As destination weddings, International meetings & incentives and film shoots are gaining traction among Indians, the oldest hospitality chain, Hilton has unveiled a new programme for its Indian groups. Recognising that modern India is looking for unique, personalised 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 per cent 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.
Fiona Robson, Senior Director of Sales Operations Europe, Hilton said, “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.”
She further added, “Exceptional quality, impeccable service and always the warmest of welcomes, no one knows hospitality like Hilton. 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.”
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.
Joachim Hartl, General Manager of the Hilton Barcelona Diagonal Mar said, “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. Barcelona is known to be a hub for cruises, and the release of Bollywood movie “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, 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.”
With Europe drawing Bollywood to its fold, the hospitality major has conceived a customised programme to offer their beautiful hotels, near famous places and unique locations in order to accommodate venue requirements of movies.
RemcoNorden, General Manager at the Hilton London Metropole, said, “2019 is seeing some fantastic demand owing to the Cricket world cup with matches happening all over the country and Indian groups still wanting to stay in London. The hotel is looking forward to welcoming many Indian guests given the close proximity to the ground. Hilton London Metropole being one of the largest hotels in the region houses some of the biggest Indian incentive movements and has hosted Indian events upto 1200 pax. 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,” he added.
The programme caters to three major segments—destination weddings, meetings and incentives and film shoots giving guests the confidence, that Hilton will meet all their needs and expectations every time, no matter the occasion or destination.
