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South Strategy
 In
a recent analysis conducted by the consultancy body HVS, covering 29 states
of India, Tamil Nadu was rated as the best state for the hospitality industry.
According to it, factors such as a secure environment for business and leisure
activities, consistent increase in tourist arrivals, good investment in tourism
etc, helped Tamil Nadu achieve the top rank. The second position belonged to
another state in southern India - Kerala, owing to factors like consistent focus
on travel and tourism sector, great marketing efforts, availability of branded
hospitality products etc. Andhra Pradesh too ranked quite high in the analysis.
It is, hence, by no fluke that the three best states in the country (hospitality
wise) are from South India. "The region is no longer a mere tourist or
a holiday destination. Over the last few years, it has emerged as a favourite
destination for the business traveller, which has definitely changed the face
of hospitality industry here," says Abhishek Kamani, director, Phoenix
Group Global, which owns five-star branded Zuri properties in the south in Kumarakom
and Bengaluru. The mushrooming IT sector had first led to a rapid increase in
demand for hotel rooms in the south, which cities like Bengaluru and later Hyderabad
used to their best advantage. Further, the booming automobile sector in Chennai
created enormous demand for hotel rooms. Even tier-II cities like Vishakapatnam,
Kochi, Mangalore, Coimbatore etc are slowly but steadily growing in terms of
business with demand for hotels in these cities also increasing, a fact that
hotel chains are trying to leverage on. In the leisure segment, medical tourism
has grown by leaps and bounds in the recent past and Kerala has emerged as the
numero uno state in the segment. This unique mix of leisure and business tourism
has therefore helped in establishing south India as a year-round destination.
The economy meltdown has posed a serious challenge to the
hospitality industry worldwide and southern India is no exception.
However, the region is expected to fight back and counter the downturn.
In this issue, we present views from industry professionals who
have offered their outlook on both the challenges in the south market
and the opportunities they foresee in the region. Through their
perspectives, we hope to shed light on the present and the future
possibilities in this region.
Abiding
by the market
Goan delight
Breaking
earth to new future
A royal
bloom
A fair
chance
Expanding
client base
In accordance
with times
The lion
roars
Green light
to a bright future
New kid
on the block
Taking
a chance
Advantage
The Lalit Ashok
A hopeful
tune
When luxury
beckons
At leisure
at The Leela
MICE on
track
Incredible
Hyderabad
Aiming
high
Hard work:
The way forward
The Phoenix
rises
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