Hotel Marketing Strategies during COVID-19: A perspective of Delhi 5-

star Hotels

1.Vikas Singh
Associate Professor , Galgotias University , Greater Noida
Email Id: vikassingh@galgotiasuniversity.edu.in
Research Scholar, G.D Goenka University,
Associate Professor, Galgotias University
Email Id: Vikas_7729@yahoo.com
Mobile: (+91)9871314390

2. Prof. (Dr.) Tanuja Kaushik

Professor & Dean, School of Hospitality, Le Cordon Bleu School of Hospitality,
G.D Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
Email Id: tanuja.kaushik@gdgoenka.ac.in
Mobile: (+91)9873421996
Abstract

Hotels are implementing new techniques to set themselves up for accelerated recovery, but it
is not 'business as normal'. They carve their business and marketing plans around the motif,
right from the lockout to the Unlock-phase, to express new steps and initiatives. Hotels
ensure that they hit the right chord with the crowd, from venturing into the food distribution
area to providing work and stay packages and revealing concessional deals to organizing
simulated activities, among others. Thus, there was lot of scope for the study on various
marketing strategies that the five-star Hotels of Delhi are strategizing to attract tourism
during COVID-19. A study was conducted with marketing directors of five-star hotels to
reveal the hotel recovery recovery strategy and reopening marketing plan. This study
highlights the various marketing strategies and innovative techniques adopted during the
crisis.
Keywords: Covid-19, marketing, strategies, five-star hotels, Delhi

Introduction

The hotel industry is vulnerable to epidemics, natural disasters and terrorist threats arising
from unexpected disasters (Chan and Lam, 2013; Chen, 2011; Jayawardena et al., 2008;
Hung et al., 2018; Lo et al., 2006; Min et al., 2009; Paraskevas, 2013; Racherla and Hu,
2009). According to Nguyen et al. (2017), hotels at a coastal destination in Japan provided
the housing, refuge and supplies of Evacuees when this area was devastated by the Great East
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 2011. We concentrate on epidemics in this paper: as the fears
of visitors regarding protection and health threats increase, epidemics will directly impact
Travel actions by individuals (Mao et al., 2010). Hotels have adopted various marketing
strategies to attract tourists and for guest satisfaction.

Minimize physical touch with Artificial intelligence and

robotics

Owners of hotels are starting to pay Closer exposure to the possible advantages of and uses
of, artificial intelligence (AI), Of hotel operations activities, including robots (Zabin, 2019). A
growing amount of Research has concentrated on the hotel-related effects of AI and robotics
on individuals and Level of organization (Li et al., 2019; Lu et al., 2019; Tussyadiah, 2020;
Wing and Tung, 2018).
Furthermore, provided the position of social distancing as an efficient technique of
prevention against COVID-19, the adoption of hotel AI and robotics, especially in high-
contact scenarios, may Assist in protecting visitors and frontline support personnel. We
concentrate, thus on AI and Robotics as a post-COVID-19 trend in hotel management and
marketing.
The changing hotel service world gives hoteliers an ability to best represent and delight
customers through AI and robotics in creative ways (Huang and Rust, 2018). A recent service
model (Kuo et al., 2017) and an evolving research area reflect the application of AI and
robotics in hotels (Tuominen and Ascencao, 2016). Studies have explored AI and robotics use
from diverse viewpoints in hotels. Kuo et al. (2017), for instance, suggested that service
creativity using robotics would boost the sustainable productivity of hotels. They also defined
six factors that could affect the creation of hotel service robots: government funding, business
development and advancement of the robotics industry, as well as the capacity of hotels to
improve technologies, raise capital and develop talent (Kuo et al., 2017)

The new hotel standard in 2020, drawing on the previous comment regarding printing
signs, means reducing as many physical contact points as possible. This goes beyond
spaces, too. At their bars, cafes, and other outlets, hotels must consider all the multiple
customer contact points. A helpful reopening guide for reference is the article by Savvy
Hotelier on re-opening your restaurant after lockdown. Certainly, with signage, all of these
shifting consumer habits can still be discussed. But as reported by the Wall Street Journal,
more hotels are shifting to automation to enhance the guest experience in a post-COVID
setting. Voice-activated digital assistants that can be configured, such as Alexa or
Amazon's Google Assistant, to monitor lighting and run TVs. Mobile apps with features
such as digital room keys and secure payment handling. Messenger chatbots will order
new towels or dining facilities in the room easily, as well as answer frequently asked
questions such as check-out time or operating hours of the restaurant.

Digital marketing takes centre-stage

In the last couple of months of the lockdown era people have increased the time spent on
their mobile phones in an attempt to access interactive content. A research studying the key
changes in the pattern of social media use during the COVID-19 lockout process was recently
released by Datareportal. Co-operation at home resulted in a monumental growth of internet
and digital activities, as per the study. GlobalWebIndex analysis has led to a similar trend.
People use smart gadgets to invest much more time than they did in the first two months of
2020. Users devote an average of two hours and 24 minutes per day on social media, multi-
networking over an average of eight social networks and messaging apps. Daily internet
traffic this year has increased by as much as 30 percent, according to an estimate by the tech
solution provider Akamai. The aforementioned estimates are sufficient to substantiate the
results that a wide number of audiences are drawn to multimedia, social and network content.

Health and health care

Many individuals have started to rethink their behaviors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
(Wang et al., 2020) and concentrate on physical and emotional well-being. Helping guests lead a
healthier lifestyle could become a post-pandemic theme for hotels, given this increasingly popular
customer need. For instance, the marketing mix of hotels is likely to become more popular with
meditation programs, digital detox programs, exercise programs, healthier diet programs, and
sleep hygiene programs. In these conditions, it seems desirable to further discuss how hotels
should design tailored items to increase the well-being of visitors and maximize the guest
experience. In particular, researchers should explore how to exploit the behavioral details of
visitors and their history of consumption (Mariani, 2019; Mariani et al., 2018; Mariani and Perez
Vega, 2020) (e.g. styles of purchased meals, visits to hotel workout centers, use of in-house
spa/wellness facilities) and use predictive analytics to construct personalized health-fitness
services.
"In Asia, 55 percent of millennials based their booking decisions on social media," says Apurva
Chamaria, the chief revenue officer of the travel and hotel tech firm, RateGain, "according to data
provided by Expedia." He claims that this figure will go up higher as guests look at social media
for updates on property openings and understand safety measures.

Service, Safety, & Expectations for Cleanliness

On the hotel website, your covid-19 protection and cleanliness protocols must be clearly
displayed. to meet their wishes, you have to convince visitors that you have gone beyond
and above your normal "high standards”. This is what your hotel will claim on your website
re: covid right now: your preventive approach and protocols for defence (*updated*)

 your transparent position on cancellations (i strongly recommend waiving booking

cancellation fees entirely right now.)
 number of touch if guests have any concerns or questions
 frequently asked questions (here's how to write a covid faq page for your hotel)
about covid-19 and your hotel or destination
 how the hotel (and/or brand) interfaces with the local community

Cost-effective campaigns

Hotels will have to be extremely aggressive with promotional campaigns and spend at a
time when corporations are hitting rock bottom. Hotels are investing in marketing
instruments that will make them self-sufficient by assisting them in their everyday activities
as we transition to post-COVID19 period industry practices. As the key platform for hotels
to reach their followers, rope in new ones and create an environment of confidence, social
networking has arisen.

Immunity Boosting Food

Many hotels in Delhi are focussing and have used food as a tool to attract
tourists in current scenario. Food that are having health benefits are being
promoted to attract guests. Like immunity booster laddus and sugar free desserts
are the major attractions.
INTERACT WITH CUSTOMERS REGULARY

A Fuel Travel survey conducted earlier this summer found that even if they are not yet
able to travel, 75 percent of North American leisure travellers are open to hotel
communications. The topics about which the travellers were most interested in hearing are:

 Packages and specials for future stays

 What the estate does to protect visitors
 What the estate does to safeguard employees
 How the coronavirus impacts the region surrounding it
 Response of the property to COVID-19 and procedures

Connecting with customers is still required. Consistent communication is how hotels build
a brand relationship and remain top-of-mind during a slow period or temporary hotel
closure. Hotels can use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, generate and
share stories on a hotel blog, and communicate via email on a regular basis using your
CRM. An email list is arguably your hotel's greatest marketing asset, so don't be afraid to
use it! Keep sending those precious, appropriate emails regularly. Whether it's a "Book
Now, Stay Later" offer or useful content related to your destination, provide future guests
with value now. Entertain, delight, inform, just consistently show up and show up.

Conclusion

A lasting impact on travel could be the global panic associated with COVID-19. In order to
increase the trust of travellers and to help businesses to recover in a timely manner after this
public health crisis, effective strategies are required. By addressing different consumption
needs and taking steps to turn adversity into opportunity, the resilience and sustainability of
the hotel industry can be solidified. These operations are correlated with expected patterns of
consumer demand, such as traveller’s health, contactless facilities, and environmental
protection. A number of areas where professional knowledge needs to be advanced are
revealed by the course of action of hotels in relation to this pandemic and the dynamic market
demand. By reflecting on evolving traveller’s, academia can contribute to the theoretical
growth in hotel marketing and management. expectations and industry recovery programs to
promote positive changes in industry practices after this pandemic. The hotels are looking
and exploring various marketing strategies to attract tourists. The attractions are mainly based
on the hygiene and health benefits that can attract tourists. Even the Hotels are targeting
various social media tools to promote themselves

References

Chan, E.S. and Lam, D. (2013), “Hotel safety and security systems: bridging the gap between
managers and guests”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 32, pp. 202-
216.
Chen, M.H. (2011), “The response of hotel performance to international tourism development and
crisis events”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 200-212.
Chien, G.C. and Law, R. (2003), “The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome on hotels: a
case study of Hong Kong”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 22 No. 3,
pp. 327-332.
Gu, H. and Ryan, C. (2008), “Chinese clientele at Chinese hotels – preferences and satisfaction”,
International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 337-345.
Han, H. and Hwang, J. (2013), “Multi-dimensions of the perceived benefits in a medical hotel and
their roles in international travelers’ decision-making process”, International Journal of
Hospitality Management, Vol. 35, pp. 100-108.
Hung, K.K., Mark, C.K., Yeung, M.P., Chan, E.Y. and Graham, C.A. (2018), “The role of the hotel
industry in the response to emerging epidemics: a case study of SARS in 2003 and H1N1
swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong”, Globalization and Health, Vol. 14 No. 1, p. 117.
Lockyer, T. (2005), “The perceived importance of price as one hotel selection dimension”, Tourism
Management, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 529-537.
Wen, J., Liu, X. and Yu, C. (2020),“Exploring the roles of smart services in Chinese senior tourists’
travel experiences: an application of psychological reactance theory”, Anatolia, doi: 10.1080/
13032917.2020.1742750.