Women Game Changers

Industry thought leaders across tourism specialisations share their views with Reema Lokesh on what will be the future trends in their field of work

- Reema Lokesh

SHOBHA MOHAN

FOUNDER PARTNER @RARE INDIA

Game changer thought: Experiences will take over ! ‘meaning is truly the new luxury’

What will be the primary game changer for the next five years in your work domain?

Travel from booking to delivery and execution has to become a personal and enjoyable experience. Even large inventory and group hotels are revisiting their delivery to engage their guest both visually and through service and activity. Art installations, arty and design spaces, fabric and people, colours, contrasts and fragrances are taking over from the neat and sterile spaces of yore. Attitude training and genuine expressions are replacing the usual lip-stretches and chewing gum smiles. Experiences will take over ! People will forget what they pay but now how you make them feel. Businesses are beginning to invest in EQ all around, from their employee programs to delivery – ‘meaning is truly the new luxury’.

Plans for 2019?

We are trying to find a balance between online and offline selling without compromising on the essence of the experience and story-telling. There is a lot of competition in the small boutique space just now and we are working very hard to rephrase and tell our stories which are by far more genuine than many of the boutique hotels out there. The community angle to the RARE community of hotels is something that is now becoming a part of the global sustainable travel agent, we plan to work on this more efficiently to take the message out. These two are from a marketing point of view which we are focussing on. Lastly our sales force is being streamlined and trained to facilitate efficient sales.

What is the USP of your business? That we have created a product line