There's talk about the Indian market being the "new China" when it comes to tourism and some hotels are working to make sure they are in a prime position to take advantage.

But there are warnings that hotels need to beef up their knowledge of Indian expectations if the predicted flood is to eventuate and be sustained.

Accor's Mercure Sydney Central – which was the first accredited Australian hotel under Accor's India Optimum Service Standards – is anticipating a significant boom in Indian business over the next year, with 5000 room nights predicted for 2014.

The hotel's general manager Greg Brady said the start of direct services just announced by Air India would help help encourage the market, but has warned that it's the hospitality Indian tourists receive in Australia that will determine the longer-term sustainability of the Indian inbound sector.

“Australian operators have in the past found dealing with the Indian market quite a challenge and that’s why so few hotels have embraced the market,” said Brady, who first went to India five years ago as a “pioneer”.

“Negotiating is tough, but once you build a relationship it becomes easier, especially once they know you deliver the product they want," he said.

“That means getting the food right, understanding their culture and working according to their negotiation process.

"“We became the first accredited Indian Optimum Service Standards hotel in Australia and that has established us as – arguably – the best known Australian hotel in the Indian market.

Brady said the hotel had invested "considerably" in developing the market.

"We have our own Indian chef who cooks exclusively for Indian groups, we have the Curry Leaf Indian restaurant and we have a range of Indian items – such as poha, upma, marsala chai – on our breakfast buffet. Food is a really important ingredient in their travel experience," he said.

“The restart of direct air services has really helped us grow our Indian inbound business. We have a number of tour series confirmed for next year, and we have a 300 delegate incentive group coming in this October, and we hope that is the first of many.

“The Indian market wants quality product and service. Translating materials into their local language, Hindi,  isn’t as imperative as it is for the China market, but getting the food and culture side of hospitality correct is really important.”

Brady said the Mercure's refurbishment and upgrading has helped win the business but attributes its success with the Indian market to being more as a result of building relationships and investing time in the market.

He said he drank more marsala chai tea in one visit to India than he had in his whole life before. "Sitting down with Indian travel operators over a steaming bowl of chai and discussing everything from cricket to cardamom is the way you do business, even if it is not the 'usual' way that Australians deal with potential inbound clients," he said.

Air India this week confirmed it  will do “all that it takes” to get the Australian trade on board as the carrier signalled its intention to further expand its Australian operations after its 16 year absence.

The airline's first Boeing 787 service will depart Delhi on August 29, touching down at Melbourne Airport on August 30. It will operate three weekly Delhi-Melbourne-Sydney-Delhi flights and four operating to Sydney then onto Melbourne and back to Delhi.

General manager Australia, Ravi Bodade, told Travel Today that he's already convinced of the route’s success.

“There has been a lot of enthusiasm in the local market,” he said.

This story comes courtesy of our sister publication Hospitality Magazine.