Category Archives: Movements

Sushil Kumar Singh, an Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) officer of the 1993 batch, has taken on the additional role of Chairperson of the Mumbai Port Authority. He assumed the position on 1 October, 2024, succeeding Rajov Jalota, who retired on 30 September. Singh is also the Chairperson of the Deendayal Port Authority.

Godwin Group of Hotels appointed Sushil Joshi as their Corporate HR & Training Head. With over 35 years of experience and an award-winning career in top hotel chains such as Carlson Sarovar, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, and Starwood Group, he has held prominent roles and led innovative strategies in business development, revenue generation, and HR practices. His academic credentials include an MBA in Human Resource Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations, solidifying his knowledge and leadership capabilities. Noteworthy among his many accolades is being recognised as the HR Professional of the Year (2019) and receiving the prestigious Golden Globe Tiger Award for his exceptional contributions to the hotel industry. Joshi has been entrusted with overseeing properties in Goa, Haridwar, Meerut, and Gobindgarh Jaisalmer, ensuring continued excellence in Godwin Group of Hotels’ HR practices and growth.

Hyatt Regency Amritsar announced the appointment of Swapnil Dora as the new Executive Chef. With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Chef Dora brings a wealth of culinary expertise, diverse global experience, and a passion for delivering exceptional dining experiences. In his new role, Chef Dora will spearhead the update of food concepts across all outlets, aligning them with current trends and enhancing the culinary offerings for both in-house guests and local patrons. Known for his dynamic approach to food innovation and attention to detail, Chef Dora’s leadership is anticipated to elevate Hyatt Regency Amritsar’s culinary landscape to new heights. Swapnil’s culinary journey is nothing short of inspiring. With a Diploma in Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition from the National Council of Hotel Management, Delhi, he embarked on his career at Hyatt Regency Delhi as a Commis Chef in 1996. Over the years, he has honed his skills and risen through the ranks, contributing to prestigious hotels like Jumeirah Emirates Dubai, Crowne Plaza Dubai, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Al Raha Beach Hotel Abu Dhabi, and Hyatt Hyderabad. Most recently, he led the culinary team at Radisson Blu Bengaluru as the Executive Chef. Chef Dora’s expertise spans various cuisines, including Indian, American, Arabic, and Mediterranean, and he holds certifications in hygiene audits and food safety management, further enhancing the hotel’s commitment to quality and safety. “We are thrilled to have Chef Swapnil Dora lead our culinary team,” said Naveen Yadav, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Amritsar. “His deep knowledge, creativity, and passion for culinary excellence align perfectly with our mission to offer world-class dining experiences. We look forward to the innovation and leadership he will bring to our property.” Chef …

FCM Travel Asia announced the appointment of Gursheel Dhillon as the new Head of Marketing. Dhillon, a seasoned marketer and communicator, has been a pivotal part of the business, overseeing Public Relations and Communications across six key markets in Asia. She was awarded the Global Corporate Marketer of the Year by the ASX-listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) in her first year with the business, securing over 800 media features. She has successfully driven FCM’s narrative in Asia, contributing to growing the brand’s presence across both trade and mainstream media titles while working closely with key stakeholders. Dhillon has crafted winning strategies for diverse businesses in the lifestyle space and boasts an extensive regional network. With over a decade of experience in business, Dhillon is also an award-winning entrepreneur. “With a bank of deep expertise, drive, and productivity, Dhillon has delivered a material impact on the business and has shown us what can be done. FCTG’s ‘Brightness of Future’ initiative encourages every team member to develop their career and explore opportunities within the company.” “We are excited for Gursheel to steer our brand towards new heights in the business travel management landscape,” said Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director, FCM Travel Asia. “I have enjoyed working with our team of agile Marketers, committed to growing the FCM brand by leveraging data to craft ‘Glocal’ marketing strategies that set us apart. I look forward to launching brand new campaigns for an alternative business travel management company like FCM and meeting our customers at our upcoming inaugural FCM Singapore Summit,” added Dhillon.

Switzerland Tourism is pleased to announce Christian Schoch as the new Director India for Switzerland Tourism. Schoch is from Eastern Switzerland and began this role effective April this year. After starting his career in the financial sector, Christian Schoch was quickly drawn to tourism, where he worked in the aviation industry and obtained a degree as a tourism expert. He went on to work in tourism marketing, followed by several positions as marketing manager and project manager in marketing agencies. His appointment marks a significant step in strengthening Switzerland’s presence in the Indian market, a key growing region for the country’s tourism industry. In his new role, Schoch will be responsible for driving tourism strategies, building partnerships, and implementing marketing initiatives to attract Indian tourists to Switzerland. “I am honoured to take on this role and look forward to contributing to the existing growth of Switzerland’s tourism sector in India. I am eager to leverage my experience and collaborate with our partners to highlight the unique attractions, initiatives like Swisstainable, and experiences that Switzerland offers,” said Schoch.    

Cross Hotels & Resorts designated Andrew Hartley as the Vice President of Commercial. With a wealth of 20 years of experience in sales & marketing and commercial operations, Andrew has served in Thailand, Singapore, Australia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Oman within the luxury hotel industry. At Cross, he will be engaged in business growth in the commercial direction at the Bangkok Corporate Office. Before taking on Commercial, Cross Hotels & Resorts, Andrew was the Assistant VP – Strategic Sales & Marketing for Raffles Hotels and Resorts in Cambodia. His previous roles include esteemed positions at prominent hospitality establishments, including Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in the Asia Pacific, Sofitel in Australia, New Zealand & Fiji, and Intercontinental in China.

VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions appoints GB Srithar as the Head of Tourism Services effective 01 February 2024. Srithar joins VFS Global from Singapore Tourism Board (STB), where he spent over 27 years in a career that spanned multiple functions, including Human Resources, Organizational Development, and International Marketing. He notably served as the Area Director for South India & Sri Lanka and was instrumental in leading the International Marketing and Brand Campaigns teams at STB’s headquarters. His last role as the Regional Director saw him responsible for STB’s regional marketing, tourism development, and trade partnership work across India, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Srithar will support our Client Governments by offering specialised services in Travel, Trade, and Tourism Services. This support will add value and enable these governments to achieve their strategic goals of boosting tourism and trade in their respective countries. According to Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global, “GB Srithar is a valuable addition to our team, bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge, and a proven track record. His expertise positions him to lead our efforts with our Client Governments to promote travel, trade, and tourism from key source markets.” GB Srithar, Head, Tourism Services, speaking about his new role said, “I am very pleased to join VFS Global – a very prestigious brand and global leader in its field. VFS Global gives me an incredible opportunity to leverage my experience on a global scale working with our Client Governments to promote and add value to Travel, Trade and Tourism Services in both established and emerging markets.’’ This appointment is very much in line with …

According to the sector’s hiring data unveiled by job site Indeed, job postings and clicks were down by 14% in August 2021 as compared to August 2020. Further, when compared to a pre-pandemic August 2019, hiring activity has witnessed a sharp 62% decline, while job seekers’ interest also plummeted as clicks for these jobs saw a de-growth of 36%. While hiring activity in the sector spiked between November 2020 and January 2021, it immediately began to fall from February 2021, as international and domestic travel was severely impacted due to the second wave of the pandemic. Though clicks seemed to have witnessed a gradual recovery after July, they still witnessed a 48% decline between February 2021 and August 2021. Job postings also witnessed a continuous decline, registering 30% degrowth between February 2021 and August 2021. A city-wise analysis found that Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru led sectoral hiring, while the maximum number of travel and tourism job aspirants emerged from Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, and Kolkata.

Air India Chairman Rajiv Bansal named as the new aviation secretary. Bansal, a 1988 batch lAS officer of Nagaland cadre, will replace Pradeep Singh Kharola, upon his retirement this month-end. As per Personnel Ministry order: Rajaraman will take over the charge from Anshu Prakash who will retire on September 30. Steel Secretary Pradip Kumar Tripathi will be the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Govind Mohan, Additional Secretary in the Department of Home, will be Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Anurag Jain, Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority, will become the Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; K Sanjay Murthy, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited, will be Secretary, Department of Higher Education.

Tourism Fiji has announced the appointment of experienced tourism marketing senior executive, Brent Hill as Chief Executive Officer. Hill, who most recently was the Executive Director of Marketing for the South Australian Tourism Commission, brings over 16 years of experience in tourism and digital marketing, advertising, branding, communications, campaign, and executive strategy to Fiji’s National Tourism Office. He replaces former CEO Matt Stoeckel, whose tenure ended in December 2020. Commenting on Hill’s appointment, Tourism Fiji Chairman  Andre Viljoen said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Brent’s calibre to this critically important role not just for Fijian tourism, but for the Fijian economy. Brent shone through in the extremely rigorous recruitment process initiated and conducted by the Board with PwC’s assistance, for a CEO to lead Tourism Fiji in these unprecedented times, where international tourism activity has been zero for over a year now. His proven expertise, experience and ideas for the industry’s revival are a perfect fit for Fiji’s current requirements. Viljoen added: “When border restrictions ease and travel resumes, Fiji will need dynamism and creativity in marketing itself as an attractive, aspirational and safe destination. We are in the same situation as every other leisure tourism destination in the world. All of us are going for the same markets, which are now smaller with lower discretionary spending ability. Brent is highly regarded in the industry given his many accomplishments, and we will need his wide range of existing relationships and management skills with key global trade partners to market our destination, and his excellent communications skills to rally our industry and stakeholders to a common purpose. His immediate focus will be to work with the Board and Fiji’s extremely …