Ring out the old

Finally, the long wait is over. And what a journey the Hotelier India Awards has been, right from planning the entire event, to beginning the nomination process, to hassling you all into getting the forms filled on time – now I really know how much hoteliers hate paperwork!

While the travel and tourism industry has always lauded hospitality achievements, we wanted to institute awards that were meant exclusively for the hotel industry.

We all agree that 2009 has been a tough year, with new challenges, and ARR’s that were drastically impacted. However, nothing can dampen the spirits, resilience, and enthusiasm, of an hotelier, and it is this that we wanted to recognise and honour.

The awards were meant as much for front-of-house staff, as the unsung heroes who manage back-of-the-house operations. Kudos to the winners, and congratulations to the nominees; we are all winners in our own right, so celebrate yourselves.

The support we have received from all of you for this, our inaugural endeavour, has been truly overwhelming. I am touched by how many of you flew in from various cities, or put off their travel plans in order to accommodate our special evening. A big thank you to you all – with your support and blessings, we hope to better the show next time around.

As we head into 2010, there is renewed optimism about what the year will bring. December 2009 saw some new hotel openings and investment announcements from various international players, which are harbingers of confidence.

Tier II markets are the focus, and domestic tourism is the new mantra. In the special report this month, some key industry players also agree that infrastructure, which has long been the bane of the tourism industry, will be the prime challenge for 2010.

If we must look back, let it be only so that we imbibe the learnings and move forward. And on that happy note, let me wish you all a Happy New Year – may your tribe increase.