< PreviousMARKETING MANTRA 40 | MAY 2021 | HOTELIER INDIA www.hotelierindia.com The local food enthusiasts re- ceived this online event with great enthusiasm and promoted it ex- tensively across their social media channels. DoubleTree Suites by Hil- ton Bangalore further shared and cross-promoted their content on its channels. This collaboration was a win-win for both, the hotel and influ- encers, underscoring how intelligent content marketing has been more than just a sales pitch. BUILDING A FRAMEWORK Words play a vital role in conveying any messaging and content market- ing is no exception. Marketers need to construct a framework for cus- tomer engagement that can also build relationships while using this approach. The first step towards creating a ro- bust content strategy is keeping the target audience at front and center always. Upon achieving this, they should direct all their efforts in build- ing the customer’s trust that the con- tent is designed exclusively for them. “By determining the brand’s story and producing information that ap- peals to and interests users, market- ers can see soon get an idea how efficiently their audience is respond- ing on online platforms. This is will be evident by the way they share, re-post, or engage with, the content. Building this base is key to develop- ing meaningful digital relationships,” Garg pointed out. While promoting the brand is im- portant, listening to customers is equally crucial for any business to thrive in the long run. Having conver- sations with guests online via com- ments or private messaging, asking for their feedback and addressing their concerns goes a long way in building a healthy connection with them. Normally, content marketing can take up to six months to show results. However, the good news is that once this juggernaut begins, it has a per- sistent, and compounding, rate of re- turn. In short, the more eye-catching and heart warming content curated and the longer it exists, the higher the chances of returns will be. HI Effective content marketing can increase leads, both in quantity and quality, yielding six times more results than sponsored ads or other paid digital media methods. ing. While these concepts are constantly evolving, marketers need to understand that all advertising strategies technically fall under content marketing, but it is not the other way round. Hotels use content to constantly engage with their guests, but they need to do it without the pretext of selling. Talking about her hotel, “We create content on our channels that allow our guests to read, comment, share, thereby, promising more reach, and engage- ment compared to other native promotional methods,” Garg stated. GIVE AND TAKE Social media is an engagement platform that always users to com- municate with brands and vice versa. Unfortunately, most hotel companies approach it with the precepts of traditional marketing strategies, which is one-way communication oriented. Of course, conventional marketing still works with some audi- ence, especially the older demography and local crowd to an ex- tent. However, if companies want to reach out to a larger group of people with cost-effective messaging, content marketing remains a safer bet. Garg illustrated this point with the Virtual Cake Mixing Ceremo- ny hosted by DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore last Novem- ber. Keeping in mind that all celebrations had to conform to norms of smaller gatherings and socially distancing protocols, the hotel designed a virtual concept to usher in its Christmas festivities. It sent food enthusiasts and influencers in the city a cake mixing kit well ahead of the event, which contained massive varieties of candied fruits, assorted nuts, and all alcoholic beverages with a glass jar to mix it all up. The fruit soaking ceremony was organised online amidst great cheer and fervour. Post the virtual event, the hotel brought back the mixing jars from the bloggers’ homes and emptied it into large containers. The Executive Chef baked batches of plum cake, which was de- livered to these digital influencers along with a Christmas Hamper in December. CAREERS www.hotelierindia.com HOTELIER INDIA | MAY 2021 | 41 & Marketing at the Courtyard Marriott Mumbai International Airport. During his tenure, he was instrumental in increasing the retail mix with consistent ADR growth, which resulted in the hotel becoming the market leader. As a recog- nition of his performance, he won Marriott In- ternational’s ‘Chairman Circle’ in 2009 and 2010. CROWNE PLAZA TODAY GURUGRAM APPOINTS DEEPAK BEHL AS DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram has ap- pointed Deepak Behl as Director of Sales and Marketing. He has over 14 years of expe- rience in the fields of sales, marketing, revenue and team management. In his current role, Behl will drive the hotel’s revenues and enhance its visibility. He will use his business acumen to execute a range of sale strategies, manage budgets for long-term rev- enue growth and establish Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram’s presence in the local market. In his previous tenure, Behl was associ- ated with Le Meridien Jaipur. Prior to that, he worked with prestigious brands including Hy- att Hotels, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Starwood (now Marriott International) and IHG Hotels & Resorts. JP IS GENERAL MANAGER OF COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, MADURAI JP Menon has joined Courtyard by Marriott, Madurai as General Manager. Prior to this appointment, he was the Hotel Manager at Fairfield by Marriott, Coimbatore. With over three decades of experience leading hotels in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore, in his new role Menon will lead the operations and guest experience to maintain, and elevate, Courtyard's position as Madurai's top hotel. A graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management, Ahmedabad, he was the erstwhile President of SKAL International, Bengaluru. A fitness enthusiast, JP has run several mara- thons across the country. He starts most mornings either with yoga, a run, or a game of badminton. K PAUL SINGH APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF PARK PLAZA, ZIRAKPUR Sarovar Hotels and Resorts has appointed K Paul Singh as General Manager of Park Plaza, Zirakpur. A hospitality operations professional with more Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK through International Institute of Hotel Man- agement, Kolkata. Prior to this, he was the Senior Sous Chef at The Novotel Hotel Kolkata. He has worked his way up from a Commis to achieve the position of Chef De Cuisine at Shera- ton Hyderabad. He has also been associated with Vivanta by Taj Begumpet Hyderabad. JW MARRIOTT MUMBAI JUHU APPOINTS DEEP VAHI AS DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu has appointed Deep Vahi as Director of Sales & Marketing. In this role, he will lead the business retention and expansion efforts of the sales and marketing team to drive revenue growth and will also play a key role in catalysing the hotel’s branding and communications efforts. Vahi has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He commenced his journey with Marriott International at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu in 2008 as a Sales Executive. He moved through the ranks within the organiza- tion, covering sales center, proactive sales and national sales. Previously, Vahi was the Director of Sales AJAY SINGH APPOINTED OPERATIONS MANAGER AT THE FERN KESARVAL HOTEL & SPA, VERNA PLATEAU-GOA Ajay Singh has joined The Fern Kesarval Ho- tel &amp; Spa, Verna Plateau- Goa as its Op- erations Manager. He is an alumnus of IHM Mumbai’s 2002 batch and is an MBA with dual specialisation in HR and sales and marketing. He is also a certified SAP consultant (Sales and Distri- bution) from DUCAT Academy, Noida. Singh has almost 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has worked with brands including IHCL, Radisson Hotels Group, HHI and Fidalgo. He strongly believes that to excel in the hospitality industry, one should have the passion and the willingness to serve. BALAJI RUPACHANDRAIAH APPOINTED GM OF THE FERN RESIDENCY, KAKINADA Balaji Rupachan- draiah has joined the Fern Residency, Kakinada as General Manager. He started his hospitality career in 1998 in the Front Office department. Since then, he has worked with multiple brands, including Sangu Chakra Group of Hotels, Clarks Inn and ITC Welcome Group of Hotels for over two decades. BENJAMIN LALHMANGAIHA IS THE CHEF DE CUISINE OF SHERATON HYDERABAD HOTEL'S ZEGA RESTAURANT Chef Benjamin Lalh- mangaiha is the newly appointed Chef De Cui- sine at Zega restaurant at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel. In this role, he is responsible for creating unique menus and overseeing culinary operations at the specialty Pan-Asian restaurant. Chef Lalhmangaiha holds a Master’s degree in International Hospitality Management from MOVERS & Shakers ANANT LEEKHA IS CLUSTER GM OF IBIS NAVI MUMBAI AND IBIS VIKHROLI Anant Leekha will oversee ibis Navi Mumbai and ibis Vikhroli as Cluster Gen- eral Manager. In this role, he will head both hotels’ overall management and operations. Leekha has been with Accor for 13 years in various capacities. In his previous assignment, he led the opening of ibis Pune Hinjewadi and man- aged ibis Pune cluster for two years. This latest appointment is a testament to ibis’ belief in dynamic leader- ship and the ability to deliver upon the values that the brand stands for. Commenting on his appointment, Leekha said, “I am delighted and hon- oured with the opportunity to lead ibis Navi Mumbai and ibis Vikhroli – the 20th ibis hotel slated to open in Q3 of 2021. I am excited to have the chance to lead an exceptional team and we will always look for new ways to make our guests’ stay memorable.”CAREERS 42 | MAY 2021 | HOTELIER INDIA www.hotelierindia.com than 20 years of in- dustry experience, he began his career with Hyatt Regency, Virgin- ia, USA as Restaurant Assistant Manager. Later, he worked in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China, and Bali. His last assignment was as EAM Food and Beverage for Grand Hyatt, Bali Indone- sia where he developed and implemented op- erations strategy, potential business partnership, which won the hotel the ‘MICE hotel 2019’ award by World Travel Awards. An alumnus of Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland, Singh holds Cornell Certification in restaurant revenue management and recently finished MBA from the British Open University. His new role will see him focusing on the hotel’s busi- ness development, where he will strategise ways to make it the preferred destination for business and leisure travellers. HYATT REGENCY DHARAMSHALA RESORT APPOINTS KULJIT SINGH AS HR DIRECTOR Hyatt Regency Dhar- amshala Resort, man- aged by Shanti Hos- pitality Management Services, announced the appointment of Kuljit Singh as the Director of Human Resources. He has over 17 years of experience in the fields of employee relations, staffing, training, talent management, compensation and benefits ad- ministration. In his new role, Singh will look after the overall culture, wellness, and related HR functions of Hy- att’s first mountain resort in India. In his previous tenure, he was associated with Marriott Hotels as the multi-property director of HR, overseeing the entire gamut of HR functions at Renaissance & Fairfield by Marriott Lucknow. A native of Dharamshala, Singh holds a post- graduation degree in commerce from Shimla’s Himachal Pradesh University and a Master of Finance from Kurukshetra University. He began his career in 2003 at Hotel Maya Inns in Jalandhar. He was also associated with Aman Resorts, Hilton Jaipur and numerous hotels within the Marriott portfolio including Westin Sohna Resort & Spa, Westin Gurgaon and Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa. HILTON MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT APPOINTS MANDAR MORE AS EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER Mandar More has joined Hilton Mumbai Interna- tional Airport as Execu- tive Housekeeper. Prior to this position, he was the Executive House- keeper with The Gateway Hotel at Nashik. During the course of a 12-year career in the hos- pitality industry, he also worked with leading hotels including The Ritz Carlton Bengaluru and Mumbai’s Vivanta by Taj President. He is an alumni of the In- stitute of Hotel Management, Ahmedabad. HILTON MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT APPOINTS MANOJ CHAUDHARY AS HR MANAGER Manoj Chaudhary has joined Hilton Mumbai International Airport as Human Resources. . Manoj will be respon- sible to drive Strategic HR and foster Hilton culture within team members Chaudhary completed his Master’s in Human Re- source Management from Somaiya College, Vidyavi- har. He has close to a decade of experience working at different roles with Marriott International. He started his career as a Guest Service Associ- ate – F&B Service with JW Marriott Juhu, Mumbai in 2011. Later, his interest in Human Resources led him to pursue post-graduation in Business Ad- ministration and moved to HR domain in January 2016 with JW Marriott Juhu as HR Executive and grew up the ladder. Most recently he was associated with Court- yard Marriott Nashik’s pre-opening team as Human Resources Manager playing a key role in successful opening of the hotel. MUNEESH BUDDEN APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF MANAS RESORT, IGATPURI Absolute Hotel Services India has appointed Muneesh Budden as General Manager of Manas Resort With Petting Zoo And Or- ganic Farm, Igatpuri. He takes up this posi- tion after a recent stint as General Manager in Dubai. With over two decades of experience, Budden’s core competency is in F&B operations. In his current role, he will leverage his strong approach towards processes and systems to bring operational sharp- ness and boost efficiency at the property, making it an enjoyable destination for guests. N GOPI JOINS HYATT REGENCY PUNE HOTEL & RESIDENCES AS EXECUTIVE CHEF Hyatt Regency Pune Hotel & Residences has appointed N Gopi as Executive Chef. Armed with 21 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he has been with Hyatt for over eight years. Gopi moves to Hyatt Regency Pune from Hyatt Regency Mumbai, in the same capacity, to en- hance the hotel’s culinary experience. He started his hospitality journey with Taj Hotels Chennai as Supervisor Trainee after completing his Diploma in Hotel Management in 2000 from Asan Memo- rial Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. His planning and execution skills were visible throughout his career at brands like Taj Group of Hotels and Hyatt Hotels. Gopi has played an integral part in bringing culinary concepts alive, working on multiple projects while adhering to standard operat- ing procedure and policies of leading hotels, including Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. In his current role, he will focus on strengthening the hotel’s F&B strategies while overseeing the launch of various contemporary concepts. NARENDER SINGH JOINS RAMADA BY WYNDHAM DARJEELING AS FRONT OFFICE MANAGER Ramada by Wyndham Darjeeling has appointed Narender Singh as Front Office Manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for over- seeing the front office operations, quality services in guest satis- faction while ensuring service standards for business excellence. Singh is a result-driven professional with over 11 years of experience in hospitality. He has previously worked with several prominent hospitality brands, including The Westin Gur- gaon, Ramada by Wyndham Gurgaon Central, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, and Best Western Plus Nairobi Kenya. Self-motivated and pro-active, Singh is skilled at multitasking in a fast-paced envi- ronment. He can remain calm under stressful situations, which makes him an asset for his current role. NEIL JAMES IS HOTEL MANAGER OF COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, VADODARA Courtyard by Marriott, Vadodara - NOMA Hotels’ third managed property, owned and developed by New- CrestImage, USA has appointed Neil James as Hotel Manager. He has over 15 years of experience primarily with Marri- ott, IHG, and Starwood; and since 2018 with Auro Hotels (India) at Surat. Starting as hotel operations trainee, James worked his way through the Rooms Division hierarchy with stints at the Four Points Shera- ton, Pune; Holiday Inn, Dubai; Le Meridien, Ma- habaleshwar; and Le Meridien, Kochi, before joining Auro Hotels (India) at the Courtyard by Marriott, Surat as Rooms Division Manager. He was promoted as Director of Rooms at the Su- rat Marriott Hotel, where he played a vital role in the pre-opening activities; and, during the COVID-19 period. NITIN MANCHANDA APPOINTED AS CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER OF CUDDLYNEST Nitin Manchanda will take on the role of Chief Growth Officer of CuddlyNest. The travel tech start- MOVERS & ShakersCAREERS www.hotelierindia.com HOTELIER INDIA | MAY 2021 | 43 Diwan as Director De- sign and Technical Ser- vices. She will lead the planning, design and construction of projects under Accor and will be responsible for designing high-impact guest experiences. Diwan has played an important role in crafting immersive experiences for customers and guests alike by reimagining brand landscape for some award-winning hotel projects in the past. A stra- tegic thinker, she is passionate about storytelling, and design narratives while having the ability to motivate and work within teams. Her forte is putting together an integrated, 360-degree ap- proach to hospitality and the ability to craft high impact design led hotels that leave an everlasting guest experience. In the past, Diwan has been associated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, where she was instrumental in craft- ing brand identity and conceptualising various brands under the IHCL portfolio. She was the driv- ing force behind several award-winning projects. Diwan holds a degree in design and in her spare time, likes to travel, innovate and explore emerging trends that form the basis for her de- sign inspiration. SANDIP SATANGE IS GENERAL MANAGER OF IBIS COIMBATORE CITY CENTRE ibis, the smart econo- my brand from Accor’s stable, has appointed Sandip Satange as General Manager of ibis Coimbatore City Centre. He joined the property as Hotel Manager in Febru- ary 2020 and has been successfully handling the property over the last year. He has been re-designated as General Man- ager of the 129-room hotel where he will be in-charge of its daily operations and successful positioning in the local market. Prior to this, he was Express Assistant Manager at Holiday Inn Express Bangalore, Whitefield. He has also worked with Caspia Pro Hotel in Nashik and Omni Hotels & Resorts in the US. SAMPOORNA SINHA JOINS SHERATON HYDERABAD HOTEL AS FRONT OFFICE MANAGER Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel has appointed Sampoorna Sinha as Front Office Manager. In this role, she will be responsible for over- seeing the hotel’s front office operations, ensur- ing guest satisfaction while ensuring superior service standards. Sinha has over 11 years of experience in hos- pitality. She previously worked with hospitality brands including JW Marriott Kolkata, Westin Kol- kata, Hilton Golf Embassy, Bangalore, Taj Banga- lore and Trident Gurgaon. Sinha’s efficient work ethic and ability to multi-task are her key strengths. Her potential to remain calm under stressful situations has helped her in her previous job roles. SAUMITRA CHATURVEDI APPOINTED DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF IBIS NEW DELHI AEROCITY Saumitra Chaturvedi has been appointed the Deputy General Manager of ibis New Delhi Aerocity. His appointment is a testament to ibis’ belief in dynamic leader- ship and ability to deliver upon the values that the brand stands for. In this new role, he will head the hotel’s overall management and operations. Chaturvedi has over 18 years of overall hospi- tality experience, including over five years with Accor India. He was instrumental in relaunching ibis Jaipur Civil Lines while positioning the prop- erty as a go-to leisure destination. Commenting on his appointment, he said, “I have been a part of the Accor family for over five years. As I venture on to expand my roles and responsi- bilities in New Delhi, I thank the management for believing in my potential. I look forward to contributing to ibis’s culture of greatness and hospitality.” up raised $6 million in funding in October 2020 when the rest of the travel industry suffered extensive furloughs and layoffs due to COVID-19. His primary focus at CuddlyNest will be to drive a growth strategy rooted in scalability, stra- tegic automation, and strategic partnerships. He will be responsible for implementing marketing operations and driving awareness for the brand in a saturated travel market. Manchanda’s career in the travel industry stretches back to his time at Trivago, where he quickly advanced to become Global Head of SEO of Omio. Prior to that, he helped Flipkart grow its SEO traffic by a record of 350%. PRABAL SRIVASTAVA IS GENERAL MANAGER OF GRAND MERCURE VADODARA SURYA PALACE Prabal Srivastava has been appointed the General Manager of the Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Pal- ace. With over 20 years of hospitality experience, he has worked with various brands, including The Oberoi Group of Hotels and Resorts, The Taj Hotels and The Lalit Hotels. Srivastava’s most recent assignment was as General Manager of Golkonda Hotels & Re- sort, one of the oldest business hotels in Hy- derabad with a 139-room inventory. He holds a Degree in Hotel Management from Mangalore University. PRADIPT SINHA JOINS CROWNE PLAZA TODAY NEW DELHI OKHLA AS F&B DIRECTOR Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla has appointed Pradipt Sinha as F&B Director. In this role, he will be responsible for heading and managing the hotel’s F&B opera- tions and maintaining high standards of guest satisfaction. In addition to heading the F&B service and food production (kitchen) department, Sinha will over- see the functioning of all four F&B outlets – Chao- Bella, Edesia, Copper Bar and French Heart along with room service and banquets. He will also take care of menu engineering, problem resolution, rev- enue management, staff management, operations management and event curation. Moreover, he will work closely with the sales and marketing team to drive revenues and enhance brand visibility for the hotel’s F&B offerings. Sinha has over 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has special expertise in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. FHRAI had awarded him as ‘Chef of the Year’ in 2018. CONRAD BENGALURU PROMOTES PRAVEEN JAYARAM SHETTY AS DIRECTOR OF CULINARY Conrad Hotels & Resorts has promoted Praveen Jayaram Shetty as the Director of Culinary of Conrad Bengaluru. In this elevated role, he will oversee the entire culinary operations and work towards expanding the culinary canvas of Conrad Bengaluru. He will set new concepts in the areas of outdoor catering, by establishing cloud kitchens and curating year-round concepts for festivities from the hotel’s kitchens. Shetty has been an integral part of Conrad Bengaluru since the pre-opening stage. He be- lieves in sourcing the finest ingredients from origin markets across the world. He is passion- ate about adapting global culinary techniques like ‘Pans to your Plate’, ‘Source Local Serve Global’ as well as innovative plating and pres- entation. A fitness enthusiast, Shetty encourages all his team members to imbibe fitness and wellness as a way of their life. He leads the ‘Sundays Chefs’ run religiously along with many of his team members and guests of Conrad Bengaluru. REEMA DIWAN APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR DESIGN AND TECHNICAL SERVICES FOR ACCOR INDIA AND SOUTH ASIA Accor India and South Asia has appointed Reema MOVERS & ShakersINDUSTRY REPORT 44 | MAY 2021 | HOTELIER INDIA www.hotelierindia.com A majority of India’s organised inventory sits in the Mid and Upscale space, which are likely to witness marginally slower recovery than hotels at the top and bottom of the pyramid SLOW STEPS TOWARDS RECOVERY While many businesses in the Indian hotel sector were pushed to their knees, efforts by others dis- played the true meaning of perseverance. The presence of mind to acknowledge a change in circumstances and then alter the game plan decisively has been key to survival. India's hospitality sector has, with little to no help from external bodies, worked towards adapting. Despite being punched in the gut by the pandemic, it got back up and is con- tinuing the bout. Through research, Hotelivate gathered performance trends for over 1,40,000 existing, organised rooms and a confirmed supply pipeline for almost 35,000 rooms across the country for this re- port. It sheds light on the facts that defined the last four quarters during the pandemic, while comparing various trendlines against pre-COVID years and tables Hotelivate’s estimation and objective view on the recovery path ahead. Hotelivate estimates that the year would have closed with a 33.8% nationwide occupancy and INR 4013 average rate, repre- senting a close to 50% decline in occupancy and a 33% decline in ADR over FY20. All organised rooms available (even if they were closed during the lockdown) have been accounted for in this es- timate. It is noteworthy that over 5000 new rooms opened pan- India in this fiscal. Hotelivate also performed a logic-driven forecast of the next two years to approximate the likely nationwide occupancy and average rate. Both demand re-growth and new supply (much of it being pushed out due to the pan- demic) have been assessed. Nu- ances and peculiarities of the vari- ous markets across India were also appraised, while inbound as well as domestic travel ramp-up has been weighed. It is Hotelivate’s opinion that FY22 shall clock about 52.7% occu- pancy at an ADR of INR 5016, while these numbers for FY23 are likely to be 64.9% occupancy at INR 5618. These estimates, especially for FY22, may need a downward cor- rection if the recent surge in COVID cases witnessed over the past 10 days continues through Q1 of this new fiscal. It is pertinent to note that while the FY23 occupancy may appear to be lower than the pre-COVID occu- pancy of 65.4% (FY20), the absolute amount of room nights sold will be higher, given the new supply that is probable to open between now and the end of FY23. Overall, Hotelivate INDUSTRY REPORTINDUSTRY REPORT www.hotelierindia.com HOTELIER INDIA | MAY 2021 | 45 is expecting the occupancy to breach the 65% threshold only by FY24, while it is of the view that pre-COVID ADRs may be achieved by FY25. TAKING FLIGHT Hotelivate looked at two data points, closely related to each other in terms of their patterns of performance. Air traffic across the country (both in absolute and percentage growth terms) and oc- cupancy growth (in percentage terms) in the organised hotel sec- tor were plotted. While air passenger traffic grew between 11% - 18% (or between 33 million to 44 million passengers an- nually) from FY16 to FY19, it de- creased by 1.1% in FY20. Lockdowns across the globe through the first half of FY21, followed by a slow- paced revival of air traffic during the second half led to a decline of 70% in air passenger traffic (almost 240 mil- lion fewer passengers) during 2020. While over two thirds of this decline is expected to be reversed in FY22, Hotelivate expects the number of passengers to reach pre-COVID lev- els only by the close of FY23 or mid FY24. This data, when plotted against the year-on-year change in na- tionwide occupancy, throws out two observations. While air traffic was growing faster (in percentage terms) because of the fast-growing aviation sector, the hotel indus- try was in a relatively stable state of performance and new supply kept a large percentage occupancy growth at bay. Conversely, the avia- tion sector saw a bigger plummet than room night demand during FY21. Hotels were somewhat aided by quarantine guests and frontline workers related business as well as Vande Bharat related demand dur- ing the first half of the fiscal. This was followed by drive-to destina- tion leisure travel, which witnessed a surge during the third and fourth quarters of the fiscal. Going forth, Hotelivate estimates that both aviation demand and room night demand are likely to revert to normalcy in a similar time frame of two to three years from now. PERFORMANCE BY POSITIONING While the economy segment is likely to have closed the COVID year with the lowest occupancy, midscale ho- tels witnessed the least erosion, rela- tively speaking. Confirmed proposed supply across positioning, coupled with the likely resurgence of demand over FY22 and FY23, is intrinsic to Hotelivate’s forecast of performance. Recovery is likely to take a little over two years and the pace, across po-INDUSTRY REPORT 46 | MAY 2021 | HOTELIER INDIA www.hotelierindia.com sitioning, may appear to be largely similar. It is interesting to observe that ho- tels on both ends of the spectrum (Economy and Luxury) bore witness to not just the steepest declines, but are also likely to attain the sharpest improvements. Early signs of this al- ready became visible in Q4 FY 21, as business travel related demand re- sumed first in the budget/economy hotels on the one end and discretion- ary transient leisure picked up pace across luxury hotels and resorts. Most Upscale and Midscale hotels in India are present in urban environ- ments, many of them dependent on corporate transient as well as busi- ness MICE travel to resurge. The ab- sence of meaningful inbound travel (which is largely corporate again) adds to their woes. A majority of the nation's organ- ised inventory sits in the Mid and Upscale space. It shall witness a re- covery that is marginally slower than the hotels at the top and bottom of the pyramid. IN CONCLUSION The Q4 RevPAR of INR 2,045 was almost half of FY20's INR 3,964 full year performance. Nationwide occu- pancy has shown a Q-on-Q improve- ment, however, it remained sub-50% as of the last quarter closed. ADR too was about 33% lower than the pre-COVID year in the last quarter of FY21. The recovery, while slow, has been visible. With COVID-19 cases rising in large numbers yet again, the first (and possibly second) quarter of FY22 are likely to remain under se- vere pressure. Forecasting in these uncertain times remains extremely challenging. However, one thing is certain. Recover we shall. A slew of measures taken by hotel owners, op- erators and lenders are all aimed at making survival possible. Keeping our heads down, focus- ing on the task ahead and finding ways and means to ride these un- welcome waves is the need of the hour. While FY22 may be tough it will most certainly be a better year than FY21. HI This figure presents the nationwide performance of organised supply, by positioning. Upscale and Upper Upscale hotels have been displayed together, as is the case with Midscale and Upper Midscale as well as Budget and Economy hotels. NATIONWIDE PERFORMANCE OF ORGANISED SUPPLY PERFORMANCE BY POSITIONINGwww.MitsubishiElectric.in 3rd Floor, Tower A, Global Gateway, MG Road, Gurugram, Haryana – 122002, India This ancient monastery is regarded to have rivalled Nalanda as a site of Buddhist learning. Ratnagiri, JajpurNext >