Chennai: Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex body of hotels across India, launched ‘HAI ENGAGE’, India’s industry-driven, hospitality-focused magazine. HAI ENGAGE will be primarily focused on raising the voice of hospitality industry and help get recognition that the sector deserves for its role in making India a strong economic entity.

The inaugural issue of HAI Engage was released by Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, in the presence of Mr. K B Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India and Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor-South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Member-Executive Committee, Hotel Association of India and Chairperson and Managing Director, Bharat Hotels Ltd. (The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group), Mr. MP Bezbaruah, Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Secretary General, Hotel Association of India. The Tourism Minister lauded the initiative and wished that HAI ENGAGE would become a credible voice of the industry.

Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, President, Hotel Association of India and MD & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) Limited, said, “Indian hospitality has been instrumental in building India’s image globally as a country full of culture and rich heritage. It is now time to not just reemphasise the importance and the role of the industry within the community but also be heard by decision makers across the country. HAI ENGAGE is a step in that direction to assert the industry’s relevance as well as showcase some of the rich work that the industry has been carrying out to further domestic tourism.”

Mr. Kachru, Dr. Suri, Mr Bezbaruah and Ms. Charulata Sukhija, Deputy Secretary General, HAI also met with Shri. Arvind Singh, Secretary-Tourism, Government of India and presented him with a copy of the inaugural issue. HAI ENGAGE aspires to be a unified voice of the Indian hospitality sector and will showcase not just the key challenges and issues that the industry faces but also highlight some of the contributions made by the industry that has helped India achieve great recognition on the world stage. The inaugural issue features, in addition to an interview with the Tourism Minister, a conversation with Smt. Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Culture, Government of Maharashtra . The State  recently accorded “industry status” to hotels in the state.

Mr MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India, said, “I would like to thank Shri Prahlad Singh Patel for his continuous support to the industry and for launching HAI ENGAGE. We are very happy to introduce India’s first hotel specific magazine that will showcase the little-known stories of the  industry’s’ commitment to the nation’s goal of Atmanirbharta and unfailing commitment to its social responsibilities. We want HAI ENGAGE to be at the forefront of the future–educating, informing, communicating and engaging with everyone in the true sense of the word. We expect the government both state and central, to use this powerful medium to engage with the industry to communicate the steps taken to address the sectoral concerns. For example, the current and first issue talks about the innovative steps taken by Maharashtra and the positive approach of states like Punjab, Telangana, Karnataka – to name a few. Similarly, we will keep the momentum on industry representation through the magazine and highlight the aspects that will emerge as the cornerstone of the next generation of hotel industry.”

The year 2020 brought unprecedented slump for the Indian hospitality sector and continues to cripple the industry across the globe. The pandemic altered the landscape of the travel and hospitality industry, which has undergone a sharp paradigm shift as the contours of travel and hospitality have been transformed radically to adapt to the new normal.

The Association will build the magazine to be one of the strongest and most credible sources of information and engagement with the government, its member hotels, the wider hospitality family, other trade bodies and all industry stakeholders that form the ecosystem of Indian Hospitality and Tourism sector.