Domestic travellers filling the void left behind by international travellers in Goa
Just a leisurely walk from the pristine Benaulim Beach, the quaint and tranquil 96 keys Fortune Resort Benaulim, Goa comes with a mosaic of authentic indigenous experiences and a gamut of vantage venues, making it a perfect destination for dreamy weddings and a breathtaking tropical holiday. Som Parkash Malik, General Manager, Fortune Resort Benaulim, Goa, is delighted to share the highlights of a successful summer and their proactiveness for the ongoing monsoon season.
By the end of the winter season in 2021-22, Fortune Resort Benaulim, Goa, had observed that the recovery of travel demand was gaining momentum due to the removal of restrictions, positive traveller attitudes, and the restart of domestic and international flights. As a result, they enjoyed the best summer season so far and the highest occupancy of the season. The trend continues.
However, it might take another year for incoming travel to Goa to return to normal. International travel is extremely low this year because there were no charter planes, but, again, at the resort, they have seen a good and fast recovery in the MICE segment.
“MICE is assisting in filling the weekdays. Given that we have a variety of indoor and outdoor venues available, we are concentrating on corporate offsites, weddings, and MICE. Apart from MICE, we have benefitted from new trends that have emerged - staycations and somewhat of a ‘revenge travel’. It does seem like people were just too overwhelmed to be at home for so long that they are coming out with full force thereby, supporting hospitality. Local leisure travellers and even domestic business travellers are filling the void tremendously well that has been left by international business travellers. Due to the shift, the Goa market continued to maintain pre-covid occupancy level and revenues,” informs Som Parkash Malik.
Unlike a few decades ago, Goa has become a popular weekend destination for everyone and is open all year long. Hospitality stakeholders certainly see a slowdown during the monsoon. To attract guests during the low season, Malik says, “At Fortune Resort
Benaulim, we have created unique packages that feature authentic local experiences like village tours on e-bikes, monsoon walks to the beach, visits to spice farms, sightseeing in south Goa, indoor activities and movie shows for kids, cooking classes for everyone, etc. which keeps our guests engaged and enjoys their holidays at its best.”
Fortune Hotels had introduced the ‘Safe Stays at Fortune Hotels’ programme, which offered round-the-clock safety and hygiene protocol, from pre-arrival to check-out, ensuring the guest stay was safe, seamless, and stress-free. They further strengthened their commitment to this programme by obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certificate. Fortune Hotels believes in Responsible Luxury experiences which address the needs of wellbeing and safety through responsible practices which are in harmony with the environment and society.