Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is all set to launch its first property in India by end of the first quarter/ beginning of the second quarter in 2013. “We will be opening a 59-villa resort on the Nediyathuruthu Island in the backwater district of Alleppey in Kerala next year,” Abid Butt, Chief Executive Officer, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, said recently in New Delhi, and added that the Kerala property will be run under a management contract. According to him, the opening of the Banyan Tree Resort in Kerala will further expand the brand awareness of Banyan Tree in India.
The group is also planning to expand its footprint following the launch of the Kerala property. “Goa is very much on the radar and we are already in talks with a local partner. We are also bringing in our Angsana brand. We are looking at urban locations like Delhi and Mumbai too,” he added. The group grows either through management contracts or joint ventures. It is already getting good business from the Indian market. “India has tremendous growth opportunities. The brand is not new for the Indian traveller as a lot of our resorts, especially in South East Asia, are getting healthy business from India, which contributes 15-18 per cent of our overall business,” he revealed.
Butt also outlined the global expansion plan of the Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. “We are expanding our portfolio globally. We have just opened a new hotel in Shanghai and two more resorts are coming up in Central Vietnam. The Central Vietnam resorts are part of the largest ever integrated resort development in Vietnam. Overall, we plan to open as many as five resorts in Central Vietnam,” he said. The group will also open one resort in Shenzhen in China. “We have opened four hotels in 2012 and four more will be opened in 2013. In 2014, our plan is to open seven hotels,” he said, adding that the group is also looking at South America.
Responding to a question over the group’s focus on Vietnam, Butt said that the Vietnamese government is very supportive and the destination has very good tourism products. He also divulged that Banyan Tree is quite conscious while identifying its locations for new projects. “We consider the cultural history of the locations for our projects. We identified Kerala due to its rich cultural heritage,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of economic meltdown, Butt said that Banyan Tree’s business remained unaffected due to the diversified feeder markets. “Growth slowed in Europe due to the economic downturn. However, the Asian market remained quite strong for us,” he said. Divulging more details on Kerala property, Butt said that Banyan Tree Kerala will also feature the Group’s first dedicated Ayurvedic centre.
