Dubai: Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and member of Dubai Holding, Wednesday announced the expansion of its global network into India.
Two new representatives based in Delhi and Mumbai will be appointed by OM Tourism, a specialist tourism and travel representation company, in order to focus on positioning the Jumeirah brand and representing the luxury hotel group's interests across all segments in the Indian market including the groups, corporate and leisure markets.
In a statement, Jumeirah Group said that the agreement is evidence that India is a key growth region for business to Jumeirah's properties worldwide and is further validation of the brand's global appeal.
The forecasts for the main tourist destinations within South Asia show that India will take the lead in 2020, according to the Tourism 2020 Vision report on tourism forecasts.
Opportunity
Travel and tourism experts believe there is also an opportunity for Jumeirah to build business and luxury hotels in India.
Georges Mousa, Chief Executive Officer of Planet Group, a Dubai-based travel agency, told Gulf News that an expansion into the Indian market "is important and very much needed."
The Indian market is now emerging as a business destination; the economy is picking up and after the crisis, and investors are looking for a destination, Mousa said. Places such as Asia and the Far East are emerging a top destinations, he said.
"I think Mumbai would be a first because of the high level of investment there. Delhi of course is another destination," he added.
Gassan Aridi, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Tours, an independent destination management company in Dubai, agrees. He told Gulf News that the market in India is improving and that there's a big need for hotels, especially for international chains, to open.
"The economy has changed and tourism in India is improving a lot," he said. "But there aren't enough hotels to accommodate that." Aridi said that the market needs all kinds of hotels, especially luxury hotels. People now have an interest to go and visit places like India and China, so there is also a need for tourist hotels, he said.
Currently, Jumeirah's network of representatives includes offices in the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Singapore, China, Australia, North and South America.
