Upaul Majumdar is the general manager of Soaltee Crowne Plaza since 2015. Having more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he won the title of best General Manager of Asia on July 31 under CMO Asia Awards 2018. Republica’s Arpana Ale Magar talked with him on various issues including leadership in the hospitality sector, and tourism development. Excerpts: 
 
How are you feeling after receiving the title of ‘Best General Manager of Asia’?
I think it’s a fabulous recognition. Not just for me but for my team at Soaltee Crown Plaza and also for Nepal, it is a proud moment. And right now I am feeling like I am on the top of the world after receiving this award. 

So, what is the key behind your success? 
See, I joined Soaltee in July 2015, the time when the industry was struggling to overcome damages caused by the earthquake. To overcome that challenge, we really worked hard as a team. Well, I was the architect of the plan so I put the right people in the right place and drove it with the commitment and passion that we had to be the best. As Soaltee was the first five-star rated hotel of Nepal, we had to continue that legacy, and that’s where the journey started. 

Many times you are in a challenging situation when you actually come up with great innovative ideas. You start looking at everything you do through a different angle. And the dream comes true when we work as a team fulfilling our own respective responsibilities. 

What it requires to be a leader? 
The first thing is that as a leader, you have to be ready to share. Share your learning and viewpoint in an equal manner. Second, you need to empower the employees. Third, you need to play the role of a coach and counselor rather than being a judge and rating the other person low. Fourth, you need help people be accountable. I let my staff think for their own decision, which creates a sense of ownership. And the sense of ownership makes you accountable. Ultimately, it is the team work that matters. 

How do you find the current hospitality sector of Nepal?
Currently the hospitality sector of the country is divided into two types. One is traditional business and the other is new international ventures. I see huge gap between the two. There are few hotels in Nepal that are somewhere between these two -- traditional with international service standards. But if there are more international brands coming in, the standards are also set to go up. Certain level of guarantee and assurance will come in. And that is really the way to go about. 

Do you think there is more supply and less demand in the hotel sector?
The government is aware and it is taking steps in the right direction. More international airports are being constructed in the country. Besides, Nepal has signed various agreements to build rail and road networks with both the neighboring countries -- India and China -- which will also bring in multitude of tourists. Though there are more hotels coming up and also a lot of work has been done to get people in. So, may be it will take one or two more years but definitely the gap will be bridged. 

What are the challenges of hotel sector in the country?
The major challenge is policy. The current policies are not tourist-friendly. They are not infrastructure and investment friendly. So I feel a lot needs to be done along that direction. Tourism is very investment-heavy and I feel this investment needs to be incentivized. So the challenge is how to bring in more investment, because everyone who invests will look at the return on investment. And if the return is better somewhere else then the investors will go there. 

The second major challenge is lack of skilled manpower. Most people want to go abroad and they don’t want to work in Nepal. And we have issues with quality of education. There are many academic institutes here, but we are not sure that their quality. There has to be a common ground and a connection between what the industry needs and what the educational institutes give. 

What are the new things that Soaltee is planning for future?
Soaltee is coming up with a new health club, and gym and spa facilities. We are working toward moving some of our restaurants outdoor. Then we are looking for introducing Nepali culture in the 176 heritage rooms. Tourists come here to experience the beauty of Nepal so we will be opening these classic heritage Nepali rooms by mid-October. And of course, we will continue improving and innovating.

 
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