Can you take us through a brief overview of your background in the Travel and Hospitality industry I started my career as a hotelier myself , where I learned the opportunities, possibilities and potential pitfalls first hand Originally at The Ritz-Carlton and then at the Peninsula Hotels, where i had the great privilege to lead the International and Domestic Travel Industry Sales & Marketing forces for these two iconic brands for more than 20 years. I made the decision to leave this position at Peninsula in March 2020 as the pandemic was beginning to totally reshape our day to day realities and I knew I could apply my experience, perspective and results driven strategies with my consultancy. What is Originale by Micci and what inspired your concept? Originale by Micci is an expert consultancy that is specializing in bringing authentic connections and building luxury hotel and travel industry sales strategies via Digital marketing in the hospitality community. The inspiration came from working through the changes in this industry over 20+ years and my ability to communicate authenticity and originality to customers, strengthening my clients connections between the consumer and their brand . Being who you truly are, (without any “fluff”) especially considering the last 12 months we all have been through and are still going through, we are now navigating an industry ravaged by COVID-19, there is no room for disingenuousness and vanity in this new world. What is the motivation for starting your own company Now, and how have the events of the past 12 month shaped the environment in which your clients are now operating within? There is no other agency which was launched specifically to work through this current Pandemic landscape, my passion for how I can improve and help my industry outside of the box to drive revenue through Digital Marketing Combines my decades of hospitality sales experience with extensive strategy to thrive under the circumstances we are now facing. With the hospitality industry gradually entering the recovery phase now is the time to re- engage with your clients and customers. Most hotel brands were forced to significantly reduce their sales and marketing teams last year. Which now presents an opportunity to bring an outside consultancy and expertise to re-evaluate and re-build their sales and marketing strategies to support and accelerate the recovery. The expected rebound in demand holds significant value to gain the market share and Originale by Micci is here to create the strategic solutions. How can Digital Marketing impact the hospitality & travel industry? Digital marketing today has become an indispensable part of every business irrespective of its size and type. The increasing role of digital marketing has affected the way businesses promote their offerings to existing as well as new customers. The need for digital marketing has been felt like never before in the tourism industry wherein customers have instant access to all kinds of information on the latest offers and best prices last minute. Today digital marketing plays a critical role in the success of each business which exists in the hospitality and travel industry. People especially these days are using digital channels more than traditional channels for researching their traveling destinations and for booking a hotel last minute This gives rise to a new way of reaching your customers known as digital marketing for hospitality industry or hotel online marketing. It’s just like what we were doing earlier…but faster and better. What consulting services do you offer and how does Originale by Micci help hotels’ in these post Covid times and the recovery phase to reach new and changed audiences? Originale by Micci builds an online presence for a property or travel company that includes developing a brand identity, hotel and travel industry sales strategies ( short & long term), creative social media and digital content production with effective performance marketing that drives targeted audiences and captures top demand in respectful markets. We align strategic partnerships and also help to streamline first point of contact curation for brand Discovery by potential customers. How do you help your clients stand out amongst competitors? My 20 years of working experiences on site for hotels. Being involved in hotel operations and service delivery to their guests, traveling for business and working with leading travel companies in the world, promoting hotel services and guests experiences. Speaking hotel lingo and understanding sales demands that I learned from travel industry as one of the top sales performer for leading international hotel brands. We know your brand is built on a strong narrative of uniqueness, what do you feel about your approach qualifies originale as being so? Originale means being authentic, real, magnetic which attracts. I believe this approach will help hotel world to reach out to their targeted audience showcase those travelers not only visual experience by visiting beautiful properties but also emotionally connect with the product and services they offer. What are three main points you feel customers are requiring in this “new normal” tourism world? Due to Pandemic, I believe travelers are looking for the followings when traveling these days: Safety ( related to healthy travel) Cleanliness( hotel beds and soft goods) Care/comfort ( service) We hear about returning “back to the way things were” a lot, but do you ever think this is happening and if not, how does that change the way people will be traveling and vacationing? I certainly think that Pandemic times transformed our industry and travelers mindset. I am sure that there will not be the same travel patterns or life style for that matter. I do believe that travelers will be seeking quality trips, that will be more personal experience, self-celebration focus vs business travel. Hotels and travel community will need to focused on personalization and sustainability in order to attract and reconnect with their guests.
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