India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day anniversary today, marking a special day for a majority of AAHOA Members. At AAHOA, it is not uncommon to meet hotel owners whose families moved to the U.S. from India in search of the “American Dream.”
“As my family and I moved from India to the States, August 15 always held a special place for my family and me. Indian Americans moved to the States to live the American Dream, and many Indian Americans chose to enter the hospitality industry,” AAHOA Chairman Neal Patel said. “Like my family, many hoteliers started their journey as independent limited-service property owners; these were roadside inns that also acted as our primary residence. Although it was not easy for us to enter the industry, we needed capital to buy our first asset; that is where I'm thankful for our community.”
AAHOA has long represented the interests of Asian Americans in hospitality. That’s why today and every day, AAHOA is proud to celebrate the contributions of nearly 20,000 members who own 60% of the hotels in the nation and contribute $368.4 billion to the nation's annual GDP.
“It's more important now than ever before to be united as an industry because there are external forces (for example, STRs) that continue to take market share away. Our industry has to innovate, and that is how we will become resilient,” Chairman Patel said. “Remembering our past is extremely important. But what's more important is building our future. We must do everything to keep our industry united and carry it through the years and for future generations.”
Happy Independence Day.
Original source can be found here.
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