Now is the time to grow organically and implement cost savings: Navjit Ahluwalia

With over three decades of experience, how would you describe the impact of current crisis on the hospitality sector?

Simply put – Unprecedented! I have personally seen many business cycles in the last few decades however the current pandemic supersedes all in terms of impact on our industry and people. This is more so because as other or most sectors recover with a change in consumer outlook and sentiment, hospitality and travel will be one of the last to come back to pre Covid19 levels. Having said that, I strongly believe, travel is ingrained in all of us, and when sentiments change regarding concerns of infections, our industry will come back strongly and maybe to even higher levels than 2019, albeit gradually.

At the beginning of the year, you mentioned, “India is well on course to become the third-largest hospitality market in the world”. What are your current views in the same regard as the hospitality industry is known to be the worst-hit sector due to the pandemic?

My views remain the same, though it could take a little longer. 

As we all know, India is a fast-evolving economic powerhouse and as disposal income rises, we will have millions of Indians wanting to travel domestically as well as we will see an increasing number of visitors from across the world – be it for leisure or business or both. However, in the current situation, leisure travel will and is picking up pace, and that’s a large number we are looking at. The pent-up demand of last few months has reached a threshold as a growing number of people would want to take a break – to a nearby destination. So, as the traveler’ confidence grows, the hospitality industry will see a quicker pace in bookings and when international travel restrictions ease, India will attract a disproportionately higher share of foreign travelers.

Hilton is the oldest hospitality company in the world and with our invaluable experience of more than a 100-years, we again took a leadership position to understand the needs of our guests when things came or were coming back to the New Normal. We introduced two best in class Cleanliness and Hygiene programs across all Hilton Properties across the world.  In a post-COVID-19 environment, consumers will naturally become more conscious of cleaning and hygiene practices.  Customer research has also shown us that buying decisions will be largely based on which travel experience is going to be the safest, and where is the safest place to travel to – rather than discounts and promotion packages. Hilton, in collaboration with RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, and in consultation with Mayo Clinic, has launched an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection called Hilton CleanStay as well as its meetings and events equivalent, EventReady with CleanStay.

In the pre-COVID era, the company had plans to grow and introduce ‘Hilton global portfolio’ in the country. Can you briefly share the progress?

India continues to be an important market for Hilton. The hospitality market potential is tremendous and as India grows economically it will continue to positively benefit our industry. Hilton has 18 world class brands that cater to the entire diaspora of travelers. We continue to evaluate the needs of which brand is best suited for which destination in India, and accordingly will introduce it in partnership with our partners. Our discussions with potential partners are a continuous and ongoing process. Our owner and investor communities fully understand the potential of hospitality in India as well as the leadership and experience that Hilton brings to the industry. 

Hilton is known to curate unique and inspiring on-property experiences to appeal to the destination traveler of today. Now with stay-cations and work-cations being in demand, how is Hilton providing the ‘experiential’ stay keeping the health, hygiene and safety aspect in mind?

We listen to our guests and continue to deliver what they want most – reliable and friendly experiences – supported by industry-leading innovations and sustainable solutions. In the last few months we have introduced offers that are best suited for leisure travelers such as Great Small Breaks and Dream Away. We will come up with a year-end promotional offer shortly. However, while promotional offers add value to our guests, research indicates that in the new normal travelers are putting hygiene and cleanliness as the top-most priority to choose their accommodation. We launched Hilton CleanStay, an industry-leading cleanliness standard developed in consultation with RB, the makers of Lysol, and Mayo Clinic, and meetings & events program EventReady, to provide guests with options and peace of mind during their stay. In addition, Hilton leads the industry in the deployment of contactless technology, including our Hilton Honors app and Digital Key, which is now available at 5,000+ properties globally.

With the year 2020 coming to an end, what major plans and developments have you set in motion for the group in the year 2021?

I believe the worst financial part of the pandemic has passed and now is the time for the company to look towards growing organically and to implement cost savings. Asia Pacific continues to lead the way in recovery, with occupancies across the Asia Pacific region rising quicker than most of the world with huge domestic travel demand within countries rising – including India. Hilton’s leading portfolio of brands and commercial engine continues to attract new owners as we look forward to signing meaningful deals in 2021. And most importantly, Hilton remains laser focused on protecting our team members, our core business and executing against our recovery strategy.

We believe the desire to travel, experience new cultures and connect with others is core to the human experience. As markets open, people have been eager to travel. We are ready to welcome them safely with our signature Hilton hospitality

What do you feel can be done to grow brand ‘Incredible India’ especially post Covid-19?

Hospitality and travel industries are relevant to everyone irrespective of geography or economic strata. As India continues to grow to become a global economic powerhouse, hospitality will play a defining role in that progress. It is imperative that all stakeholders across the hospitality industry have a unified agenda to discuss and collaborate with the Government. Be it revenue contributions or employment generation, hospitality is and will continue to contribute significantly. India is already well known for its hospitality, now we need to learn and incorporate the best practices in technology. While we will always be in a business of ‘People serving People’ technology will assist in efficiency building. Over and above this we need to have more transparency and uniformity in some laws and regulations be it in real estate acquisitions and constructions or have easier and cheaper access to financial support. In addition, we fully acknowledge and are supportive of the steps taken by the Government to develop infrastructure such as roads, airports and waterways and promoting places across India for tourism as a major step towards strengthening brand Incredible India.