Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Commercial Director, Ashish Rajput, is urging everyone to all do the right thing and maintain this amazing level of safety we have achieved (keeping us and our families all safe).
This week, Travel Monitor caught up with Ashish to discuss the challenges of the industry, what his job involves and why he is passionate about the travel industry in Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
I lead the Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management disciplines for the hotel.
How have you tackled the difficulties caused by COVID-19?
Every day is a new day and is a unique day…. We have taken everything with utmost flexibility and ensuring that safety and luxury go hand in hand. And Luxury is not material, it’s how we deal with our guests by being accommodating and ensuring that we exceed expectations.
We take pride in saying that we remained in touch with our guests throughout the pandemic; this is the most important aspect of our industry and I would say life at large as well.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
It’s extremely rewarding to see a happy guest. The hotel is generally a happy place and we hoteliers try to make those very happy moments. It doesn’t matter what brings guests to the hotel, but we can always make a connection.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession (outside of COVID-19)?
The biggest challenge is to keep exceeding guest expectations….. We create great moments for them and to keep exceeding it is commendable. Every time a guest walks in, they have expectations that were created last they were in a hotel. To make it better every time is what is the real deal.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
I think people need to be confident to come back to our cities…. We have great plans being put in place by the industry. We just want people to trust and support us as we return to “normal”. A face to face meeting, an experience at one of the fabulous events being organised or just catching up with friends and family in the city will make all the difference.
What do you think will be the biggest game-changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months’?
This will sound really contrary to the question, but the next big thing in my opinion is to go back to basics…..Getting in touch with our guests as if they were the last travellers we would ever see, handwriting that card to get in touch with the travel planner, reaching out to ask for support, participating face to face in that trade show that we thought could be done online, being flexible
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
Offering simple yet unique experiences is going to be critical. At Sofitel, we partner with arts, theatre and events that resonate within the community. We have realised that simple things get the most traction.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try to implement this in your workplace?
Covid has most definitely changed the way we all think about the world. It’s shown us the importance of family and friends, the strength of us all working together and pulling our weight and most importantly it’s shown us that many people need help through a major situation as we have just experienced. The situation has shown us that things like sustainability, homelessness, abuse of women – these things we have to start thinking about and take seriously as they are all part of the society we live in – together!!
Who inspires you most and why?
Ex Indian Cricket captain M.S Dhoni. He is the epitome of keeping calm even in the worst of situations…. And he always has a plan!
What is your must-pack travel item(s)?
My pillow….. somehow it’s the most important thing for me when I travel. And now maybe a pack of masks is also mandatory.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone, living or dead, and why?
Steve Jobs…..I just want to try and understand the gentleman more and more!!
Contact Email: Ashish.rajput@sofitel.com
