Bangkok property Siam Kempinski Hotel is set to tap the Indian medical tourism segment and is currently in talks with airlines and hospitals to design suitable packages. “Hospitals in Bangkok are incredible. The quality of doctors as well as infrastructure is very good and the service is fantastic, all at reasonable prices. You can even run tests and get results the same day. We are currently in talks with Bangkok Air and Thai Airways to tap the Indian market for medical tourism,” said Alejandro Bernabe, General Manager/Area Director Southeast Asia, Siam Kempinski Hotel.
The initiative by Siam Kempinski includes commute to and from the airport and hospital, as well as help with arranging appointments.
In addition, the property is keen on increasing its destination wedding footfall from India. According to Bernabe, the property offers a unique venue with enough room for all the functions as well as culinary flexibility. “We are bullish on the wedding segment as it contributes a lot to business owing to the number of functions. In addition it provides F&B revenue and room nights. The hotel enables all functions to take place without having to leave the hotel. We are aiming at no more than one wedding per quarter as the ceremonies are sometimes over three days long and it puts a lot of pressure on the property,” he added.
This is the second year Siam Kempinski is visiting India, which Bernabe believes is an indication of India’s importance to the property. The delegation visited Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. “With little effort, the market has already become number nine, most of it leisure. If you talk about just leisure, India is among the top three. It contributes 10-15 per cent to business annually,” he stated.
