During the Leadership Session on Paradigms for Tomorrow at the 6th edition of BW HOTELIER Indian Hospitality Summit and Awards, panellists discussed how apart from adopting a more digital way to move ahead, hotels are becoming more and more environmentally conscious

Talking about trends, trying to predict them and attempting to foresee the future is a trend in itself. Trends are often powered by new consumer behaviour, new technology and new business theories powered largely by the former two factors. A panel comprising Seema Roy, Area MD, South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Preferred Hotels & Resorts; Samir MC, MD, Fortune Park Hotels; Jatin Khanna, CEO, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts; and Puneet Dhawan, Sr VP - Operations India & South-Asia, Accor discussed factors one can foresee in the hospitality industry and the usage of digitisation to embark upon a new journey on the second day of the 6th edition of BW HOTELIER Indian Hospitality Summit and Awards.

To throw light on the subject, Jatin Khanna, CEO, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, said, “The mind-set of hoteliers needs big time evolution as I feel they are still trying to operate the same way we used to seven-eight years back. The usage of digitised data is the need of the hour as it’s in our interest going forward. The more easily we are able to adapt to this change, the merrier it would be going forward for all of us.” 

“That there has been a sudden surge of domestic consumers using hotels as an experience or weekend getaways, the next 24 months will be extremely important to see where the rates will reach and how will we position it for the consumers,” shared Samir MC, MD, Fortune Park Hotels. 

Apart from adopting a more digital way to move ahead, people are becoming more environmentally conscious as sustainability has become an important issue. These changing attitudes are filtering into the way travellers choose their hotels. Sustainable hotels look at eco-friendly construction, energy saving modes and waste management processes. “Sustainability has been embedded in our roots since time immemorial, considering it’s a family owned and run business,” said Seema Roy, Area MD, South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

Most country markets are still recovering from the pandemic, with change still expected in the coming times. However, the pre-pandemic numbers can give us an idea on what to expect. Sustainability clearly is the top goal as consumers have now become knowledgeable in understand the meaning of sustainable living. “Till a few years back, ESG fell into the category of CSR, and we have come a long way with people understanding the difference between the two,” stated Puneet Dhawan, Sr VP - Operations India & South-Asia, Accor. He added that before pandemic, they had created a category at the CXO level, of a Chief Sustainability Officer, at global executive committee level. And it wasn’t just a fancy category. It had a purpose.