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COVER STORY
HOSPITALITY BIZ NOVEMBER, 2024 15
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Goa aims to become a tourism hub that transcends
beach tourism by promoting cultural experiences and ‘Meticulous planning and effort drive
sustainable practices to offer visitors holistic experiences.
Dr. Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, success of 54th FHRAI Convention’
highlighted the government’s focus on sustainability,
digitalisation, and job creation. The Chief Minister
stressed that Goa is ready to serve as a model of tourism As the Chairman of the FHRAI
diversification, driven by collaborative efforts between Convention Committee, Dinesh
the industry and the state. He underscored Goa’s Advani played a pivotal role in
readiness to welcome a more diverse range of tourists organising the highly anticipated 54th
and offer unique inland experiences beyond its iconic Annual FHRAI Convention in Goa,
beaches. held after a multi-year hiatus. In an
Pradeep Shetty, President of FHRAI, reinforced the
sector’s economic importance, asserting that tourism’s exclusive interview with Hospitality
real contribution to India’s GDP may be as high as Biz at the convention, Advani reflects
12-13%, given the significant portion of unorganized on the achievements of the event,
businesses within the industry. “Tourism has the power which attracted nearly 800 delegates,
to transform India’s economy, with its unique capacity making it one of the largest FHRAI
to generate jobs across all levels of society,” Shetty stated. conventions in recent memory.
He noted the potential for an additional 50,000-60,000
rooms in the coming years, which would increase
employment, especially for youth and women. He called Q As the Chairman of the is the participation of the younger
for reforms in GST and emphasised the need to shift Convention Committee, how generation, who were exposed to the
from “promise” to “delivery,” making tourism a true would you rate this convention? FHRAI convention for the first time.
growth engine for India. What are your key learnings from They now have a better understanding
The convention paid tribute to icons in Indian this event, which seems to be one of of the event’s importance, which bodes
hospitality with the Lifetime Achievement Award the largest FHRAI conventions in well for the future. Going forward,
posthumously presented to Late P.R.S. Oberoi, Former recent years? I believe it’s critical to maintain
Executive Chairman of EIH Limited. His legacy remains I believe this convention has been a this tradition, especially after the
a cornerstone of the Indian luxury hotel industry. The great success. We have had a fantastic disruption caused by the pandemic. I
Hall of Fame Award recognized Dr. Ajit B. Kerkar, turnout, especially considering that am confident that in future editions, we
Late Capt. C.P. Krishnan Nair, and Lalit Suri for their this is the first FHRAI convention we will achieve even better numbers and
groundbreaking work in establishing luxury hospitality have hosted in several years. A lot of continue to build on this momentum.
in India. meticulous planning, effort, and hard
Pradeep Shetty emphasised the contributions of work went into organising it, and I am Q With the leadership
these pioneers, stating, “The legacies of these individuals glad to see that most of the delegates transitioning to South India,
remind us of the commitment and passion required to seem to be very happy with the including a new President and
excel in hospitality. Their contributions have transformed experience. While we still have another Convention Committee, what
our industry, ensuring it continues to offer world-class day to go, the feedback so far has been challenges do you foresee for them,
experiences.” extremely positive. I sincerely hope and how do you think they should
that this energy continues in future progress on the success of this
Day Two: Navigating Trends and Emerging conventions. convention?
Opportunities I am certain that the new team, led
On the convention’s second day, industry leaders Q How many delegates attended by South India, will do an excellent
examined post-pandemic recovery and emerging this year, and what are some of job. They have always been capable,
trends. The Honourable Minister for Road Transport the key takeaways from organising a and they will have the flexibility to
& Highways, Nitin Gadkari, shared his support for the convention of this scale after such a decide where they want to hold the
sector through a video message. He noted that hospitality long break? next convention. I believe they will
remains a major employment driver, underpinned We have had over 700 delegates – take important learnings from this
by government projects to enhance tourism through nearly 800, to be precise – which is an event and apply them moving forward.
infrastructure, from expressways to modern amenities excellent number for us. The exhibition Ensuring high-quality speakers and
at tourist destinations. Gadkari highlighted plans to saw strong footfalls, and both the engaging entertainment will be key to
develop 18 new tourist destinations and underscored the sponsors and exhibitors have expressed maintaining the convention’s success.
industry’s potential to boost local economies. their satisfaction. The business Under K Syama Raju’s leadership, I
In an impactful session, Manav Thadani, Founder sessions were also well received, and am confident they will continue this
Chairman of Hotelivate, discussed shifts in consumer we have seen real value in terms of the tradition with great success. He’s proven
needs and the industry’s post-pandemic growth. Chander learnings shared with delegates. to be a strong president, and I have no
Baljee, CMD of Royal Orchid Hotels, emphasized One of the most encouraging aspects doubt that his team will excel. n
the need for agility and digitalization to maintain

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