THE health of India’s hotel industry is returning as data from STR Global, the leading provider of market information to the global hotel industry, shows a concerted upward trend and recent positive year-on-year growth in revenue per available room (revpar).
India had experienced 14 months of revpar declines. After years of double-digit growth, the worldwide economic downturn and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai led to performance declines and double-digit misery.
But December 2009 and January 2010 saw a return to significant year-on-year increases, in large part due to favourable comparisons to the weak performance posted in the previous year. The recent results were also boosted by a 21-per-cent rise in international tourist arrivals, which highlights an overall quarterly increase of 6.9 per cent after four consecutive quarters of year-on-year declines. (Source: UNWTO World Tourist Barometer).
Such improvement in international tourism arrivals has come as fears about the spread of the H1N1 flu epidemic have begun to fade. The impact of terrorism also is lessening despite the bombing in Pune in mid-February in which at least nine people died. However, several countries, including the UK, the US and Australia still have issued strong warnings to their citizens, urging them to observe high vigilance and to keep a low profile if visiting India.
Factors working in favour of India’s hotel market include forecasted economic growth of 8.5 per cent for 2010-2011 (Source: Ministry of Finance, Economic Survey 2009-2010), the Commonwealth Games, which is to be hosted by Delhi during October, and the trial-run of a visa on arrival scheme for visitors from Singapore, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Japan who plan trips on short notice.
“Whilst the prospects for India appear promising, make no mistake the last year has been a difficult one,” said Elizabeth Randall, managing director at STR Global.