Newsmaker

Sarbendra Sarkar founded Cygnett Hotels and Resorts in 2014 when the marketplace was already ruled by many domestic and international players. But his rich experience and tenacity are allowing him to blaze a trail forward

As co-founder of Bangkok-based tour operator and DMC, Smiling Albino, Daniel Fraser provides insight on how to survive the changing currents of the industry post-lockdown and stay successful in Thailand

What started as a means to offer advice to solo female travellers has since transformed into a 180,000-member community as well as a registered agency organising small women-only tours. Even with the accelerated progress of the group, Solo Female Travelers' co-founder Mar Pages never lost sight of its primary goal – to empower women through travel

PATA Sri Lanka Chapter welcomed its youngest-ever chairperson in July – Dmitri Cooray, who at 30 years old is also operations manager at Jetwing Hotels. He reflects on one of the most turbulent times in the history of Sri Lankan tourism

In November, Catherine Germier-Hamel stepped into the shoes of chief executive officer at Destination Mekong at a time when the region was starting to reopen. She is now tasked with helping ease regional tourism recovery and steer rebound in a more sustainable direction

The biggest difference in analysing big data pre-pandemic and post-lockdown is that many travel insights then do not apply in the current recovery stage anymore. Dawn Jeremiah, vice president, marketing & ecommerce, APAC, Go City, sheds light on how to navigate the new digital trends and leverage customer data to cater to them

Asia cruise industry veteran Michael Goh rises from the ashes of Dream Cruises to lead a familiar team back to business under the new organisation, Resorts World Cruises. As president and head of international sales, Goh welcomes the opportunity to reimagine a whole new cruise line that is backed by three decades of experience

With traveller optimism at an all-time high and many countries vying for the tourism dollar, Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison is working hard to ensure Australia is perceived as one of the most desirable holiday destinations on the planet

Hotelier Lim Boon Kwee takes up the education mantle for the hospitality industry as new CEO of Shatec Institutes, and he is determined to amplify the allure of the profession he has so loved for almost four decades

Tourism is stirring back to life, and Cambodia Airports has thrown its full weight behind the kingdom’s efforts to regain visitors. Chief commercial officer Stephen King sheds light on the organisation's approach to new markets, airport expansion, marketing plans and the country's rebound