AccorHotels has partnered with Australia India Travel and Tourism Council (AITTC) to wax tourism between Australia and India. Through the partnership, AITTC will endorse the hospitality group’s Optimum Service Standards programme.
“Our goal is to see a growth in bilateral tourism through this partnership with AccorHotels, which has strong presence in both India and Australia; so it will be win-win for both organisations,” says Sandip Hor, chairman of AITTC.
In 2011, AccorHotels had launched Optimum Service Standards to cater to the needs of the increasing Chinese and Indian traffic into Australia.
AccorHotels says: “A key component of the Optimum Service Standards will be training and education of front-line hotel staff about the cultural backgrounds of China and India and the sort of requirements and needs required by travellers from these countries.”
Earlier this year, AccorHotels entered into a partnership with China Ready and Accredited, an institute that equips international organisations “with cultural insights and understanding that are essential for successfully engaging with Chinese people.” Over 50 AccorHotels’ brands in Australia are affiliated with the programme.
The partnership with AITTC has led to a further tweak of the Optimum Service Standards programme — Indian Service Standards — this time to go deeper into understanding needs of Indian travellers. Training of hotel staff have started in Sydney and Brisbane this month and will continue to other Australian cities in the course of time. On completing the training, properties will earn a certificate of accreditation by AITTC.
Some elements of the training include a look at restaurant menus, introduction of Indian meals in select restaurants, Indian adaptor plugs, Indian television channels. and welcome kits.
Chief Operating Officer, AccorHotels Pacific, Simon McGrath says, “Since the launch of the programme, our hotels have experienced an increase in growth from this market [India], and in particular incentive groups have been on the rise over recent months, a trend we expect to continue.”
