‘Our guests will continue to be drawn towards our hotels that take care of their wellbeing’
The third quarter in this financial year has witnessed a marginal recovery giving way to hope. The main driver behind this partial recovery is the domestic leisure travellers. The Outbound Indian luxury traveller will look out for exclusive domestic vacations within the country as uncertainties about international travel continue to loom large. To tap this demand, most domestic hotels have curated special Staycation, ‘work-from-hotel’ and F&B packages, which have sparked some recovery in the sector. Overall, hotel occupancy in India has improved from approximately 10 per cent in April 2020 to almost 32 per cent in December 2020. Going forward post administering the COVID- 19 vaccine, I believe social distancing will become a new norm- the travel industry will witness more traffic – there will be a gush of travel especially for people rushing to meet their loved and dear ones. Visa norms would soon focus on health rather than finances. So we finally have seen a light in the long dark tunnel and have lots to look forward to upon the return of both the domestic and the international business travellers.
Our guests will continue to be drawn towards our hotels that take care of their wellbeing. We are fortunate to have a head-start as the Responsible Luxury initiative which has been our guiding premise for over a decade. As part of this ethos, we welcome guests with the
The year 2020 has been a year of immense learning. The pandemic presented an opportunity for us to build a ‘resilient OYO’. Our ability to adapt, problem-solve and respond to unexpected challenges has been key to our survival and road to recovery. In 2020, we leveraged technology in a big way by offering meaningful solutions to our consumers, partners and employees in the new normal. We focussed on continuously delivering a high-quality experience to our customers as part of our ‘Sanitised Stays’, ‘Contact-less check-ins’ and ‘Sanitised Before Your Eyes’ initiatives while adding value to the experience of ‘WeAssure’ protocol: ITC Hotels’ commitment to Health, Hygiene, and a Safe Environment. Through this, guests will be reassured by accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). ITC Hotels has also partnered with DNV GL Business Assurance, a leading certification body, for stringent clinical levels of hygiene and safety. While there is a lot which has been done on the ground to ensure the safety and hygiene of our guests and employees and the focus is not just to be clean but near to clinically clean!
Sustainable business practices that respect the environment and society have always been the DNA of ITC Hotels. Since pioneering the concept of “Responsible Luxury” in 2009, ITC Hotels has commissioned numerous planet positive initiatives, which range from the use of renewable energy which today powers more than 57 per cent of ITC Hotels electrical requirement to an over 50 per cent reduction in water consumption over the last five years to name a few and amongst the first hospitality chains to discontinue use of ‘Single-Use Plastic ‘across its operations.ITC Hotels has also been focused on initiatives addressing health and wellbeing and over the years introduced many initiatives like heightened focus on Indoor Air Quality, installation of Radiation harmonizers that mitigate the harmful effects of radiation at all ITC Hotels and the Sleep Program which addresses multiple parameters aimed at enhancing the quality of sleep from interventions on controlling decibel levels in the room to lighting, fragrance and aromas to introduction of a sleep menu designed to promote the biological aspect of sleep quality using select food ingredients from across the world.