TravTalk India Online Magazine
The 6th edition of the HAI Hoteliers’ Conclave brings together influential figures in the hospitality sector on a single platform to discuss upcoming challenges and prospects and ascertain a trajectory for the industry’s progressive expansion.
TT Bureau
With a vision to unlock the immense potential of India’s tourism industry and tap into its employment generation capacity, the Hotel Association of India (HAI) organised the 6th edition of its signature event, the HAI Hoteliers’ Conclave, in New Delhi recently. The conclave was attended by influential leaders from the hospitality industry, including hotel owners, chief executive officers, policymakers and professionals from across India. The event was led by Puneet Chhatwal, President, HAI and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), and KB Kachru, Vice President, HAI; Chairman, Emeritus and Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
The objective of this year’s conference was to bring together influential figures in the hospitality sector on a single platform to discuss upcoming challenges and prospects, and ascertain a trajectory for the industry’s progressive expansion. Addressing the audience at the event, Kachru said, “Our focus to project hospitality as an engine of growth and employment will substantially serve our purpose. The recent opening of new destinations has once again put India on the world’s stage. The economy is poised to grow at a steady rate and that sets the direction for travel, tourism and hospitality, which are bound to grow proportionately.”
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement, “Tourism is one of the key pillars of our economy…When the economy grows, we grow and when we grow, the economy grows,” Kachru said that the government is leaving no stone unturned in developing new destinations, which has resulted in the unprecedented growth of domestic tourism. “It continues to put thrust on infrastructure development, including last-mile connectivity and engage in promoting India worldwide with initiatives like ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Wed
in India’,” he added.
Applauding the Modi government, Kachru said that the government has never been so serious as it is today, adding that “we as an industry must come together and communicate what is good for the country. We cannot work in a fragmented manner. We all must work together to achieve the ultimate success.”
Taking pride in the contribution that the tourism and hospitality sector made in the last two years in terms of providing employment, Kachru mentioned that there has been “a rise of 271 per cent in hiring” in India, which has never happened before. As the tourism and hospitality sector in India has already crossed the pre-pandemic levels, and with domestic tourism at an all-time high, the HAI will continue to play a significant role in building a brighter future for hospitality fostering innovation, inclusivity and sustainability, he concluded.
