GLOBAL TRENDS
India needs ‘innovative approach to tourism’ Interview with Reto Wittwer, Chairman World Tourism Forum Lucerne and Aradhana Khowala, Board Member of World Tourism Forum Lucerne.
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global hotelier with 40+ years’ experience, Reto Wittwer is a pre-eminent leader in the hospitality industry. Before founding Smart Hospitality Solutions, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kempinski hotel group, for 20 years between 1995 and 2014. Wittwer previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Ciga S.p.A. between 1992 and 1995. Earlier, he was with Swissôtel for five years during when he was promoted to Senior VP Operations and then appointed President & CEO. Reto Wittwer is a Swiss national and a graduate of Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne. He is also Chairman of the Board of World Tourism Forum Lucerne, a highly focused strategic body that brings together selected leaders around the world to reflect on the big challenges facing the industry. Aradhana Khowala is globally identified as an authority on the travel, tourism and hospitality industries and has two decades of experience across more than 70 countries in four continents. She is currently CEO and Founder of Aptamind Partners and previously was the CEO of Tourism 24
October 2019 Tourism India
Sector at NEOM in Saudi Arabia. She also serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Red Sea Project and a Board Member of World Tourism Forum Lucerne. A British national of Indian origin, Aradhana has won multiple awards including the 21st Century Icon Awards in 2017 in association with CNBC and London School of Economics as an Inspirational Game Changer. As leaders in the world hospitality industry how do you view the growth of the tourism sector in India? Reto Wittwer: As the Chairman of World Tourism Forum Lucerne in Switzerland as well as former President and CEO of Kempinski Hotels when I have had the privilege of visiting India hundreds of times in the last 30 years, we have closely followed the transformation in the tourism sector in India, especially under the stewardship of Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi where the numbers have changed drastically. A good example is growth in foreign arrivals, which was 9.5% in India last year, more than double that of the global average at 4%. Notwithstanding the
peak increase, the fact is the number of tourist arrivals (both domestic and international) are still a small fraction of what a country like India with its vibrant culture, art and architecture, rich civilisation, beautiful landscapes and above all the incomparable traditional Indian hospitality of “Atithi Devo Bhava” ought to attract. India’s rapidly growing tourism sector now plays a huge role in the nation’s economy, supporting tens of millions of jobs and generating billions of dollars each year. This, we believe, is just the beginning as in the next 10 years, India is all set to become the third largest tourism economy by 2028 not only adding nearly 10 million jobs in the tourism sector but also capable of hosting all major international events - Olympics, World Expo, FIFA Championships among many others. However, there are many challenges ahead of us, including the need to improve infrastructure and manage the reputation of being a safe, clean, shining India - to make Swacch Bharat a reality. Promotion of tourism industry should, therefore, be encouraged on a priority basis by
