Bulbul Dhawan

India Reporter for Skift, Bulbul Dhawan has seven years of experience across leading Indian news publications. With a widespread portfolio, she covered several beats before she found comfort in the travel and hospitality sectors when she joined BW Hotelier as the Editorial Lead. An avid singer and reader, she has about as many books in her TBR pile as she has songs on her list that she wishes to record covers of – none of which is going to be completed in this lifetime.

Airlines

India Moves to Cut Aircraft Parts Duties as It Pushes to Build Planes at Home

While aircraft manufacturing in India may still be some way off, but the government is already taking steps to make domestic production commercially viable.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Hotels

Indian Hotels Face a New Competitor: The Food Delivery App

F&B is a major revenue driver for hotels. But it is likely that the boom from banqueting is overshadowing how room guests are no longer willing to pay through their nose when options are just a click away.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Tourism

India’s Travel Budget: Small Marketing Spend, a Tax Win, Infrastructure Push

The Union Budget’s impact depends largely on where you sit in the travel value chain. For inbound-focused businesses, there is little to celebrate amid muted promotion spends. For outbound players, however, tax relief offers a clear and immediate boost.

Peden Doma Bhutia and Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Hotels

Indian Hotels Company’s Boutique Acquisition: Brij Hospitality’s Next Move

IHCL is acquiring smaller chains to make the most of the hospitality boom in India. But it does not seem interested in overhauling how these chains actually operate as long as their models work.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Tourism

India-EU Free Trade Deal and the Travel Impact as Visa Reforms Move Forward

Europe has been among India's dream destination for a long time, but visa woes have been the biggest obstacles. The FTA now lays ground for processes that could now allow EU to fully unlock India's tourism potential.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Aerial view of Anjuna area in Goa, India.

Tourism

India’s Travel Sector Has Same Old Hopes From a New Budget

India has the demand, albeit from within, to help tourism meet its potential. All it needs now are the policy reforms that the industry has been seeking for decades.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Image: Aloke Bajpai (right) and Rajnish Kumar of Ixigo.

Online Travel

Why Ixigo’s Singapore Arm Points to Potential Overseas Acquisition

Ixigo has done much of the heavy lifting in the domestic market. Outbound travel, though, plays by different rules as it needs global supply and boots on the ground. An overseas acquisition makes for a far more realistic entry point.

Peden Doma Bhutia and Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Airlines

Indian Travel Firms Look to Fix Payment Friction to Win Global Customers

Akasa Air's decision to include Apple Pay points to a larger picture, one where ease of payments is the differentiating point amid an increasingly competitive ecosystem around organized bookings.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 months ago

Hotels

ITC Hotels Pushes Ahead With Asset-Light Strategy as Weddings and Events Drive Revenue

ITC Hotels' results show that as long as hotel providers offer a good product, higher room rates are not going to harm occupancy anymore.

Bulbul Dhawan | 5 months ago

Hotels

The Leela Adds Third Luxury Hotel to Pipeline Since IPO

The Leela's push towards building clusters and circuits around its properties points to a larger ambition: one where its properties are not just stays, but the destinations.

Bulbul Dhawan | 5 months ago