Dusit International, the local hotel management company, is preparing for an aggressive international expansion in China, India, the Middle East and Europe, with the help of its new veteran executive.
Giovanni Angelini, who brings with him 16 years of experience at Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, was recently hired by Dusit chief executive Chanin Donavanik to serve as vice-chairman for international operations.
Mr Angelini is seen as playing a vital role in the rapid and sustainable growth of the Thai hotel chain as it seeks to expand its portfolio both domestically and worldwide.
"My responsibility is to advise the shareholders on strategic issues, management structure and efficiency, the quality of our hardware and software, our standards and brand positioning and of course our expansion and growth activities," said Mr Angelini.
The company will open three hotels in the Middle East in the coming years - the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, the Dusit Thani Dilmunia Bahrain and the Dusit Thani Jeddah.
Its first hotel in China will open its doors next year, the Dusit Thani Sanya, while six hotels are being developed in India including the Dusit Devarana New Delhi, the Dusit Devarana Jaipur, the Dusit Devarana Rishikesh, the Dusit Thani Goa and the Dusit D2 New Delhi.
The hotel company recently opened its first development office in Hong Kong, while a new regional sales office is planned soon for Shanghai.
"Thailand is known as a tourist destination, offering great culture, friendly people, great resorts, excellent food, well-being and more," said Mr Angelini.
"I believe this country will continue to prosper from tourist arrivals and spending. Europe is and will remain the largest source of business, while China and India have strong potential to increase their tourism here. Of course, these two countries need a lot of attention and qualified personnel to handle their tourists.
"With the expansion of the middle class in China, India, Brazil and many other countries, these people want to travel. I remain very positive about tourism on a global basis, and Thailand will definitely benefit. The infrastructure here, of course, needs to be refined, and Thailand should spend more on promoting itself as a destination."
He said Dusit's marketing strategy will focus on online channels in line with digital trends.
Several online marketing campaigns have already been introduced, while the new face of the company's website (http://www.dusit.com), in English, Chinese and Japanese, is hoped will drive up revenue and brand awareness.
This week, Dusit will introduce its website for mobile phones and add Arabic to the language choices.
Mr Angelini said achieving a strong market position requires developing well-trained and efficient professionals who work as a team towards a shared objective.
The team must take the initiative to exceed guest expectations, solving any problems that may occur while honing their expertise.
"Ours is a labour-intensive industry, one that requires passionate people, and my motto has always been 'hire for attitude and train for skills'," said Mr Angelini.
He said it is also a people-oriented business, and catering to some of the most personal needs of guests entails some interesting challenges.
"It's important for anyone involved in this business to understand fully what the hotel industry sells and how to respond to it," said Mr Angelini.
"At the end of the day, we still have to be profitable while at the same time helping employees to achieve their personal and professional goals."
Source
Giovanni Angelini, who brings with him 16 years of experience at Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, was recently hired by Dusit chief executive Chanin Donavanik to serve as vice-chairman for international operations.
Mr Angelini is seen as playing a vital role in the rapid and sustainable growth of the Thai hotel chain as it seeks to expand its portfolio both domestically and worldwide.
"My responsibility is to advise the shareholders on strategic issues, management structure and efficiency, the quality of our hardware and software, our standards and brand positioning and of course our expansion and growth activities," said Mr Angelini.
The company will open three hotels in the Middle East in the coming years - the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, the Dusit Thani Dilmunia Bahrain and the Dusit Thani Jeddah.
Its first hotel in China will open its doors next year, the Dusit Thani Sanya, while six hotels are being developed in India including the Dusit Devarana New Delhi, the Dusit Devarana Jaipur, the Dusit Devarana Rishikesh, the Dusit Thani Goa and the Dusit D2 New Delhi.
The hotel company recently opened its first development office in Hong Kong, while a new regional sales office is planned soon for Shanghai.
"Thailand is known as a tourist destination, offering great culture, friendly people, great resorts, excellent food, well-being and more," said Mr Angelini.
"I believe this country will continue to prosper from tourist arrivals and spending. Europe is and will remain the largest source of business, while China and India have strong potential to increase their tourism here. Of course, these two countries need a lot of attention and qualified personnel to handle their tourists.
"With the expansion of the middle class in China, India, Brazil and many other countries, these people want to travel. I remain very positive about tourism on a global basis, and Thailand will definitely benefit. The infrastructure here, of course, needs to be refined, and Thailand should spend more on promoting itself as a destination."
He said Dusit's marketing strategy will focus on online channels in line with digital trends.
Several online marketing campaigns have already been introduced, while the new face of the company's website (http://www.dusit.com), in English, Chinese and Japanese, is hoped will drive up revenue and brand awareness.
This week, Dusit will introduce its website for mobile phones and add Arabic to the language choices.
Mr Angelini said achieving a strong market position requires developing well-trained and efficient professionals who work as a team towards a shared objective.
The team must take the initiative to exceed guest expectations, solving any problems that may occur while honing their expertise.
"Ours is a labour-intensive industry, one that requires passionate people, and my motto has always been 'hire for attitude and train for skills'," said Mr Angelini.
He said it is also a people-oriented business, and catering to some of the most personal needs of guests entails some interesting challenges.
"It's important for anyone involved in this business to understand fully what the hotel industry sells and how to respond to it," said Mr Angelini.
"At the end of the day, we still have to be profitable while at the same time helping employees to achieve their personal and professional goals."
Source