Oberoi blames government for not realizing tourism as an opportunity

Mr.P.R.S. Oberoi is the Executive Chairman of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group. He is also the Chairman of Oberoi Hotels Private Limited, the major shareholder of EIH Limited. Popularly known as “Biki”, Mr. Oberoi is the son of late Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi, the founder of The Oberoi Group.

Observing that India’s travel and tourism sector was a story of “missed opportunities”, EIH Executive Chairman P.R.S. Oberoi recently blamed the central and state governments for “not realizing the importance of the industry”.

“The story of travel and tourism sector is that of huge potential and missed opportunities. It is most unfortunate that the central and state governments have not realized the importance of the industry. It is vital that this sector is given the importance that it deserves,” Oberoi said here at the company’s 63rd annual general meeting here.

Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi was educated in India, the United Kingdom and in Switzerland.

In addition to providing leadership for the management of luxury hotels in several countries, Mr. Oberoi has been instrumental in pioneering the development of the new Oberoi hotels and resorts. The “Oberoi” brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels.
Mr. Oberoi is credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travelers’ map with the opening of several new luxury hotels in important locations, thus redefining architectural and design standards in luxury hospitality. A key aspect of this is the development of hotels that reflect their environment.

It is Mr. Oberoi’s firm belief that people are the most valuable asset of any organization. Recognizing the importance of quality in hospitality management, Mr. Oberoi established ‘The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development’ at New Delhi in 1966. Today, this institution is considered amongst the best in Asia.

As a member of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Mr. Oberoi is committed to the conservation of the environment.

Above all, Mr. Oberoi is aware of the need to constantly promote quality in every segment of the hospitality industry. Under his leadership, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts have received numerous international awards.

In 2001, His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco personally awarded Mr. Oberoi the Grand Officer of the Alalaoui Wissam, which is one of the highest awards in Morocco. The award was conferred in recognition of Mr. Oberoi’s contribution to tourism and to Indo-Moroccan relations.

In recognition of his exceptional leadership and vision, the 6th International Hotels Investment Forum in Berlin honored Mr. Oberoi with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2003.

In January 2004, Mr. Oberoi was conferred a Special Award by the Department of Tourism, Government of India, in recognition of his contribution to the tourism sector. The letter from the Department stated, “Due to your entrepreneurial skills and visionary leadership, The Oberoi Group has risen to a global brand, renowned for its high standards of service and excellence”.

In October 2005, the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), which is the preeminent gathering of hotel investors, investment bankers and leading industry professionals in the region, honored Mr. Oberoi with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Conference in Hong Kong. This award was given in recognition of Mr. Oberoi’s contribution to the hospitality industry and his pioneering leadership in making The Oberoi Group a global brand by taking the concept of luxury to a new paradigm.

Mr. Oberoi was also conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the CNBC TV 18 India Business Leader Awards 2007 for building a world-class hotel chain that caters to both luxury and business travellers and for shaping the hospitality industry of the country.

India Business Leader Awards, the Indian Edition of Asia Business Leader Awards, define and celebrate vision, the spirit of achievement and excellence in business leadership.

In January 2008, Mr. Oberoi was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honor, in recognition of his exceptional service to the country.

Mr. Oberoi received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) and the 4th Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (HICSA) in April 2008. In August 2008, Mr. Oberoi was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Businessworld-NID (National School of Design) Design Brilliance Awards. These awards honor new levels of excellence in design.

Mr. Oberoi received the Outstanding Business Leader Award from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) and Society of Indian Law Firms in September 2008. This award was presented in recognition of Mr. Oberoi’s leadership in establishing high standards of excellence which has won The Oberoi Group international acclaim.

In November 2008, Mr. Oberoi was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for redefining design standards in luxury hotels.

Business India magazine adjudged Mr. Oberoi the Businessman of the Year 2008. Mr. Oberoi received this award for building a world-class premium hospitality brand.

Mr. Oberoi was honored with the first Hall of Fame Award at the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in February 2009. The HIFI Hall of Fame Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies outstanding business practices, leadership and achievement, both professionally and personally.

In September 2009, Mr. Oberoi received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first Economic Times TAAI Travel Awards 2009. These awards were organized by The Economic Times in association with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

Mr. Oberoi was presented with the ‘2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World’ award by HOTELS magazine in November 2010. This annual award is determined by votes cast by readers of the magazine in more than 150 countries. The cover story of the November edition of the magazine referred to Mr. Oberoi as ‘the founder father of modern luxury hospitality in India’ and credited him with growing the company ‘into one of the world’s most prestigious luxury hotel groups’.

Oberoi also blamed “lack of sanitation, poor enforcement of cleanliness standards, unsafe roads and poor upkeep of cultural and historical monuments” for adversely affecting India’s attractiveness as a key tourism destination.

“Arrival of foreign visitors to India is low. In 2011-12, tourist inflow was just 6.3 million while outflow of Indian tourists was over 12 million, making India one of the very few countries with adverse foreign exchange inflow,” said Oberoi.

He also blamed the country’s national air carrier for not playing a pivotal role.

“While other national flag carriers have been playing pivotal roles in promoting their respective countries, Air India does not have enough flights to many important European and Asian destinations. Air India must transform itself into a global carrier of repute and develop a strategy to make India a key destination,” added Oberoi.- etn