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Sharan Pasricha, co-CEO and founder of Anysmore, believes India is a sleeping giant in the lifestyle hotel space, writes Middle East correspondent Josh Corder.
A new wave of lifestyle hotels could be coming to India, Pasricha told hospitality senior editor Sean O'Neill at the Skift India Summit on Wednesday. Currently, Ennismore has no Indian hotels in its portfolio. But Pasricha said the situation could change as early as this year, citing a growing middle class and improved infrastructure as reasons why lifestyle hotels can thrive in India.
Next, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti is eager to see an increase in U.S. travel demand to India, writes travel technology reporter Justin Dawes.
Garcetti told Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali at the Skift India Summit that Americans don't know India any more than Indians know the United States. However, he pointed out that India's tourism infrastructure is being boosted by the growth of the country's aviation industry.
Garcetti also mentioned the long waits many Indian travelers have endured to obtain U.S. tourist visas. He said the U.S. government has been successful in reducing average wait times, but more needs to be done as demand for travel to the U.S. increases.
Today we end with a look at Keshav Suri, a hotel owner who wants to increase support for India's LGBTQ+ community.
Suri, executive director of LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group, told hospitality senior editor O'Neill at the Skift India Summit that his company has a loyal customer base from the LGBTQ+ community. He added that supporting the community is a competitive advantage. Suri, who runs about a dozen hotels across India, added that he would like to see more research done on the LGBTQ+ market.
