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Pakistan’s hospitality industry gains momentum

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Pakistan’s hospitality industry gains momentum
By Salman Siddiqui
Published: August 21, 2016
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1167176-pearlcontinental-1471839009-110-640x480.jpg

Growing economic activity, improved law and order help boost demand investment. PHOTO SOURCE: PAKISTAN SERVICES LIMITED

KARACHI: Pakistan’s hospitality industry is booming at an incredible pace amid growing economic activity particularly in relation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Gwadar along with improved law and order situation across the country.

“The rate of hotel occupancy has surged to 80% {on an average} across the country compared to 35% before the current calendar year started,” said Beach Luxury Hotel Director Business Development Rehan Wahid.

Hospitality industry waits for improvement in conditions

“Hotels in Islamabad and Lahore are fully booked most of the days. However, this is yet to happen in Karachi,” he said.

Wahid said the situation in the country’s north improved at a faster pace compared to the south, particularly Karachi.

“The element of uncertainty has continued to rule the city for some unknown reasons. Although recent rumours about the kidnapping of children in Karachi have not impacted our business yet, the situation like this usually keeps the city and businesses destabilised,” he said.

He strongly believed that the situation in the city of ports would improve in the days to come. “The on-going Rangers-led operation against criminals will deliver the desired results like operation Zarb-e-Azb of the Pakistan Army going on in the northern parts of the country.”

According to Wahid, the developments connected with the CPEC projects were partly helping them meet their business targets. “CPEC projects have convinced a large number of foreigners to resume visiting Pakistan; this will help business grow as well.”

He said the ratio of foreign and local occupants at hotels had drastically changed over the past one year. “The current ratio is 50:50. It was 30:70 last year.”

1-copy-3.jpg


The corridor projects have led to long-duration hotel room occupancy by foreigners; usually up to two or three months. “The Embassy Hotel remains full with Chinese visitors ever since the CPEC projects were launched in the country.”

Sea Shell Inn General Manager Operations and Marketing Fakhir Shah said business was growing at a rapid pace. “Although we only opened earlier this year, we are attracting business of months in days.”

Hospitality industry: Malik Riaz in Dubai to discuss hotel projects

Jovago Managing Director Nadine Malik said the number of tourists and visitors through the online booking portal had soared significantly over the past few months.

“We do not have the policy to reveal the number of visitors, but the growth in the industry can be gauged from the fact that we had opened our Pakistan office with just five-six employees in 2014; the number now has increased to almost 50.”

The number of tourists to northern areas like Naran, Kaghan, Swat, Murree and Islamabad increases notably during the summer season and majority of them use hotels for their stay. Besides, businessmen continue to visit areas like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad throughout the year.

Expansion and new projects

Gwadar Iqra Associates Chief Executive Mir Mazhar Ali Magsi said development works in Gwadar city, port and economic zones and other CPEC-related projects had created a huge demand for hotels there.

01-10.jpg


The Gwadar project director has so far given no-objection certificates (NoC) for the construction of at least five five-star hotels. These include a 250-room hotel apartment project of the management of Pearl Continental Hotels and another one of the Bahria Group.

Besides, a number of hotels in the categories of one-to-four stars would be developed in the next two years, he said.

According to government estimates, some 125,000 trucks and long-haul cargo vehicles as well as 25,000 passenger vehicles will run everyday on the roads between Gwadar and Kashgar, China under the CPEC.

“Many of the travellers will be in need of hotels and motels on both sides of the roads network between the two countries,” he said.

Besides, one of the five-star hotels in Karachi had announced in January 2016 that it would build another five-star hotel in the city for which they had acquired the land. Construction of high-grade hotels is also going on these days in Multan and Mirpur.

The writer is a staff correspondent

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2016.
 
Pakistan’s hospitality industry gains momentum
By Salman Siddiqui
Published: August 21, 2016
SHARE TWEET
1167176-pearlcontinental-1471839009-110-640x480.jpg

Growing economic activity, improved law and order help boost demand investment. PHOTO SOURCE: PAKISTAN SERVICES LIMITED

KARACHI: Pakistan’s hospitality industry is booming at an incredible pace amid growing economic activity particularly in relation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Gwadar along with improved law and order situation across the country.

“The rate of hotel occupancy has surged to 80% {on an average} across the country compared to 35% before the current calendar year started,” said Beach Luxury Hotel Director Business Development Rehan Wahid.

Hospitality industry waits for improvement in conditions

“Hotels in Islamabad and Lahore are fully booked most of the days. However, this is yet to happen in Karachi,” he said.

Wahid said the situation in the country’s north improved at a faster pace compared to the south, particularly Karachi.

“The element of uncertainty has continued to rule the city for some unknown reasons. Although recent rumours about the kidnapping of children in Karachi have not impacted our business yet, the situation like this usually keeps the city and businesses destabilised,” he said.

He strongly believed that the situation in the city of ports would improve in the days to come. “The on-going Rangers-led operation against criminals will deliver the desired results like operation Zarb-e-Azb of the Pakistan Army going on in the northern parts of the country.”

According to Wahid, the developments connected with the CPEC projects were partly helping them meet their business targets. “CPEC projects have convinced a large number of foreigners to resume visiting Pakistan; this will help business grow as well.”

He said the ratio of foreign and local occupants at hotels had drastically changed over the past one year. “The current ratio is 50:50. It was 30:70 last year.”

1-copy-3.jpg


The corridor projects have led to long-duration hotel room occupancy by foreigners; usually up to two or three months. “The Embassy Hotel remains full with Chinese visitors ever since the CPEC projects were launched in the country.”

Sea Shell Inn General Manager Operations and Marketing Fakhir Shah said business was growing at a rapid pace. “Although we only opened earlier this year, we are attracting business of months in days.”

Hospitality industry: Malik Riaz in Dubai to discuss hotel projects

Jovago Managing Director Nadine Malik said the number of tourists and visitors through the online booking portal had soared significantly over the past few months.

“We do not have the policy to reveal the number of visitors, but the growth in the industry can be gauged from the fact that we had opened our Pakistan office with just five-six employees in 2014; the number now has increased to almost 50.”

The number of tourists to northern areas like Naran, Kaghan, Swat, Murree and Islamabad increases notably during the summer season and majority of them use hotels for their stay. Besides, businessmen continue to visit areas like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad throughout the year.

Expansion and new projects

Gwadar Iqra Associates Chief Executive Mir Mazhar Ali Magsi said development works in Gwadar city, port and economic zones and other CPEC-related projects had created a huge demand for hotels there.

01-10.jpg


The Gwadar project director has so far given no-objection certificates (NoC) for the construction of at least five five-star hotels. These include a 250-room hotel apartment project of the management of Pearl Continental Hotels and another one of the Bahria Group.

Besides, a number of hotels in the categories of one-to-four stars would be developed in the next two years, he said.

According to government estimates, some 125,000 trucks and long-haul cargo vehicles as well as 25,000 passenger vehicles will run everyday on the roads between Gwadar and Kashgar, China under the CPEC.

“Many of the travellers will be in need of hotels and motels on both sides of the roads network between the two countries,” he said.

Besides, one of the five-star hotels in Karachi had announced in January 2016 that it would build another five-star hotel in the city for which they had acquired the land. Construction of high-grade hotels is also going on these days in Multan and Mirpur.

The writer is a staff correspondent

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2016.

Good that Chinese are sending their people to build CPEC. It increases odds that the project would be completed at least, even if Pakistanis does not get any employment from it.
 
Its not just CPEC but anticipated over all increase in arrival of local/foreign tourists to popular holiday destination has prompted not only individual hotel ventures but also the Luxury hotel Chains are expanding. This is a report from 2015:

"The world’s renowned hotel chains will establish at least 10 new hotels in Pakistan within the next five years,” Rehan Faiz Pirzada, General Manager at PC Karachi said.

“Among them, PC of Hashoo Group will set up three new hotels. Besides, Grand Hayat and Sheraton have also planned expansion.”

Pirzada, talking to The News, said hotel industry is the right scale to gauge country’s economy and higher hotel occupancy are persuading investors and building their confidence on the country’s economic environment.

He said hotel occupancy rate has significantly increased, particularly in the last one year and presently hotels in Karachi enjoy around 80 percent occupancy ratio, which is quite encouraging.

He said Hashoo Group focuses on expansion and renovation. “We have nine properties while three will be added by 2017. These will be in Multan, Mirpur of Azad Kashmir and Hayatabad,” he added. “Ground breaking has already been performed in Multan and Mirpur.”
"
 
Not bad.:cheers:
That said what i would love to see the Pakistanis do would be to try & push Adventure tourism along the Karakorum highway & the mountainous northern frontiers (even though some parts are dangerous still)
the amazing sights there, along with warm northern Pakistanis could potentially give tourists memories of Pakistan that will stay with them for life.:yahoo::pakistan:
although i don't think it is likely Pakistan will try & get people off the traditional tourist trail :hitwall::undecided:
 
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Not bad.:cheers:
That said what i would love to see the Pakistanis do would be to try & push Adventure tourism along the Karakorum highway & the mountainous northern frontiers (even though some parts are dangerous still)
the amazing sights there, along with warm northern Pakistanis could potentially give tourists to Pakistan memories that will stay with them for life.:yahoo::pakistan:
although i don't think it is likely Pakistan will try & get people off the traditional tourist trail :hitwall::undecided:

Just curious...u visited Northern Pakistan once?
 
Mostly CPEC related activity with some little share of business visits. Tourism is what i would love to see grow and increase its share. Nontheleass, this is development and progress so is really appreciated!
 
Mostly CPEC related activity with some little share of business visits. Tourism is what i would love to see grow and increase its share. Nontheleass, this is development and progress so is really appreciated!

Indeed, last time I was in Lahore I saw loads of Chinese. Still general tourism is slowly picking up as well and the trend should continue as the security situation improves.
 

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