Radisson Hotel Group to expand footprint in India, boost heritage tourism

Radisson Hotel Group is looking to strengthen its presence in the eastern region of India, with a senior company executive highlighting the brand’s strategy of balancing its properties across both major and tier-two cities.

 

The hospitality group currently operates a portfolio of over 200 hotels across the country.

 

K. B. Kachru, Chairman of Radisson Hotel Group South Asia operations, also emphasised the importance of conserving and restoring historic structures by redeveloping them as heritage properties instead of demolishing them to construct large, modern complexes, he said in an interview with news agency PTI.

 

“One of the reasons for our growth has been our focus on key locations across India. In fact, our performance in tier-two and tier-three cities has been as strong as in tier one, which is very encouraging,” Kachru said.

 

 

The remarks came on the sidelines of the national tourism and hospitality conference hosted by the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) in Bengaluru from September 18-20.

 

Hotel industry outlook 

Kachru, along with senior executives from ITC Group and The Postcard Hotel, participated in a panel discussion titled “Building Iconic Indian Hospitality Brands that Travel the World” during the conference.

 

“We started close to 28 years back with nothing. We are now 207 hotels in India, and growing,” he added.

 

“What is especially encouraging for all of us is that the government has introduced specific initiatives aimed at attracting more inbound tourists while also strengthening domestic tourism. There is a well-defined action plan in place, and as an industry, we are fully engaged in supporting it,” he said.

 

Growth plans 

In April this year, Radisson Hotel Group announced that under its ambitious 2025 growth plan, it had achieved a “historic milestone in India” by crossing 200 hotels, following the signing of five new properties.

 

Speaking about expansion into new markets in the eastern region, Kachru said, “We are focused on the entire eastern India.”

 

He also noted that the group has expressed interest in expanding into Bihar.

 

“We are currently working on three properties in Bihar. The government has recently introduced incentives, particularly in the Buddhist sector, and that is where we plan to focus,” Kachru said.

 

Heritage hotels 

In recent months, the Bihar government announced plans to develop three five-star hotels in Patna, including one at the site of the more than 100-year-old Sultan Palace.

 

Earlier, there had been a proposal to demolish the historic palace to make way for a high-rise luxury hotel. However, following public opposition, the plan was revised, and the site will now be redeveloped into a hotel while preserving the heritage value of the landmark structure.

 

When asked if replacing historic buildings with modern ones in culturally rich tier-two cities strengthens or weakens Brand India, Kachru responded that his company focuses on restoring and adding value to existing properties, not demolishing heritage buildings to build generic modern structures. He emphasised the importance of preserving the unique identity, culture, and heritage of these cities.

 

He pointed to the example of a Radisson Blu property in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan.

 

“We have developed a modern hotel in Kumbhalgarh. And not many people know that after the Great Wall of China, the longest such wall is in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan,” Kachru said.