Asmita Mukherjee | Hyderabad
Jim Corbett has evolved from being a seasonal wildlife destination into one of North India’s most competitive leisure and destination wedding markets. Improved road connectivity, rising demand for short-haul luxury getaways and the growing popularity of nature-based experiences have expanded the market beyond traditional safari tourism. As a result, resorts are increasingly looking to differentiate themselves through curated experiences, stronger food and beverage offerings and diversified revenue streams.
Focus Areas
For ZANA In The Wild, Jim Corbett, the strategy is centred on creating a hospitality product that extends beyond the national park experience. The property is positioning itself as a luxury retreat where experiential travel, personalised service, destination weddings and corporate retreats contribute alongside traditional leisure demand.
According to Jitendra Bisoyi, Cluster General Manager, ZANA Luxury Escapes & Country Inn Hotels & Resorts, the resort’s positioning is built around what the brand calls “distinctive luxury”.
“Our core proposition is ‘Distinctive luxury’ – an experience that blends the thrill of the wilderness with refined comfort and thoughtful experiences that our guests would not find anywhere else. While Jim Corbett has many safari-focused resorts, ZANA In The Wild offers guests far more than just a gateway to the national park. We have created a destination where every aspect of the stay is curated, from immersive experiences to distinctive culinary concepts and crisp hospitality defined as the ‘ZANA Way’,” said Bisoyi.
His comments reflect a broader shift across the hospitality sector, where travellers are increasingly prioritising experiences over accommodation alone. Resorts across leisure destinations are investing in wellness programmes, culinary offerings, immersive activities and personalised services to drive guest engagement, increase ancillary spend and encourage repeat visits.
At ZANA, this translates into a series of curated touchpoints throughout the guest journey. From complimentary welcome hi-tea and healthy morning rituals to live music, themed dining experiences and signature activities, the focus is on creating memorable experiences that strengthen guest loyalty and extend length of stay.
Outlining the property’s growth roadmap, Bisoyi said the next phase would focus on building a balanced business mix while enhancing profitability.
“Our focus over the next few years is centred on sustainable and profitable growth while strengthening ZANA’s position as one of Jim Corbett’s leading luxury resorts. A key priority is increasing high-value direct bookings and further developing our wedding and MICE business to create stronger weekday demand alongside our established leisure segment,” added Bisoyi.
Strategy for Growth
The strategy mirrors an industry-wide effort by hotels to reduce dependence on online travel intermediaries while growing higher-margin segments such as weddings, meetings and corporate retreats. These segments not only contribute significantly to room revenue but also drive spending across banqueting, food and beverage, décor and event-related services.
To support this strategy, the resort is investing in product enhancements and event infrastructure. “We are introducing interactive food carts and carnival-style dining concepts that add a fun, experiential element for families, social celebrations and pre-wedding events. We are also undertaking a comprehensive upgrade of our banquet infrastructure with premium crockery, cutlery, glassware and buffet presentation,” informed Bisoyi.
Leisure & MICE
While leisure travellers continue to form the core customer base, the management expects destination weddings, celebrations and corporate retreats to account for a larger share of business in the coming years.
“Leisure travellers will continue to remain our strongest segment, particularly affluent couples, families and multi-generational travellers seeking premium nature-led escapes. However, we see significant growth opportunities in destination weddings, intimate celebrations and small-to-mid-sized corporate retreats, particularly in strengthening weekday occupancy,” he added.
Corporate offsites and leadership retreats have also emerged as an important demand driver for leisure destinations following the resurgence of in-person meetings and team engagement programmes.
“MICE is an important pillar of our long-term growth strategy as it helps create a more balanced business throughout the year. Corporate offsites, leadership retreats and team-building programmes allow us to improve weekday occupancy, particularly during shoulder periods,” said Bisoyi.
Experiential Travel
Experiential travel remains central to the property’s positioning strategy. As travellers increasingly seek authentic and memorable experiences, hotels are finding that emotional engagement often has a greater impact on guest satisfaction than traditional luxury attributes alone.
“Today, guests increasingly remember how a destination made them feel rather than simply the room they stayed in. Our approach is therefore to curate the complete guest journey with thoughtful details and authentic experiences woven throughout the stay. These seemingly small details transform an ordinary resort stay into something memorable, strengthening guest loyalty while clearly differentiating us within the competitive Jim Corbett market,” noted Bisoyi.
Balance Sheet
From a performance perspective, the resort is targeting annual occupancy levels of 68-72% over the next 12 months, supported by stronger contributions from MICE and wedding business alongside sustained leisure demand, informed Bisoyi.
“With the introduction of several new guest experiences and product enhancements, we expect our ADR and RevPAR to improve by 10–12% year-on-year, further strengthening the property’s overall revenue performance,” added Bisoyi.
Ancillary Business
Beyond room revenue, ancillary businesses are expected to play an increasingly important role in driving profitability.
“Destination weddings and exclusive buyout events remain our most significant ancillary revenue opportunity, generating strong returns across accommodation, banqueting, customised dining, décor and experiential event offerings. Beyond weddings, premium experiential dining, private barbecues, curated garden dinners and day-use pool packages offer additional opportunities to drive incremental revenue while enhancing the overall guest experience,” concluded Bisoyi.
As competition intensifies in leisure destinations,ZANA In The Wild is focusing on a balanced growth strategy driven by leisure travel, weddings, MICE and experiential offerings, reducing dependence on safari-led demand while strengthening long-term revenue streams.
Asmita.mukherjee@saffronsynergies.in
