With unlock 4.0 guidelines released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the centre has allowed hotels to resume operations. Amidst the growing concern about health and safety and how to meet hospitality revenue goals while social distancing, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) hosted a webinar with industry stalwarts to discuss the revival of the hotel industry in the present scenario of COVID-19.
The webinar was chaired by G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, C&MD, ITDC and the other eminent guests who joined the discussion were Rakesh Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry Of Tourism; Jose Dominic, Co-Founder, CHG Earth; Mandeep Singh Lamba, President, HVS Hanrock and Anurag Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts.
Addressing the panel, G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, C&MD, ITDC said, “The Indian hospitality industry has witnessed a sudden crash in its revenues and is working towards revival amid daunting challenges. If we look at the brighter side, this crisis will in a way, help us reinvent our businesses in the long run. We need to be versatile, innovative, aligned, and stay positive at the same time. Bringing back the confidence of the travellers is our top priority at the moment. We at ITDC have provided rigorous training to all our employees and are following strict hygiene and social distancing protocols across all our properties.”
The industry needs to come up with policies and practice to reboot its service giving priority to health and hygiene at all levels. The panel jointly agreed that if all the stakeholders come together to support each other the industry has full potential to bounce back stronger than ever.
