Punjab's hotel industry holds promise
by Karan Kapoor/Sunil Sharma
Ludhiana/Chandigarh:
The global economic slowdown not withstanding, the
hospitality industry of Punjab is continuing to prosper.
Corporation Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Indian Hotels Company Limited, launched its GenNext `Smart
Basics' Hotel in Ludhiana recently. With its 99-room Ginger
Hotel in Punjab's industrial town, the company is trying
to sustain its growth. The purpose behind Ginger hotel
was to create a unique `space' which should be conducive
not only for guests' to relax and enjoy comfort but also
for their work requirements. "With this category of pricing,
we feel that we are able to attract corporate customers,
people who are working junior to middle executives in
companies, we are able to attract business segment, people
who travel for work with companies, vendors, suppliers,
lawyers and auditors. And, also we are able to attract
a category of customers who are traveling on leisure and
who wanted a neat, clean and good quality accommodation
at a very low price," said Prabhat Pani, CEO and Director,
ROOTS Corporation Ltd. With the increasing influx of tourists
and businessmen in Punjab, there is demand for more hotels
here. Despite global slowdown, the hospitality industry
in Punjab is doing well. And, this is attracting big developers.
Already, players like the Sarovar Hotel Group are in the
process of developing three new hotels in Punjab and Chandigarh.
The hotels in different star categories are offering their
best facilities and services to their clients.
The projection of Chandigarh as a tourism hub is helping
in the growth of the hotel industry. "Tourism gives a
multiple effect to economy and every penny, which the
tourists spend in terms of accommodation, transportation,
eating-out and shopping. So, I think that is got a good
future here and all this recession trends will go back
and tourism will be on the high agenda of the foreign
tourists as well as of the domestic tourists," said A.
K. Malhotra, General Manager for Marketing, CITCO. Tourists
visiting Punjab from different parts of the world appreciate
the culture and cuisine available in the State. "It is
probably typical of what I would expect in the city of
this size in Punjab and nothing is artificial about it.
I think it's a genuine Punjabi and Indian Punjabi hotel
that is appealing to me as a tourist," said an Australian
tourist. The music, food and robust culture have made
Punjab a favoured state with tourists. The non-resident
Punjabis visiting home spend handsomely, helping expansion
of the hospitality industry. Considering the prevailing
condition, the time looks ripe for entrepreneurs to optimize
the opportunity to invest in Punjab. New York based hotelier
Sant Singh Chatwal, who hails from Faridkot in Punjab,
has plans to set up a 7-star hotel in his home state -
Punjab.
-Dec
15, 2008
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