International Hotel Chains Push Into Smaller Indian Cities

 　　As domestic tourism booms in India and a growing economy creates wealth beyond the country’s urban hubs, international hotel groups are pushing into smaller towns and cities.

　　Luxury hotel chains in Jaipur

　　As the winter chill recedes¹ and spring sets in, three children play poolside at the Marriott Hotel in Jaipur city on a Sunday morning under the supervision² of their father, who works in the city.

　　The hotel opened seven months ago in this northern, historic center of forts and palaces.  Jaipur has long been popular with foreign tourists and is home to many heritage hotels.

　　But it is not international visitors that the Jaipur Marriott is targeting.  Rather, it is domestic customers like Sachin Sharma, who want to relax over the weekend with their family in a modern, luxury hotel.

　　“It’s a different kind of experience.  The five star hotels, their way of treating people and their cuisines⁴ are different from (what) Jaipur used to have in their heritage kind of hotels," Sharma said. "Here we can find every single cuisine³ from different, different countries.”

　　As India’s economy booms, a number of international hotel chains such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont Hotels, and Park Hyatt Hotels and J.W. Marriott have been expanding in the country.  But they are not just looking at the main urban hubs of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

　　New markets in Tier 2 cities

　　They are also opening properties in what is known as Tier 2 cities - fast growing urban centers with a population of less than five million.  Some of them, including Japiur, have been identified as India’s new boomtowns.

　　The Jaipur Marriott's general manager, Pankaj Birla, says they want to fill the gap for contemporary, five star hotels in these cities, both for residents and domestic tourists.

　　“I would say almost 85 to 90 percent of our business is on domestic demand.  And what you are seeing is Tier 2 cities have more propensity⁵ to spend and the wealth that is being created in India is getting down to Tier 2 cities,” Birla stated.

　　The luxury hotel has hosted conferences organized by companies and professionals, and weddings held by rich Indians. Its coffee shop and weekend buffets⁶ are popular with residents.

　　India's tourism, new frontiers

　　And it is tapping into a boom in domestic tourism.  As new airports and highways are built, Indians are traveling inside the country more than ever.  The number of domestic tourist visits nearly doubled in three years to about 740 million in 2010.  The number of foreign tourists is about six million, and is growing far more modestly.

　　The president of the Federation⁷ of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, Kamlesh Barot, says that has prompted luxury hotel chains to focus on domestic tourists.

　　“The budgets which are sanctioned for corporate⁸ travel within the country has shot up.  But also the family crowd spending power that was available yesterday to only the top affluent⁹ class has now percolated¹⁰ down to the upper and the upper middle class," Barot said. "Also, the effects of the recession abroad…. people who were coming from abroad with a lot of spending power, has actually declined because of the recession.”

　　Barot calls it a “paradigm shift” from dollar spending to rupee spending.

　　Purnendu Kumar of the Technopak consultancy says as aspirations¹¹ rise in smaller towns, businesses such as retail¹² chains and hotels are targeting them to tap into their growing wealth.

　　“Everybody has access to the latest consumption trends, what is happening in larger cities, even globally, everybody is aware of that, so people now with more money in the pocket would definitely like to behave like the people whom they idolize," Kumar added. "Whom they aspire¹³ to be.”

　　General Manager Birla, who comes to the Jaipur Marriott after working in Germany and the United States, has noticed a huge change since the time he left India nearly 20 years ago.  He says people in cities like Jaipur want international experiences, of the kind available in big cities.

　　“People in Jaipur used to always travel to Delhi to eat a good pizza, a good teppanyaki, a good sushi, a great pasta, now they have it their backyard,” Birla noted¹⁴.

　　Retail consultants¹⁵ say India’s smaller towns are emerging as new frontiers for investments and businesses in a country where the economic boom has been fueled largely by domestic demand.

1 recedes   

v.逐渐远离( recede的第三人称单数 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• For this reason the near point gradually recedes as one grows older. 由于这个原因，随着人渐渐变老，近点便逐渐后退。 来自辞典例句
• Silent, mournful, abandoned, broken, Czechoslovakia recedes into the darkness. 缄默的、悲哀的、被抛弃的、支离破碎的捷克斯洛伐克，已在黑暗之中。 来自辞典例句

2 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

3 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

4 cuisines   

n.烹饪( cuisine的名词复数 )；菜肴；（通常指昂贵的饭店中的）饭菜；烹饪艺术

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the different features of these cuisines? 能不能告诉我这些不同的烹调流派各自有哪些特点？ 来自地道口语脱口SHOW 高中超越版
• Ice sculptures are used as decorations in some cuisines, especially in Asia. 冰雕在某些菜肴中被当作装饰品，尤其在亚洲。 来自互联网

5 propensity   

n.倾向；习性

参考例句：

• He has a propensity for drinking too much alcohol.他有酗酒的倾向。
• She hasn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.她不曾料到他有暴力倾向。

6 buffets   

（火车站的）饮食柜台( buffet的名词复数 )； （火车的）餐车； 自助餐

参考例句：

• All life's buffets should be met with dignity and good sense. 所有人生之打击都应以尊严和理智对付之。
• In addition to buffets, American families enjoy picnics and barbeques. 除自助餐外，美国家庭还喜欢野餐和户外烧烤餐。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

10 percolated   

v.滤( percolate的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；（思想等）渗透；渗入

参考例句：

• Water had percolated down through the rocks. 水从岩缝间渗漏下去。
• The rumour percolated through the firm. 那谣言在公司里慢慢流传开来。 来自辞典例句

11 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

12 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

13 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。