable service and the warmest of welcomes, no one does hospitality like Hilton. This is the motto behind ‘Namaste’, their guest offering designed to deliver a truly tailored experience for guests travelling from India to Middle East & Africa. Offering services for Destination Weddings, Bollywood shoots and Meetings, “Namaste” is a one of its kind programme ideal for the up and coming Indian Globetrotter.
Wall-to-wall sunshine, a rich cultural history and massive investment in tourism have put the Middle East on the world tourist map. Across the Middle East, tourism is seen as one of the most viable tax-raising alternatives for oil-producing nations as those revenues start to decline. The United Arab Emirates, for example, is aiming to reduce the hydrocarbon sector’s share of GDP from its current 30% to 20% by 2021, predominantly by boosting income from tourism. Dubai and a few more cities in the UAE, besides Europe, the US and the UK, are among the top destinations for Indian tourists, according to tourism industry officials.
“Despite the slowdown due to rupee fluctuations, the Indian outbound numbers have been growing at an average annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent over the last seven years. The market for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 7.23 per cent during 2016-2021,” UNWTO said in a recent report.
Apart from the Middle East, South Africa is also targeting Indian tourists after relaxing its Visa rules. The Number of Indian travellers arriving in South Africa has been on the rise over the years, with a surge of 21.7 per cent recorded during the previous years. The demographics too have displayed a noticeable curve, with more and more young persons below 30 years of age opting for South Africa as the destination for adventure tourism, replacing the earlier market of family vacations.
“To suit the needs of Indian visitors, the country has attractive packages and products suitable for any type of visit. Direct flights to Johannesburg and visa on arrival have further improved the arrivals and the tourism industry in Africa, and we have already seen strong demand from India as a result,” said Jan Van Der Putten, Vice President Operations, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Hilton
Indians, especially the millennials, have a piqued curiosity which is leading them to explore offbeat destinations and therefore Hilton is looking to cater to Indian guests opting to travel to destinations like Doha, Ras Al Khaimah, Cairo besides frequent destinations like Mauritius, Cape Town, Dubai and Istanbul. Hilton property GM’s are excited to welcome Indian guests and are equipped with their best in class services to make their Indian guests travel, memorable.
Destination weddings have captured the Indian market in a big way. For any Indian parent, a wedding is much more than mere ceremonies and fancy decorations. It’s an emotional investment of a lifetime where you don’t collect things but create precious moments. Hilton specializes in ensuring an unforgettable experience for an African or Middle Eastern destination wedding through Namaste programme which captures this essence, to perfect every detail and create the wedding of your dreams.
The programme caters to three major segments—destination weddings, meetings and incentives and film shoot giving guests the confidence, that Hilton will meet all their needs and expectations every time, no matter the occasion or destination.
