The government is doing its level best to revive the economy following Covid-19 fallout by implementing various forms of activities, including stimulus packages and waiver of business head costs.
However, the business community still does not seem to be satisfied with the progress of the trade revival. It appears that one important part of the business formula seems to be missing: The customer engagement. Unless customers are confident enough to get involved in business, economic activities cannot pick up as desired.
Covid-19 has created a sort of loss of confidence among customers and something must be done to reverse this symptom. Most people go out to buy only perishable grocery items. Other businesses such as boutiques, clothes, shoes, perfume shops are almost empty.
The most affected sector by far is the tourism industry which encompasses restaurants and hotels. Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s attempt to consider the UK’s ‘eat out to help out’ programme where the government pays half of the bills of customers and reduces the VAT from 20 per cent to 5pc of restaurants (GDN, July 12) to build customer confidence is an excellent point to start with. It will likely encourage people to flock to restaurants and cafés.
Hotels can also devise promotions to attract local customers. People are fed up with being locked down in their homes and badly need to go out and discover their surroundings. As travel out of the kingdom is limited, people are expecting ‘staycation’ where they can take vacation without leaving the kingdom.
If five-star hotels afford two- or three-star prices without compromising their top services, I believe they will get good number of local customers. The hotels can do some business even at lower prices which is better than doing nothing or expecting overseas customers, where nobody knows when they will turn up.
A family living in a crowded area such as Hoora or Gudaibiya, staying at the Ritz Carlton hotel for a couple of days/nights is more than a vacation and a good experience worth remembering.
Customer engagement remains the core to the revival of businesses. While the government is assisting in cutting business head costs, customers (the public) should come forward, involve and revitalise business activities.
Abu Mohammed
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