South Strategy

Green light to a bright future

South India's potential for developing its hospitality industry is yet untapped, believes Rattan Keswani, president of Trident Hotels. He lists down things that can leave a mark on the industry. By Sayoni Bhaduri

The rich history and culture, business propensities along with its natural endowments make South India a destination that very few can resist. So believes Rattan Keswani, president, Trident Hotels. "The south is rich in culture and history and has beautiful locations that have not been tapped yet. I feel there has been little activity to promote leisure travel here," he says, adding that the addition to the room inventory has also been marginal.

For the Trident hotels in Chennai and Cochin, business has been as usual. Keswani maintains that it has not been affected compared to other cities in the country, "Trident hotel in Chennai has increased its market share in the city." However he does add that although rate rationalisation has occurred over last few months, the market looks positive and there should be consolidation of the rates by the third quarter of this year.

At the same time he also believes that the leisure market in India has great scope to improve while the MICE and corporate travel has seen some decline. But with a stable government there are hopes of corporate travel increasing. "Trident hotel in Chennai has increased its market share of corporate travellers. Tamil Nadu has a diverse spectrum of industries," says Keswani.The Trident way

Increasing growth in business hence becomes vital for a new brand like Trident. Keswani informs that the focus has been to provide guests with value-added service. "We diversified our client base and ensured that we had a good balance of various segments. We have also focused on increasing our sales from F&B and the spa," he adds. The Trident Spa and Fitness Centre in Chennai for instance has been a recent addition to the property and has had a significant impact on the additional revenue of the hotel. The same has been the case with hotel's F&B segment with the introduction of various promotional activities.These are also the times for cost control. Keswani is clear, "We look for value for money." The aim is to reduce waste and cut costs without compromising on the quality of service. New and innovative vendors are sig`ned on who are dependable and promise deliverables. Moreover, employees are the biggest assets in difficult times. This is the time to invest in people with an increased focus on training and development of staff skills.

The way ahead

Future depends on what measures India takes to promote itself. Keswani opines that the Ministry of Tourism should initiate steps to increase leisure travel to South India. "There are destinations not just in the South India, but also across the country that needs to be given more attention by improving the infrastructure," he adds.

He hopes with the development of Trident, Bengaluru and Hyderabad will show the scope that South India has for the development. The room inventory is all set to increase in the near future. Keswani gives an example of Tamil Nadu, "It is a large state and has a rich historical and cultural tradition. The Metro project in Chennai and the expansion of the airport has begun. Both will assist in improving the infrastructure in Chennai. The city will also see room inventory double in the next two years. The state shall continue to be the focus for future developments."

About Trident, Chennai

Trident, Chennai is located three kilometers from the international airport and is a 10-minute drive from the Chennai Trade Centre. Spread over five acres of tropical gardens the hotel has 167 rooms with facilities like personal bar, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, 24 hours room service, electronic safe, wireless broadband internet access and satellite television. For the business traveller there is an Executive Club Floor with conveniences like a private facsimile machine and digital videodisc player. The hotel also houses the Trident Spa and Fitness Center. Of the restaurants the Cinnamon offers an a la carte menu that includes Indian and international cuisine, while the recently launched Samudra serves Indian coastal cuisine. The Arcot Bar offers a selection of spirits, wines and cocktails.