Face-to-Face with Priyadarshan Lakhawat
Priyadarshan Lakhawat Deputy Director (Academics & Training) NCHMCT, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India The rising instances of fire in high-rises and hotels, and very frequent news of defunct security systems at places including in the cities like New Delhi put forth reasons to be concerned about the state of compliance of pertinent rules and regulations, and installation and maintenance of the needed equipment. The recent fire in a hotel in Karol Bagh, New Delhi must be taken as an wake-up call to address the issue on urgent basis. The lapses are prominently found at both ends – the system and service providers as well as the service takers. Besides, while at one end there are lapses in the hands of government authorities including the licensing ones, consumers are also not aware and alert towards their duties and entitlements. They appear to take security as granted and consider it of the least value in affairs of life. India necessarily needs to evolve a culture of security and safety. To understand the subject in detail and spot the points of lapses and improvements, SecurityLink India has recently spoken to Priyadarshan Lakhawat, Deputy Director – Academics & Training, National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Mr. Lakhawat is the winner of two national awards for excellence in hospitality education – Best Teacher for the Years 2012-13 & 2013-14, and Indian Hospitality Congress – Educator’s Award 2015. SecurityLink India (SLI): How do you see Security & Safety in terms of necessity vs. business? Priyadarshan Lakhawat: Derek Bok, President of Harvard University, once remarked, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Same principle is applicable for the hotel security systems as well. Of course, security comes with a cost for the business but in comparison the price to be paid for its absence is humongous – particularly, in today’s environment when security risks in hospitality industry are varied and manifold. A guest is concerned about the security aspects in his immediate environment and it’s one of the important concerns for him in making a purchase decision. Investment in security is no more a choice but forms the core aspect of hotel operations, and can be overlooked only at the cost of paying a great price in the long run. SLI: Kindly mention some major threats of hospitality industry in the world’s perspective? Priyadarshan Lakhawat: Hospitality industry is highly vulnerable to security threats. Hotels are public places with lots of porosity. There is this constant conflict between maintaining the privacy and pleasant experience of guest while at the same time implementing the laid-out security procedures. If we look at the major security threats they come in the form of fire, cyber-threats, natural calamities, theft, assault, bomb threats, terrorism and physical brawls. However, this list is just indicative. As a matter of fact, any threat which we may perceive at any place is very well applicable inside a hotel as well. SLI: And what are the threats in India? Priyadarshan Lakhawat: Threats in hospitality industry in India are similar to any other part of the world. Infact, hospitality industry is more global in its character than most other sectors. So, issues and concerns are almost similar everywhere. However, in India an additional problem is with regard to implementation of regulation. Laws and regulations governing hotel industry in India are as potent as in any other part of the world. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the implementation of law. Particularly in semi-organised and unorganized sector many a times we find a blatant disregard for procedures. Responsibility lies with both, the business as well as the law enforcement agencies. Look at the recent fire tragedy in a Karol Bagh hotel in the heart of national capital. Do we need a wake-up call in the form of a loss of 17 precious lives? According to newspaper reports, all rules related to fire safety have been overlooked in this hotel and still they were able to operate. It’s a dangerous situation and does not augment well for the brand Incredible India. Effective deterrence mechanism is required for this kind of criminal negligence and connivance. SLI: Which of these do you rank as the top threats both for India and the world? Priyadarshan Lakhawat: I will put cyber crime and identity thefts at the top of the pyramid. Guest data is highly vulnerable as there are several points in a hotel where data is taken and recorded such as reservation, check-in, restaurant, any point-of-sale etc. There are also some external intermediaries who are involved in the process and chances of leakage are always there. Look at the case of Marriott International. In last 5 years, since Marriott took over Starwood, data of 500 million users is feared to have been compromised which includes not only the financial details but also the passport information. Marriott share has come down by 5.6% as per reports. While it is a case in public domain, I do not single out Marriott. This is happening everywhere and this may happen anywhere. There is an immediate need for hotels to get help of specialized agencies to counter this menace. Effective checks are required at all levels. I always say that the abuse of technology can only be countered through the use of technology. We cannot develop an ostrich mentality and bury our heads in the sand while the predators are lurking all around us and are impacting our business. Ransomware has attacked several central servers and has blocked not only hotel software but also in some cases the lock and key systems of hotel rooms resulting in not only huge inconvenience for guests but also great financial losses to hotels. All this points out to a pre-emptive approach and checks in place. Ransomware has attacked several central servers and has blocked not only hotel software but also in some cases the lock and key systems of hotel rooms resulting in not only huge inconvenience for guests but also…