GHA sets sights on India’s travel market
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), a player in the hotel loyalty programme business, has set its sights on India's booming travel market. The UAE-based company also expects hotel loyalty programmes to consolidate over the next 10 years, with AI playing a major role in data mining and creating more accurate customer preferences.
The company which works with independent hotel chains such as The Leela, Kempinski, Park Royal, Pan Pacific, Tivoli, and others, is looking to partner with more and more Indian hotel companies to capture a share of the country's 80 million projected international travellers by 2040.
Globally, the company has tie-ups with 40 brands with over 800 hotels across 100 countries.
GHA's chief executive officer Christopher Hartley, who was in India recently, told Mint that its existing partnerships with Indian chains like The Leela, Araiya, and the Oaks brand generated $68 million in revenue in 2023, a majority of which came from The Leela.
Moreover, its Indian members spent $60 million in hotel revenues in India and around the world in the same year, up 46% year-on-year and surpassing the 2019 total of $41 miland lion. This was evenly split between domestic and international travel.
Hartley says hotels need loyalty programmes to build direct relationships with guests by creating a positive experience offering rewards.
The classic loyalty programmes reward guests with points for every stay and purchase. These points can then be redeemed for free nights, upgrades, or other perks. Points programmes can encourage direct bookings rather than using discounting platforms like online travel agencies.
GHA is actively seeking new Indian partners, particularly midmarket and smaller chains as well as independent owners who struggle to compete with larger loyalty programmes. Potential collaborations with airlines such as Air India and local banks could also be on the cards to expand the base further, the company feels.