The outbreak of Covid-19 has presented the tourism sector with a major challenge. Governments around the globe are working on revival of the tourism industry and developing action plan. Based on the theme, the staff of Diploma Travel and Tourism and Degree Hotel Management of Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (MSIHMCT), Pune, organised a webinar on the theme, “Post Covid-19 Challenges and Action Plan for Tourism Industry in India” on June 2, 2020.
Dr Anita Moodliar, principal of the institute, welcomed the guests and gave a brief introduction of the institute. Dr Seema Zagade, professor, introduced the theme of the webinar as well as speakers of the event.
Venkatesan Dhattareyan, Regional Director (West & Central Region), India Tourism, Mumbai, spoke on the topic “Post Covid-19 - Challenges and action plan to restart tourism industry”. He informed that post-Covid-19, tourists will travel in a phased manner preferring travelling first to local destinations and then domestic and on seeing the situation will cross borders for tourism activities.
Also prices of the tourism products will determine the movement of tourists. Tourism suppliers will have to find innovative ways to woo customers and get their business on track. They need to collaborate with other sectors like health, education and corporate and adopt safety and hygiene measures. New skills need to be acquired on information technology, health and hygiene.
Government focus will be on job creation and entrepreneurship. He informed on how the tourism office is documenting 52 weekend destinations for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. On June 8, 2020, when the hotels re-open, they will have to follow the protocols and guidelines given by Government of India. Dhattareyan concluded that India can become an attractive destination only if it focusses on hygiene, safety and security.
Krishna Gopalan, VP, Travel Masters Pvt. Ltd, spoke on “Travel and tourism marketing strategies in the wake of Covid-19”. He was optimistic and said that this low phase like other earlier calamities will eventually pass and tourism industry will slowly be on track but with new normal.
The new normal according to him was giving priority to hygiene and sanitation norms at airports, hotels, restaurants and at destinations. People will want to travel in their own car to closer destinations home and after they overcome the Covid- 19 fear factor, they will start exploring inter-state destinations. Domestic tourism will be the attraction followed in phases by neighbouring and then other foreign destinations.
Gopalan suggested that this is the right time for tourism operators for corrective measures if any in their marketing strategies. The tourism market will be niche and tourism professionals will have to develop and upgrade their skills to offer the best to their clients. There is need to collaborate with other sectors for survival. He concluded on the need of visibility on social media showcasing each and every information in detail.
The last speaker, Shweta Dange, CEO & founder, Travel Vista, and alumni of travel and tourism, MSIHMCT, spoke on “Changes in travel after Covid-Era of touchless travel”. She spoke on how in the upcoming era, technology for touchless travel will be the highlight considering the safety of traveller. Mobile-enabled self-service experience will be new generation platforms. Touch-less travel will be the need of future as automated, contactless and self-service technology creates a “social distancing-friendly” passenger experience. Mobile devices and apps, will have a crucial role to play in the industry’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
Dange informed that airports have already implemented low-touch airport experience. New kind of digital identity and health cards stored on phones verified with facial recognition will facilitate smooth, safe and touchless journeys in future. Few international airports have adopted robotics technology for thermal screening. Hotels will also enter into touchless new world with implementation of touchless biometrics and self-check in kiosks or mobile enabled check in.
Self-check-in apps will allow guests to bypass the front desk entirely. Hotels will adapt smart room technology like Wi-Fi enabled light switches which can be operated through Alexa or Google Home. Guests can close the drapes, turn on the lights, adjust the room temperature, select entertainment programming and even order room service using their own smartphone or simply by voice commands. Smart room technology offers an elevated level of convenience for modern travellers by touchless experience which will make guests feel safer in this Covid-19 era. Smartphone enabled technology will be used at sightseeing places to get information of sightseeing places and its significance or history which will be in the form of pre-recorded audios.
The webinar ended with vote of thanks given by Dr Archana Biwal, lecturer, travel & tourism, MSIHMCT, Pune. The webinar saw a presence of around 200 attendees comprising of students, faculty and professionals of the tourism industry across India.