By Jami Ledesma
Now on its third month of temporary shutdown in compliance with the government’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) directive to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Winford Manila Resort & Casino (WMRC) finds itself in a predicament shared with other hotels in the country.
With an estimated 70-80 percent drop in foreign tourism in the next 12-18 months, the recovery period faced by the travel and tourism industry will undoubtedly be a long haul.
As WMRC and other hotels find their footing to make the necessary adjustments throughout this quarantine phase, the pandemic has certainly made one thing clear: when WMRC eventually reopens its doors, its guests will be counting on the casino hotel to effectively carry out “new normal” operational guidelines set out by the management team.
This is where the hotel’s front liners come in: the wait staff, porters, sanitation crew—it is they who will come into close contact with customers on a daily basis in the post-pandemic era to ensure that their stay is not only a pleasant one, but also safe and virus-free.
Zero attrition
Recognizing the importance of their roles, WMRC has succeeded in maintaining a zero percent attrition rate since the government’s implementation of ECQ. In fact, all regular employees of the company have kept their jobs and continue to get paid as the entire country waits for definitive news from health authorities that mass testing is being carried out, until the so-called “curve” has been flattened.
“When we reopen, it will be business not as usual,” said Jeff Evora, president and chief operating officer, WMRC. “We will be in a different ‘low touch’ world, shaped by new habits, processes, and regulations based on reduced contact interaction, travel restrictions, and hygiene concerns.”
Indeed, WMRC prioritizes the safety of its guests and employees, now more than ever before. The casino hotel has been proud partners of ECOLAB, the global leader in hygiene technologies that protects people and resources, since long before the pandemic. Through this partnership, guests can always expect only the highest disinfection standards in the industry to keep their health and wellness above everything else.
“In order for us to execute our health and sanitation plans effectively, we are retaining 100% of our regular employees whom we have trained and continue to train in preparation for our reopening, once the authorities give us the go signal. Our lives and livelihood are at stake, hence we cannot rest on our laurels and simply hope for the best. That is why we are keeping our staff and doing all we can to take care of them, because ultimately, it is they who will properly ensure the safety of our guests,” added Evora.
Going local
With international arrivals in the Philippines looking lower than usual for the rest of the year, WMRC hopes to leverage on local and domestic visitations until confidence in foreign tourism returns.
No doubt, many Filipinos will need a vacation from this “vacation,” but will also be hard pressed to afford the expenses that come with it due to the recession brought about by the pandemic.
With this in mind, WMRC’s management has decided to support more homegrown businesses by contracting local suppliers to help boost the economy as the company turns to Filipinos to stay at their property as well.
WMRC has several promotions in the pipeline that it hopes can play a significant part in enticing people to return to life as they once knew it, with new regulations firmly in place.
Should the company succeed in doing that, not only would it be a boon to local tourism, but also a triumph for WMRC’s wait staff, porters, and sanitation crew who, collectively, make up the new group of heroes of today’s hospitality industry.
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