FDI in retail

FDI is investment which occurs directly across national boundaries. It means when firm of one country buys a controlling investment in firm of another country or where a firm sets up its branch in another country. A firm that engages itself in FDI becomes a multinational enterprise (MNE).

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is important because it gives facility to make investments in long-term profits which are in long-term projects working in other countries. The investment is done directly by foreign investors which can be any company or a group of persons who are looking for power in excess of the foreign ventures. It is also a major source of finance where the country can obtain finance from other countries to develop itself. f.

Recently, the government announces that the retail sector is partially opened for FDI. It means the foreign investors who are interested in Indian markets can invest up to 51% in multi brand retail and 74% FDI in single-brand retail. The government decision divided experts on the problem and on its prospects. Some says the decision will decrease opportunities, and will result in wipe out of local stores. The optimists, on the other hand, have seen decision as a large range of opportunities for farm products and more opportunities for the unemployed.

FDI provide benefits to small farmers by working together to form producer companies which will directly work with corporations to get higher revenues, or small farmers must willingly move into the new jobs directly or indirectly created by FDI in sectors such as retail, food processing and supporting industries.

The FDI offers a foreign capital and funds. It also extends an economy of a particular country where the investment is being made. It permits the move of highly developed technologies from developed countries to developing countries which helps in creating fresh jobs in a particular country and in turn the salary of the employee increases. The country where investment is done increases its human capital resource. It also brings new skills in a country & possibility of innovative research increases which helps in the growth of the country.

Now, global retailers are willing to sell their products by setting their own branch or franchises in another country which will again attract foreign capital along with better quality products in a large variety and advance services for the consumers and even consumers will get access of some global brands. This will in turn increase competition in the country and expands manufacturing units. To stand in a market, these global retailers have to lower their prices of foreign goods which need them to set up their manufacturing units locally or to handover the production assignments to domestic manufacturers on their specifications which brings a large number of employments in the country.

All this opportunities make, the Indian retail market a real happening place in the days ahead while at the same time it will be offering immense business opportunities and growth to the domestic entrepreneurs. In result, the Indian market will become the part of the global market.

Oasis Hotels And Resorts In Cancun Offer Complimentary Smart Car To Guests

For guests treating themselves to hot and sunny Cancun holidays this winter season, the Oasis group is bringing them with a special winter warmer by offering them with a great new special gift to help them get about and about during their stay at Oasis selection of Cancun hotels.
Oasis Hotels & Resorts are now offering guests the ultimate facility to reward tourists choosing to stay at their group of hotels in Cancun: complimentary use of a Smart Car!

The new offer has been launched in order to entice more travellers to take holidays in Cancun this winter season and the new range of Smart cars featuring the logo Oasis Loves U has been designed as the ultimate treat for guests.

“Our goal is to provide more value to guests when they come to stay with us. While guests at our all-inclusive resorts want for little as everything is included, we feel the ultimate amenity is to offer them use of a complimentary Smart Car so they have the freedom to explore beyond the resort…to go shopping, dining, sightseeing, and more”, were the words from Enrique Klein, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for TravAmerica, the exclusive sales and marketing representation company for Oasis Hotels & Resorts in North America.

The car will also prove convenient for guests enjoying Cancun holidays at newly renovated Oasis Sense del Mar hotel and who choose to take advantage of the Oasis Runaway Program, where guests of the Grand Oasis Cancun, Sens Del Mar, and Grand Oasis Palm are free to avail themselves of the facilities at any of the other resorts including dining, entertainment, and more.

After investing $7 million in renovating the newly revamped Oasis Sens Del Mar, which reopened to guests last December 2011, along with the refurbishment plans, the Oasis group acquired a fleet of Smart Cars to make available to guests for free and thus enhance the holiday experience they offered to guests staying at their collection of resorts.

Oasis Hotels & Resorts purchased 200 Smart Cars for guests embarking on holidays to Cancun and staying at any of the above-mentioned participating Cancun hotels. As part of the new complimentary offer Oasis resorts will assess a nominal daily insurance charge for those who use the cars. Guests staying in the “Sens” category of accommodation at the Grand Oasis Cancun and all guests staying at the Sens Del Mar enjoy complimentary use of the Smart Cars.

Elegant Hotels In Barbados Close The Colony Club Hotel For Refurbishment Works

The Colony Club hotel in St James, Barbados has just announced to future guests that it will be closing temporarily for general updating and maintenance works to be carried out throughout the entire property. The hotel, already a favourite among tourists seeking family-friendly Barbados holidays, will be closed for one month only, starting 1st September and finishing on 30th September 2012, when all renovation works are expected to be completed. The resort will be officially reopening and welcoming back guests on 1st October 2012.

During this time of closure scheduled for the end of summer 2012, the resort will be conducting general maintenance and repairment works all around the resort as well as carrying out improvements and enhancing existing infrastructure throughout the entire hotel property. The upgrades are expected to build upon Colony Club’s recent renovation works, which had focused primarily on the resort’s outdoor dining areas and will now extend to other equally important areas.

The popular family resort in Barbados had also recently added a new contemporary outdoor island lounge area, as well as giving a refreshing update of the seating area in the Laguna restaurant. For the delight of all sun-bathers and pool loungers looking forward to lazing around the pool or beach during their Barbados holidays, the Colony Club all sun-deck furniture has also been entirely replaced with a more modern and stylish design.

In addition to all this, there have also been many subtle upgrades to individual guest rooms and the reception area, while new ambiance lighting has been installed throughout the property and gardens.

The additional works to be carried out throughout September 2012 will put the Colony Club hotel among some of the most modern and recently updated Barbados hotels with the refreshing makeover expected to have a positive impact among new prospective guests and past repeat guests at the resort.

Gayle Talma, General Manager of the Colony Club said, “The temporary closure of the hotel allows us to focus on completing the upgrades as quickly as possible without disruption to our guests.”

“Our goal is to give the hotel a fresh, new modern look while retaining the classic Bajan ambiance that Colony Club is known for. We know our loyal guests will be pleased with the end result and look forward to welcoming them back to one of the Island’s best loved hotels”.

Hospitality Industry Hotels Business Current And Future Trends

Hospitality has long been synonymous with the hotel industry. Any changes in trends of hotel business have wide scale implications on an otherwise diverse industry. What might be an opportunity for a traveler can be a matter of survival for hotels? It will not be an oversimplification to suggest that the emerging concepts in hotel industry reveal an atmosphere of stiff competition. Here is a look at a few major issues:

Is Green better?

Amid growing concern over environment friendly services, a majority of travelers now prefer Green and Eco lodgings. Recent surveys by trade associations such as Partnership Travel Industry Association and online retailers like Yahoo revealed that nearly seventy percent of the tourists are willing to pay extra when it comes to environmental friendly lodgings. These surveys further revealed that these guests will pay anywhere from nine to ten percent premium on the already advertised prices.

What can be stated as a welcome relief for the educated traveler might pose real challenges for the hotel business. To better understand the scenario, it should be noted that hotels are presently facing severe shortages in occupancy rates which are at their lowest since 1971. Such a crisis and lack of funds can definitely hamper any efforts to install appliances that comply with the LEEDS standards (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design). Some experts agree that a trade off may lead hotels into removing free amenities that include little bottles of shampoos, jams and free basket of fruits; all of which are the hallmark of these eco lodgings.

Where are the Workers gone?

The hotel industry gives employment at a very large proportion of part time workers, who after gaining substantial experience, leave for other lucrative jobs at restaurants and outdoors. Low wages in the hotel industry is one of the primary reasons for low retention rates.

Hotel industry Gurus are already thinking of ways to attract and retain qualified workers by increasing the pay scales and by reducing the long working hours. The top management is now devising constructive methods that will retain the existing workers by sponsoring education and creating attractive career paths.

Mega Hotels

The rising cost of construction and a struggling real estate has prompted hoteliers to deploy the pre-fabricated and cost effective solution in the construction of new hotels. In fact they are fighting back by producing highly efficient designs that utilize a greater proportion of space for revenue generating purpose. Future trends in the hotel construction will seek to maximize the use of building areas by constructing a multi purpose facility that will include Casinos, shopping outlets and Theatres. The stand alone hotel concept is likely to vanish as the new properties will be constructed as a mixed use development to provide guests with facilities such as Church, Hospitals and Theme Parks. Such a variety will ensure that guests remain at one spot which will help generate revenue for the entire hotel complex.

The evolution of savvy traveller

The evolution of internet has given rise to a phenomenon where travelers are becoming ever more demanding. Industry professionals suggest that an increase in a trend, to review properties online, will make travelers less forgiving as they are able to post their travel experiences. Such an overemphasis on web may even lead to stiff competition and price reduction strategies where only large players may be able to survive.

To ward of such threats, the small business owner is now turning towards opening a boutique establishment as an alternate to 70,s style motels. Such niche properties are popping up everywhere by advertising a more personalized “home away from home” kind of experience. The introduction of such boutique properties has also given rise to the popular and widely accepted theme of modern hostels. These hostels are keen to provide a clean and safe environment for budget conscious travelers. Their goal is to wipe out the myths associated with cheap motels and dingy guesthouses.

Whatever may be the case, one thing is for sure that constant remodeling of the hotel industry has made it more functional and practical not only for the guests but also for the hotel owners.

Vancouver Hotels and Whistler Resorts

Vancouver, Canada is rated as one of the most desirable places in the world to visit. Nearly every conceivable kind of sporting or recreational activity is available for you to participate in within the greater Vancouver area. From skiing in Whistler Resorts, to sailing in summer, you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain backdrops and fresh air that just never stops.

Flying into and out of Vancouver Airport is another special scenic experience so make sure you have a window seat on your plane. The Vancouver Airport is located in the south end of the city and you’ll most likely be traveling over several huge bridges to arrive at your downtown Vancouver hotel. Downtown Vancouver is located on an area of land that is a lot like an island, and there’s two spectacular suspension bridges that act as the gateways to it. Hilly downtown Vancouver will remind you a little of San Francisco, California and the people here have a breezy, relaxed manner that makes you aware that the North American coast has its own cultural style.

Vancouver Hotels provides easy access to many attractions, services, and recreation. Some of the more popular tourist attractions are Stanley Park, where you can walk completely around the circumference of the park for excellent views of Vancouver. The Vancouver aquarium has a large display of fish and the star of their show, the killer whales. The waters off of Vancouver are known for their killer whales and you can take charter tours to see them in their natural habitat.

The Capillano suspension bridge is a major draw. Its vast span is an exciting and slightly scary walk high above a ravine just below Vancouvers fresh water reservoir. Grouse Mountain is an 8,000 foot mountain just to the west of the city. You can take a 35 person capacity cable car ride to the top or for the adventurous; you can actually walk the paths up to the mountaintop. A very popular skiing facility operates there in the winter.

If you’re into hiking and mountain biking, the Vancouver area may provide the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of. The city itself has numerous interesting trails and if you take the sea to sky highway up into the mountains, you’ll follow unbelievably beautiful views of the Squamish valley and sound. These waters with the mountains in the background have spawned a unique form of native art that continues to be popular today.

A one hour drive from your downtown Vancouver Hotel leads you to Whistler and Blackcomb, two side by side towns with their own mountains. Whistler Resort is a village at the bottom of Blackcomb Mountain. There are plenty of hotels in this area including Delta Whistler Resort, and they are opulent. Whistler is one of North America’s top ski resort destinations and during the summer it is a haven for mountain bikers. Competitions and festivals are held during the summer. It is a lot of fun to stay in Whistler BC.

The BCE Place is the Vancouver Harbor cruise ship terminal where huge ocean going vessels dock on the journeys up and down the Pacific coast. While in your hotel room or high on any of the hills in Vancouver you’ll be able to watch ships going in and out of the waterways and under the bridges. You’ll also see Sea planes land and take off in the harbor from your Vancouver BC Hotel. Vancouver is a cosmopolitan place, but just outside the city limits is a rugged wilderness that is not easily accessible. Nature is all around this beautiful Canadian city and you won’t be disappointed with your vacation in Vancouver BC.