HOTELS and the travel industry must get creative by offering flexibility in order to rejuvenate the ailing industry which has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Continue prioritising the health and safety of travellers. Ensure their activities include safety protocols.
“Do adopt a flexible cancellation policy and be transparent to provide assurance and instill optimism by positioning ourselves as a brand that cares,” Club Med Southeast Asia (SEA) Marketing, Asia Pacific (APAC) senior vice-president (Commercial) Vincent Ong told FocusM.
On local travel industry, Ong said his company saw a surge in people enquiring on travelling again after the Government lifted the conditional movement control order (CMCO) in most states.
“Just after the announcement, we saw our website traffic increase by six times. Our call volumes also increased by 10 times – all in one day.
“What we’re seeing is pent up demand taking its course. People are eager to travel again after missing out due to the travel restrictions.
“While there will be significant travel movements in the next few weeks, travellers are also reading up on safety protocols on our website.
“They are also calling our contact centre agents to enquire about the safety measures put in place at Club Med,” he said.
On how COVID-19 has affected business, Ong said that the MCO has caused massive decline in tourism.
Subsequently, he added, Club Med has had to close some of its establishments and also operate at reduced capacity.
“With many bookings cancelled, no doubt it affected our revenue. We only depended on domestic market due to international travel ban and we expect the situation to persist until middle of next year,” Ong pointed out.
“For Club Med, we quickly adapt to the new demands and consumers’ expectations brought by safety measures, staying connected with our guests and working within the fluid travel restrictions.”
To attract tourists to Club Med, Ong said its establishment in Cherating is offering a limited time only special offer with up to 45% discount on all-inclusive holidays – starting from RM800 – for a three-day, two-night’s stay per person for booking by Dec 20.
He added that children aged less than four years of age can stay for free, with year-end festivities being held such as gourmet buffets, shows, Christmas carols and New Year count down.
“Our guests can also plan their holidays at Club Med Cherating during our Wild Months activities and workshops where we partner with eco-friendly lifestyle brands to bring specially curated experiences to the resort, in January next year,” Ong remarked.
On the future of the hotel and travel industry, Ong said that while automation is the key to future growth, one should never underestimate the value of a human touch.
“We should never discount the value of nuanced ability to read a guest, lift their mood and serve their needs.
“Hospitality thrives on human-to-human connections. Delivering a great experience is a skill and the need for our staff to be part of a memorable moment is fundamental.
“At Club Med, we have found that balance, maintaining human interactions to ensure an amazing holiday and that sense of keeping safe together,” Ong opined. – Dec 15, 2020
