Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, they say. If that is true, then hoteliers in India must be pulling on their mittens, along with their socks, with glee. After being homebound for most of 2020 courtesy the ongoing pandemic, Indians have taken to travelling with a vengeance. Concepts like ‘staycations’, ‘workcations’, and ‘drivecations’ have now become de rigueur.
This signals the advent of a new phase in the hospitality business – revenge travel. The concept can trace its roots to a similar trend that originated in China when people indulged in ‘revenge spending’. It signified a spree of shopping by consumers in March 2020, which boosted sales of luxury brands post-lockdown.
Closer home, a combination of pandemic fatigue, strong pent-up demand and hopes pinned on the upcoming vaccine saw 89% respondents in Thomas Cook’s and SOTC’s The Second Holiday Readiness Report display a keen interest to resume travel. 52% of them said they are likely to take a domestic holiday, and Goa emerged as the most preferred destination in India.
This tiny state has always been a popular vacationing spot in the country, scoring a big hit with youngsters, families, or couples. Now, millennials, professionals working remotely and even families who missed their annual vacations are visiting it for some quick R&R.
And hoteliers are welcoming them with open arms and warm smiles. Amandeep Grover, General Manager, Hilton Goa Resort, Candolim, Goa, said, “During these times, the word ‘revenge travel’ has indeed become one of the fastest emerging trends in travel and hospitality. It existed even before COVID19, but was addressed as a getaway or vacation – whenever people wanted to escape from something or looked at travel as a therapy. These days, the term has picked up as everyone is seeking a change of location to relax and unwind, even while working remotely.”
With the spectre of the pandemic still looming over everyone, many people follow stringent safety protocols while travelling or staying in hotels and resorts. After all, prevention is always better than cure; especially in this case, where a cure has yet to be found!
So, revenge travel might be more of a fad, according to Grover. Ultimately, guests are very cautious presently while taking any travel decision. But once things normalise, he believes that revenge travel might slowly take a backseat, and vacationing or getaways will emerge as buzzwords once again. “The only change in the situation will be a halt to workcations; rest everything else will continue as it is,” he added.
DOFFING THE HAT AT DOMESTIC GUESTS
Most hotels across India started appreciating the latent business potential of domestic travellers after international flights were suspended and lockdown was lifted. However, those in Goa always tipped their hats to this opportunity. According IBEF, in 2019, it witnessed arrival of 2.71 million domestic tourists and 4,47,152 foreign tourists.
The state has always been a popular destination among all kinds of travellers – nature fans, hikers, beach lovers, party animals, spiritual souls, couples in love, families – because of its ability to offer varied experiences. And almost all of them seek a hotel located in a spot that will fit their respective bill, figuratively and literally.
Take the case of Hilton Goa Resort. It offers a sweeping view of the Nerul River in Candolim, since it is perched atop the slopes of Saipem Hills. “Our hilltop location gives us an edge over other properties in Goa as it offers extraordinary views of Goa and experiences relevant to family travel,” Grover proudly states.
In fact, he revealed that while choosing the location for this property, the focus was on strengthening the brand’s in-resort experiences. This was to keep pace with the growing shift towards workcations and encourage guests to spend more time within the property.
“With ‘workcation’ emerging as a driving trend, given our resort’s proximity to the beach, river and the airport, we aim to amalgamate business with leisure. With its plethora of facilities and services, guests can experience work with pleasure at our resort and restore themselves,” Grover added.
Hilton Goa Resort has also curated experiences like @Your Balcony, Goan master class, chocolate canvas painting, etc., which can be customised based on a guest’s requirements. Additionally, it has several outdoor activities that showcase the untapped side of Goa. Guests can also go for river kayaking or canoeing on Nerul River, which gives an insight into hamlets, fishing communities and mangrove forests bordering the water pathways. “Our aim is to create a home away from home for our guests by letting them #Explore-TheUnexplored Goa,” Grover claimed.
MATCHES MADE IN GOA
While choosing the location for Hilton Goa Resort, the focus was on strengthening the brand’s
in-resort experiences.
“Be it recession or inflation, weddings will always take place in India,” said Anushka Sharma’s character in the popular Bollywood movie ‘Band, Baaja, Baraat’. And Goa is usually on top of the destination list for most wedding planners as well as couples.
After all, who could beat the romance of being married on the beach, by a river, or atop a hillock? And whether it is a large group or an intimate function, Goa can warrant special memories. Fortunately, due to suspension of intercontinental flights the pandemic, many people, who earlier looked at exotic international locales for weddings, started zeroing on Goa. “Moreover, with limited guests in these times, couples are choosing luxury properties to take their wedding vows and infuse more magic on their special day,” Grover pointed out.
Hilton is trying to capture a slice of this lucrative wedding business by promoting its 17,600 square feet event space, which includes unconventional indoor and outdoor options. “With beautiful views of the river, versatile venue choices, varied cuisine married with personalised service, we endeavour to create memorable events for our guests,” Grover claimed.
GEARED FOR SUCCESS
Most upscale hospitality properties are geared to operate at 70- 80% occupancy and plan their staff to room ratio accordingly. However, after a cruel blow dealt by the lockdown, occupancy hovered at lower levels and many hoteliers were forced to relook into this. Though it has been operational for just under two months, Grover said that Hilton Resorts Goa has been fortunate in this matter as it has been averaging much higher occupancies. “Our main goal currently is to not only to focus on our guest’s wellbeing but also that of our team members. We obviously looked at our manning, but haven’t let go of any of our colleagues,” he stated.
Instead, the property used this opportunity to train its team members across various departments. This multiskilling has placed it on a strong footing. “Our main mantra has been to keep our team content and engaged, which has ensured happy guests. This, in turn, will assist us in moving towards profitability,” he noted.
Many hotels in Goa have been steadily undercutting room rates to retain business. While Grover maintained that given the prevalent situation, getting customers is paramount to survive, he opined that the state’s upscale segment is already seeing a recovery trend. Moreover, he is banking on providing optimal service and relevant experiences to guests. Creating this equitable environment will negate the need to reduce rates. And it will help this newcomer carve a niche for itself in Goa’s crowded hospitality landscape.