No complacency for tourism industry 

General manager at Altara Suites Gary Warnock

Global tourism companies are virtually in hibernation mode as the pandemic rips up travel plans. How would you rate the effort of Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19 as well as in supporting businesses?

I would like to congratulate Vietnamese government for your quick and decisive action against this global threat. The speed with which they reacted to the growing situation and the eventual containment of the few cases identified within the country was one of the best performances of all the countries in the world.

Many of these larger countries are still feeling the pain, months after their first cases arose and were very slow to react or take the threat seriously. They are going to pay the penalty for this as Vietnam opens its doors for business well before others.

In addition to this, the overwhelming positive support and direction from the Vietnamese government regarding health awareness and the encouragement of all domestic markets to start spending again is great news for the economy. This direction will assist all industries as we move into a new era of commerce.

You are a connoisseur of the international hospitality industry and now general manager at Altara Suites. What is your assessment of the current tourism landscape?

The travel industry never lets me down in that it always responds far quicker than any other industry. The desire for people to travel, albeit with current delays, never stops people from that short break or a new adventure. People can be flat broke, but they will always find a way to travel and get away from their day-to-day worries.

The pandemic has really taken all the numerous travel options available to the public and brought them back onto a level playing field.

As a country that is primed to open its doors early, I believe this is the perfect time for the Vietnam travel and tourism body and the industry to work together to attract visitors to our shores. By doing this it puts us as a desirable destination uppermost in the thoughts of the travelling public.

Altara prides itself on ensuring a “home away from home” for guests

How well-prepared was the hospitality industry for a crisis like this and what have you personally learned?

The hospitality industry prides itself on the ability to adapt and change quickly. This pandemic however has been something that no-one saw coming and as such has asked some hard questions of us all to ensure survival and a re-emergence stronger and better prepared than most industries.

I have been surprised and delighted by the support and understanding of all the staff at Altara Suites whose main goal has been to keep the doors open for business and support each other during the tough times to get it back to normal as quickly as possible.

In essence, the way we used to conduct our business and manage our staff has changed forever. A new positive and health-conscious approach is needed to ensure future growth in the business as well as reassuring everyone that we have a safe environment in which to work and play.

Trust and loyalty could be an industry focus post-crisis, with travellers trusting companies that they are familiar with. What will be your strategy to garner business and attract customers?

I believe the travellers of tomorrow will be looking for a safe environment and a level of luxury and confidence that they can be comfortable with during their stay. We have taken several steps to ensure this and documented it on our website and throughout the property.

Many of our guests are repeat customers because they enjoy the many home-like facilities we offer them and they can be assured that our improved cleaning standards will keep them safe.

In the future, in terms of both product and message, where are you headed?

Our product will always be a constant work in motion and by that, I mean we are never complacent when it comes to our service or hardware. We are constantly looking for ways to improve a guest experience here and reinventing ourselves when it comes to customer care.

Our new safety measures, including personal temperature checks on arrival at the hotel, sanitising checkpoints throughout the hotel, sanitised elevator buttons, and masks for all staff and guests, as well as all government-approved practices, ensures a risk free “home away from home” environment. Everyone is also encouraged to provide valuable feedbacks as these help us to constantly exceed the expectations of all our valuable guests.