Skift Take
Indian celebrities enjoy a significant following in the country and can influence the decisions of their fans. Hilton’s partnership with Sidharth Malhotra comes months after it collaborated with actor Deepika Padukone.
Hilton has partnered with Indian actor Sidharth Malhotra to extend its global marketing platform, ‘Hilton. For The Stay’ in the Indian market. The campaign would be driven with new initiatives and investments tailored to India, the company said in a statement.
“Over the coming months, Hilton plans to invite other prominent personalities to experience their own bespoke stay to reinforce why it matters where you stay.”
Hilton’s India Plans: Hilton is expanding its presence in India, with plans to triple its portfolio in the country over the next few years. It is also launching new brands – Curio Collection by Hilton and Waldorf Astoria.
The company’s new India country head Zubin Saxena told Skift in an earlier interview that this will be Hilton’s best year yet in India. “Between this year and the next, we will be opening a hotel every two to three months,” he said.
Earlier this year, Hilton also partnered with actor Deepika Padukone for the ‘Hilton. For The Stay’ campaign.
Indian Celebrities as Ambassadors: Indian celebrities enjoy significant following in the country and can influence the decisions of their fans. Case in point: Maldives became a popular tourist destination among Indians after it was featured in several Bollywood films and was listed as a favorite by multiple celebrities, including Salman Khan.
This has led to international travel brands onboarding Indian celebrities as brand ambassadors, and Sidharth Malhotra is the latest in this trend.
Last year, hotel chain Accor partnered with actor Katrina Kaif in its ALL – Accor Live Limitless loyalty program campaign.
In 2022, Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt became the first Indian celebrity to endorse Mandarin Oriental hotel group as part of its global The Fan campaign alongside Morgan Freeman and Dev Patel.
Westin Hotels and Resorts also partnered with actor Kareena Kapoor Khan as the India brand ambassador for its ‘Let’s Rise’ campaign, which focused on physical and mental health of guests and customers.
Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been the brand ambassador for Dubai since 2016. He also became the first Indian actor to get the UAE golden visa. Dubai also launched a new campaign ‘Dubai, A Whole New You’ earlier this year with father-daughter actor duo Saif Ali Khan and Sara Ali Khan.
Last year, Abu Dhabi entered into a two-year partnership with actor Ranveer Singh as the emirate’s new official ambassador.
India’s Surging Role in Global Tourism
Global travel and hospitality leaders recognize the potential of India as a burgeoning market. My colleague Peden Doma Bhutia analyzed recent earnings calls from these industries to gauge their outlook on India’s evolving role in global tourism.
Hilton, Airbnb, and IHG have said that the demand in India is not slowing down. Airbnb has positioned India as a crucial market alongside other major Asian economies. It noted a nearly 30% increase in nights booked in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Airports de Paris CEO Augustin de Romanet spoke about the strategic significance of India’s airport infrastructure, forecasting that the country’s major airports are poised to emerge as key hubs in Asia. He emphasized India’s position as a major aviation market, with an 8% compound annual growth rate in sales over the past decade.
Thomas Cook India Launches AI-Powered Platform
Travel services company Thomas Cook has launched an AI-powered platform in India to help customers plan holidays, check availability, and make bookings quickly.
The company said that the platform can provide travelers with customized travel programs, cutting down the time required for this process from about 72 hours to under 10 minutes. The platform would eliminate the need for customers to reach out to holiday experts.
Currently, the platform is available to sellers, and will be released for the direct use of end customers over the next few months.
Efforts on to Promote, Popularize Cruise Tourism
Various efforts and initiatives by the government of India are underway to promote and popularize cruise tourism in the country, Indian tourism minister Gajender Singh Shekhawat has said.
Cruise vessels are being given priority over cargo vessels for berthing, he said, adding that a nominal passenger head tax of $6 for the first 12 hours of stay at berth is charged from cruise vessels. Cruise ships are also provided discounts ranging from 10-30% based on volume of their calls.
Apart from this, e-visa and visa-on-arrival facilities have been extended to cruise tourists, and a single e-landing card has been introduced which is valid for all ports in cruise itinerary.
The ministry has also drafted a National Strategy for Cruise Tourism.
India Gets E-SIM Cards For International Travel
Indian travel solutions company Matrix Cellular has launched a collection of international e-SIMs for Indian travelers. The service, a first of its kind in India, provides travelers with e-SIMs based in the country of their travel. For example, travelers visiting Europe get a UK-based mobile number for their e-SIM.
It eliminates the need for travelers to purchase international roaming packs on their existing Indian mobile numbers or purchasing a physical SIM upon reaching the destination country. Travelers have the option to choose from multiple data and outgoing call requirements.
Flybig Launches Moradabad-Lucknow Flights
Indian regional airline Flybig has commenced flights between Lucknow and Moradabad cities of Uttar Pradesh. Moradabad has become the 12th destination in Flybig’s network.
The airline is expanding its operations under the government regional connectivity scheme called UDAN. It aims to include the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India in the growing domestic aviation network.
Flybig has also entered into an agreement with Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well as the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As part of this agreement, it will operate flights between Port Blair, Car Nicobar, and Campbell Bay to enhance air connectivity in the region.
