www.powerhouseglobalmag.com
PROF. PETER A. BHEDA
“CAN WE NOT JUST GET ALONG”?
CO-EXISTING WITH COVID-19, INSTEAD OF FIGHTING BACK AUTHOR’S TAKE The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the world, hotels, airlines, and related travel industries in ways that not even the most successful and powerful CEO’s could have predicted. Clearly, we have limitations! While known responses to ongoing disruptive threats remain unidentified and somewhat elusive, factors such as reoccurring waves of COVID-19 cases, government lockdowns and closures of businesses are all out of our control – however, adapting to the environment to offer personalized, clean and safe guest experiences, are not. - Prof. Peter A. Bheda
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e must be willing to compromise and live with it- There is no better time than now for hospitality brands to leverage the essence of hospitality – relatability, hospitableness, and personalized attention and it all begins with the acceptance of the fact that we are not going to win this battle of unmeasurable devastation, as new information becomes available to us. Hotel companies must progressively show attention to detail and demonstrate flexibility and innovation to co-exist with COVID-19. Soughtafter amenities have changed; free breakfast, large gyms, and active food and beverage outlets are no longer a guest’s focus prior to booking their stay – the new top priority is safety and cleanliness. Hotels have always ensured the
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health and safety of guests; however, they must now operate under a new standard based on CDC recommendations, brand safety initiatives, guest concerns and demands, and governmentissued travel protocols, to maintain a hospitable environment that allows consumers to feel safe away from home. Let us be smart and create a safety rating for hotels, like service ratings or the star ratings used by OTA’s and the brands to distinguish them from the amenities they offer. If brands hit on all cylinders, regardless of their perception and brand equity; then those properties must be recognized as the market leader in how we co-exist during this pandemic. However, these safety standards must be integrated with authenticity, and a genuine desire to protect the
