It began earlier this year with the start of some “just in case things get worse” travel cancellations and postponements from people who were likely called paranoid at the time. Then, in a few short weeks, COVID-19 decimated the global travel industry.
Countless hotels have temporarily closed their doors, thousands of flight attendants have found themselves out of work, and – let’s face it – nobody is adding stamps to their passport anytime soon. Restaurants have taken just as hard of a blow, if not harder. COVID-19 certainly hit the hospitality industry with a vengeance – and just as the lucrative patio season and summer travel planning were gearing up to start.
Remarkably, however, hotels, airlines, and food and beverage professionals have stepped up to the plate to give back during these trying times in ways that won’t be forgotten once people start packing their suitcases and making restaurant reservations again (whenever that sweet day may be). Here are some of the hospitality heroes of the COVID-19 crisis thus far…
Hospitality Heroes Of The COVID-19 Crisis
1. The Hotels
Throughout the world, hotels have seen a catastrophic drop in business, with rooms and lobbies that have remained eerily vacant for weeks now. Many, however, are offering up everything from fresh food, to temporary real estate in the midst of the CODID-19 pandemic.
The compartmentalized space hotel rooms offer can go to good use during this time of crisis, and cities around the world are in talks with hotels and health organizations in attempt to make the most of their empty rooms. In London, InterContinental Hotel Group partnered with the city’s Mayor Sadiq Khan to transform two of its hotels into temporary housing for the homeless.
In New York City – the hardest hit region in the United States – the Four Seasons Hotel on 57th street has stepped up to provide accommodations (and luxury ones at that; rooms typically cost $1000 per night) to doctors, nurses, and medical personal who are tirelessly combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Since, other Manhattan hotels – like the St. Regis, The Plaza Hotel, and Yotel– have followed its lead.
Here in Canada, hotels in Niagara Falls are offering up rooms for healthcare workers to self-isolate after potential exposure so they don’t risk infecting their families at home. At time of writing, Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati was also working with the public health department and the Niagara Health hospitals system to evaluate whether a handful of Niagara Falls hotels could double as hospitals or care facilities. Of course, that’s in the event of a worst-case scenario.
Sadly, that “worst case scenario” is a tough thought to shake these days. In an effort to lift the mood and offer hope, however, many Marriott properties around the world are displaying impossible-to-miss messages of love and encouragement for both front line workers battling COVID-19 and people who are quarantined in their homes. A search of the hashtag #MarriottStrong on social media will bring you to some of the heartwarming words and images.
2. The Airlines
Obviously, the world’s airlines have taken a major blow with the global spread of COVID-19. While obtaining refunds for flights to vacations that aren’t happening has admittedly been a frustrating struggle for some would-be travellers, many airlines have done their part in proactively responding to the health crisis.
Canadian airline Sunwing Airlines Ltd. – a longtime airline for vacationers to sunny destinations – made recent headlines with its initiative to provide free repatriation flights to Canadians who were stuck abroad. In response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s urging for Canadians to come home in mid-March, Sunwing offered up vacant seats on flights home to those struggling to return to Canada, regardless of whether or not they were Sunwing customers.
Air Canada also stepped up to offer its own repatriation flights for Canadians stuck in Peru, Ecuador, and Spain, transporting over 200,000 people in one week in flights from Lima, Quito, and Barcelona. Furthermore, the airline’s Air Canada Foundation teamed up with Second Harvest to redistribute fresh food from Air Canada’s in-flight kitchens to vulnerable populations after cancelled flights resulted in a drastically reduced schedule and, subsequently, surplus food items. As of March 28, the company has donated 2330 kgs of pre-packaged food – including items like sandwiches, muffins, salads, and sandwiches. Furthermore, Air Canada has started shipping urgent medical supplies with its cargo to support populations in South America.
South of the border, American air travel providers JetBlue and Delta Air Lines are offering free round-trip flights to qualifying medical professionals to travel where they are in need amidst the crisis.
3. The Food and Beverage Players
Players in the North American food industry have taken substantial steps to aid and assist vulnerable populations as well. Heartwarmingly, surplus food due to restaurant closures has not gone to waste.
Toronto’s cult favourite housemade pasta spot Famiglia Baldassarre is not only offering free bags of pasta to anyone struggling, but giving back to frontline workers as well. The Famiglia Baldassarre team has been busy dropping off meals to the Emergency and ICU departments at hospitals throughout the city.
Distilleries across Canada have also geared into action, switching up operations to produce much needed hand sanitizer. The distilleries are either selling the product, or distributing it free of charge to those in need. In Toronto, for example, the Spirit of York distillery is offering its hand sanitizer for free to residents who can’t afford it, and to senior citizens.
Last month, Montreal’s SudWest & Co. restaurant asked its social media followers to help the establishment donate meals to three local charitable organizations: Head and Hands, Sun Youth, and Share the Warmth. The restaurant – still open for takeout and delivery – started a “buy one give one” promotion that people can use when ordering. Owner Nicholas Tsoukas has encouraged other Montreal restaurant owners to donate their surplus food to community programs.
After closing up shop on his restaurants and bars in Ottawa and Toronto in response to COVID-19, restaurateur Abbis Mahmoud established Operation Ramzieh to create crisis relief kits to vulnerable populations in need of food. Mahmoud draws upon the help of employees at his company DreamMind and a team of volunteers to create the boxes, which contain an assortment of food items and things like hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Each box should last an individual for eight to 10 days, and a family of four for three days.
In the U.S, celebrity chef José Andrés’s has been tirelessly helping the cause for nearly a month now through his emergency relief non-profit World Central Kitchen. Early March, the organization fed quarantined passengers who were stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruises ship once they finally docked in Oakland. This wasn’t the first time the organization came to the aid of cruise ship passengers during this crisis, either. Weeks prior, the World Central Kitchen deployed to Japan to feed quarantined passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess.
When states began to order the closure of non-essential businesses mid-March, Andrés turned his closed restaurants into community kitchens in DC and New York. Understanding the sudden economic toll that COVID-19 has had on individuals and families, World Central Kitchen wasted no time to work with partners to distribute food for families in major cities across the U.S, as well as Madrid. Then, on March 23 and 24, Andrés took the initiative to personally drive around D.C. to distribute more than 13,000 N95 respirator masks to front-line healthcare workers, which were leftover from previous initiatives. A true hero in the hospitality industry.
While the days of exploring new countries or enjoying a leisurely meal at your favourite restaurant may now seem a world away, know that things will return to normal eventually. In the meantime, acts of kindness like the ones displayed by members of the hospitality industry offer hopeful encouragement that we will all – somehow – end up on our feet.
Know of other hospitality heroes stepping up to the plate during this crisis? Comment below so we can give them the recognition they deserve.
2 Comments
Deepi Harish
April 7, 2020 at 12:53 pmIn Australia, Canada, UK and US, Sikhs start langar delivery for vulnerable
*Langar = free meal is served to all the visitors
Read more at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/in-oz-canada-uk-us-sikhs-start-langar-delivery-for-vulnerable/articleshow/74720916.cms
Solmaz
April 10, 2020 at 2:49 pmIncredible! Thanks Deepi