Brand Bengaluru seeks push from large firms
ET Bureau|
Jan 03, 2018, 10.17 AM IST
IT, BT and tourism minister Priyank Kharge will reach out to star hotels and large corporates in technology and manufacturing sectors with a request to promote Bengaluru's new brand identity the Tourism Department launched last month.
The hospitality sector, he told ET, will benefit the most from the branding exercise the government has embarked upon. If industries and star hotels join hands, it will lead to increased tourist arrivals as well as higher industrial investments, he said.
When the government launched Bengaluru's new brand identity last month, it turned out to be the first city in India to join the league of global cities such as New York, London, Melbourne and Singapore. "Whenever we travel abroad, we bring back not just some pleasant memories but also some memorabilia," Kharge said.
The minister sees a huge potential for a host of startups, industries, artisans, artists, and other professionals to cash in on the opportunities the new identity will throw up. "A tourist would want to carry something that represents Bengaluru's rich history, culture or art. Our city has 480 years of rich history and what we have done is to define Brand Bengaluru, something people were unable to define when Bangalore University was being split or when the delimitation exercise was taken up."
The city airport gets about 23.5 million passengers a year. "If I am able to make a tenth of them spend an extra day in Bengaluru and spend a minimum of $100, it will spur the hospitality industry, sale of merchandise and souvenirs. Those engaged in promoting the local art and culture stand to gain," he said.
The city of New York is the world's best branded city. In 2006, the city was rebranded with a private-public municipal marketing model. The strategy worked: visitor spending in New York shot up from $26 billion in 2006 to $37 billion in 2012 in spite of a global recession. The city had 19% more visitors since 2006, and by the end of six years, the city added 167 new hotels, increasing the room inventory by 26% and jobs by 19%, Kharge said, quoting research reports.
The minister, who is spearheading a campaign to promote technology startups in Bengaluru, said all government initiatives around brand Bengaluru will progress only if all other stakeholders as well as citizens participate. "We will plan events around the brand Bengaluru theme throughout the year. Today, cities are competing with each other for investments and if we are able to provide a strong narrative about our city, I am making a strong case for investments."
The design, the minister said, has come from Bengaluru's own people. "It is a crowd-sourced, creative identity that truly represents the deep connection the city and its residents have."
The hospitality sector, he told ET, will benefit the most from the branding exercise the government has embarked upon. If industries and star hotels join hands, it will lead to increased tourist arrivals as well as higher industrial investments, he said.
When the government launched Bengaluru's new brand identity last month, it turned out to be the first city in India to join the league of global cities such as New York, London, Melbourne and Singapore. "Whenever we travel abroad, we bring back not just some pleasant memories but also some memorabilia," Kharge said.
The minister sees a huge potential for a host of startups, industries, artisans, artists, and other professionals to cash in on the opportunities the new identity will throw up. "A tourist would want to carry something that represents Bengaluru's rich history, culture or art. Our city has 480 years of rich history and what we have done is to define Brand Bengaluru, something people were unable to define when Bangalore University was being split or when the delimitation exercise was taken up."
The city airport gets about 23.5 million passengers a year. "If I am able to make a tenth of them spend an extra day in Bengaluru and spend a minimum of $100, it will spur the hospitality industry, sale of merchandise and souvenirs. Those engaged in promoting the local art and culture stand to gain," he said.
The city of New York is the world's best branded city. In 2006, the city was rebranded with a private-public municipal marketing model. The strategy worked: visitor spending in New York shot up from $26 billion in 2006 to $37 billion in 2012 in spite of a global recession. The city had 19% more visitors since 2006, and by the end of six years, the city added 167 new hotels, increasing the room inventory by 26% and jobs by 19%, Kharge said, quoting research reports.
The minister, who is spearheading a campaign to promote technology startups in Bengaluru, said all government initiatives around brand Bengaluru will progress only if all other stakeholders as well as citizens participate. "We will plan events around the brand Bengaluru theme throughout the year. Today, cities are competing with each other for investments and if we are able to provide a strong narrative about our city, I am making a strong case for investments."
The design, the minister said, has come from Bengaluru's own people. "It is a crowd-sourced, creative identity that truly represents the deep connection the city and its residents have."
