Leveraging Festival Tourism for Growth

Hospitality brands are seen leveraging festival tourism to drive strategic growth, aligning stay packages with cultural celebrations to capture peak travel demand while embedding the hotel experience within the festive narrative.

At Novotel Goa Panjim, the festive narrative is carefully crafted to blend Goa’s rich cultural heritage with international hospitality standards, delivering experiences that are both immersive and memorable. Vinayak M. Prabhavalkar, Director of Sales & Marketing at Novotel Goa Panjim, explains: “Our festival activations — from Diwali with traditional Goan culinary elements to Christmas with bespoke dining formats and regional gastronomy festivals — are designed to appeal to a wide spectrum of guests, including leisure travellers, families, repeat visitors, and corporate or MICE clientele seeking relaxation after business engagements.”

The hotel collaborates with local personalities — from a celebrated Goan chef curating brunches to a father-son musical duo performing live — to create culturally authentic experiences that strengthen emotional engagement. “These initiatives drive incremental F&B revenue, encourage repeat visitation, and enhance seasonal profitability, reinforcing Novotel Goa Panjim as the city’s premier destination for festive experiences,” he adds.

Prabhavalkar emphasises that festive-led stay packages and cultural celebrations are integral to the hotel’s revenue growth strategy. “Our approach integrates premium experiential offerings with strategic revenue optimisation. Our packages combine accommodation with high-value experiences — themed brunches, wellness programs, interactive culinary workshops — creating differentiated guest journeys that encourage longer stays and higher spend. The hotel’s central location allows guests to explore cultural and recreational attractions — Fontainhas, heritage precincts, local eateries, beaches, and the Mandovi River — extending the perceived value of their stay beyond the property.”

Complementary F&B activations, such as regional culinary festivals at Nora’s Cantina, attract both in-house guests and the local community, thereby increasing footfall, optimising spend per guest, and boosting overall occupancy. These initiatives help to deliver tangible commercial outcomes, strengthen brand positioning, and establish the property as the benchmark for culturally immersive, high-yield festive experiences.

Festive and year-end periods in Goa represent peak travel moments, with guests planning their celebrations around the city’s cultural vibrancy and leisure offerings.

Key Highlights during Festive Season:

• 15–20% increase in room occupancy (driven by leisure and corporate and MICE travellers)
• 40–50% rise in F&B revenue on festival-specific and year-end days (through curated brunches, regional culinary festivals, and bespoke dining experiences
• 35–40% increase in average F&B covers compared to regular days.

These results highlight how strategically positioned festive activations, combined with the year-end appeal, drive incremental revenue, optimise RevPAR, and reinforce our positioning as Goa’s premier destination for culturally immersive celebrations.”

Diversifying the F&B Portfolio

While Novotel focuses on immersive cultural storytelling, other brands such as Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden leverage festive F&B activations to achieve similar strategic goals.

Sheraton Grand Pune’s F&B strategy during festive periods focuses on delivering differentiated culinary experiences that elevate guest engagement. By combining menu innovation, seasonal relevance, and a balance of contemporary and traditional flavours, the hotel encourages longer dwell times and heightened participation during peak periods.

Aadesh Mishra, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, Sheraton Grand, states: “At Sheraton, festive marketing is a strategic engagement platform, not just a transactional campaign. By aligning with the cultural calendar and introducing immersive programs such as Sheraton Gatherings, we create meaningful touchpoints that go beyond the traditional hotel experience. Our interactive activities like diya-decorating and candle-making workshops transform passive participation into active engagement, building emotional equity with our guests.”

These initiatives not only foster community, inclusivity, and cultural celebration, but also reinforce the hotel’s positioning as a brand that honours local traditions while delivering global standards of service. “We strategically time high-impact initiatives such as the launch of KMCY, our Sichuan dining destination, to generate excitement and attract new and repeat guests. Simultaneously, we’ve refreshed the menu at Chingari, one of our signature dining venues, introducing innovative flavours to appeal to younger audiences while retaining classic favourites for loyal patrons. Both venues integrate festival-inspired elements, including Diwali-themed dinners and curated tasting menus crafted with locally sourced ingredients and regionally authentic recipes,” adds Mishra.

These initiatives help to deliver measurable commercial outcomes. “Historically, our festive F&B initiatives drive a 15–20% uplift in overall revenue during key festive periods. Themed brunches and festive menus see the highest impact, with covers increasing 40–50% compared to non-festive weekends. Ancillary revenue streams, such as curated hampers, takeaway menus, and interactive paid workshops, further contribute to the topline,” he points out.

Leveraging the festive calendar as a business accelerator not only helps Sheraton Pune to drive sales and growth but also deepen guest loyalty, thus positioning itself as the preferred destination for hospitality-led celebrations in the city.

Building Cultural Bonds with Guests

Culinary pop-ups serve as a powerful F&B initiative at hotels to build cultural connections with guests during festive occasions. Jatinder Pal Singh, F&B Director at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel, advocates, “Culinary pop-ups aren’t just special menus; they are cultural exchanges—distinct in identity yet connected by exclusivity, authenticity, and memorable storytelling. Each event offers guests a genuine taste of tradition, interpreted through the lens of contemporary fine dining. These pop-ups foster discovery, creating experiences that extend beyond dining. They allow guests—and us—to partake in a global journey that celebrates the stories, flavors, and philosophies behind each cuisine,” he adds.

Recently, the hotel collaborated with Chef Deepankar Khosla of Haoma, an avant-garde Neo-Indian restaurant, for his first-ever pop-up in India, highlighting sustainability-focused cuisine. Previously, Sheraton hosted Chef Fu Lei, showcasing the simplicity and elegance of Modern Cantonese in a fine-dining setting, and welcomed Chef Bongkot for a four-hands collaboration at InAzia, presenting soulful Thai cuisine alongside Chef Rungtiwa.

Balancing cultural authenticity with brand identity is central to their approach. “Global synergy is key,” insists Singh. “We curate experiences that respect the soul of each cuisine while aligning with our principles of hospitality and community. Visiting chefs retain their authentic culinary voice — whether it’s Chef Fu Lei’s balanced Cantonese dishes or Chef Khosla’s sustainability-first approach with Haoma. We integrate these pop-ups into our brand framework—elevated, intimate dining environments, immersive storytelling, and guest-first service. The result? Experiences that connect cultures while reinforcing the brand as a global hub for extraordinary hospitality.”

Culinary pop-ups help to drive measurable business outcomes. “Our specialty restaurants maintain regular service while visiting chefs are featured as limited-time highlights, offering novelty without disrupting consistency. These collaborations consistently drive strong revenue growth. For example, the Thai pop-up attracted local diners, travellers, and expats seeking authentic global cuisine in Bengaluru. Footfalls increase, reservations from corporate clients, Club Marriott members, and in-house guests spike, and overall engagement rises. This dual strategy sustains steady business while creating exclusive, high-demand experiences,” he expresses.

Building Emotional Connections Through Festivals

At Ramee Group of Hotels, festivals are not merely seasonal opportunities—they are moments to strengthen emotional connections with guests and local communities. The brand designs festive offers that stay true to its identity, enhancing the guest experience while reflecting its core values.

Driving emotional connections through regional and cultural events evokes nostalgia and deepens bonds with guests. Saurabh Gahoi, Senior Vice President, India, Ramee Group, affirms: “The festive season is about creating experiences that capture the warmth, culture, and spirit of celebration—not just offering discounts. Each of our property curates bespoke festive packages featuring experiential dining, live entertainment, themed décor, and region-specific menus that honour local traditions. While the specifics vary across cities, our consistency lies in delivering genuine comfort, memorable stays, and culinary excellence. Every initiative reflects our brand ethos: authentic, welcoming, and experience-driven, with ‘hospitality with heart’ at the core.”

Festive periods contribute significantly to their business growth, agrees Gahoi. “The festive quarter is one of our strongest growth phases across India and the GCC markets. Festivals naturally drive domestic travel, family gatherings, and corporate celebrations, directly boosting occupancy and F&B revenues. Over the years, we’ve seen bookings increase by 15–20% during this period, with F&B outlets often registering even higher growth due to themed events and celebrations. More importantly, festivities help build long-term relationships—guests who first experience Ramee during a festival frequently return for leisure or business stays,” he concludes.

Together, the above examples illustrate how festive-led campaigns can elevate revenue, deepen engagement, and strengthen brand positioning across the hospitality industry.