Stakeholders in the hotel industry speak about the opening up of their resorts for tourism and safety measures put in place to welcome tourists.
It’s time to celebrate as India’s ultimate sun, sand and party destination has opened up for travel with a new fervour. One no longer needs to get tested for COVID-19 on arrival. There is no need to provide a negative certificate or isolate oneself, either. There will be no restrictions on inter-state travel as well; and hence an e-pass to drive to Goa will no longer be necessary.
The State has also opened up bars, with all the necessary precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks and temperature checks. Restaurants and cafés have been open already; and hotels are back in business, too.
Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant has stated that social distancing norms and MHA guidelines will have to be followed in Goa. Meanwhile, Goa Tourism is working on a plan with its tourism stakeholders to help build a suitable recovery plan for the tourism sector and ensure that they emerge stronger after this crisis. It may be recalled that last year more than seven million tourists had visited Goa.
Even though the hospitality industry has reopened and five star hotels and resorts have thrown open its doors, there are a host of changes that have been observed. It would not be wrong to say that the post-COVID world will have some landmark changes in the social behaviour of people. People will be more apprehensive of their hygiene wherever they go. Therefore the hospitality industry needs to keep abreast to cater to these changes of the post-COVID world.
Guitry Velho, General Manager, Heritage Village Resort & Spa, says that it’s a very good step on the part of the government to open up the borders so that tourists could travel to Goa.
On the tourism front, Guitry says “The industry has gone through zero revenues for the last 6 months. The recovery is going to be very slow. We don’t know whether foreign tourists will be coming in this year. We have to be dependent on domestic tourism. We know that corporate movement is not going to happen; weddings have restrictions as far as numbers are concerned. Basically, all the segments for hotels are going to be slow, what with jobs having been lost, hotels closing down and the recovery for hotels from such a disastrous situation is going to be long drawn out.”
“The customer mindset, expectations as well as travel patterns have undergone a sea change post the pandemic” Ricardo D’Lima – General Manager, Fortune Miramar
On the traveler profile, Guitry adds, “We have seen people from Bombay, Pune, Bangalore, Mangalore and Kolhapur, driving down to Goa. However, the numbers are low. It’s a start but the demand for Goa is very less.”
“We have a personal sanitization panel, thermal checks, oximeters, contactless check-ins, contactless check-outs, QR code menus, QR code newspapers, fogging of all public areas, sanitisation stations for the guests and PPE kits for all our staff. The safety of our guests and associates is of utmost importance to us,” he adds.
Guitry has hopes for the upcoming tourism season this year. “I do believe that the last quarter of the season may pick up depending upon the pro-active steps that the State Government takes, along with the Centre. Bringing in of charters tourists will be one of the most important steps to be able to have some kind of a tourism season. Also, domestic travelers will be the key for survival.”
Ricardo D’Lima, General Manager, Fortune Miramar, says that opening up the borders for tourism is a good first step taken by the government to help re-boot tourism in Goa.
Ricardo says, “Safety with value is the new buzz words today. While family holidays to motorable destinations are in vogue the ‘work trend’ is seen revolving around safe staycations, bizcations, workcations, foodcations and schoolcations. The focal point is a safe and hygienic hotel that promises to extend everything from high speed internet, laundry services, and gourmet in-room dining, along with other amenities – from the confines of its guest rooms – to facilitate a relaxing getaway; or a working pad away from home in the lap of modern day comforts.”
Ricardo says that initially they experienced trickling occupancies at the hotel. However, the pattern has now changed to healthier numbers. They currently host a mix of business travellers on weekdays, leisure guests on weekends and long stayers. The coming months look brighter and more encouraging.
“We have a very strong domestic tourism market and a consumer base. In the recent months, we have seen a surge in demand in the domestic markets close to Goa” Vishal Singh – Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa
Fortune Miramar adheres to ‘Safe Stays at Fortune Hotels’ which is set on 10 pillars of safety and hygiene. It comprises an all-encompassing protocol and best practice adherence. These are: Deep Cleaned and Sanitised Rooms, Safe Public Spaces, Social Distancing for Hospitality, F&B Hygiene and Safe Handling Procedures, Safe Meetings, Hygiene Check Stations, Trained and Sensitized Staff Members, Hygiene Code of Conduct, Emergency Response Protocol and No Contact Payments and bill settlements.
Speaking on staff strength, Riacrdo says, “With some realignment, we have tried to do our best to buffer the business impact and retain most of our staff members by placing them in various operational roles that are essential to maintain the highest standards of safety, security and hygiene of the hotel. Social distancing protocols are followed and 33% manpower report per shift.”
Ricardo is optimistic about the tourism season ahead. “We are expecting more people to visit us during the festive season,” he says.
“The pandemic has affected tourism the most. The industry has gone through zero revenues for the last six months. It has been at its worst for ever so long. The recovery is going to be very slow. We don’t know whether foreign tourists will be coming in this year. We have to be dependent on domestic tourism” Guitry Velho – Heritage Village Resort & Spa
Saurabh Khanna, General Manager, The Park Calangute, Goa, says “We are pleased with the developments. Though it would have been an ideal scenario to have some sort of testing on entry; but maybe the infrastructure and systems were not supporting that. By now, most people have understood that COVID is here to stay till there is a vaccination. So we have to live with it, along with all safety and hygiene precautions and run our workplaces accordingly.”
Saurabh maintains that this pandemic has made them more cautious with customer touch-points seeing uplift in technology. Contactless check-ins, check-outs and services in Front Office and use of QR codes in the restaurants. This is part of the new normal, now. But being a service industry the values and ethos will still remain the same.
Saurabh says that the response to the coming in of tourists has been good so far. “Both our Goa hotels – The Park Calangute and The Park Baga River, had started operations as soon as permissions were given in July. Initially the response was ok considering that people were wary of travel and were not confident about visiting hotels. But I feel it was important to restart operations, as an industry, to build confidence in people about safety and hygiene in hotels and in Goa as a holiday destination.”
“As soon as the lockdown was announced, our entire management went back to the work-boards to create a SOP for the new normal” Saurabh Khanna – The Park Calangute, Goa
“As soon as the lockdown was announced, our entire management went back to the work-boards to create a SOP for the “New Normal”. In June, we launched a program called S.H.I.E.L.D (Sanitization, Hygiene, ISO Standard Equipment, Excellence, Luxury Redefined, Distancing),” say Saurabh.
As a company, we have always had a very strong focus on the domestic tourism market and it will definitely grow many bounds this year. The first long weekend (2nd October weekend) of the tourism season was a busy one for many hotels and this is a promising start to the season,” adds Saurabh.
Vishal Singh, General Manager – Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa adds that right up from procurement to service; emphasis will be laid on the safety and hygiene of guest experiences. Communication will be adapted to the digital space to minimize point of contact. F&B offerings will include holistic wellness options for the conscious customer.
“We have a very strong domestic tourism market and a consumer base. In the recent months, we have seen a surge in demand in the domestic markets close to Goa. While all the modes of transport have re-opened, a majority of guests prefer driving down to Goa in private vehicles, what we like to call as Drivecations,” says Vishal.
“As the world steps into the new normal, Tajness – A Commitment Restrengthened – is a mark of assurance of our authentic Indian hospitality, with an added comfort of safety, hygiene and physical distancing. In addition, we have also partnered with leading organisations and experts in the domain of safety and hygiene to share best practices and to source high-grade protective equipment and disinfectants for use at our hotels. Physical touch has been replaced by a touch of safety with the introduction of I-ZEST: IHCL’s Zero-Touch Service Transformation,” explains Vishal.
In his optimism, Vishal says, “Goa is already the preferred choice when it comes to gaining confidence of travelers and operators for the coming months. We are expecting this to gain momentum which will only increase in the subsequent months, going forward,”
Hotels are a vital part of the tourism product. They contribute to the overall tourism industry through the standards of facilities and services offered by them. With people seeking to get away for holidays after an extended lockdown, the industry will pick up slowly, steadily but surely
