Hospitality Halt: Odisha Hotels To Bank On Hygiene Ratings & Contactless Dining Post Pandemic

The hospitality sector in Odisha, like elsewhere in the world, has received a major blow owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, forcing hoteliers, restaurant owners and tour & travel professionals to search for ways to keep their businesses afloat. In this series, Odisha Bytes takes a look at the state-of-affairs and the road ahead.

By Jatin Grover On May 8, 2020

Bhubaneswar: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the hospitality industry in Odisha to revamp business models as well as search for innovative ways to sustain their beleaguered business.

Since customers are becoming more health-conscious amid the coronavirus pandemic, the hotels and restaurants in the state are focusing more on hygiene ratings and contactless dining to re-establish trust.

At present, people first look at the hygiene ratings of a restaurant and then order food online via Zomato and Swiggy.

“We are processing around 30-40 orders per day ensuring proper hygiene. A good hygiene rating will give confidence to the customers that the hotels maintain safety standards while preparing food. People will prefer ordering food post lockdown and only good hygiene ratings will get us business,” said General Manager, Hotel Marrion, Sameer Ali.

Besides, Hotel Marrion has also reduced the number of dishes like continental from its menu and instead increased focus on immunity building food, he added.

For contactless dining, the hotel industry is planning to introduce disposable menus, packet dining option, and ensure proper COVID training for staff members to ensure cleanliness. Moreover, the guests will be encouraged to use mobile check-ins to avoid any physical contact.

“Life after pandemic is going to be different. We are waiting for the government to release SOP for the hospitality industry and are committed to ensuring social distancing and good hygiene,” said Executive Director, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts Ltd, Souvagya Mohapatra.

Attending a CII webinar on ‘Tourism Insights and Strategies to the COVID-19 Crisis’ on May 1, Tourism and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi had urged business houses to coordinate with the department and send suggestions to strategize the SOP for the sector.