Accessible tourism identified as ‘game changer’ for destinations

A new set of  Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the ONCE Foundation of Spain and Travability from Australia, makes clear the importance of placing inclusivity at the centre of recovery plans and provides key recommendations for achieving this.

Launched on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide – Socio-Cultural Impacts of COVID-19: Issue I Persons with Disabilities, draws on the expertise of UNWTO’s Ethics Culture and Social Responsibility Department and its partners. While much progress has been made, the publication makes clear that persons with disabilities and seniors encounter barriers preventing them from fully enjoying tourism experiences, even more so during the pandemic. Now, as UNWTO leads the restart of tourism globally, this guide outlines steps that governments, destinations and companies should take to build back better, becoming more inclusive and competitive.

This can be a real game changer for destinations and businesses, helping them recover from the crisis and grow back in a more inclusive and resilient way

Accessibility as a priority

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism environments and services are often designed without considering the different access requirements that visitors and locals may have. The tourism sector must prioritize accessibility. This can be a real game changer for destinations and businesses, helping them recover from the crisis and grow back in a more inclusive and resilient way.”

Source

Odisha ready to promote Eco Retreat in five unique locations: Minister of Tourism, Odisha

Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister of Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha, said that Odisha is ready to promote Eco Retreat in five unique locations – Konark, Hirakud, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi and Satkosia.

Aimed at the timely revival of the tourism and hospitality sector post-COVID-19, Odisha is extensively marketing its flagship campaigns, Odisha By Road complemented by the highly acclaimed Eco Retreat Odisha glamping festival, which is set to begin on 8 December 2020, upto 28 February 2021, he added.

Addressing the ‘Odisha Tourism Virtual Roadshow – 2020’ held for the Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg-Bhilai tourism fraternity, organized by Odisha Tourism and FICCI, Mr Panigrahi said that the Eco Retreats will offer tourists an opportunity to discover Odisha’s diverse tourism offerings, in style. “Chhattisgarh and Odisha are cultural siblings, with deep-rooted commonalities. Despite this, we have our own unique offerings to exhibit to explorers. Together, our states can make this region the most sought-after winter destination for Indians, looking forward to a getaway after reeling under the pandemic for eight months,” he said.

He further mentioned that to experience the true essence of Odisha, one must visit the state. “Odisha, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik ji, has transformed in the past 20 years,” said Mr Panigrahi. He also assured the full support of Odisha tourism for the revival of domestic tourism between the states.

Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner – cum – Secretary, Tourism Department and Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha said, “Odisha’s excellent road connectivity enables enjoyable road trips throughout the state. We have designed two exciting road itineraries starting from Chhattisgarh, including key destinations such as Hirakud and Debrigarh Sanctuary in one leg and Nrusinghnath and Satkosia Tiger Reserve in the other.”

Providing a glimpse of the upcoming Eco Retreat Odisha, Mr Dev said, “Eco Retreat Hirakud, Satkosia and Daringbadi are easily accessible by road, within 450 km. Worldclass amenities for camping in luxury tents are complemented by experiences ranging from jungle trails to water sports, camp-fires to boat rides, cycling tours to adrenaline pumping games, and lip smacking food. All this comes with Odisha’s stamp of tourist safety assurance, backed by its stellar record in COVID management. The synergised application of SOPs and technology for added safety will secure tourists’ experience at every Eco Retreat.”

Source

HVS Monday Musings: Food for Thought - Reimagining F&B at Hotels in India

Dipti Mohan, Senior Manager - Research, New Delhi & Mandeep S Lamba, MRICS, President (South Asia), New Delhi

Food & Beverage (F&B) has always been a significant component of hotel operations and revenue. Several hotel chains have created their own iconic in-house restaurant brands over the last few decades. Dining at these hotel restaurants, known for their high-quality cuisine and celebrated chefs, had a novelty factor that was missing from the options available outside of hotels.

However, over the last decade as the retail boom started gaining momentum, hotel restaurants soon began losing guests to the slew of high-end, new-age, standalone restaurant brands that were promising unique dining experiences to guests. Changing demographics, evolving preferences of diners, and the fact that these younger, more trendy and less formal places provided a great variety of quality food and ambience at more ‘affordable’ prices helped increase their popularity. The growth of shopping malls and mixed-use restaurant districts facilitated these chains to expand their presence across the country, resulting in lower footfalls at hotel restaurants. As a result, most hotels started reducing the number of F&B options at their premises to counter the loss in demand.

Is Covid-19 the inflexion point of this trend?

There is no denying that the Hotels and Restaurants sectors have been two of the worst hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Though hotels have started witnessing a gradual increase in occupancy, recovery for restaurants, especially for dine-in, has been relatively slow as most people are still worried about dining out.

This model can create a win-win situation for both hotels and restaurants in the current scenario. Hotels not only get an opportunity to win-back the customer share they had lost out to standalone restaurants over the last few years, but can also draw in footfalls and revenues during periods of low occupancy by marketing the restaurant as a destination in itself. Meanwhile, the restaurants get an opportunity to renew operations at much affordable costs with the added benefit of a captive clientele.

Source

Hilton: When Recruiting Talents We Focus On Soft Skills Like Teamwork

What experience and skills do hospitality organizations look for when hiring graduates? What elements should a good resume of young professionals contain?

We spoke with Leonie Trottmann (HR) from the Hilton Garden Inn in Davos, Switzerland.

What skills and qualities do you value most when hiring new employees?

When hiring graduates, we focus primarily on the personality. We look for charisma and self-confidence, a deep understanding of service orientation and the ability to work in a team.

But besides soft skills, abilities like foreign languages and IT knowledge are also very important to us.

What are the characteristics of a good resume for new graduates?

It is important for us to see in the resume that the graduate feels comfortable in different hotel areas and works well in a team.

Since our hotel is located in the mountain area and attracts active vacationers, we are also consciously looking for active employees who feel comfortable outdoors and can achieve satisfaction and a good work-life balance in their free time. Not only the guests but also the employees should feel comfortable with us.

How important is practical experience for career starters?

Besides theoretical knowledge, practical experience is very important. This strengthens the ability to grasp interrelationships in the company with logic and the self-confidence in dealing with people. When starting a career, it is an advantage to have some initial experience already.

What do you think makes graduates of the EHL Passugg particularly interesting for employment?

We especially appreciate the strong foundation in theory and practice of graduates of EHL Passugg. But it is also an advantage for us as an alpine hotel that they speak the languages, feel comfortable in the Alps and are familiar with the Grisons region.

What advice do you have for young talents interested in a career in hospitality?

It is important to gain a lot of practical experience and start lifelong learning.

"You should first get to know different companies, from 5-star hotels to small private hotels, gain valuable experience and feel confident in different hospitality areas before focusing on one area and building your career."

Hotel management school's provide exactly this, the insight into different companies and areas.

This Is Why You Keep Your Restaurant’s Signature Dish

Chefs are creative individuals and I'm continually blown away by what these professionals can do when challenged to explore their passion. But a restaurant needs some marketing sensibility if it going to thrive, especially in a hotel or urban capacity where there are numerous other independent and more agile operations to compete with.

While some executive chefs are themselves tremendous impresarios or, dare I say, celebrity chefs, many others need to be reined in so that the menus are in stride with what the market wants and so that they fit with the dining outlet's theme for an easily digestible brand narrative. One aspect of this is whether or not to replace the most popular dish, something I recently encountered at a property for which I was asset manager.

The argument in favour of this substitution was that a new season called for a whole new menu in order to truthfully advertise it as such. And as political as any other organization, most of the senior team at the resort did not want to besmirch their camaraderie with the executive chef by testing his ego. But even though it may not be the chef's favourite, if it's the guests' favourite then isn't that what counts?

This is where I had to step in and apply some marketing wisdom as well as some statistics. The item deemed most popular was corroborated against POS sales data and a myriad of anecdotal evidence scraped from online reviews to verify it as a bona fide 'signature dish' (although if we had a social media aggregating platform this could likely have been used as well).

Source

How a Maldivian Hotel bounced back using THN Vouchers & Gift Cards

Amidst today's situation, hotels need to find new and creative ways to encourage reservations. Dealing with skeptical travelers and managing re-openings after months of closure is a completely new setting for many hotels, and trying to capitalize on new ideas to attract potential guests has become more important than ever. Seducing guests on the hotel website through vouchers and gift cards is becoming a reality for many, and some hotels are hitting the perfect notes in creating clever deals that re-spark the interest of their future guests.

Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, an elegant Maldivian resort-feel hotel merged with the nuances of the Hard Rock music culture, understands the importance of retaining loyal customers and engaging with potential new guests. By offering tempting and flexible deals on their website, the brand is able to effectively win over visitors during these times. "Guests always visit the website at least once, no matter where they decide to book", says Phromporn Sumatepimolchai, cluster E-commerce manager of SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. "This is the most important touchpoint where we need to grab their attention and inform them about what we have to offer." 

In June 2020, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives decided to partner with The Hotels Network (THN) to take their hotel website experience to the next level. After THN's Vouchers & Gift Cards product launch, the brand was able to explore a new way to attract post COVID-19 guests, as this tool removed any uncertainty potential guests may have had around dates and encouraged immediate reservations.

Source

Pandemic Leads to Valuable Lessons for Rosewood Mayakoba Staff

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO—Like so many properties during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rosewood Mayakoba here closed its operations for nearly two months. Instead of closing the resort entirely or going down to a skeleton staff, the entire full-time staff decided to co-quarantine onsite.

“58 employees and I moved into the resort first and foremost to take care of the property,” said Daniel Scott, regional VP, Rosewood Hotel Group/managing director of the hotel. “Of course we wanted to maintain and ensure that we took care of the resort during the closure, but also we had guests who had been here and we have residents in the hotel, so they actually lived in the hotel during the closure so we also took care of them during the two month period when no one was coming into the resort and nobody was leaving.”

He continued, “We wanted to do the right thing, of course for the property in terms of maintaining it, but we also thought about the right thing to do for our team. Instead of having everyone outside, why don’t we just make a community inside the hotel? Everyone was able bring in their families and many people brought their dogs. We thought it was the best way to keep the property up, but also keep the energy up during the quarantine.”

Part of doing the right thing was dropping off food for the medical staff at a local hotel. “We wanted to show the doctors at the local hospital that we cared about them,” said Scott. “Two of us would leave every Tuesday and Thursday. We dropped everything outside; that would be the only time we ever left the property.”

All of the employees, no matter their job title and responsibilities, shared all duties including cooking, cleaning and general maintenance of the 620-acre resort and used the time for self-improvement, team building and community support delivering meals and groceries to the families in need in Playa del Carmen.

“We had a great amount of ownership by everyone,” said Scott. “This is our home, and everyone shares that empowerment and responsibility. Our culture of respect is one where everyone has different responsibilities, but we all treat each other the same. There are no levels per se. For us, we said, ‘We are in this together and we are going to get through this together.’ We decided it wasn’t just employees, everyone would volunteer to assist with both the cooking for ourselves and for the guests, as well as the doctors. You would go in the laundry room and you would see the spouses assisting. You would see everyone pitching in to ensure that the property was even better when we reopened.”

Everyone remained positive throughout the entire experience. “All of us are going to leave here and we are going to be so proud that after two months, and only 60 of us and our families, people are going to return and see that the garden looks even better, the furniture looks better and we came out better in how we do our jobs as hospitality professionals,” he said.

The owners maintained all of the full-time employees during the shutdown and helped their other workers as well. “For those who were at home, we continued to take care of them,” said Scott.“Ownership also provided extra money for groceries. The team knew that we were taking extra care of them because some of them rely very heavily on gratuities, so our owners were very conscious of that and did the right thing. They understand for us, it has been about long-term relationships. You can talk about family, you can talk about the team being the most important thing to a hotel’s success, as long as we demonstrate it.”

The experience taught Scott the importance of humility, empathy and compassion. “I always talk about humility being a really important quality in a leader. Also, just being empathetic and compassionate. Those three qualities, both throughout the quarantine and not, are even more important…The empathy for the team to understand that they are not alone. We have become even closer here. For me as a leader, just understanding that sometimes you might not even have the answers for your team, but you can be compassionate, you can be empathetic to at least understand the situation that they are going through and you are with them and that they are not alone in the situation. For me, I always say that the day we have everything figured out is the day we are not special, and I say that humility always is an integral part of our success here in Rosewood Mayakoba, but even more so after this experience.”

Source

As More Companies Let Employees Work From Home Permanently, What Is the Outlook of Business Travel?

When the pandemic hit the global economy in March, business travel was estimated to lose $820 billion in revenue. Under the best scenario, businesses were expected to reopen in late spring or early summer.

As we entered into the summer, indicators showed travel and hospitality businesses were picking up, but we all knew travel recovery would not occur until people are taking business trips again. "Travel, as we knew it, is over," concluded by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.

Now in October, we still have not contained the coronavirus. To make it worse, new COVID-19 cases now surge again across the US and Europe.

More companies let employees work from home permanently

Many states and countries have already lifted the stay-at-home orders in May. Schools and companies are taking a different stand, however. For example,

• Twitter was the first U.S. major company that announced its permanent work-from-home plan in May.

• Pinterest canceled a lease in an unbuilt project in San Francisco with a one-time $89.5 million fee, citing work-from-home shift.

• In September, the 23 campuses in the California State University system also extended virtual learning through spring 2021.

• Earlier this month, Microsoft told its employees that they could work from home permanently with manager approval.

• Dropbox extended the company's mandatory work-from-home policy through June 2021. Furthermore, the company made remote work the standard practice.

  What does the Gallup poll say about work from home?

  Gallup just released a follow-up report last week about remote work with the latest September 14 - 27 polling data. The results suggest,

  Remote work has reached its "ceiling"

  • 51% of Americans being surveyed said they were "always" working remotely in April when tight restrictions were in place. The number dropped to 31% in September.

  • 25% of Americans reported they were "sometimes" working remotely in September, as compared to 18% in April.

  • 42% of Americans "never" worked remotely in September, an 11percentage point increase from April.

Source

To Spend or Not to Spend: What Hoteliers Should Prioritize for a Faster Recovery

While it may, at first, seem tempting for hoteliers to proceed with extreme fiscal caution right now, hoteliers must also consider the long-term, post-pandemic vision. As the industry braces for recovery, those properties which have invested in platforms and technologies that empower them to pivot and innovate traditional touch-points are positioned to thrive. In many respects, the selective investments that hoteliers make now will help to define their path to recovery.

So, the question becomes, how can hotels reduce operating costs in an intelligent manner, while prioritizing technology that ensures a faster recovery?

Out With the Old

It might surprise you to learn that, oftentimes, outdated technology costs hoteliers more money than it saves. Not only are legacy platforms limited in their infrastructure and functionality, but they also boast a variety of hidden costs. Unlike new-age platforms which are cloud-based. maintenance-free and always updated.

The lack of flexibility associated with legacy systems becomes especially problematic when we consider the current circumstances. In the era of COVID-19, flexibility is paramount. Employees should be able to access critical property data anytime, anywhere, without any tech-specific roadblocks. Fortunately, cloud-based technology provides hoteliers with uninhibited access to the digital infrastructure of their hotel, helping to streamline workflows while ensuring that important processes and procedures are always accessible. Even better, cloud-based solutions are notoriously user-friendly and often extremely affordable when compared to the full picture of legacy systems and their associated costs and dysfunction. These platforms can also integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use, creating an optimized 'stack' of critical hotel systems and applications that work together as a cohesive, revenue-generating unit.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE5 Reasons Why Now is the Right Time for Hotels to Switch to a More Modern and Affordable S&C SystemMobility, Automation, and Open APIs are Essential for the PMS of the FutureContactless Technology Partners Share Exclusive Insights In New eBook About Budgeting During A Crisisview all

Full-Featured Platforms

When considering the transition from legacy platform to new-age technology, hoteliers should look for those platforms which offer an impressive portfolio of features. Fortunately, many of the best-in-class sales and catering, PMS and CRM systems on the market today boast 'all-in-on' capabilities.

For hotels looking to maximize occupancy and increase group business through events and meetings, a full-featured sales and catering solution is paramount. With CRM functionality, booking management, streamlined workflows, advanced reporting, and enhanced lead optimization and customer management all within one, user-friendly interface, closing business has never been easier.

Full-featured systems should also offer hoteliers revenue generating insights and capabilities, as hoteliers look to get creative in their bid for guest bookings. Platforms that provide data-backed insights can help hotels pave the way to improved processes and an optimized sales approach.

Focus on Automation and Efficiency

Labor is expensive, but a lack of productivity is even more expensive. Moving forward, hoteliers should focus on platforms which enable increased automation and efficiency across all touch-points. Not only does this help to streamline once tedious and time-consuming operational tasks, but it also empowers hotel staff to focus their attention where it matters most: the guest experience and their safety. This also reveals an opportunity for cross-training staff, which helps to ensure hotel properties have the support they need from staff across all departments.

Of course, in a post-pandemic era, automated technology has become especially valuable to those hotels which are currently operating with reduced staff and resources, while working to maintain brand standards of service. Moreover, as we continue to shift towards a largely 'touchless' future, technology which allows for automated processes and self-service will become the new industry standard. Hotels should look to utilize mobile-first technology, including mobile check-in/out, keyless room entry, mobile chatbots and concierge, mobile payments, and so much more. Not only that, but hoteliers should prioritize those solutions which help to streamline personalization efforts, leveraging guest data to enhance the guest experience both online and offline.

Going Digital

In the wake of COVID-19, hotel properties around the globe have aptly reconsidered and reformatted traditional touch-points and, within guest rooms and lobbies, common high-touch items. Fortunately, from a cost perspective, this is good news. Transitioning printed materials to their digital counterparts can, in the long-term, save hotels money, whilst also reducing their environmental impact.

It's also important to recognize that, in today's day and age (and especially right now), consumers crave a digital experience. Unsurprisingly, hotel guests are no exception. With this in mind, hoteliers should take this time to invest in the virtual experience and resources they offer guests, including website properties, images, virtual tours, mobile booking engines, and more.

Source

7 chef movies on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube that every foodie must watch

We’ve seen movies that can make you hungry, we’ve seen cooking shows that inspire you to try a new cuisine, now it’s time to see movies on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube that will make you look at food from a different perspective – a chef’s perspective. From the action to the budding romance, these movies will take you through everything that goes on inside a kitchen.

If you are foodie and food is your BAE then watch out these movies :

• THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY – AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

• BURNT – YOUTUBE

• JULIE AND JULIA – NETFLIX

• COOK UP A STORM – NETFLIX

• NO RESERVATIONS – NETFLIX

• JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI – NETFLIX

• MOSTLY MARTHA – AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

For More Information Click Below :

www.gqindia.com/binge-watch/collection/7-chef-movies-on-amazon-prime-video-netflix-and-youtube-that-every-foodie-must-watch/

8 Job Search Strategies That Could Get You Your New Job

From personal and group messages, to our research from the COVID survey, a lot of people have lost their jobs. The survey says only 33% of those polled lost jobs, but a large percentage, 60% lost salaries too and may have moved from their place of work.

Eclat Hospitality Survey 2020

What to do now?

If you can, entrepreneurship can be a brilliant strategy. Building something when there is a downturn usually turns out to be a good decision. If you do want to, reach out to Vikas Mehra on +91 9041123434 and talk about the Eclat Network program.

However, not everyone wants to do something of their own. If a job, a career is what you aspire to and if you are looking to get back to that life, here are 8 strategies for your job search:

1. Reach out to the people you have worked with and who liked your work.

This has to be your first action. We will apply to random job posts too but that is much lower down the order. This is what you need to do:

• First, sit, make a list of people you have worked with

• Then circle all the people who liked your work. Not you, your work.

• Then check their profiles on LinkedIn

• Now strike off anyone who is looking for a job themselves

• Send individualised emails/messages. Do not cut & copy, do not bcc, do not mass this step.

Dear Prabhjot,

Hi! We worked together at Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur. While I was in Housekeeping you always had a kind word to say and you encouraged me to work harder on my Front Office knowledge. Till recently I was the Rooms Division Manager at XXX. I have been laid off and I wanted to touch base with people who know that I can be an asset to any organization.

Please do let me know if you know of any opening for RMD, FOM or GM of a small property. I am open to movement and find myself ready to work harder.

If there is anything I can do for you, please do let me know.

Stay Safe

• Follow up with calls. If one email could do the trick, that would be so easy. Call. These are people you knew once, you go back.

2. Ask the people in list 1, to give you references.

So you tried all your peeps, and none came through. It is a tough market. Maybe they genuinely don’t have a lead or job to offer. Ask them for a reference.

Say something like 'I understand you don’t have anything in your company, but could you share the name and connect details of 2/3 people? Maybe someone in HR that you know well outside your current company? Or a recruitment consultant you think could help? Any lead would be appreciated.'

Then call those people, but make sure it is a 'reference mention' call.

'Hi! Prabhjot Bedi gave me your reference and he was thought you would definitely be able to help me. I am looking for……'

3. Ask your own company.

This is probably going to sound insane but just stay with me here. Some brands have created in-house teams and retained outplacement service firms. You could also probably reach out to your current boss and HR and maybe play on the guilt factor. It wasn't them who terminated your contract, it was the corporate that made them do it. Remind them of that. Get them to make a few calls for you.

4. Sharpen The Resume; make the cover letter real.

I cannot overstate this. I have been receiving resumes that have a typo, errors in dates and even names of companies spelt wrong. You are unemployed, you have the time, why would you send out a resume that just makes you look bad? For what we think a resume should be, click here

5. Apply To Everything.

I am usually of the opinion that you should be selective about the opportunities you apply for and go after. Not all opportunities are created equal, but that advice is for when you are in a job and are looking for something better. Now that you are unemployed or staring at an uncertain future, you should apply for everything. The old adage is still true - it is easier to find a job when you have one.

6. Attend Virtual Conferences.
Let me save you the trouble of saying it out loud, yes, a lot of them are just a massive waste of time. Be that as it may, it is not about the quality of the discussion, but an in for you. Most of these will have decision-makers and you can actually ask them a question or maybe even get a direct connect. It's worth it. On one of these, someone actually asked one of the speakers to at least interview people since he had a lot of time too, and he agreed to interview him. Grab those connects.

7. Connect on Linkedin.

Ditch insta, Facebook, TikTok and everything else for a bit. If you have under 5K 1st level connections on LinkedIn, you are not working that network even a little bit. Did you know you can join up to 50 groups on Linkedin and then write to anyone in the group? or post on that group? How many groups are you a member of? I will do a deeper dive into how to max use Linkedin, but for now here are some things you can do:

• send out 10 connection requests every day to industry folks, decision-makers. Write a quick note. p.s. start with people you might have worked with or known in real life.

• ask for introductions. You can ask someone in your network for an introduction to a member you would like to connect with.

• join 5 groups immediately.

• comment on posts from industry leaders.

• change your header to 'looking for XYZ position'.

8. Get your twin.

I wrote about it here and I think it is a killer strategy. Enrol a good friend, who has lost a job too and each of you makes a pinky swear to get the other a job. When we are helping someone else, our efforts are so much more, our asks bolder and our ability to handle negativity massive. Repeat all the steps, just this time, do it for her while she does it for you.

p.s. If you need any specific assistance for your situation, do not hesitate to reach out. This invitation is if you want to seak my assistance on any of these strategies or want to create a plan for yourself. For your job search, if you are from the hospitality industry, do reach out to us on apply@eclathospitality.com

The summer season begins - Accor is working hard to provide a wide variety of flexible and safe destinations

Key Take Away

Accor anticipates that more than 70% of its global network will reopen by the start of July. Accor has also seen renewed interest in travel demand, with hotel reservations doubling.

Guests who have booked a non-flexible rate directly on the ALL.com reservation site for a stay until June 30, 2020, can change their reservation to a future date (within the next 18 months) at the same hotel or receive a voucher for the full value of their stay for later use.

Business Plus and ibis Business cards will be extended by six months from the expiry date.

For More Information

www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4099036.html

IHM Ranchi successfully organizes Jharkhand Cookery League season-2

Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition,(IHM) Ranchi is an autonomous Institute under the Department of Tourism, Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Jharkhand which organized an online cookery contest “Jharkhand Cookery League Season-2” for Hotel Management students and Non-Hotel Management students contest started from 6/05/2020 ends on 20/05/2020.

The total number of 70 recipe videos and including 47 entries from 15 Hotel Management Institutes and 23 entries from Non-Hotel Management categories marked their presence from pan India in this contest.

Various categories of participation included “Traditional Jharkhand Cuisine, Indian vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes (participant’s choice), Baked food (sweet or salty), Sweets (Indian or Continental)”.

The competition was partnered by pioneers viz. Jharkhand Tourism, Sunday Cook Show as the “Broadcast partner”, Hospemag.Me as the “Media Partner” whereas Radisson Blu Ranchi & Chanakya BNR are the “Industry partner” and Creative Bit being the “Technology Partner”.

The result of “Jharkhand Cookery League-2” was announced on 27th May 2020. Dr. Bhupesh Kumar, Principal, IHM Ranchi appreciated and congratulated the winners and all the participants. He said that this league has taught the participants that one must explore his/her creative skills and constantly aspire to improve it.

Winners under the Hotel Management category are:

Ms. Simran Suruti, a student of IHM Ranchi, was declared the winner for her recipe “Gud Peetha” an authentic dish of Jharkhand

Ms. Dolly Sekhari, from The Lalit Hospitality school, was 1st runner-up for her recipe “Rose Rabri”

Mr. Nishant Singh from IIMT University Meerut stood 2nd runner-up for his recipe “Bihari chicken”.

Winners under the Non -Hotel Management category are:

Ms. Amrita Kumari won the contest for her recipe “Patal Ki Mitahi”

Ms. Nihu Aggarwal was declared 1st runner-up for her recipe “Kadhai Baby Corn”

Ms. Afshan Afroz stood 2nd runner-up for her recipe “Chicken Yakhni Pulao”.

Rajesh Namby appointed as general manager of The Lodhi, New Delhi

Key Take Away

The Lodhi, New Delhi has announced the appointment of Rajesh Namby as the general manager of the hotel. Having rich experience spanning over two decades in the hospitality industry. He was associated with renowned hotel chains like The Leela, Hyatt, Hilton, and Taj Group.

His last assignment was as general manager of The Leela Palace. He was associated with the Leela Group for 17 years and was an integral part of their culinary operations. Under his leadership, The Leela Palace, Udaipur saw new developments and consecutively won several accolades.

For More Infomation

www.hotelierindia.com/operations/10973-rajesh-namby-appointed-as-general-manager-of-the-lodhi-new-delhi

Dubai is ready to reopen its doors to receive visitors and guests from all over the world

Key Take Away

In light of the effective management of the Emirate of Dubai to contain the global pandemic and continue its efforts to control the spread of the Corona, the city is taking carefully studied measures and procedures to reopen its various economic sectors in stages

Dubai put detailed instructions for reopening commercial activities for various government agencies and private companies, including the hospitality sector

Maintaining its commitment to ensuring the public safety of the city's residents and visitors.

For More Information

www.gulfnewstoday.net/2020/05/dubai-is-ready-to-reopen-its-doors-to.html?m=1

Google Maps helps healthcare workers find hotels

Key Take Away

As part of its broader COVID-19 response, Google has given healthcare providers the option to add virtual care offerings to their search and Maps profiles and made government coronavirus-related announcements more prominent in search. Google is adding a new Maps feature to help those individuals find special accommodations when they're done their daily shifts. This feature will help those workers who want to keep their families safe.

The new feature is only available in the US and UK, but Google plans to roll it out to other countries in the future

For More Information

www.engadget.com/google-maps-search-frontline-healthcare-worker-hotel-finder-144000833.html?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts

Sarovar Hotels appoints Sanjay Rai as Sr. VP Sales & Marketing

Key Take Away

Sarovar Hotels and Resorts announced the appointment of Sanjay Rai as Sr. Vice President- Sales & Marketing.

He will be responsible for overseeing the planning and implementation of sales, marketing, and product development programs for each brand targeted towards existing and new markets. A seasoned professional with an experience of close to four decades

For More Information

hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/hotels/sarovar-hotels-appoints-sanjay-rai-as-sr-vp-sales-marketing/75890039

MHRIL moves ahead with expansion plan amid Covid-19

Key Take Away

Mahindra Holidays Resorts India Ltd is moving ahead with its planned capacity expansion even after the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry. In contrast, MHRIL will start work on two new resorts in addition to an ongoing project in Goa.

Club Mahindra is working with various experts in healthcare, facility management, and technology to implement enhanced safety procedures and contactless services

For More Information

hospitality-economictimes-indiatimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com/amp/news/hotels/mhril-moves-ahead-with-expansion-plan-amid-covid-19/75845291

Are you looking for amazing customer service people? Hospitality Professionals are the best!

We at hospemag.me obviously love hospitality professionals. We think the world of them.

We are also aware of the situation we all find ourselves in. We firmly believe that hospitality professionals are can work in any industry. If you have customers, you can hire hospitality people!

Here are our top 10 reasons:

1. Customer Facing. They deal with real people all the time. The number of interactions that a front line associate has with people is staggering. They learn about courtesy, safety, care at a very early stage in their career.

2. Moments Of Wow. Ever stayed at a hotel? The simple process of check-in can have up to 42 moments of wow! Each of these micro-moments is practiced, over and over again, and yet, it is made unique to each guest.

3. Physical Labour. We are not afraid of work. Put us in long shifts, arduous activities, physically demanding jobs and we will thrive.

4. Team Work. Each hospitality professional knows that she cannot make it happen on her own. We believe in our team and we applaud them every day. The dish you eat is a team effort.

5. Eye For Detail. A checklist for a room inspection may have over 300 points! No detail is too small. We believe God is in the details.

6. Discipline. Hotels do it 24/7. Restaurants, catering services, do it every day. When the world celebrates, we serve.

7. Grooming. Always. Do all that work, looking good. Presentable, personable, welcoming.

8. Knowledge. Masters of the trade, and then masters of skill too. The sheer breadth of skill involved in putting together a singular event, tells you the skill and the knowledge that one needs to be to perform such miracles.

9. Processes. Everything is mapped. Everything is photographed, videographed, scripted, and measured. Standards are set for each activity. And within those processes, we leave room for the magic to happen. We created a process to surprise you.

10. Smile. And we do it all with a smile! Day in, day out, every hour, every interaction with a guest.

You should hire hospitality professionals.

If you would like to, we are offering every company out there to create a free page with us and have people apply to you.

If you would like to browse profiles, we are creating those as well.

write to us at editor@hospemag.me and find your superstar in the million or so hospitality professionals are maybe out of a job.

We thought of this because Hilton set up a whole effort to help their people. We want to do it for everyone!

Centara Hotels & Resorts makes food donation to the Thai Government’s Public Relations Department

Key Take Away

Thailand's leading hotel operator recently donated 1,500 food boxes to the Thai Government's Public Relations Department

When a consumer buys a Centara cash voucher for a future escape, Centara will add a further 50% value to the purchase.

For more information:

www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4098708.html