|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
Changing hospitality industry trends in a post Covid environment
|
Wednesday, 16 December, 2020, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
Tejas Chavan
|
The hospitality sector has been one of the most adversely affected ones due to Covid -19 and will probably be one of the last to recover and get back to the pre-Covid-19 business volume. The industry has missed the entire summer wedding and tourist season in the lockdown. However, the scenario is becoming better and we have been witnessing a positive trend September onwards, things have started picking up. The biggest challenge post lockdown was shortage of staff. Most of the staff was back at their distant native villages and had no means of transport available to get back to work.
Immediate Hospitality Trend post the unlock phase: One of the interesting observations in the initial weeks post lockdown was that people looked forward to a long staycation or some of them also moved in for period ranging from 15 days to more than a month to work remotely and break away from the lockdown city life to enjoy greenery and fresh air but were hesitant to eat at the property restaurants or coffee shops. Majority of them carried home cooked meals when on a short stay or supported themselves with snacks that are long-term preservation friendly.
Some of the interesting travel, food and booking trends that have been observed over a period of time in the post Covid-19 hospitality environment are:
On an individual level: The stay period has become longer. Earlier people would come for a 1 or 2 night stay, now people are coming in for a 5 to 6 night stay. Since remote working as an acceptable trend took off in the unprecedented Covid times, people carry their workstation along and work peacefully from the resort.
Wellness retreats are becoming very popular. People are skewed towards a more holistic lifestyle and are laying emphasis on health and immunity like never before. Wellness retreats that provide a wholesome therapeutic experience right from stay to food to holistic treatments and wellness therapies and activities are attracting the new and evolved set of health oriented travellers.
People now prefer outdoor nature activities like cycling, nature trails, trekking etc. as compared to indoor activities.
It is observed that the popularity of small boutique hotels have gone up as compared to big chain of hotels. Indian traveler prefers experiential stays, which has something innovative to offer from an aesthetic, to local culture, local cuisine and experience perspective. Properties that are located in off beat locations are being preferred over the popular tourist destination to avoid the crowds.
Most of the guests are opting to drive down in order to avoid air or train travel, which in turn is increasing the demand of locally centric properties.
People prefer to buy and consume local organic food to established big corporate brands. Food concepts are changing too. We are witnessing a greater demand towards food prepared with locally sourced ingredients over exotic international ingredients. People are growing more conscious not only about food but also from environment sustainability point of view. An experiential traveler is scouting for new food experiences that not only cater to their taste but contributes positively towards their health and also the local food sources or facilitators. This upcoming breed of travelers is yet niche but is definitely expected to increase in coming years.
From a Group Travelling and reservation perspective: Post lockdown, there is an increased demand for outdoor venues for events, weddings and parties, since people are more comfortable outdoors where social distancing can be followed better. Centrally air-conditioned indoor venues are not preferred.
Weddings and pre wedding events, which contributed to a big volume of the business, has reduced drastically. Due to the govt. guidelines, the number of guests at the wedding has reduced. Hence for a resort property to offer wedding services is neither viable nor lucrative. The weddings are going to be small for the next coming months, which is going to be a major loss for the hospitality sector. At the same time boutique and experiential properties accommodating a select group of individuals are witnessing growth in this category as compared to previous years.
People are getting increasingly selective in their travel or social companionships. While adhering to social distancing norms but simultaneously taking their social commitments forward, there has been a huge demand for stand alone farm houses for staycation and weekend private parties specially in the wedding and festive season.
(The author is managing director of Green Spaces)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|