As destination weddings, International meetings and incentives and film shoots are gaining traction among Indians, the oldest hospitality chain, Hilton has unveiled an innovative programme for its Indian groups.
Recognizing that modern India is looking for unique, personalized experiences, Hilton has launched 'Namaste", an exclusive guest offering programme, designed to deliver a truly tailored experience for groups travelling from India to Europe.
With the Indian economy on a high, approximately 25 million Indian tourists currently head overseas for professional or personal reasons. Europe commands an estimated market share of about 20 percent of all Indian outbound departures.
The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) alone predicts that India will account for 50 million* outbound tourists by 2020. Clearly, it's a huge plus for the hospitality segment and opens an array of prospects for Hotels catering to the Indian groups segment.
According to GBTA, the Global Business Travel Association, India is expected to be the fastest growing travel market over the next five years picking up 11.3% in compound average growth. This market continues to show enormous growth potential.
"Huge population, rising incomes, improving infrastructure, among others - offer a strong growth opportunity. India is one of the biggest growth markets, with Indians now preferring luxury and overseas stays with their improving financial status," said Fiona Robson, Senior Director of Sales Operations Europe.
"We pride ourselves in understanding the needs of our Indian guests and ensuring that we deliver a truly memorable stay; this precisely is the thinking behind our "Namaste" programme, our uniquely designed programme for group travel," added Fiona Robson.
Indians are now inclined to explore offbeat destinations and therefore Hilton is looking to cater to Indian groups opting to travel to destinations like Malta, Budapest, Cologne, Baku, besides frequent destinations like Vienna, Prague, London and others. Hilton Properties are excited to welcome groups from India, being equipped with the best in class services, to ensure they have a memorable stay experience.
"Indian companies are interested in bringing their Incentive trips to Barcelona because of the possibility to combine their interest to explore culture and business together. Barcelonais known to be a hub for cruises, and the release of Bollywood movie "Zindagi Na MilegiDobara", which was partially shot in Barcelona and Costa Brava, massively increased the interest of clients travelling to Barcelona. The wedding of Shristi Mittal in 2013 reinforced the interest in country making it an ideal destination for wedding business," said Joachim Hartl, General Manager of the Hilton Barcelona Diagonal Mar.
"We have great experience in hosting the Indian guests and have built fantastic relationships over the years. We understand the culture, the need for personal relationships, the importance of authentic Indian food and the need to provide flexibility with regards to Visas," said RemcoNorden, General Manager at the Hilton London Metropole.
Destination weddings have captured the Indian market in a big way. For any Indian parent, a wedding is much more than mere ceremonies and fancy decorations. It's an emotional investment of a lifetime where you don't collect things but create precious moments. Hilton specializes in ensuring an unforgettable experience for a European destination wedding through Namaste programme which captures this essence, to perfect every detail and create the wedding of your dreams.
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