A zealous hotelier with over 19 years of experience and a deep sense of originality, Rishi Kumar is a demonstrated leader with operationas background and astute sense of building value for all stakeholders. He has worked with some of the world-class hotels in his previous assignments including Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, Taj Lands End Mumbai, and the likes
One remarkable journey
The Indore Marriott Hotel is the largest in Madhya Pradesh in terms of rooms and meeting space, which covers an incredible 55,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banqueting space. The property is strategically located a few minutes away from the airport, with easy access to all the business and entertainment hubs of the city.
Taking care of the guests has been the number one priority and as a part of Marriott International’s family of brands, they had implemented a variety of new protocols and elevated practices, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and kept up with their high standards of cleanliness and commitment to providing excellent service.
With the businesses reviving and domestic travel showing positive signs, the property has been focusing on Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) footfall post pandemic. The hotel offers a lot of USPs to travelers and organizers and is a smart choice for business travelers in India.
Today with us, Rishi Kumar, General Manager, Indore Marriott Hotel shares his insights on Tourism and hospitality industry in Madhya Pradesh, The growth in the MICE segment and ways to grow its future footfall.
1) What has been the state of the Tourism and Hospitality industry in the state? The challenges faced during Covid and how did the hospitality industry bounce back?
Tourism and Hospitality industry has been identified as one of the key pillars of the Indian economy. It has always been a key contributor for economic growth and employment generation in Madhya Pradesh. Normalcy has returned at a much faster pace and leisure as well as business travel has continued to drive occupancy in a lot of cities. With the domestic tourism showing a positive sign, new branded hotels are coming up in major cities like Indore and Bhopal to meet this consumer demand.
The industry was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and it was something that was never witnessed before. Close to 15 million people lost their jobs during the first wave and sustaining with bare minimum loss during the pandemic was a major challenge as travel was restricted throughout. Getting the right set of skilled manpower after the job cut was another challenge in the hospitality industry. According to a survey by a leading OTA, 70% of Indians are likely to travel domestically and the domestic tourism is showing a positive sign. The occupancy percentage has reached 2019 levels and the ADR recovery has been impactful. With the rise in pent-up demand and removal of all restrictions, the tourism and travel industry in India is recovering at a rapid pace.
2) What are the Hotel’s forte/facilities when it comes to the MICE segment?
Indore Marriott Hotel is one of the closest 5 star hotels from the airport which is always preferred by people travelling from other cities. Brilliant Convention Center, which is the largest convention space in Indore is located 3 minutes away from the hotel. With a strategic central location, seven dynamic meeting and conference rooms to accommodate small events to large-scale conferences and 216 rooms, the hotel offers a lot of USPs to travelers and organizers and is a smart choice for business travelers in India.
We have a multi-level car parking space right next to the hotel which can easily accommodate up to 1000 cars.
With a dedicated events team, planning and implementation for each event is done ensuring seamless and unparalleled service to our guests. Menus for such events are specially curated by our team of talented chefs and the same can be customized according to the guest’s requirement.
3) What are Sustainable practices and how does MICE boosts Hotel revenue? The initiatives were taken by the hotel to drive more MICE-based footfall?
This particular segment ensures a lot of footfalls coming in to the hotel which always helps in giving an additional chunk of revenue through rooms, caterings along with a good visibility to the hotel. Post the pandemic, hotels have seen a surge in MICE related queries
We have been constantly focusing on improving our infrastructure and service standards to attract the guests. Mobile key check-in is something which ensures a hassle free movement of large groups while coming to the hotel. Marriott International has launched the ‘Time is Now’ initiative, that lets the guests to discover the joy of meeting face-to-face again with the 5Gs of Human Connection: Gather, Global, Gratitude, Giving & Gourmet. A lot of incentives are attached to the campaign which entices the guests to book their events within the Marriott Portfolio. The sales team has been constantly pitching the offer to close queries under the MICE segment and we have been witnessing a positive growth month on month.
4) How does the future look for MICE Tourism in the state?
According to the (India Convention Promotion Bureau), MP is “quickly rising as a favored MICE destination” in India due to its growing infrastructure for holding events, among other things. In the last several years, the state has seen a surge in the building of large-scale meeting places in Indore, the state’s business hub. Bhopal is also expected to follow suit. To promote India as a MICE destination, Madhya Pradesh Tourism organized a MICE roadshow in 2021 and also inaugurated the Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho, developed under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism. The center is equipped with unique features to facilitate gathering for MICE and other events. The government aims to bring more National & International corporate meetings of to the state in the coming future. To boost investment and employment, the state government has planned to organize a global investor’s summit in the last quarter of 2022 in Indore. Leading firms from different sectors will be participating in the summit which will eventually open a lot of avenues for locals.
