Brands
Hotel industry realigns marketing strategies to manage empty rooms
NEW DELHI: Undoubtedly, the hospitality industry is one of the worst hit due to Covid2019. Though the government has lifted major restrictions in various Unlock phases, there has been no significant improvement in the footfall of customers. Small guest houses are on the verge of closing down.
According to a survey by real estate consultancy firm JLL, just 20 per cent of the operators believe that their hotels could bounce back to 2019 revenue per available room or RevPAR levels within six to 12 months.
Companies are adhering to new standard operating procedures.
OYO Hotels & Homes head of global brand Mayur Hola opines that the situation won’t improve straight away, unfortunately. “We’re equipping our asset owner partners with the knowledge they need to be able to qualify as Sanitised Stays and we’re monitoring this constantly. There’s a set of processes to follow to get the Sanitised Stays tag on our app. Slowly but surely our loyal base is returning to the fold.”
The Park Hotel, which has a robust presence in the Indian market, is undergoing mandatory hygiene, safety, sanitisation and social distancing protocols training.
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd corporate director (communication & PR) Ruchita Mehta explains the brand is using this time to prepare strongly, learn new things and come back with a greater understanding of the nuances.
The brand has launched S.H.I.E.L.D, an all-encompassing program that brings the best of luxury, design, hygiene, safety and service excellence all under one roof.
"We have launched our campaign We are Open – where we inform our audiences about the hotels being reopened bolstered with SHIELD. We made our audiences aware about the program through a precursor video, followed by a launch video," says Mehta.
She says, “The guest needs to have trust in the brand and any brand which will have a higher trust value in terms of sanitisation will see a faster set of people coming back. We are reaching out to our valued patrons about elevated sanitisation protocols being adhered to through our website, e-mailers, and social media. It is a healthy mix of every platform.”
She affirms that the brand has seen a lot of people traveling via road to its hotels in Jammu, Goa, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Vizag, Serampore – where the COVID2019 situation has been managed well.
“Times are changing and so are the ways to reach out to target audiences. Now more than ever, the need to adapt to integrated communications has risen. Digital and social media consumption is on an all-time high, which gives brands an opportunity to up their consumer-engagement levels with minimal expenses,” Mehta adds.
EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti, in a recent interview with Indiantelevision.com, said, “we expect that the new normal shall emerge within this quarter itself and shall remain constant till a cure for COVID2019 is developed, post which the whole sector will quickly grow to pre-COVID level."
On coming out with new campaigns, Hola explains that mass dissemination of any message/campaign would be wasteful and unfocussed with the uncertainty, restrictions, and lockdown variance across different states. To effectively roll out a campaign that informs and engages our users for Oyo has focused its distribution amongst its frequent user base (referred to as power users).
“Every single brand in the hospitality industry will have the responsibility to ensure the safety of its guests and inform all stakeholders about the same. There will be a layer of Sanitised Stays on all our marketing efforts going forward,” he adds.
Business travel is expected to reduce in the post COVID2019 world as companies will rationalise spending on travel. It is also likely that domestic tourism will pick faster as compare to international travel.
Mehta shares, “We estimate faster pick-up of domestic travel, which in turn, will give the required push to domestic tourism. Local for Vocal aspect is also finding strong grounds, which will help Indian tourism in regaining strength.”
Festive season is likely to see some people step out for short trips, as per brands.
Mehta shares, “I would like to believe by the time we reach the festive season we will have much to celebrate and rejoice. But also, a lot will depend on when can one expect a vaccine.”
Pitti is hopeful that the festive season will definitely bring some positivity to the sector. “There will be an uptick in transactions, but this uptick would be very small in comparison to the splurge that was seen during the festivities of pre-Covid2019 times.”
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
