Following the recent announcement by Victoria Premier, Daniel Andrews, that the state is progressing on its road map to recovery, HM spoke to Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO, Trent Fraser, on the relaxation of restrictions for regional Victoria and the positive impact this is expected to deliver for franchisees.
What sort of intra-regional Victorian market is there for your regional Victorian franchisees to try and entice holidaymakers to visit?
There’s a huge pent-up demand of Melburnians itching to travel once the current restrictions are eased. With overseas travel off the cards for the foreseeable future, there has never been a better time to make the most of exploring your own backyard, and discovering places a little closer to home that you may not have known – and we can’t discount that regional Victorian’s love to travel to other areas of the state too.
What examples can you share of regional Victorian hoteliers investing in and improving their properties to emerge from lockdown with a better product?
Choice properties have always been devoted to providing their customers with a great hotel experience, and as we emerge from travel restrictions, all franchisees will be ensuring this is a key focus. Our international ‘Commitment to Clean’ initiative is designed to ensure our guests can take comfort in knowing our hotels are following industry leading protocols when it comes to cleanliness and social distancing, to protect the health of everyone.
Can regional Victoria see the light at the end of the lockdown tunnel?
Our hotels are looking forward to the school holidays, and the summer months, when hopefully if all goes to plan, Melbourne residents will be able to freely move around the state and get back to travelling. It’s our hope and expectation that the Melbourne masses will help fill the gaps right in time for peak holiday periods.