Page 6 - Express Travel World

IN THE NEWS

Hospitalityindustryhails

safetyas top priority

Mohit Rathod
Mumbai
The hospitality industry has
collectively opined that safety
of its consumers and staff
should not be compromised
under any circumstance, fol-
lowing the recent Kamala Mills
fire incident in Mumbai. In a
group discussion titled ‘The
Perspective’ organised by
Express TravelWorld, indus-
try stakeholders including
Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, senior
vice president, Hotels and
Restaurants Association of In-
dia (HRAWI); Shail Barot, in-
ternational business develop-
ment director, Vie Hospitality;
Vinayak Laud, partner,
Vinayak Holidays and Chef
Naved, restaurant consultant,
expressed their perspectives
on safety and compliance
among various other associ-
ated topics.
Speaking on behalf of
HRAWI, Kohli said, “We have
many members and we make
sure to check their credentials.
We also conduct physical in-
spection of their restaurants L to R: Shail Barot,Chef Naved,Reema Lokesh (Editor,Express TravelWorld and Food & Hospitality World),Gurbaxish Singh Kohli and Vinayak Laud
and hotels to ensure complete
safety compliance. This is not F&B has evolved as a international restaurants,
an industry to make quick tourism offering over the past but they should go beyond
money. Every member of few years, thereby placing it- the decor and take into
HRAWI is required to renew self on the itineraries on in- account the safety measures
the membership with detailed bound and outbound tourists. too.”
re-check. We also update our Shedding light on the tourism Adding his view, Barot said
members on the latest infor- aspect, Laud stated, “Many that fire safety is most impor-
mation and industry restaurant owners travel tant. He said, “It all starts
developments.” countries to learn from with the organisation. We
Adding to that, Chef Naved should encourage regular fire
commented, “We have seen drills, which serve a practical
many young entrepreneurs tool to spread awareness and
coming from other industries, It all starts with the organisation. be prepared. We should act on
wanting to foray into the hos- it now.”
pitality space, but they have lit- We should encourage regular fire drills,which Speaking about safety in
tle knowledge of the industry. serve as a practical tool to spread the unorganised segment, the
This is one of the main chal- panel agreed that they should
lenges. In terms of norms, the awareness and be prepared. be made accountable too.
UAE for instance, has evolved Among other areas, the panel
a lot over the years and we We should act on it now also highlighted the role of
should learn from that. We as transparent and clear safety
a community should ensure guidelines and co-ordinated
complete compliance.” efforts.

6 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
February 2018