FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Chatrium eyes stronger growth in Myanmar

Chatrium eyes stronger growth in Myanmar

Despite tourism has yet to rebound in Mynamar, partly due to international outcry over the conflicts in Rakhine State on the western coast , the management of Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon expects higher growth and a better performance this year.

“ Our hotel, one of the 5-star properties in the  country, has enjoyed annual  growth of  five to eight per cent in gross operational profit. We are looking forward to maintain the momentum in the years to  come,”  said general manager May Myat Mon Win.
“Tourism in Myanmar is gradually recovering, and the market is faring better . We are doing well  and looking at investment opportunities in the country,” she said.
“When it comes to business performance, financial profit is not the only thing we take into consideration. There are some other factors that matter more to us, such as our reputation, our customers and the growth of human capital, to name a few.”
The executive is  happy with the occupancy rate of the hotel. On average, more than 80 per cent of the 300 hotel rooms are occupied in the high season (November to February), and  over 60 per cent in the low season (July to September). Around 70 per cent of the hotel guests are business travellers while others are tourists , she said.
“We are always trying to provide the best customer experience. We have our guests in mind at every touchpoint. In this respect, the majority of our employees have become local experts through training,  given more than 98 per cent of our guests are foreigners, ” she said.   
Currently, it has 335 employees with foreigners accounting for just  4 per cent of  the staffs. The hotel also ensures the dominance of  Myanmar locals in its management  with  two of the four board members  and seven of the twelve senior executives. 
“For a company to grow, it is a must for employees to come along. We always try to improve the empowerment of our team. We allow the frontline staff to make their own decision when facing with certain   issues in order to  provide the best customer service,” she said.
In addition to improving employees’ work and responsibility, the hotel reviews customer experience journey through several online and offline surveys. It also keeps an eye on its major competitors to  ensure the hotel’s  top position in the market.
“We have found out through our studies that 96 per cent of our guests are totally happy with our services. We aim to improve it to 98 per cent by the end of this year,” she said.
According to the executive, technology is the priority in Chatrium’s investment this year, followed by marketing. 
The hotel launched its new website earlier this month, and will invest in Cloud and cyber security for the storage of  employees’ and  guests’ data,  and the human resource system aligned with the General Data , Protection Regulation.
She said the hotel plays a key role in grooming local talents for the labour pool in the industry. Since 2016, the hotel has provided three-month complimentary training courses to young locals seeking work in the hospitality sector. Having trained 90 people over the past three years, the next course is set to start in A ugust.
“Hotel business is simply based on supply and demand. The pie is there, and different players have to share it. We need to grow the pie, as more players come in. Otherwise, everyone will definitely vie for a bigger share of the pie, and Chatrium is one of them,” she said.

 

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