Eyes on luxury & mid-market
Meenaz Lilani, Executive Director EMEAI-Global Sales, FRHI Hotels & Resorts, speaks to TRAVTALK about the hotel group's plan for the India market and its trade partners here.
QWhat has FRHI planned for its trade partners?
Global Meetings Exchange is a big investment for us because it is our own proprietary event for the clients. It gives our hoteliers a chance to meet people on a one-to-one basis. We have speed-dating going on here, it is the biggest event for us from a Meetings and Events perspective. We exhibit at leading trade shows such as Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
We also do roadshows in the Middle East, normally twice a year. In parts of Europe, we exhibit at trade shows such as International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), Cannes, and IMEX in Frankfurt. In our region [ EMEAI], we do quite a lot to engage with the trade. We work very closely with our key clients and the assistance that we provide them to book our properties is a part of our engagement with them.
QHow do you engage the trade in India, considering there are just two FRHI properties in the country?
We have Fairmont Jaipur and Swissótel Kolkata in India. We also have a Global Sales office there and the function of that office is to promote not just Jaipur or Swissótel but also our outbound market. They make clients familiar with our destinations, our brands, taking customers on Fam trips and giving them an opportunity to enjoy our properties. We had about 11 clients from India for the GME this year.
QWhat are the key market segments for Fair
The GME is all about MICE. We do focus on the luxury market and the Meetings and Events market. But for the Meetings and Events market buying is at the luxury level as well as buy at the mid level. We see customers from India for Fairmont on a regular basis and they pay very high prices. The market is definitely there in India and we need to find it.
QAny expansion plans for the India market? We are always looking and if the right opportunity crops up we would be keen to pursue it. India is not an easy market to enter for brands because there are a lot of lovely old properties there already. For Raffles we need to have the right kind of property [in India]. So finding the right one will take a bit of time. So if the right opportunity is there and if we are looking to expand, eventually, but no immediate plans.