Beating pandemic blues, hoteliers in Rajasthan are taking up various ingenious measures to attract travellers now. In view of the shift in people’s preferences post-COVID, boutique property owners in Rajasthan are welcoming new-age travellers to a whole new range of experiences now. These folks have taken innovation to cater to this new and health-conscious tourist segment, while working on the economies of hospitality growth, especially in hotspots like Udaipur and Jodhpur. Want to know more about this power move? Read on!
Taking on the challenges imposed by the pandemic
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One of the worst pandemic-hit industries, the hospitality sector was at the receiving end of losses owing to the lockdowns and other repercussions that came with the spread and threat of coronavirus. Statistically, the desert state saw a huge drop in the tourist influx in 2020, marked by a 72.19% dip in foreign arrivals and 71.05% in domestic footfalls. While things are now looking upwards for this sector given the ease of restrictions. However, the trends of the business have altered completely.
With staycations becoming popular, more and more young groups, travellers are rushing to Rajasthan. Ravindra Nath Purohit, General Manager of Ramya Resort & Spa, Udaipur which is touted to be India’s youngest high-end luxury resort, said, ” This is the segment which we are receiving ever since the pandemic hit us hard. This group of travellers comes from the IT sector. Work-from-home gave them the freedom to work from any part of India and hence we have been getting small families and groups from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Delhi”.
What’s the hospitality upgrade?
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While the visitors were either working from hotels or were simply there to spend some peaceful time after the chaos caused by COVID, the owners of the property made sure to make their stay was as satisfying as possible. From preparing wholesome and healthy meals, cooked in traditional ways, to offering a stay in offbeat locations, boutique properties in Rajasthan have presented it all to their guests.
“The new age traveller is workaholic but also wants to take a break from the hectic city life. He along with his family wants to experience the delights of organic food while being introduced to the traditional ways of cooking. Hence we are making newer packages for this segment and are working on converting the open land into organic fields where guests can pluck vegetables, fruits of their choice which shall be served to them after being cooked on the local ‘chulha’ and tandoor,” added the General Manager.
With contemporary Thai-Balinese decor, Ramya Resort & Spa is now focusing on domestic travellers and their wants. In a bid to introduce the domestic guests to the old-world charm of traditional cooking, this property is all set to hire local people trained in home-cooked food on the tandoor and chulhas. Besides giving an edge over their competitors, initiatives like these will also boost employment at the local level.
Offering an insight into the small-city charm
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Talking about the difficulties, hotelier Varun Jalan from Daspan House Jodhpur said, “Our property was launched in December 2019 and soon after came the pandemic. Hence we could not get much time to think afresh. Meanwhile, the lockdown gave us a chance to innovate. As we were getting the IT crowd from Mumbai and Gujarat, we planned to bring in spice street tours along with street tours to the local bangle market, chat market and other such streets so that the kids of the next generation can get an insight into the small city charm.”
“We have tied up with small companies who are taking our guests on tours to organic farms etc. Also, we shall take travellers to nearby villages where they can see how the local Bishnoi community cares for animals like deer and blackbucks,” added the hotelier. “Earlier, the wedding chunk went to big hotels, however, now the guests are visiting us and enjoying the charm of staying together,” he added.
The pandemic has made everyone, including both these hoteliers agree with the age-old saying ‘Small is Beautiful’. Continuing with the same line of thoughts, the hospitality sector of the state has been welcoming and hosting small groups, and a small number of wedding guests during the last two years. The ease of connectivity of these cities with different parts of the country has also played to the benefit of increased tourism.
-with inputs from IANS.
