The first ever hospitality conclave in Nepal, the Nepal Hospitality Conclave (NHC), was successfully conducted on September 25 at The Soaltee in Kathmandu in association with the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) and Nepal Traveller as a media partner. The event was organised by Beanstalk Asia Nepal and WaterComm and presented by The Sagtani Exim.
The Nepal Hospitality Conclave's initiative on reshaping hospitality for tomorrow drew more than 300 attendees, 30+ exhibitors, seven plenary sessions, more than 22 speakers, and moderators to the event.The speakers and panellists participated in the Nepal Hospitality Conclave's initiative on reframing hospitality for the future. Prominent corporate executives, pioneers, leaders, innovators, and industry disruptors presented their testimonials and participated as panellists for the conclave.
During these moderated sessions, experts in the field thoroughly discussed emerging apprehensions, plans, and strategies influencing the welfare of the country's tourism sector and also shared their knowledge and interacted with attendees, dispelling preconceived notions by interacting with them. Additionally, the conclave was more engaging since it provided a platform for participants and attendees to engage with experts and for panellists to have conversations with experts.
The conversation amongst delegates and representatives of the hospitality industry's private sector and government officials was the pinnacle of the conclave.
The event kicked off with the powerful opening remarks of Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), who addressed the journey and revolution of tourism in Nepal thoroughly with an informative digitally presented graphical interface.
Shreejana Rana mentioned, "We need to work on connectivity, standardisation, greater digitalisation, and initiative in sustainable practices." She continued, "HAN launched the campaign to eliminate single-use plastics as a step toward sustainability."
The opening session of the day provided an overview of the South Asian journey and the growth of multiple brands. The opening session of the day provided an overview of the South Asian journey and the growth of multiple brands. This panel set the tone for the conclave with a holistic conversation about the possibilities, constraints, and prospects for both visitors and travellers. The experts on the panel highlighted the pros and cons of franchise business in the context of Nepal and concluded with prioritising Nepalese authenticity prior to international brand collaborations.
The second panel focused on understanding the digital distribution platforms, parameters for online revenue optimisation, and digital marketing—the changing face of how hospitality brands communicate with the world.
The session on digital sales contact points gave insight into the relevant digital distribution channels adopted by the hospitality industry today. The conversation also enlightened the corporate personalities on the emerging digital and technological platforms and parameters for online revenue optimization, as well as the changing phase of how Nepali hospitality brands can network globally.
This panel discussed how the hotel and tourism sector may prioritise ITES in order to preserve business efficiency, namely in the collection of data and the use of that data for planning and strategizing. It is more effective to incorporate new technology as it evolves, and Nepal's hospitality industry should jump on board for a seamless and effective commercial operation.
A very interesting panel of decision-making government authorities and corporate executives in the hospitality sector was convened. The gap between the policy-making body and the policy-implementing corporation was emphasised meticulously and discussed thoroughly. The requirement of bridging the communication and mutual cooperation between government and the private sector was appropriately addressed, which made the panel much more interesting.
The conference on standardisation of hotel products discussed essential traveller recruitment and retention approaches, as well as how standardisation serves guests rather than corporations The panel, which comprised representatives from the government and renowned personalities of the hospitality industry, came to the consensus that it is best to rely on global brands and mentioned how great it would be if the government implemented laws that would represent the country and its identity, making it stand out and be competitive on the international stage.
It was the only panel in the conference with all women on the dash. This panel presented much-needed perspectives on the arguably male-dominated hospitality sector. It was underscored that Nepal has the lowest percentage of female panellists, as well as obstacles and prescriptive rules for women. Women in Nepal place a higher value on their families than men, which prevents them from developing the courage and support to prioritise their careers over family and responsibilities. This panel presented much-needed perspectives on the arguably male-dominated hospitality sector.
This discussion centred on how energy efficiency, conservation, recycling, and environmentally friendly systems have a positive impact on the environment and the bottom line of the business. The discussion focused on how to reduce waste production and carbon emissions at the source. This panel also discussed the government's efforts to promote energy efficiency and waste recycling, as well as the prioritisation of electric vehicles and solar for promoting renewable energy from corporate levels in the hospitality industry.
After all panels were successfully hosted, Asit SJB Rana, the chairman of Hotel Sneha, and an executive member of HAN summarised the conclave and discussions. He concluded the discussion by mentioning, "I hope we remember the hands we raised and the pledges we made to develop our hospitality industry sustainably.”
Text : Sampada
Photos by: Bidyash Dangol
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