Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide plans to grow its footprint in India by 60 per cent by 2012. In 2009, Starwood made gains in India with the debut of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in Mumbai and Jaipur. Recently it launched The Westin Pune Koregaon Park. And, looking ahead to 2010, Starwood will launch its Aloft brand in India, opening the first three of its six hotels in the pipeline.
Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide said, “As home to the world’s fastest growing population, India represents a significant opportunity for Starwood and our development partners.”
India makes up 21 per cent of the world’s incremental growth, and by 2016, its population is expected to be larger than that of Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the US combined. van Paasschen said, “Coinciding with its population boom is the rise of India’s middle class, which is driving domestic tourism growth. In this decade, disposable income in India has grown about 10 per cent annually and much of that is being spent on travel.” |