Oyo Expands Into New Markets to Support First-Gen Hoteliers
25.08.2023 - 13:19
/ skift.com
/ Amrita Ghosh
/ Eric Garcetti
/ Marriott International
India-based budget hotel operator and aggregator Oyo said it will add over 1,000 hotels to support over 100 first-generation hoteliers’ growthby December this year as part of its accelerator program. The company launched the program in March with a target of supporting 50 first-generation hoteliers. Hotel owners with more than five running hotels are eligible to be a part of the program.
With the Indian hospitality sector showing signs of promising growth in the next few years, Oyo said to cater to the growing demand, it is now focusing on hoteliers planning to expand their business in top leisure travel destinations such as Shimla, Amritsar, Udaipur, Goa, Mysore, among others. The plan is aligned with Oyo’s focus on increasing its premium hotel footprint under brands such as Townhouse Oak, OYO Townhouse, Collection O and Capital O in 2023, the company said.
Oyo has already added more than 300 hotels operated by 30 hoteliers since the announcement of the plan which is higher than the initial target of adding 200 properties in the first phase of the program, the company said in a statement. It is also offering financial assistance to facilitate expansion in new markets, and has already extended support worth $1.22 million, Oyo added.
Marriott International’s Fairfield by Marriott has announced the opening of a 76-room Fairfield by Marriott Jaipur in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from the Jaipur airport. “We are confident with our entry into this market, Fairfield by Marriott fills a much-needed gap in the moderate tier segment,” said Rishabh Jain, hotel manager at Fairfield by Marriott Jaipur.
Last month, the company opened a 98-room Fairfield by Marriott Agrain the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The hospitality major is planning to launch its select hotel brand Moxy in the country by 2024. Marriott expects to open Moxy Bangalore Airport Prestige Tech Cloud and Moxy Mumbai Andheri West in 2024.
The wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the U.S. has been reduced by over 50%, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said. He further emphasized that the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas and highlighted the improved speed of visa processing in India with the U.S. Consulate’s all-hands-on-deck approach.
Addressing the audience at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Garcetti said, “We’ll find innovative solutions to streamline the visa process, such as reducing the need for in-person interviews, which allows consular teams around the world to assist in processing visas for the growing number of Indian travelers.”
The U.S. will open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad to help expedite the Indian visa application process,