Global Tourism expert tell APIIT MBA students drive regional tourism
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Group CEO Minor International and CEO of Avani and Anantara hotels Dillip Rajakarier
The strongest Industry linked MBA in Sri Lanka – The Staffordshire University MBA at Asia Pacific Institute of Technology( APIIT), had the privilege of hosting one of the top Global Tourism experts- the Group CEO Minor International/ CEO Avani&AnantaraHotels DillipRajakarier last week at the weekly “APIIT MBA Diaries”
Rajakarier, is at the helm of driving the 536 hotel properties in Europe, Africa, Americas and Asia Pacific and was responsible for acquisition of 94.1% shareholding of the top company NH Hotel group for 2327 million Euro and voiced that the pandemic has driven destination marketing companies to focus on regional tourism and target the Z generation also known as Zoomers. These are essentially those who are born mid to late 1990’s.
Explaining the characteristics of the Z generation he says that the families of such people are diverse in their norm, they are strongly digital, very pragmatic and financially minded, and they get excited to mental health challenges and are termed shrewd consumers.
So we must learn to change our communication to this new generation. Sri Lanka will have no option but move to attract this new group of consumers with family travel which means that we have to go through severe changes to the Sri Lanka tourism product said Group CEO Rajakarier who has two strong brands Avani and Anantara in Sri Lanka.
Interviewed by former Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Dr Rohantha Athukorala at the APIIT MBA Diaries webinar, Rajakarier went on to be very optimistic on Sri Lanka Tourism stating that ‘we will rebound quicker than expected as Sri Lanka has a record of being very resilient- be it the tsunami, Easter attacks, the bombings during the war or the civil riots that was experienced.
Keeping an economy closed is not the ideal way to react to the pandemic said Rajakarier. We must learn to wear mask, practice social distancing and get back to business he said.
APIIT has staged top business personalities weekly to address the country via the “APIIT MBA Diaries” which so far Included personalities such as Global branding guru Simon Anholt, Unilever Chairperson Hajar Alifafi, Ambassordor to China Palitha Kohonna, Nestle Managing Director Fabrice Cavallin and very recently the Sri Lankan Ambassordor to Belgium, Luxembourg and Head of the Mission to European Union Grace Asiriwathan.
Next week we have the top expert from the Stock Exchange said Dr Athukorala.