Betting big on India
As one of its biggest sellers of rooms in Hong Kong, Akquasun has pushed sales of Regal Group of Hotels in the last financial year to propel it ahead of the game.
Sri Lanka has a lot of potential for tourism and the businesses are ready to invest. International hotel chains are coming up with their properties in the very near future. I also see a good increase in numbers of small boutique hotels and homestays. But of course, there are still a lot of things which need to be improved, like the quality of the roads in certain areas, the highway construction to the north and a solution for the traffic in Colombo.
Indians respond very positively to Sri Lanka as a travel destination. According to the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority, the arrivals from India have increased 21 per cent already for the first two months of 2015 against 2014. This is very promising as the increase of all other nationalities is at 12 per cent.
What are the most popular destinations in Sri Lanka?
The Wonder of Asia has a lot to offer. There is so much to explore in Sri Lanka; the heritage sites in Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapuram, Kandy with the Temple of Tooth (very popular in August during Perehara Festival), Scenic Hill Country and the tea plantations around Nuwara Eliya, Wildlife at Yala National Park and then of course, the beaches.
What are your marketing strategies for 2015?
We opened the Sita office in February 2015. Sita aims for the best quality products and services, high customer and employee satisfaction combined with healthy growth and sustainable profitability.
USP?
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Sita focuses on unique experiences and impressions of a particular intensity and profundity which create “Perfect Moments” for our guests and clients.
Akquasun Hong Kong, one of the leading inbound companies in Hong Kong, has sold a record number of room nights for the Regal Group of Hotels Hong Kong in the last financial year of 2013- 2014 becoming one of their top producers for the year.
Spearheaded by Vien, Akquasun Hong Kong caters to three different market segments namely leisure, group series and MICE. BA Rahim, Group Director and CEO, Akquasun, says, “Akquasun Hong Kong has been seeing tremendous growth every year and today stands as one of the leading inbound companies handling the Indian market. It is popular for its services, rates and flexibility that it offers clients.”
Regal Group of Hotels has a local GSA office in India represented by Iris Reps and is headed by Alefiya Singh. Revealing the kind of growth the hotel group has witnessed, she adds, “Regal Group has seen a growth of about 20 per cent over last year and we are very happy about it.”
Regal Hotels International offers travellers extraordinary services and luxury amenities. With a portfolio consisting of over 9,300 rooms and more than 100 restaurants and bars, Regal is one of the largest hotel operators in Hong Kong with an expanding presence in mainland China – Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Denzhou, and Foshan.
Regal Airport Hotel and Regal Hong Kong are a known five- star brand for the elite and corporate travellers. In its endeavor to cater to each strata Regal has introduced I CLUB hotels in Hong Kong which has been awarded as one of the trendi-
The new government is giving the people of Sri Lanka a very positive perception for the future, I have my fingers crossed for the target of 2.3 million tourists in 2016 for Sri Lanka.
est and green boutique situated close to the business center, thereby fitting the bill for business travelers and the youth segment and clients wishing to stay on the island.