The BRICS summit has delivered a short-term boost to Delhi-NCR’s hospitality, luxury transport, tourism and retail sectors, with hotels reporting occupancy of 95% to 100%, taxi demand rising by more than 40% and visitor numbers at major attractions increasing by up to 50%, according to industry representatives cited by Jagran.
The summit concluded on Sunday evening, but foreign delegates, business representatives and media personnel continued visiting commercial and tourist destinations across the capital. Connaught Place, Khan Market, the Red Fort, the Prime Minister’s Museum and Dilli Haat were among the locations that saw increased footfall, the report said.
Ajay Aggarwal, president of the Delhi Hotel Federation, said almost all five-star and lower-category hotels in Lutyens’ Delhi and Aerocity remained fully booked during the summit. Hotel occupancy reached between 95% and 100%, while revenue rose by 30% to 35% compared with the same period last year, according to his assessment. Catering and event-management companies also received additional business linked to the international gathering.
The increase in visitors also benefited premium mobility services. Satish Sehrawat, president of the Indian Tourist Transporters Association, said demand for luxury vehicles, including Mercedes, BMW and Audi cars, as well as luxury tourist buses, increased by more than 40%. Cab aggregators and private taxi operators recorded a 25% to 30% rise in daily income from airport transfers and local sightseeing, the report said.
Tourist destinations in Delhi saw foreign visitor numbers rise by as much as 50% compared with normal days, according to the report. The locations mentioned included the Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Akshardham Temple. Some delegates also travelled from Delhi-NCR to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, extending the impact to inter-state tourism.
Retail markets including Connaught Place, Khan Market, Dilli Haat and Chandni Chowk reported stronger sales of handicrafts, traditional Indian clothing, spices and souvenirs. Brijesh Goyal, chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, said foreign visitors showed interest in Indian crafts and Made-in-India products.
The reported gains were concentrated in sectors directly serving the summit’s visitors and delegations. The report also linked the increase in activity to a more positive business environment ahead of the festive season. The figures cited by industry representatives were not accompanied in the supplied report by an official government economic assessment or independently published sector-wide data.
