City’s hotel scene sizzles as wedding bells ring loud
The hospitality industry in Lucknow, India, is experiencing a strong comeback as hotels are running at full occupancy due to a surge in weddings and events. The city has seen a series of big events this year, including IPL matches and the Cricket World Cup, and about 50,000 weddings are planned in the near future. The industry is benefiting not only from increased hotel bookings but also from the demand for services such as brass bands and caterers. The ongoing wedding season and a series of events until February are expected to generate significant revenue for the sector.
Tis the season of Band-Bajaa-Baraat, a Hindi phrase that roughly translates to band, music and wedding revelry, and, with it, the city’s hospitality industry has one more reason to rejoice as it has announced a strong comeback after a couple of years of Covid lull.
If stakeholders are to be believed, key hotels in the state capital are running at full occupancy for November and December. They said 2023 has been a ‘golden year’ as the city hosted back-to-back big events, which included Indian Premier League matches in April-May and the Cricket World Cup fixtures in October-November.
About 50,000 weddings planned in the near future, according to them, are a cherry on top for the industry that is already over the moon.
‘Revival of big weddings’
“Most hotels in the city are 100% booked, which is an example of a booming business. We’re witnessing the revival of big weddings, and people are spending a lot,” said Garish Oberoi, the general secretary of Uttar Pradesh Hotel and Restaurant Association.
“Not just the hotel sector, but the wedding season also benefits brass bands, caterers and the likes,” he added.
According to the association members, the city is home to about 3,000 and 1000 banquet halls and marriage lawns, and most of them have multiple bookings as over 50,000 weddings are likely to take place in the near future.
Vijay Kumar, a caterer, said he had been getting bookings for weddings and other events for the past six months. “Our hands are full. Not just weddings, people organise engagement parties, mehandi, reception, and sangeet parties, which also keep us swamped with work,” he added.
“We have stopped taking further orders and employed more people to work in shifts,” said Shiva Nagina Brass Band, a popular wedding band in Lucknow.
Events that drove hospitality growth this year
The Global Investors Summit, G20 meetings, seven IPL and five World Cup matches and the ongoing wedding season have been a boon for the industry.
According to priest Pandit Satendra Tiwari, there are over 15 auspicious periods from November to February for weddings.
Shyam Kishnani, the joint secretary of the hoteliers’ association, said “Weddings take place mostly in winter. So these four months are most crucial and generate most of the revenue for the year... Though the number of weddings is less, the continuity of events till February is a boon for the sector,” he added.