Vivek Pathiyan - I am a Workaholic and Not Alcoholic

arise every day Balancing the needs of guests and team members is a demanding task that requires sharpness and quick thinking. Ultimately winning both the situation and the person in today's volatile market is a significant challenge.”

Vivek Pathiyan, a veteran in the hospitality industry, began his journey in 1975 as a bellboy at the Oberoi Hotels in Mumbai. It was Mr Homi Wadia, one of the stalwarts of the hospitality industry, who recognized his potential and encouraged him to enter the industry. Once the GM of Hotel Oberoi also shared that he had started his career as a bellboy and had risen to become the General Manager of the hotel, which ignited a fire in Pathiyan. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mr Pathiyan stated that it was Mr Homi Wadia who encouraged him to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. “If it weren't for Mr Wadia's guidance, I would have still been working in sales for a consumer company.” When Mr Pathiyan joined the Oberois, Mr Wadia had already left the country to join a hotel in Cairo. “After that, I completed his management training at the Marriott, where I d e v e l o p e d h i g h - l e v e l management skills that I am proud of These skills enabled me to successfully turn around many properties across India during my tenure I believe that the hospitality industry is a peopleoriented business, and he strongly believes in the principle of taking care of the internal customer, which will ultimately lead to the satisfaction of the external customer,” he added. Speaking about the challenges he faced, Mr Pathiyan mentioned t h a t h e h a d t o o v e r c o m e numerous obstacles to reach higher positions. “People do not easily allow others to rise and I had to work hard to achieve success. However, I believes that facing challenges and persevering through difficult situations is the only way to succeed. Through my experiences, I have become capable of handling any situation.

The hospitality industry is very challenging as new obstacles

When asked about his greatest strength and biggest weaknesses, Mr Pathiyan replied that his greatest strength is being a workaholic and not an alcoholic. “As a hotelier, I do not smoke or drink, which keeps me more active even at the age of 68, allowing me t o w o r k l i k e a y o u n g s t e r Throughout my career, I have delivered results in challenging roles at prestigious establishments such as Leela Palace in Mumbai, Orchid Hotels, where I started from grassroots, and Fern Hotels and Resorts, where I held the position of Vice President of the group,” he said. Managing people is one of the biggest challenges in the hospitality industry, and Mr Pathiyan believes that if one is skilled in this area, the sky is the limit. “At the International Centre, where I am currently working, guest satisfaction is a top priority, and I ensure that I create an experience for guests that keeps them coming back,” he added. When asked how he copes with bad business days and keeps his team motivated, Mr Pathiyan gave a r e c e n t e x a m p l e o f t h e challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. “While many hotels were forced to close and lay off staff, the International Centre where I work remained open. I took all the measures to motivate my team during this difficult period, including ensuring they received their salaries so they could continue to provide for their families. The hotel was converted into a quarantine centre to keep revenue flowing, and doctors were housed there,” he said. To support his team, Mr Pathiyan personally took a pay cut of 40% so that he could continue to pay his employees These efforts helped to sustain the business for almost two years, and when the business returned, the team was still motivated and ready to face new challenges They were confident that the International Centre was the best place for them to continue to earn a livelihood during difficult times. According to Mr Pathiyan, upon joining the International Centre G o a , h e i d e n t i f i e d t h e tremendous potential to elevate this property into a prominent one, which had not been previously addressed "Upon joining, I i m p l e m e n t e d n u m e r o u s alterations and renovations to the property, and today, I am proud to say that the International Centre is on par with any four-star property in Goa. We offer spacious, selfcontained rooms with balconies, surrounded by lush greenery, which is the cherry on top. Our facility also boasts a fully-fledged library, recreation center, and swimming pool, and all of these amenities are offered at very reasonable rates. Once a guest visits this place, they keep coming back. It has also become a hub for businesses, as guests can easily move around in any direction in Goa due to the improving infrastructure. We also offer the unique facility of karaoke in our restaurants, allowing guests to sing along while dining."

When asked about the differences between Goa's tourism business and other parts of the country, Mr Pathiyan mentioned that Goa's tourism industry depends on the experiences created for the visitors, but there is still a need for government support to improve certain facilities, such as taxi services. “Compared to other states, private taxi services in Goa charge exorbitant rates, which discourage guests from visiting. Sometimes the amount spent on taxi fares is more than the cost of hotel rooms. Another issue is the lack of proper beach facilities such as toilets, beach beds, and shower services, despite Goa b e i n g k n o w n a s a b e a c h destination. If these facilities are improved, more tourists will visit Goa and boost business,” he said.