AUSTRALIA Accor is thought to be the first hotel group in Australia to implement a fully-accredited optimum service standards program for hotels catering for the rapidly growing Chinese and Indian inbound markets.
Following consultation with leading tour and travel operators from China and India, Accor hotels in Australia will provide a range of services specifically designed to cater to the needs of travelers from the two markets. These include particular foods as part of the breakfast buffet, Mandarin- and Hindi-speaking staff, Chinese and Indian TV channels and media, concierge assistance and other services.
Frontline staff will be trained and educated about the cultural backgrounds of China and India and on the requirements and needs of travelers from these countries. The program will be accredited and validated by external industry organizations, Accor says.
About 15 of Accor’s largest hotels in Australia will implement the new service standards. These hotels will be able to cater for larger Chinese and Indian groups and are located in cities that traditionally attract large numbers of tourists, the company says.
China is expected to become Australia’s second largest source market, behind New Zealand, by 2018. China recently overtook the United Kingdom as Australia’s top inbound market by economic value, worth around A$3.5 billion. Currently, China is Australia’s fourth largest source by volume of international tourism behind New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, having overtaken Japan last year.
Inbound travel from India will more than double by 2020, with an annual growth rate of close to 10%, making it one of the most dynamic inbound markets for Australia.
Last year, Accor’s Australia hotels recorded rises in excess of 30% in Chinese business and 23% in Indian business compared to 2009, coinciding with expansion of Accor’s hotel brands across both China and India. “These two markets are amongst the most promising for Australia’s tourism future, and so it is essential that we provide the highest possible level of facilities and service when they visit Australia,” says Simon McGrath, Accor’s vice president for Australia.
“There are still many false perceptions about the Chinese and Indian inbound markets, so we thought it important to address the issue from two fronts. Firstly, by ensuring that our guests from India have access to services such as food and communications that will help ensure they feel comfortable and remain well-connected with their homeland. But secondly, we saw it as very important to provide all our frontline staff in key hotels with a better understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Indian cultural specifics.
“This was done with the Japanese market in the 1980s, and we are also planning this for our Chinese guests, and it is long overdue to be introduced for Indian travelers. Accor has a rapidly growing network of hotels in both India and China, and we believe that their travelers’ familiarity with our brands will see rapid growth in usage of our hotels in Australia, so it is imperative that we are well prepared to handle the requirements of both first time and repeat visitors.”