TravTalk India Online Magazine
Six event experts came together during the virtual launch of ‘Har Din Shubh Hai’ to discuss and popularise the idea that all dates in the calendar are auspicious for weddings. The industry is striving to find ways to revive itself instead of waiting for a government bailout. Stakeholders also shared with MOT suggestions on promoting the sector.
Rajeev Jain, Director, Rashi Entertainment
Finally a strategic effort on wedding tourism will see the light of day. The tourism ministry has accepted our efforts and proposal that we had submitted. I am confident that this move of the tourism department will help the entire wedding industry to generate more profit in 2021. We have submitted all recommendations for empanelment formats, incentives for interstate and international weddings, exhibition participation, etc. The Ministry will now take its own course and share it as a document for the industry’s benefit.
Shampa Dhali, Area Director, National Sales, Marriott India
If a client books our venue on a non-saya date, the costs can come down drastically. We will definitely go back to sing the same song in order to promote this campaign from across our 135 properties in India. There is also some proactive communication we can look at. If we can all come together and give this messaging out to all our clients walking in, that itself is a good beginning. The messaging will resonate when our voices are united across the board and across brands.
MOT’s take…Jitendra Jadhav, Assistant Director (Niche Tourism Division) MOT, New Delhi
MOT has been directed by Sectoral Group of Secretaries to form guidelines on weddings and therefore, inputs from industry stakeholders were sought. Rajeev Jain of Rashi Entertainment has been instrumental in providing us the detailed inputs. The proposed guidelines are under process and expected to be finalised soon by the Ministry after approvals.
Arif Patel, Regional Vice President, (Sales & Marketing), Hyatt India
Let’s say a wedding is worth `1 crore and a hotel gives them a discount of 30 per cent on a non-peak day, which is `30 lakh. This Rs 30 lakh will get you on a compounded basis, if you double every seven years, in 28 years, that will be equal to `2.40 crore, which means the family can sponsor the wedding of your grandchild just by shifting a date. It’s simple: your date, my rate; my date, your rate! If we can fill those valleys with consistent occupancies, it helps the hospitality industry.
Manish Tolani, VP & Commercal Director, Hilton India
In my opinion, we can support this drive through multiple ways. Hotels can be significant partners in this initiative and contribute immensely. Hilton’s social messaging for our brand followers is already very strong and loyal. Our social media channels are very active, and this is something we can leverage. There can be no better way to engage customers for this than social media, especially in today’s times when almost everyone is online. Our wedding specialist team at our hotels can add this campaign to their signature panels.
Atul Bhalla, Area Manager – West, ITC Hotels and GM, ITC Maratha
I am a very strong supporter of this tagline – ‘Har Din Shubh Hai’ – and I have been promoting this in some way or another all this while. Just last December I had requested a client to book on non-wedding dates to bring his costs down. He immediately agreed and got phenomenal budgets from us. So ultimately, it’s all about demand and supply. We can now create special packages for you so that it’s a win-win for all of us. This movement will not work until our clients believe in it as well.
Rohit Chopra, Regional Director – Sales & Distribution India & South Asia, Accor
According to me, when we speak about costs, in the end it is all about demand and supply. But, I believe that if we can, as an industry, come together and promote this campaign and urge our customers to book weddings even on non-peak wedding dates, it will benefit all of us eventually. For us, all days are auspicious and everyone needs to understand that as far as commercials are concerned, it is all about the date and the rate on that date.
Inputs by Hazel Jain
