On the cards…
“We are going to be working with a number of companies to make sure that there are new standard operating procedures in our hotels and it’s not just for internal use. Also, we want to share that with the travel agency community because they are going to be a source of authority and they don’t have to go back and double check if something is safe to use or recommend. That is step one for us. Secondly, we realise that information is going to be critical, hence, constant communication is necessary. We are preparing a dedicated area for both the online and offline travel agent community to provide updates. We will be sending out newsletters about our different product offerings and value propositions, exclusively for that community. While these are the priorities for Accor, speaking on behalf of the hotel industry, I can say that it’s critical for us to communicate exactly what we are doing and that a certificate of health is going to be critical in building consumer confidence again.” while before any international travel would happen for people in China, as they are still scared. We are also watching the price points, as well as both online and offline travel communities. - Kerrie Hannaford
Personalisation and understanding the client is key. Communication is important,” she believes.
Bouncing back
Lohani says that temporarily, job losses are there because in the tourism sector, everyone working in and around a tourist destination or a monument generally belongs to that area and is not a migrant worker. However,
– Kerrie Hannaford
get built in between the states to attract M!CE. Each state would aspire to get as much M!CE as possible in its territory and that may lead to incentives. This would further boost domestic tourism and more will be the propensity of that state to give incentives to travel agents
confidence building and is an effort towards bringing focus on domestic tourism. Confidence building measures should be taken up by governments and tourism boards. When everything is alright, they can announce that tourists would be safe when they visit the respective state. They can claim to take care of tourists’ hygiene and make sure that they don’t get infected. Such things should come into the campaign. The time for domestic tourism has come!” he remarks.