Will we learn from this crisis?If we don’t adapt and learn from this crisis, we will be toast! Are we taking notes and implementing new ideas that come our way in our business or are we still waiting in vain for the crisis to tide over and things to get back to how they were before disaster spread?

If we don’t adapt and learn from this crisis, we will be toast! Are we taking notes and implementing new ideas that  come our way in our business or are we still waiting in vain for the crisis to tide over and things to get back to how they were before disaster spread?

Deep Kalra, Founder & Group Executive, Chairman, MakeMyTrip

It could be the biggest gift of COVID if we learn from it. It doesn’t matter where people are, but let’s get the big stuff done, because that is what will make the difference. If we go back to our old ways, then we didn’t learn much. The cycles are going to get sharper and shorter. So, if we don’t adapt to that then we will be toast. We have to rethink where our markets are.

James Thornton, Chief Executive Officer, Intrepid Travel

When I think about the post-COVID-19 future, I believe successful operators will be those businesses that use this period to take measureable and decisive steps to truly build a more sustainable travel industry in the future. We shouldn’t be striving for things to go back to normal the way they were before the pandemic. We should be aspiring to do and be better.

Amit Madhan, President & Group Head – Tech & eBusiness, Thomas Cook India

It’s no longer about having a physical presence or just an online presence, both are merging. Any physical model needs to have a digital interface, and companies that had that were able to survive COVID-19. Encourage digital channel and enablement of a business through just using tech interface – this is the new order. The travel ecosystem is changing!

Philip C Wolf, Mentor, Serial Board Director and Founder, Phocuswright

Companies need to re-invent the focus of the destination to more rural areas, to less densely populated areas.Secondly, you need to redraw a radius distance around your destinations because percentage of high frequency visitors is going to come from a tighter radius, so you will have to alter your customer acquisition strategy, your distribution plans, and reset your margins.

Kartik Gaggar, CEO & Founder, Rajasthan Studio

Things look brighter post-COVID, with people realising the worth of experiences over things. Indulging in soul-filling experiences will become the pivotal point of travel. Travel service providers need to focus on creative and emotive experiences for their clients to stay ahead of the curve. It is time to buckle up and rethink itineraries to suit the evolved needs of customers.

Mayank Kukreja, Co-Founder & CEO, ITILITE

Year 2020 has changed the way business travel will be managed forever. Business travel will be key to revival, and hence the travel manager will see new demands from the company. A travel manager now needs to be an expert in immigration rules, quarantine rules by state and country, airline and hotel rules, and others.

Inputs by Hazel Jain