Page 39 - July 2022 ATM Special Issue 608

á``MÉ```«`°S

Jeremy Canivet

(Executive Assistant Manager i/c of Sales, Marketing & PR The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain):

We are the most innovative hotel in
Bahrain and number one in guest
satisfaction in the Middle East

true Ritz-Carlton Gentleman, Jeremy Canivet, Executive Assistant Manager i/c
Aof Sales, Marketing & PR, joined The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain in September 2018.
Through his hard work and dedication, he successfully led the team during these
unprecedented times, maintaining the five-star property as the top provider of
luxury experiences in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Jeremy’s purposeful leadership,
commitment and adaptability make him the ideal candidate for this important role,
and he continues to elevate the entire Sales and Marketing division to the next level,
as well as helping with the operation of the overall property. Canivet believes that
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain has always provided unparalleled service excellence along
with the most luxurious facilities in the Kingdom and his ambition is to continuously
elevate this vision and the overall guest experience while at the same time attaining
financial goals.
Al Bayan Magazine met Canivet and conducted the following interview.

• The travel and tourism sectors in the world are expecting a ly well with the restrictions in place, we opened up a private beach on
return to pre-pandemic levels and to witness significant growth. our private island called La Plage, we brought La Dolce Vita which is
What is your comment? our new beach front bar which is located right in the middle of the
- The comeback has been outstanding once Bahrain reduced the resort’s 600 meters of white sand beach. We continually evolved our
restrictions related to Covid-19. Bahrain managed the global pan- offering to adapt to the current restrictions by keeping distances and
demic exceptionally well and it was recognized by the World Health spaces between our 23 villas with private beach and pools. We also
Organization many times over the past 2 years. Once they relaxed the kept all our staff, sometimes the easiest thing to do during a crisis is
restrictions, the borders opened and the travelers came. We have to cut your greatest expense which is your labor force but we didn’t do
seen incredible results since mid-2021 which are much better than that, on the contrary we protected everybody because we knew that
pre-pandemic levels. We’ve been riding that wave of success in 2022 when all this ends, there will be a resurgence and when you have a
and our occupancies were high as well as the spirits, and people are resurgence you need to be equipped to manage expectations. People
enjoying their stay and we hope this will continue. want luxury, they want to be treated properly, they don’t want to have
new people who are not trained, they want to have people who know
• Do you think the mentality of travelers and tourists changed how to deliver luxury already and this is what we have so we were
post-covid pandemic? ready when business started coming back and we were able to take
care of our guests and remain number one in guest satisfaction in the
- I think the goal now is to get out of the house and try any place dif- Middle East.
ferent than just their own home. They have managed to save up what
they normally would spend on travel in the past. So, they have money • What are your expectations for 2022?
to spend and they want to enjoy their time. This means not just look-
- I think we will see this resurgence continue, there still will be a little
ing for a standard room category but looking for a suite or even book-
ing a villa, enjoying the resort facilities and food & beverage & spend- bit of hesitation when it comes to long-haul international travel, we will
have to think twice before they get to a place for maybe ten hours.
ing more than they normally would. With respect to hygiene, all our
guests are aware of our protocols that is why adapting to the new That benefits short-haul destinations in the GCC from Bahrain, we are
starting to see new markets coming back, Israel started to produce for
Covid-19 protocols took only a few minor adjustments. Our commit-
ment to cleanliness should actually be adapted by everyone in order the Kingdom of Bahrain and for Ritz-Carlton, we are seeing our UK
business started to come back a little bit as well as France and Italy.
to create peace of mind for tourists and visitors.
The return to pre-pandemic levels is there and I think it will continue
to grow into 2023 and beyond and
• What is your strategy to attract
2022 will continue to be an incredibly
visitors and maintain the
occupancy rate? strong year. The Bahrain Tourism
Authority is putting a lot of money
- We are not a new hotel but we are investing in the destination of Bahrain;
probably the most innovative hotel in this is something which they haven’t
the Kingdom of Bahrain. During the done really in the past but they are
pandemic, we didn’t just sit back and working so hard to promote Bahrain as
hoped for better days to come but we a destination. This will work well and
decided to play a part in those better pay dividends. People want an alterna-
days. We breathed life in our pop-up tive to Dubai and they want authentici-
concept Nikmati and brought chefs ty, culture and nightlife as well as enjoy
from around the world and brought great dining and rest on the beautiful
new concepts to the Kingdom, there beaches during daytime. This is what
was outdoor dining and it worked real- Bahrain is offering.

39 AL BA Y AN ECONOMIC MAG - ISSUE 608 - JULY 2022