Digital is the way to connect: Amisha Gutgutia

Amisha Gutgutia, Director – PR & Communications (India and South Asia), Accor Group has said, “This (pandemic) was the time when digital channels came in and helped us to stay connected with our clients and customers.”

“Music is one of the passion points for Ibis Hotels. (Ibis is a brand of hotels owned by Accor) In 2019, we did a series of Ibis gigs, and even this year, we didn’t let the pandemic stop that. We were able to deliver this experience to our customers through Instagram and Facebook,” she added.

Undeniably, the relapse and revival phase of the pandemic crisis has provided industry leaders all the more suitable reasons to engage and enhance the connections with their consumers. Gutgutia was speaking at the BW HOTELIER’s 10th WebBlast: ‘Acing Communications in the New Normal’ in the ‘Breaking The Pandemic’ series, where she underlined the importance of innovation and how it is going to be one of the driving factors for the industry to get back on course. “Innovation is going to be a key, be it through food deliveries coming with DIY kits or innovating online experience for customers to ensure they remember. Those things will become order of the day,” Gutgutia stated.

The coronavirus pandemic will undoubtedly define history. As we are still on the journey to see where the outbreak leads to and how governments and businesses across the board combat with it, the realization that clear communication with stakeholders and customers is crucial has dawned upon the industry. In the context, Gutgutia shared, “Internal communication with employees is important. Accor has introduced employee wellness and assistance programs, which provide counselling facility to our employees.” We have understood that clear and inspiring communication is fundamental in nullifying this wavering crisis, Gutgutia pointed out.

Taking the discussion further, Gutgutia said, “It is hard to think of a sector in the economy that won’t be affected by the Covid-19. It has been a hard journey and recovering from this pandemic will be hard for the hospitality industry, but slowly and surely we are definitely going to recover.” She reflected that as the global pandemic has ripped the surfaces of our lives, each of us is finding it hard to adapt to the new ways in which we live, work and play. However, Gutgutia is confident that we will able to get through this. “Human beings are quite resilient; we always find ways to adapt to situations and find peace no matter the situation,” Gutgutia concluded.