Overall, the Covid-19 pandemic has not only halted tourism, but has dragged up business activities, as countries cautiously attempt to revive the business in the context of the economic recovery process. Areas like East Asia, the Baltic Sea, East Mediterranean and Oceania, as well as South-Eastern Asia are being studied and tried across the world in terms such as travel bubbles. When we launch the Recovery MCO era in Malaysia and launch domestic travel, several tourism companies look forward to restarting international journeys in fear of inadequate domestic travel for the industry.

Despite forecasts predicting that the pandemic will continue to spread for two years with the virus, the hospitality companies are now coping with the new normal environment and are finding ways to strengthen their operating procedures. We at OYO expected a number of key improvements to the standard, including reducing check-in, check-out, hyper-accent on sanitized residences and a new value-added services portfolio.

Automated, Contactless Check-in & Check-out
Automated processes with minimal human interaction for check-in and check-out would become normal. Hotels may set up a check-in kiosk in airline style to verify the identity of the guest and then take a picture of the guest prior to producing a room number and provide a keycard with a barcode to the disposable paper card or the hotel may introduce mobile keys as part of the contactless check-in method.

Robotisation of Guest Services
Voice and intercoms will be used to place orders from guests for room service. The distribution is automated to the maximum extent possible, in the place of staff members at their gates, where guests have to collect their food and clean washing from sanitary points. Meanwhile, all critical room appliances such as air conditioners, TVs, and bathrooms can be implemented with sensor-based remote diagnostic and maintenance.

Hyper-emphasis on Sanitised Stays
The new norm is to deliver sanitised stays as a luxury feature of the hotel. We can expect hotels offering sanitary resorts to follow strict procedures, including intensive check-in, length of stay and check-out; hotel baggage and supplies; Covid-19 awareness and management training personnel; mandatory use by all hotel staff of the PPE; social distancing monitoring practices; strong social organizations around F&B; laundry and laundry.

New Portfolio of Value Added Services
New services such as masks and hand sanitiser sanitation hygiene packages, transport options where all vehicles are sanitized between passengers and even a hotline to arrange Cov-19 tests on the passengers in question are being provided by hotels. Their services are fully sanitary.