HoSkar Night in August gathered many leading experts in Vietnam and the region such as Savills Hotels APAC, Indochina Capital, STR, Melia International, HotelIntel Thailand, Akaryn Hotel Group, InterContinental Saigon,... and hundreds of senior representatives from domestic and foreign hotels and resorts participating online.
Issues discussed at the HoSkar Night event in August include: applying technology in hotel operations, bright spots in the overall market picture, discussing Thailand's "Phuket Sandbox" program, and surveying opinions on the industry's prospects after the pandemic.
Mr. Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels and organizer of the HoSkar Night event series, said: “With the increasing number of personnel in the Tourism - Restaurant - Hotel industry registering to participate in online exchanges, we have also piloted online Bar/Lounge models right at HoSkar, where personnel can “meet” and exchange directly with each other like a real Networking session alongside discussion sessions by leading experts in the field. Through the monthly HoSkar meetings, we also want to spread positive messages, helping individuals and businesses in the industry to maintain an optimistic spirit during this difficult period.”
Speaker at HoSkar Night program in August
Throughout the discussion, the speakers did not deny the lingering impacts of the pandemic, but the experts also shared some bright spots in the current market picture. Among them, it is possible to mention a few hotels in the city that have resumed operations to provide accommodation services for manufacturing enterprises implementing the "1 route, 2 destinations" plan.
Specifically, many businesses have rented 3-4 star hotels, as well as a few 5 star hotels for employees to stay and provide daily shuttle services from the company to the hotel to meet the city's requirements of "both quarantine and production". Some personnel working in the field of Sales & Marketing for medium-sized hotels in Ho Chi Minh City have also received booking requests from groups of guests who are doctors and epidemic prevention forces.
Many projects that were suspended for many years are now being re-launched or under new ownership. Some investors are continuing feasibility studies and project development, even “accelerating” to be able to pioneer and seize post-pandemic opportunities.
Guests at HoSkar Night
It can be seen that Covid-19 has affected almost every aspect of life, which has contributed to the formation and development of new trends and consumer behaviors at a faster pace. Some hotels also take this opportunity to upgrade amenities and renovate facilities to bring new experiences and meet customer service standards after the pandemic.
Testing and deploying technology is considered an inevitable trend in the resort industry, aiming to bring better experiences as well as meet increasingly high standards of hygiene and safety. Some applications include: using electronic menus through QR code scanning in restaurants, limiting physical contact through contactless technology throughout the guest's stay, online check-in, AI applications in hotel operations...
During the discussion session with speakers from Thailand, experts also discussed Thailand's opening to international visitors through the "Phuket Sandbox" program. Although the current results have not been as expected, the implementation of this model is considered a start for the Thai resort industry as well as other Asian countries to refer to in preparation for the process of opening to international visitors after the pandemic.
Survey on the recovery prospects of the resort industry at HoSkar Night
At the event, the organizers of HoSkar Night also conducted an online survey with attendees about the overall picture of the tourism industry as well as the forecast for the recovery period. Of the more than 200 survey participants, about 50% chose Phu Quoc as the earliest recovery location in 2022, while Nha Trang - Cam Ranh or localities that depend heavily on international visitors are expected to recover more slowly. Resort destinations near major cities that can be accessed by car also received many expectations about the recovery prospect when the epidemic situation is better controlled in the near future.
Video of the recent HoSkar Night event
MORE INFORMATION
Website: https://www.hoskarnight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoSkarNightEvent
