Tag Archives: Mr. Prakash Bedi

Mr. Prakash Bedi, Vice President of Clarks Safari The budget sounded optimistic and growth-oriented. The doubling of FDI to 596 billion US dollars, is an encouraging sign for the whole economy. The main push in this interim budget is boosting tourism at the state level. The announcement of interest-free loans to the state for maintaining iconic tourist centers will witness more footfalls. We always believed that India needs more tourist spots, and monuments, to be branded and marketed. This budget addressed this need. The government showed will towards further developing rail and air infrastructure. Opening of 517 new routes carrying 1.3 crore passengers boosted domestic travel, and seeing the surge in demand the Indian carriers have placed orders for 1000 new aircraft. The focus on tourism is back, also with the opening of Ram Mandir, spiritual tourism is back in focus. Recently members of the Karak Clan from South Korea visited the temple and paid tributes to Lord Rama. This is a positive signal, in the coming days we can witness more international tourists from South East Asia visiting India for spiritual purposes. The surge of the Indian middle class will further boost domestic tourism.

Mr. Prakash Bedi, Vice President, Clarks Safari  India is blessed with a varied landscape and architectural marvels, most travelers visit India to experience heritage or spiritual tourism apart from being a favorite destination for leisure and business travel. The hospitality sector is a billion-dollar industry and gives employment to 137 billion individuals. Last year’s budget was promising, with the announcement of opening up 220 airports by 2025, the allotment of 2.4 lakh crores to Indian railways capital expenditure, and increasing coastal shipping using India’s eastern and western shipping lines, boosting the tourism sector. With the 2024-2025 budget in the pipeline, there are a lot of expectations within the industry. The sector only has 1,90,000 branded rooms which is significantly lower than the other Asian counterparts. China has nine times more branded rooms than us. The industry needs more foreign investments and big chains setting up properties in India. Too much of licenses are acting as dampeners, it is essential to have one clearance window, to support ease of doing business and to encourage new players to enter the sector. This will lead to the expansion of the hotel industry and more inflow of international tourists. For long, the industry has been struggling to get industry status, rationalize taxes, and easier loan conditions for small and medium properties. We are hoping this budget will address a few of those issues. It is high time the indirect taxes especially the goods and services taxes need to be standardized as per global standards. All across the globe the GST charged is 12%, whereas in India we charge 18% GST, this leads to the driving of the room tariffs. This will make India globally …

The Indian hotel industry anticipates a robust fiscal year in 2024, with double-digit revenue growth, according to ICRA. The growth will be attributed to a combination of domestic and international factors, especially in the latter half of the fiscal year. Premium hotels in India are forecasted to achieve occupancy rates of around 70–72%, marking a significant recovery. Average room rates for these hotels are projected to be in the range of Rs. 6,000–6,200, maintaining a 20–25% discount relative to the FY2008 peak. Despite healthy occupancy, slight margin dips are anticipated in FY2024 due to extensive renovation and maintenance activities undertaken by hotels, surpassing pre-COVID levels. Mr. Prakash Bedi, Vice President of Clarks Safari shares key insights on 2024 hospitality trends., He believes the key metro cities will again lead to an increase in tourism due to MICE, business travellers, etc. The majority of the revenue in the tourism sector will flow from domestic travellers, but international travel will also pick up. At the same time, experiential travel and tier-2 cities will also witness a tourist surge due to infrastructural development. Technology will play a bigger role, and even boutique hotels will strengthen their IT infrastructure, to generate more footfalls. He further adds, “Tourists are becoming more aware of their preferences and choices, adventure tourism will witness a surge. The existing national parks infrastructure will be improved and a few new parks might open up. Wildlife tourism will attract more domestic and international tourists. With the opening of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, spiritual tourism will see a boost.  Also, sustainability will no longer remain a PR activity. The way climate concerns are being raised, and sustainable efforts are taken by the …

Clarks Collection Somnath in order to cater to changing travellers’ demands, has designed a personalized package for the travellers. The property has witnessed an increase in spiritual travelers. In order to provide a holistic experience of Somnath, Clarks Collection has created a spiritual package, along with a local guide, and local transport, and the priests or their representatives will be present in all the temples to help the guests. At the same time, the hotel organizes shows of local artists for the guests, who narrate the story of Somanth and the different folklore associated with the place. They also try to conduct religious discourses from time to time on the property for spiritual travelers. This is a unique step taken by the property in that area. Somnath holds special significance to the Hindus because of the Somnath temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the most important spiritual sites in the Hindu circuit. It is widely believed to be the first of the 12 jyotirlingas in the country, the temple witnesses an annual footfall of 80 to 90 lakh visitors. Clarks Collection Somnath is located within walking distance of the temple. Due to its significance, this is the first place incorporated in the itinerary. Second comes Shri Ram Temple, located 1 km from Somnath temple. It was built by Shree Somnath Trust in 2017 and is the newest addition to the array of religious places in and around Somnath. The temple is graceful and the sanctum has artistic idols of Lord Rama, Sita Devi, and Lord Lakshmana. The itinerary also includes a visit to Triveni Ghat, located near Somnath beach and one of the most important holy places, it is believed to be …

Clarks Collection, a premium brand, falls under the Clarks aegis, Plans to increase pan By the end of this fiscal year, India will have added 10 new properties. They already have four properties located in Baroda, Ahmedabad, Somnath, and Bhavnagar. The brand is extensively present in Gujarat and now wants to open properties in the rest of India, majorly focusing on Ajmer, Udaipur, Kumbalgarh, etc. Clarks Collection will cater to business travelers, upscale tourists, and experiential-seeking travelers. As a part of a strategic move, the group will open properties with a minimum of 300 rooms, along with a conference hall, restaurant, and other key facilities needed by business travelers. The hospitality chain works on the principle of “Value for money”, where guests are provide convenient facilities and amenities, at affordable prices. The properties have big lawns, and state-of-the-art conference halls to conduct offsite training, corporate get-togethers, workshops, dealers meet, etc. The Cube under Clarks Collection, Ahmedabad, is the signature property with a hundred keys. It is spread over an area of 350 acres, with a man-made lake inside the property. The property has a theatre with a seating capacity of 50 Pax. It is good for those who want to spend their whole day, in a luxury setup while enjoying different activities on the resort. Along with the restaurant, the place will have different options like live music, Zorba ball, snooker parlor, pool party, drum circle, and many more. Clarks Collection Somnath is targeting business and spiritual travelers. The property has 50 rooms spread across three categories. They have an in-house banquet hall spread over 5000 sqft, a vegetarian restaurant providing Satvik food, a gym, and a spa on the …

Clarks Collection enters Ahmedabad by signing 100 rooms property named The Cube. The luxury property will cater to luxury travelers, corporates, and families looking for a day outing, along with clients seeking out destination weddings. The brand already has many properties across the country, but Ahmedabad as a business hub and one of the busiest cities in Gujarat has prompted the brand to open its doors here. The newly signed property is centrally located and enjoys good connectivity. It is spread over an area of 350 acres, with a man-made lake inside the property. The property has a theatre with a seating capacity of 50 Pax. It is suitable for individuals who want to spend the entire day on the resort participating in various activities in a luxurious environment. In addition to the restaurant, the place will have different options like live music, Zorba ball, snooker parlor, pool party, drum circle, and many more. There will be 100 rooms, divided into several categories, each room will be furnished with all the amenities, such as a safe box, indoor games, seating area, deck area, pantry, open sky shower area, etc. All rooms will have a private garden with an open sky shower area, with a focus on privacy. The resort is equipped with all the facilities, for a family picnic, or for a memorable outing. They will also have two lawns to conduct weddings or other functions. Various experientials will be curated targeting different sets of audiences. Apart from solo travelers, and families, the brand is heavily eyeing the wedding segment, corporate, and MICE. The in-house restaurant will serve multiple cuisines, chiefly North Indian, continental, and also Gujarati food. Mr. Prakash …