Hospitality giant slowly reopening hotels with safety measures under new normal

Chaiyapat Paitoon, chief strategy officer for Minor International, said the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global economy, though there are signs of recovery in countries that have controlled the outbreak and are lifting restrictions.
Meanwhile, Minor is reopening some hotels under the new normal:
• 28 hotels in Thailand that generated 14 per cent of Minor’s hotel revenues last year began reopening from the end of May, starting with Anantara Siam Bangkok, followed by the company's hotels in Hua Hin in early June. Some hotels in Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Khon Kaen are also scheduled to reopen in June and July.
• 29 hotels in other Asian countries that generated 4 per cent of Minor’s hotel revenue. Its hotels in China and Vietnam reopened in April, showing a positive sign in Asia’s tourism sector.
• 343 hotels that are part of the NH Hotel Group, which generate 67 per cent of revenue, will reopen soon. Up to 60 per cent of these hotels are expected to reopen by the end of June. Also, many countries in Europe have started lifting lockdowns, while some have even announced the end of the pandemic.
In addition, many countries have also launched economic stimuli to support the tourism sector. For instance, Vietnam has launched a special campaign to improve domestic tourism. by cutting down the prices of hotel rooms and flights, while Taiwan has cut down on utility bills and subsidised labour in the tourism industry.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), meanwhile, has proposed several schemes for the government to implement to boost domestic tourism, such as “Thiao Pan Suk”, which allows Thai citizens to register and purchase digital vouchers for hotel discounts.
The second is “Rao Pai Thiao Kan”, which supports accommodation providers, while the third is “Kamlangchai”, which provides approximately 1.2 million medical personnel working in the Covid-19 frontline to go on study tours organised by travel agencies.
The government also recently exempted operation fees for hotel businesses, while Minor International has said it will organise marketing activities in line with the government’s support measures for businesses to jump-start the tourism sector.
Chaiyapat said the group believes the Covid-19 outbreak will be resolved gradually and many sectors will recover slowly. Tourists will also start travelling once the crisis ends.
Meanwhile, in line with its aim to reopen its 535 hotels, Minor has appointed a health and safety committee comprised of senior execs and experts to oversee the implementation of hygiene and safety measures.