The slump in business because of the pandemic is not permanent. Once it passes, skilled professionals in the hospitality industry will be back in demand, seasoned hoteliers said at a virtual session on Sunday.
Aspiring hospitality professionals should hone their skills and be ready to grab opportunities that come their way as the economy kick-starts, they said.
Virtual Insights — an ABP initiative in partnership with IIHM presents a virtual session on “Careers in Global Hospitality Management” was held between 5pm and 6pm on Sunday on Zoom platform. Over 1,000 people — mostly students and their parents — watched the session, according to organisers.
“Our industry took the biggest hit. We depend on travel a lot. Since flights are closed… we are facing a challenge. But this is not going to be the new normal. The new normal is going to be same as what it was… with a little more emphasis on hygiene. This is just a phase,” Kumar Shobhan, general manager, Hyatt Regency Kolkata, said.
The hospitality industry has overcome challenges in the past, he said, citing “2008, when the economy was completely flat”.
Vijay Malhotra, cluster executive chef, ITC Royal Bengal and ITC Sonar, said safety and hygiene audits were not new to the hospitality sector. “We are the torchbearers for all these protocols now being followed at malls and shops.”
On recruitments, he said: “The team is going to be spruced up…. Replacements are going to be sought as and when people move out. It is wrong to say that people are not going to be hired. It is just a passing phase where businesses are at a low. But the succession has to carry on. People have to be there… so that they are well-trained and ready to take on the mantle tomorrow when the responsibilities fall on them.”
Suborno Bose, chairman and CEO of IIHM and IHC London, moderated the session. “Business cannot continue to happen over virtual platforms,” he said. “Once travel starts picking up, the hospitality sector will bounce back strongly.”
Abdullah Ahmed, director, IIHM Delhi and associate director, Indismart Global, delved into the past. “Mankind picks up. It picked up after WW I. It picked up after WW II. It is going to pick up again the same way.”
Ahmed asserted that India was poised to recover strongly once the pandemic was over. “We could not be at a better place than India at this point of time. We are 130 crore people. We depend massively on our internal consumption and our internal demand. We produce and we consume — 130 crore people need food, they have desires, they want to buy something. So, the moment Covid-19 passes away, we will be the fastest to pick up.”
Multiple questions from viewers centered on the lack of practical training as classes had shifted online.
Abdullah said: “We are keeping a tight eye on the situation. As soon as we get government approval, we will start physical classes and practical lessons. We will go for multiple batches a day… work on Sundays. We will ensure you get the required exposure.”
