Northstar

PEOPLE www.travelweeklyweb.com A chat with… Glenn de Souza, Vice-president International Operations, Asia and Middle East, Best Western International How does a hotelier who made it twice, to the Middle East's annual Power List look like? Well, he is poised and exudes the kind of professional charm that defines hospitality. He speaks with clear diction, firm yet friendly. A hospitality industry veteran, he possesses an extensive international travel expertise, has established relationships with travel agencies, tour operators and multinational accounts. He has held senior positions with other hotel brands, including Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Omni Hotels, Accor and Furama. He also served as general manager for the Hotel Sofitel Palm Resort in Malaysia. This issue, we speak to Glenn de Souza, Best Western's vice-president, International Operations, Asia and Middle East, to learn more about his forte – the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets. Q. You made the list for Hotelier Middle East's annual Power 50 list, at number 25! How do you feel about it and what advice would you give to hoteliers who aspire to be on that list? A. I'm very happy to be on that list and it takes many years of being in the industry to get to where we are. It's important to understand how the Middle East market functions, the differences in delivering your language, the kind of ethics that are expected. Q. I understand that you head the brand management and development across Asia and Middle East. You also direct the company's regional sales and marketing efforts. Being a notable veteran in the industry, can you comment on how the strategies or methods in sales and marketing have changed throughout the years? A. The methods have drastically changed; from how we speak and how the consumption pattern has taken up the market shares in the past few years. Now, majority of the bookings are made through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and through our own distribution, which accounts for about 20 to 25 per cent for our city hotels and 19 per cent for resorts. Mobile devices such as through the iPad app, and also via the android platform have also made sales and marketing approaches different, putting a different switch to the hospitality scene. Q. One of your bigger projects in the Middle East will be to introduce the Best Western brand to Iraq. That sounds like quite a challenge. 6 | ■ TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA | DECEMBER 2013 How do you plan to execute this? A. We don't see it as a challenge and we have the demand in the market, so we are looking forward to introduce the brand. We are looking at having more than 80 rooms, with two near the airports and one in the city and we aim to do this by 2015. The conversion rate at the moment is around 40 per cent and domestic travellers form some 77 per cent of the take up rate here. Iraq and the Middle East in general, has changed drastically. We have the passion and the commitment to this project and I look forward to carving a deeper impression of our Best Western brand here in this market. Q. Comparing this entry to Iraq, to entering a new market like Myanmar, which would you say is more challenging? A. We have a property in Yangon, and currently we are looking at having another in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw. The market in Myanmar is different, and the good thing is that it is indeed opening up. There is a shortage of room supply in Myanmar so we hope to address that through the opening of more properties in the market. I think we will need at least another ten years to really see the dynamics of our efforts for the tourism market in Myanmar. Q. Let's talk about the brand's expansion and presence in Asia. Recently, I understand that Best Western has opened a new property in Jakarta, the Best Western Mega Kuningan. There are also plans to open at least five more properties in Jakarta in the next two years. Is Indonesia the next emerging market for midscale hotel brands? A. Indeed, Indonesia is also opening up, particularly for the domestic travel scene. Jakarta is becoming a highly important commercial and political hub, as the world continues to look eastwards, towards the booming Asia-Pacific region. In total, we plan to have over 31 hotels in Indonesia. Q. What, in your opinion are the determining factors that lead to returning guests and brand recall for hotel chains? A. I believe in working hard, in passion and perseverance. I also think that as an ambassador for a hospitality brand, we ought to present ourselves well; it's in the way we groom ourselves, the way we speak. I've seen many young accommodation owners who are not very patient and are not very transparent in their way of dealing with their businesses. To create a good brand, it's also about relationships, and for us, it's about quality and the value and experience we present to our guests. www.travelweeklyweb.com

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