Low room rate parameters plague hotels

Though the hospitality industry has fared very well in East India, the region faces constraints in terms of rates for various hotels, informs Ipsita Ganguli, Director of Sales & Marketing, JW Marriott Kolkata. She says, “Kolkata as a city falls under a specific reach and thus, there are constraints in terms of rates that can be offered by hotels. Even though the luxury segment commands a specific range of rates, it is a challenge to offer that in the East. Additionally, we aren't a corporate centric city, so our hotel is heavily dependent on MICE, events and weddings.” Ganguli feels that connectivity, both internationally and domestically is a big issue in the East. “We have more flights for the Middle East than to the West. Domestically too, there are lesser flights for Kolkata as compared to Delhi and Mumbai. West Bengal is being projected as a great MICE destination and inventory is also being expanded. We need the industry to expand and connectivity needs to be increased to grow tourism in the region,” adds Ganguli.