Radisson Expands in India With 21 Hotel Signings

15.02.2024 - 10:23 / skift.com / Christmas Eve / Bulbul Dhawan

Radisson Hotel Group significantly expanded its presence in India last year with the signing of 21 hotels. During the year, the group signed the debut Radisson Collection hotels in the country, with three properties under the brand in the pipeline.

The company also signed as many as 10 new properties under the Radisson brand in 2023. In 2023, Radisson Hotel Group also signed Park Inn by Radisson Ayodhya, which became the first international branded hotel to open in the city in January.

Accelerated growth in India: During the year, the company’s signings focused away from tier 1 cities, with expansion in tier 2 and 3 cities, such as Raipur, Sonipat, Sonamarg, and Dera Bassi being driven by the upscale Radisson brand.

India-focused brand Park Inn and Suites by Radisson expanded its presence in the southern region. The group is also expecting a first-mover advantage in pilgrim towns of Vrindavan and Ujjain with new hotels soon to be opened. According to KB Kachru, chairman emeritus and principal advisor, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia, the company is strategically focusing on solidifying its presence in untapped parts of India.

Himachal Pradesh is the most welcoming region in India, according to Booking.com’s 12th Annual Traveller Review Awards. In 2023, the state had stood at the fifth spot in the list. In this year’s rankings, Himachal Pradesh is followed by Goa and Kerala. On the other hand, Mararikulam in Kerala was named the most welcoming city in India, followed by Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Bir in Maharashtra.

Towards the end of 2023, hotels in Himachal Pradesh were operating nearly at full capacity, while Christmas Eve had record influx of 65,000 tourists at the Atal Tunnel, along with more than 12,000 vehicles. According to Booking.com’s rankings this year, as many as three cities from the state, including Manali, Dharamshala, and Kasol, found a place in the list of top 10 most welcoming cities. Last year, no city from Himachal Pradesh was featured in the list.

Indian credit ratings agency ICRA Limited has estimated that the domestic air passenger traffic in January 2024 stood at 13.1 million, about 5% lower than the December 2023 figure of nearly 13.8 million. The agency, however, noted that this projected figure was 4.5% higher than the domestic air traffic recorded in January 2023, as well as 3% more than the pre-Covid level of passenger movement recorded in January 2020.

In the first 10 months of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the domestic air traffic stood at 127.6 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 15%, and a growth of 5% over the pre-Covid levels recorded between April 2019 and January 2020.

ICRA, which falls under the umbrella of Moody’s Corporation, had a stable outlook on the