Radisson Group looking at doubling hotel portfolio in India: South Asia MD

Belgium-headquartered Radisson Hotel Group is eyeing to double its portfolio in India in the next few years, from over 200 operational hotels at present, with a focus on a sustainable and inclusive growth model, according to a senior company official.

In an interview to PTI, Radisson Hotel Group Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for South Asia Nikhil Sharma said its hotel in Pahalgam is currently operating at an occupancy rate of 20-30 per cent of what the occupancies were last year, in the aftermath of the recent terror attack on tourists that shook the nation.

Notably, Radisson is the largest luxury hotel chain in Jammu and Kashmir, with seven hotels in operation, including five in the valley, and 2-3 hotels in the pipeline. 

"We are, I would say, operating between 20 to 30 per cent in cities like Pahalgam. So in Srinagar, we are about 50 per cent of what the occupancies were last year. Last year, about 35 lakh tourists came into the valley.

"This year, we are not seeing those numbers. But I truly believe that Kashmir is an all-weather destination, and we are going to be working with the government, making sure that we promote tourism in all seasons," Nikhil shared.

He asserted that Radisson Hotels Group will require an additional workforce of 16,000 in India, as it ramps up its presence in the country with 8,000 keys in the pipeline, and growth centred around Tier-II, Tier-III and Tier-IV cities.

Radisson Hotels Group's currently has around 19,000 employees.

"This year we will open 20 hotels. In the last five years, we've signed 51 hotels, which has been the highest signings ever. Last year itself, we did 36 signings. ...Our growth will be in Tier-II, Tier-III, Tier-IV, cities, or even destinations that we want to be flag planters," he said.

Nikhil shared that Radisson is looking at eventually doubling its portfolio in India in the next few years, because it's a "golden era" for the company, while underscoring the need for sustainable and inclusive growth and ensuring that the local community gets hired and works in its hotels.

"We have close to 19,000 employees at the moment and every room takes 1.2 to 1.9 team members. We have a pipeline of about 8,000 more keys that we are going to be developing. So another 16,000 team members at any given point of time will be joining us in the near future," Sharma said.