- Marriott remains bullish on expansion in India, focusing on spiritual tourism.
- It recently opened Courtyard in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
- New properties are planned in Ayodhya and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL REMAINS bullish on expansion in India, focusing on spiritual tourism. It has a pipeline of 200 hotels even as global travel flows face short-term disruptions from the West Asia crisis.
Kiran Andicot, Marriott's senior vice president for South Asia, said the company remains committed to the Indian market. "We have a pipeline of 200 hotels as of today, and, like last year, we open around 50 hotels on average," he told PTI.
The company is focusing on emerging travel segments, particularly spiritual tourism, which Andicot described as "underserved and largely unexplored."
It recently opened Courtyard in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. "We just opened a hotel in Tirupati. We've got a hotel in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, and properties coming up in Ayodhya and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Tirupati is home to the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and attracts millions of visitors each year. The 130-key hotel is located 15 minutes from the railway station and 20 minutes from Tirupati Airport.
Andicot, who joined Marriott in September, acknowledged short-term challenges to international travel flows. "There is a little bit of a dip depending on which city you're looking at and your market segment, because a lot of international travel used to transit through the Middle East. That is impacted," he said.
Despite the headwinds, Marriott does not expect any lasting impact on its expansion plans. "From a development and growth perspective, I don't see any long-term impact of the crisis. Hopefully, it will wind down soon. If it doesn't, then of course it's a problem for the entire world, not just India," Andicot said, according to PTI.
Marriott recently opened the 176-key Noormahal, Delhi NCR Karnal, Autograph Collection, in Karnal, Haryana.
