Dusit International, one of Thailand’s foremost hotel and property development companies, has opened a new Global Sales Office (GSO) in Mumbai, India, to promote Dusit Hotels & Resorts to the country’s vast and fast-growing outbound travel market.
The newly founded office will manage sales across all market segments including leisure, MICE and corporate business. Primarily the team will focus on Tier 1 cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, but will also cover smaller cities which are emerging as important source markets for outbound travel.
Appointed to run the office is Ms Keshwar Bhagat, Director of Sales – GSO India. Ms Bhagat brings with her rich experience working with hospitality companies in India and France, and has solid connections with the travel trade fraternity in India.
She spent three years as project manager of Promosalons: The Global Partner Network of French Trade Shows, almost six years as Promotions Manager at Atout France: France Tourism Development Agency, and prior to joining Dusit International was Director of Sales & Marketing – India for the Akaryn Hotel Group.
In her new role, Ms Bhagat will be responsible for selling all Dusit Hotels & Resorts, establishing marketing partnerships with leading local companies, and preparing inroads for Dusit branded hotels to open in India in three-to-five years. She is fluent in English, French, Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi.
“With the volume of outbound travel increasing by about 25 per cent a year, India is now one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets in the world,” said Mr Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International. “When you consider that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has predicted the number of outbound Indian travelers will reach 50 million by 2020, now is the perfect time for us to open a GSO in the country. Especially as this comes in tandem with our own growth, which will see our current tally of 29 hotels and resorts top 80 worldwide within the next three-to-four years. We are confident that, with Ms Bhagat at the helm, the new GSO will be a huge success.”
About Dusit International
Dusit International was founded in 1948 by Honorary Chairperson Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui, whose first hotel was the Princess on Bangkok’s New Road. Today the company is a leader in hotel management, franchising and education and comprises a unique international portfolio of distinctive hotels and resorts operating under four brands: Dusit Thani, dusitD2, Dusit Princess and Dusit Devarana. The company currently operates 29 properties worldwide and has over 50 confirmed projects in the pipeline in key destinations such as Australia, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and UAE. Dusit International also operates the signature Devarana Spa and has a fast-growing Education Division. The latter, established in 1993, comprises Dusit Thani College, which offers vocational and postgraduate hospitality degrees at campuses in Bangkok and Pattaya; Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School; and the recently opened Dusit Thani Hotel School, which is Thailand”s first hospitality school based on the ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals. In 2018 Dusit will open the pioneering Dusit Hospitality Management College, a unique fully integrated hospitality school and hotel in Manila, Philippines. For more information, please visit www.dusit.com.