Revenge travel is going to gain momentum in 2021: Gaurav Shetty

Turning back the clock by a year, 2020 was a tumultuous year for the hospitality industry. 2021 is being seen as a year of revival and bouncing back. With the vaccinations already on a roll, people are slowly gaining their confidence to travel and stay in hotels. 

With all Goldfinch hotels operational and well equipped with the necessary safety gadgets and new procedures, Gaurav Shetty, Managing Director, MRG Group says, “This pandemic has really pushed us to innovate, transform, and rethink how we do business.”

Safety and Hygiene

Safety of the guests and employees and Hygiene are the top priority of any establishment right now. Gaurav Shetty says, “We will ensure that our guests get a sense of comfort and security while dining at our restaurant. By embracing the new normal, our restaurants will be sanitised after every two hours. Regular temperature checks are done for all guests and employees.”

The further measures being introduced by the Goldfinch hotels include equipping staff members with manual sanitising spray machine strapped onto their back, and a disinfectant container near them, the first to sanitise the luggage of guests and the second for hand bags. Each guest is handed over a separate pen, with boxes clearly marking ‘new’ and ‘used’ pens. 

From F&B point of view, hand sanitisers are being provided to the customer on entry to the restaurant and at key points, such as inside the entrance, next to the feedback book and outside the washroom. Surface cleaning and disinfecting has increased in food preparation, serving and customer areas. Surfaces that are regularly touched by staff and customers are being frequently cleaned and will include counters, tills, door handles and push plates. The employees mandatorily wear masks/face shields and undergo periodic medical checks to ensure their well-being.

He explains, “ ‘Contactless’ and ‘frictionless’ are now terms we have all adopted. Minimising contact is top priority for our guests and they are offered the option of contactless private dining menu which can be accessed via QR code.”

MRG group has collaborated with various international hospitality brands like Marriott and Hilton. On being asked how these collaborations help them, Gaurav Shetty says that as a part of their company’s growth strategy of strengthening and expanding their portfolio, selection of the right brand continues to be a key focus area.

He says, “MRG existing International brand agreements are Courtyard By Marriott Hebbal Bengaluru and Doubletree by Hilton Goa Panaji. MRG has also entered into a new agreement with global hospitality leader - Marriott International Inc extending their collaboration further in Mumbai. We are also extending our Goldfinch roots in Puducherry, Bengaluru and Belgaum. Most of the hotels that are under development will be under the management model but the company will also continue to expand in the franchise side as well.”

Expansion plans 

Goldfinch hotels have one hotel in Goldfinch Mangalore and Gaurav Shetty says that they are planning to come up with two new properties in Tier 2 Cities.

Trends in 2021

“We are excited that domestic leisure travel is picking up pace. We have re-opened all our properties and are doing good business. However, with Work from Home imposed by most organisations, MICE and corporate events will take a while to revive. But, with the vaccine already introduced this should pick up by mid-2021,” says Gaurav Shetty.

On how do they identify trends, he says, “We applied human and artificial intelligence to social media conversations around COVID-19 to identify what people are most looking-forward to doing after lockdown. Many people want to head straight to their favourite restaurant and feast on their favourite food where we will be combining our Feast with Gigs, sport activity and retail market pampering in 2021.” 

He further added that the industry is focused on contactless dining, gourmet deliveries and experiential travel/dining. “Revenge travel is going to gain further momentum in 2021. The massive pent up demand is going to fuel that need to travel further with a lot of people yet to take their first flight or first real holiday. Even with multiple variables at play, we remain hopeful that we will see a total rebound much sooner rather than later. However, the hospitality industry has shown resilience and managed attracting decent occupancies offering best rates to domestic travellers and staycationers.”