With zero revenues, the worry of low demand and supply has shackled the hospitality industry and it is time to reinvent so that the industry can come out of this vicious circle and sustain itself. The latest BW HOTELIER webinar hosted stalwarts from the hospitality industry who discussed various challenges and opportunities in the forthcoming days.

Participating in the Webinar Samir MC, Managing Director, Fortune Park Hotels said, “The pandemic is going out of control and is bringing in a lot of fear. It is not just a problem for Hoteliers but is a civic problem. The bigger pressure on us as brands is that we need to coach our employees to make sure that they are following all the hygiene practices. The same message has to be conveyed to our guests as well.” Samir MC is responsible for the leadership and development of Fortune Hotels. He plays a key role in meeting the company’s aggressive growth goals as well as building on the brand’s outstanding reputation for providing efficient service to the customers as well as to the promoters. He brings with him incredibly strong knowledge and experience, which will be vital as the brand continues to increase its presence in India. 

Speaking about furloughs and salary cuts, Samir said, “At Fortune Hotels, we have tried to retain as many jobs as we can in the short term. We have not faced anything as big as this in the last few decades and we are bound and pushed to make cuts in the biggest cost area which is people. We have to carefully review our cost structures from a people’s perspective to drive inefficiency in the long run.” 

He informed that Singapore has a government-driven program called SG Clean which presents a very simple check-list. “Similarly in India, we need brands to go out in the market and give their commitments as to how they will look after their employees and guests.” According to him the young professionals and the senior leaders are learning a lot of things from the pandemic. He believes that the young can drive in technology in the industry as they have the ability to learn and adapt fast. 

“There will be space for all the channels (online and offline) to co-exists in the post COVID world. As we are trying various ways to come back we will also be dependent on different channels for our survival,” he concluded.