In the latest BW HOTELIER WebBlast, Khushnooma Kapadia, Area Director - Marketing (South Asia), Marriott International shared the major lessons that her company has realized during the pandemic and the changing trends in the hospitality sector.

Khushnooma Kapadia, Area Director - Marketing (South Asia), Marriott International has said, “The entire hospitality industry has come as one unified force.” She elaborated, “Brands put themselves out there to do a lot for community outreach. Hotels have been able to connect with their consumers, and that too at a very fast pace.” 

BW HOTELIER conducted its 10th in the series of Breaking The Pandemic WebBlast: ‘Acing Communications in the New Normal’. Speaking in the panel discussion, Khushnooma Kapadia, Area Director - Marketing (South Asia), Marriott International discussed the importance of industry players to come together and deliver the right message at the right time to resuscitate travel and regain consumer confidence. 

Further, Kapadia shared the various lessons learned while battling the pandemic crisis. “It has taught us recalibration. Sometimes it’s not just about pushing your brand, it’s about communicating the right message at right time. At this time you need to communicate with the right sensitivity, which has been a learning experience,” Kapadia said. In her opinion, communication professionals will be the curators of truth holding an emerging role and a heavy responsibility for establishing the right message. She asserted, "In this era, consistency and genuine engagement are going to be the foremost strategies.”

Undeniably, the pandemic has replaced old trends with new ones across all spheres. For hospitality, Kapadia informed, “The hospitality landscape has been predominantly traditional but with this paradigm shift, the advent of technology will be the defining factor.” Moreover, discussing the engagement on social media, Kapadia shared, “The product has been shut down but not people, and social media is all about people. We have done a lot on customer engagement with our chefs, therapists, and bartenders.” 

Furthermore, speaking about the changes in the work-life balance, Kapadia mentioned, “The (living and working) ecosystem of everyone has changed because of the pandemic. Since March, the entire axis of our lives has seen a complete shift.” She thinks that during this period any decision taken will have ramifications professionally and personally. “There is a huge professional and personal responsibility involved,” she concluded.