Yours Digitally, India

Exterity, a provider of IP video and digital signage technology, talks about the prevalent digital age in India and why an investment in technology is essential.

In recent years, India has become one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations. From the sun-drenched beaches of Goa to 37 UNESCO World Heritage sites including the Taj Mahal and the Mahabodhi Temple, the number of tourists to India has swelled. Over the last decade, annual overseas visitors have doubled to 10 million, making it a hot bed for the international hospitality industry.

India is also experiencing an in-country tourism boom as a growing middle class starts to explore its homeland. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a government research agency, domestic expenditure on tourism reached $200 billion in 2017 and is expected to exceed $400 billion by 2028.

A large percentage of the spending from both domestic and foreign tourists will be absorbed by hoteliers. According to data from analyst firms Statistica and HVS, there are 113,600 rooms in branded hotels across India with an occupancy rate of between 60-80 per cent depending on location – with cities like New Delhi and Mumbai at the higher range. As tourism in India continues to grow, the local hotelier market will become more competitive. One of the ways forward-thinking hoteliers can get ahead of their rivals is by creating a better-than-home guest experience, which includes a hotel’s in-room entertainment offering, such as free and pay-TV plus access to higher-value additional sales opportunities to deliver a better guest experience and more profitability. These additional features can include promotion for treatments in the spa, access to special classes in the gym, or tours organised by the hotel.