India has always been renowned for its distinctly warm hospitality and its most 'welcoming' nature. This won't change. The world has looked at India for highly-personalized, luxurious experiences, and this is a chance for us to keep on shining. Intact why just in India, our professionals have been leading hotels and resorts across the globe, hospitality is in our genes. The current pandemic though, does bring about a paradigm shift in how we operate as a sector. Still, we mustn't forget that it's perhaps only refinements at the operational level that we need to bring about in the system. With the right technology and training, it's easily achievable. Our 'DNA' as global hospitality leaders wouldn't change, it's perhaps only our SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), that now need to include an added layer of social distancing and sanitizing.
Current restrictions on global travel also mean that millions of India's who travel abroad will now have the opportunity to discover and enjoy the bounty of our own country. Steeped in culture and heritage, India features some of the world's best hotels and resorts; in mountains, beaches, forests, as well as in cities. Our cuisine is second-to-none, and so is yoga and Ayurveda, native to India, but valued globally. There will be no shortage of demand by hospitality companies - perhaps they will now need professionals who are very highly trained - more receptive to the needs of the guests and who can offer even more unique and personalized experience.
Going by current trends, bookings are on the rise across the sector. People have been cooped up in their houses because of the lockdown, and they now want to travel. Hotels, resorts, and restaurants which offer space, stay clean, and operate in hygienic ways are being favored, and this trend tells us not to worry. The best of hospitality brands already, always had this covered, so our focus should continue to be on delivering warm and memorable experiences, safety and hygiene are a given.
“Hospitality education will enable professionals to take up careers in not just only hotels and restaurants but in a much broader market ecosystem - in all businesses which including guest interfacing”
The Necessity for Skilled Hospitality Employees
The curation and delivery of distinctly warm hospitality experiences require highly trained professionals. Talent will truly take center-stage, now more than ever. Guests will need assurance, personalization, and reaffirmation. You may have a great hotel or restaurant, but it's the caliber of the staff that runs it that will decide it's fate in the new normal. Tech Integration — For more personalized customer journeys, Artificial Intelligence ( AI) will define how brands speak to their new and returning customers, Internet-of-Things (IoT) will redefine how machinery and appliances now operate more efficiently, and Machine Learning ( ML) will decide on the logic-based operation of guest interfaces as well as business back-office areas.
Add to this the newly found relevance of smart menus, touch-less food ordering and delivery, cost optimization, responsible sourcing of ingredients, and environmental sustainability; all of this requires highly able, talented, and trained resources. Managers will have to up their game and manage with smaller, but more efficient teams. All in all, hospitality businesses will have to work towards a new normal, and the 'new' here includes much more than just hygiene and safety.
Like earlier, hospitality education will enable professionals to take up careers in not just only hotels and restaurants but in a much broader market ecosystem - in all businesses which including guest interfacing. The global economy is well on its way to recovery, and it will continue to generate job opportunities in numerous fields such as food services, music, entertainment & leisure, banking & finance, travel & tourism, beauty & wellness, consulting, private equity, automobiles, aviation, luxury & retail, and even entrepreneurship. A Good hospitality education offers a tremendous opportunity for all service industry aspirants.
Demand for Soft Skills and Hospitality across Industries
It is a proven fact that leaders in every industry exemplify superior persona and interpersonal skills. They have to have very refined people management abilities, and this, combined with technical expertise in their specific field of work, makes them well-rounded, successful professionals. Leaders must know how to operate under stress, duress, and still - manage to delight. Hospitality education does precisely this. If there was a time to up-skill or re-skill, it is now.
Within hospitality, brands that offer curated, personalized experiences will now be in high demand, and the industry will want to hire professionals who have: the right technical skills, sharp business acumen, and exceptional interpersonal skills.
Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO
Former Managing Director and Regional Vice President of Starwood Hotels and Resorts South Asia, Dilip has over three decades of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked with brands such as Oberoi, Taj, IHG, and Starwood in India, Australia, and Africa. A graduate of the Oberoi Centre for Learning & Development, Dilip is recognised as one of India’s foremost thought leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry.
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