This, in turn, will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team, or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller: How do you keep up your partner’s morale during difficult times?

GB Srithar: We are more than a year into a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on many economic and social fronts across the world. For international travel and tourism, it has been a near-complete standstill,  till recently. Partnerships and collaborations are critical to the recovery of the tourism industry.

The current condition necessitates that leaders demonstrate the ability to improve business partnerships, accelerate transformation, and support employees through these challenging times. Empathetic leadership and enhanced communication with stakeholders, trade partners, and the overall travel tourism community are now more necessary than ever.

Since COVID-19, STB India has been constantly engaging our partners to show our solidarity, and to discuss how to make travel better, safer, and more seamless as we plan for travel to re-start. Early on as the pandemic unfolded in the first quarter of last year, STB India had ramped up our engagement efforts.

Adopting the #UnitedWeStand trade engagement theme, we communicated, through virtual platforms, e-newsletters and videos, messages of solidarity and unity with the travel fraternity. We conducted update sessions and webinars on Destination Singapore to upskill our partners’ leisure and MICE product knowledge.

We opened up our virtual STB Marketing College to enable travel agents to develop their marketing skills. Such initiatives offered opportunities for India and Singapore travel trade partners and stakeholders to establish new connections and strengthen existing relations and prepare for the restart of international travel and tourism.

To ensure that Singapore remains top of mind prior to the resumption of travel, STB India has been actively engaging consumers to strengthen Singapore’s brand and destination image. STB, along with our stakeholders, has been leveraging digital technology for consumer outreach for several years now. We stepped up our digital marketing efforts to engage consumers meaningfully since mid-2020. 

Under what I term “aggressive passive marketing”, (and yes, it is an oxymoron term), since we could not engage in tactical marketing to bring travelers to Singapore, we stepped up virtual efforts through partners to bring Singapore to the travelers.

It is important to continue engaging and entertaining consumers in such extraordinary times, so as to keep Singapore alive in their hearts and minds. We had innovatively partnered with brands such as Zomato, BookMyShow, NH7 Weekender, Windmill Festival, St+art India Foundation, National Geographic, and Tripoto.

In all of these collaborations, Indian artists and influencers had worked with Singaporean artists to showcase their passions and talents and connect with the Indian audiences virtually, through story-telling and showcasing of Singapore as an attractive tourism destination.

Today’s Traveller: .A major milestone which shaped you as a Leader

GB Srithar: The major milestone was my posting to India. With more than two decades at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), I am delighted to have been posted to India twice.

In my previous avatar as an HR professional in STB, I had the opportunity to perform HR management, development, change management, and organisation development roles. I was posted to India as Area Director in April 2010. I had enjoyed my close-to-4 years’ stint, doing various leisure, enrichment, and PR projects and established good networks in the travel trade. After a couple of years in STB HQ’s International Marketing and Brand Campaigns teams, I returned as Regional Director to India in mid-2016.

The work in India has certainly made me grow as a leader. Drawing from my HR experience and strong belief in people-before-results, I have the pleasure of leading a strong and creative team here to deliver very interesting, innovative, and meaningful projects. I am happy and humbled by the strong and meaningful relationships we have established with the travel trade across India. We have embarked on many travel promotion and consumer outreach projects with them.

After the successful launch of STB’s brand campaign, ‘Passion Made Possible,’ in 2017, we have successfully engaged in brand partnerships that present Singapore in fresh perspectives to the Indian audiences. We worked on several unique collaborations with brands like Dharma Productions, Ola, Paytm, Tripoto, VOOT, Vh1, St+art India Foundation, and Zomato.

These projects helped showcase the diverse offerings of Singapore and keep the city as a top choice destination. In the MICE and Cruise sectors, we also worked closely with the trade fraternity to position Singapore as an ideal destination for meetings and incentive travel and cruise holidays.

Today’s Traveller: How do you approach a challenge?

GB Srithar: I see work challenge as an opportunity. An opportunity to get creative, work with a motivated team (that includes internal staff and external partner-friends), and deliver meaningful results that we ourselves can get surprised and enthused by.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge that Singapore Tourism has faced in its 56-year history. Travel world-over has taken a major hit during the pandemic and it will take a while for recovery to happen. Our approach to this challenge is to focus on two areas: strong travel trade partnership engagement and innovative, engaging consumer outreach projects.

We will continue our goal of getting Singapore even closer to the hearts and minds of Indian consumers by drawing on our team’s strengths and dedication to quality work and cultivating stronger travel trade relationships. Staying calm, planning for the immediate and longer-term future concurrently, and having resilience key in approaching challenges.

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you have learnt during Covid-19 Pandemic?

GB Srithar: In times of uncertainty, resilience is the key to success. Developing resilience entails humility, which will enable us to be better listeners and learners who can respond to the concerns of our consumers efficiently.

The current COVID-19 environment presents an opportunity for Singapore to reimagine tourism and design safe experiences for visitors through innovative formats and digital adoption. Hybrid events are expected to be the norm, blending virtual and physical elements while retaining the ‘live’ aspect that fulfills the need to connect and network.

The integration of technology into the visitor experience, such as digital guides and contactless registration, will also become mainstream. Singapore is breaking new grounds in these areas. Together with our industry partners, we will present Singapore as one of the world’s leading destinations for safe, trusted, and innovative business events & leisure tourism. Working with our Indian partner-friends, we will engage the Indian consumers and welcome them to Singapore when the time is right.

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

GB Srithar: Listening to music is vital for me. I enjoy meditative and inspirational music to perk me up and keep me enthused through the day.

Today’s Traveller: Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction.

GB Srithar: It has to be swimming. I love being in the pool, doing laps, and then just relaxing. It also helps me think through calmly on matters.

Read More: Corporate Connect

This, in turn, will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team, or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller: How do you keep up your team’s morale?

Sammy Yahia: This past year has been a challenging one for the entire world, but particularly testing for the tourism industry.  The team at the Israel Ministry of Tourism in India, though small, is a passionate team that has continued its efforts in promoting Israel throughout the pandemic.

 As the Director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s India office, I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that my team, which is truly my strength, continues to find the work to be challenging and yet enjoyable.

By creating transparency within our team, and providing an environment that nurtures their creativity, not only helped create a better connection with our partners, but has also maintained a healthy, productive, and cohesive work environment.

Today’s Traveller: A major milestone which shaped you as a Leader

Sammy Yahia: I began working at a very young age, using this opportunity to explore different avenues to find my passion.  At first, it was within my neighbourhood, helping local businesses, though as time went on and I started to focus on what I enjoyed, so I attended university to enhance my skills and learn new ones.

In 2000 I founded The Back Door, a resto-lounge in my hometown of Haifa, a beautiful port city steeped in history, culture, and diversity.  It was here that I learned some of my most valuable lessons in business and in life. 

Through all the trials and tribulations, I learned the values of hard work, running my own business, and the most important asset for any successful business – the people.  The team that worked for me was one of the most important factors that contributed to my professional growth and success.

The experiences at my businesses have helped me face many challenges from all sides and taught me how to overcome them.  All of this has led me here, to India, and has helped me promote all the amazing things about my homeland, Israel. 

Today’s Traveller: How do you approach a challenge?

Sammy Yahia: When a challenge presents itself, I see it as an opportunity to learn something new.  I believe that every challenge has multiple solutions.

 I tackle every challenge with the same level of dedication.  By analysing the issue, identifying different angles of approach, selecting the most advantageous solution, and strategizing an effective execution. I have tried many different methods to successfully overcome a challenge, but this is the method I have found to be the most favourable. 

All of this is possible with the right attitude combined with support from a strong team, in India and Israel, which has made navigating tricky situations less challenging.

Today’s Traveller: What are the learnings during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Sammy Yahia: 2020 was a year that started with immense promise but all that changed when the pandemic was announced a few weeks later.  It has been an extremely challenging time, where many people had to adjust to new routines overnight. 

However, this pandemic has also presented many opportunities to learn new skills, as well as revisit past passions. I have learned many valuable things this last year though the most important, for me, was patience.

Patience is an understated trait, especially in today’s technology-driven world.  This last year has taught me the value of slowing down, cherishing the people in my life, and optimising the work that I do, while keeping up with the constant unknown around us.  All these experiences led to the most exciting change for me, I have found an amazing woman who I will marry this year.

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

Sammy Yahia: Work is one of the few things that I cannot miss, though I am not a workaholic. I enjoy the work that I do as on many occasions it has led me to different countries like India and the Philippines where I am the Director of Tourism.

My work has exposed me to different cultures, where I have met with people from different parts of the world who share the same interest in travel as me, and I am introduced to new and interesting ways of experiencing life.

Today’s Traveller: Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction?

Sammy Yahia: I like to be busy but also slow down and explore my creativity.  I enjoy cooking and experimenting with Mediterranean flavours. I also enjoy painting, something I have also picked up during the last year.

 Being in the tourism industry, travel is an underlying passion for most of us, and the same is for me. I love travelling to different cities and countries, learning about their customs and cultures.  

On many of my travels, I have found some beautiful antiques that have made their way back home with me.  Another one of my passions is vintage cars.  When I was in Haifa, I used to work on my vintage car, and now that she is restored, I enjoy going on long drives, with the top down, all over Israel.

Read More: Corporate Connect

This, in turn, will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller: How do you keep up your team’s morale? `

Neliswa Nkani: Over the years I have learnt that honest, transparent communication – across all hierarchical levels – is key to building a team that is efficient and motivated. Simple steps like communicating frequently, intentionally acknowledging efforts and acting on feedback, makes the team feel valued, creates a sense of true belonging and motivates a positive working environment – thus optimizing morale. I am grateful to have a bunch of optimists for a team.

 However, through the course of the pandemic, the one thing we all missed was human interaction, making it imperative to hold everybody together via virtual calls and meetings.

Little things matter, and we learnt that it was important to reach out to our colleagues and immediate teams with empathy. It could be as simple as asking them how they are, or just talking about their day, and actively listening to what they have to say.

I also make sure to enquire about their families and loved ones and celebrate little milestones with them. At the end of the day when it comes to my team – people that matter to them also matter to me, because my team matters to me.

 Today’s Traveller: A major milestone that shaped you as a Leader

Neliswa Nkani: As surprising as it may sound, motherhood made me a far more empathetic, disciplined and resilient leader. Being a parent meant that I was completely responsible for another life and that my time had to be managed intentionally; it taught me to stay grounded, focused and determined.

Understanding my son’s uniqueness and individual strengths, values and passions, helped me recognize, draw out and utilize talents across my team.

Children are never predictable, that meant having to learn to be extremely agile and adaptable. It also taught me when to be persistent, and when to allow space to grow and make mistakes. Mothers naturally develop instincts that help them be more detail-oriented and make people-centric, empathetic decisions.

These are qualities that build good leaders, by allowing them to preempt challenges and inspire teams to rise to the occasion.

Today’s Traveller: How do you approach a challenge?

Neliswa Nkani: Challenges excite me! They are what make my job fun and contribute in a large way to the satisfaction I derive out of my work. I believe that most challenges can be overcome by logical and creative thinking and basic common sense. I write down my goal – however unrealistic it seems at the time – and then detail out practical steps to get there.

This one thing I know for sure – in the end, the only thing that holds us back is fear. Some risks may be greater than others, but all things that matter usually come at a cost. So, step away from fear – be fearless. At the end of the day, fear is nothing but the unknown. Put in the research, the time and the groundwork, and watch solutions emerge! Anything that does not speak is not a challenge.

Today’s Traveller: What is the one thing that you have learnt during the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Neliswa Nkani: The lockdown provided a lot more time and fodder for introspection. I realized that we lose alignment in the daily hustle-bustle of life. I was able to reorient and focus on all dimensions of personal wellness – physical, spiritual, mental and emotional.

This means that I make conscious efforts to meditate, exercise more often, be mindful of my diet, read voraciously and spend quality time with friends and family. I have also learnt to look within – we can only give what we have, so to make an impact on society we must first work on ourselves.

Happiness is not too complicated or aspirational, and joy can be found in the smallest of things if we remain purposeful and positive. Your mind is your only home – so keep feeding it with all things good!

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

 Neliswa Nkani: Having at least one meal a day with my son – this could either be breakfast or dinner, coupled with hearty conversation. His smile is the one thing I cannot do without.

Today’s Traveller: Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction.

Neliswa Nkani: At the end of a long day, I make sure to de-stress. De-stressing, for me, is an internal process. I usually journal and put things down on paper to get more clarity and clear my mind – plus I believe that writing always lends a different perspective.

Long walks through serene and tranquil paths surrounded by nature also help. Through the years, I have realized that sounds play an important role in calming me down – the gentle crashing of waves and the chirping of birds are almost therapeutic.

During the lockdown, I revisited by enthusiasm for physical activities; I continue to enjoy skipping, cardio, swimming, running and lots of laughter! A simple intentional smile or uncontrollable, wholehearted laughter – both go a long way in enhancing the ‘feel-good factor’.

Read More: Interview

This in turn will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller: How do you keep up your team’s morale?

Sunjae Sharma: I believe that propagating a culture of care and understanding in the workplace goes a long way in motivating people and enabling them to become the best version of themselves.

It’s important to communicate with people and not limit oneself to a structured strait-laced approach. My practice is to pick up the phone and speak directly to team members and they’re encouraged to do the same. This allows for constant communication and a level of comfort from both sides, that we know we can approach each other whenever required.

It’s also important for the team to see that all team members, senior or junior and their contemporaries are contributing to the common goal of giving our best to our guests, owners and colleagues. Transparency, team spirit and open channels of communication help build morale.

Today’s Traveller: A major milestone which shaped you as a Leader

Sunjae Sharma: In a career of over three decades, there have been many such milestones. Difficult to pinpoint just one.

Today’s Traveller: How do you approach a challenge?

Sunjae Sharma: I see challenges as opportunities and not failures. It is a mindset that I encourage amongst my colleagues as well. Nothing worthwhile comes easy and naysayers are always out in full force. One can either choose to dwell on failures—or learn from them or keep evolving. I tend to lean towards the latter.

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you have learnt during Covid-19 Pandemic?

Sunjae Sharma: That all adversities can translate into opportunities. 

On a personal level, I realised that I needed to spend more time with my family and even on myself. We are constantly running from pillar to post and often don’t take the time out to just sit with each other and share much needed moments together. This pandemic has allowed me much needed time with loved ones and to concentrate on my own health and well-being. 

On the professional front, we learnt to reimagine and re-energise how our hotels function. We were able to focus on rolling out enhanced digital amenities which will allow guests to socially distance according to their preferences – provide them more control over how they connect with hotel management.

Both personally and professionally, the lesson was to rethink, reimagine and ultimately rejuvenate.

Today’s Traveller: What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

Sunjae Sharma: I love the music of the Beatles and I’ve been able to spend even more time listening to my album collection. 

Today’s Traveller: Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction?

Sunjae Sharma: There are few things as mentally invigorating and relaxing as reading a good book. The books which have stayed with me are Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl about his time and experiences while incarcerated in a Nazi concentration camp, and A Stone For Danny Fischer.

Read More: Corporate Connect

This in turn will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller: A major milestone that shaped you as a Leader?

Nikhil Sharma: The hospitality industry is a wonderful industry to be a part of and I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with various mentors who have been instrumental in helping to shape my career. Patu Keswani, who taught me the importance of looking at the business holistically stands out as one of many mentors that best supported me on my career path.

Today’s Traveller:   What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

Nikhil Sharma:  My biggest vice is consistently checking my phone. I struggle to digitally detach but it is a personal goal of mine to reduce my screen time and reconnect with those closest to me and my surroundings to ensure I stay present and at the moment as best I can.

Today’s Traveller:   What is your mantra of Power dressing?  

Nikhil Sharma:   The phrase ‘power dressing’ is the practice of dressing in a style intended to show that one holds an important position in the business.  Power dressing to me means feeling comfortable and feeling most like yourself. I believe that when you wear clothes you are comfortable and confident in, you feel powerful and your morale is higher.

Today’s Traveller:   What is the one thing that you have learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Nikhil Sharma:   I have learnt a great number of lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe there is a greater appreciation for mother nature and it has taught us humility and humbleness. On a professional level, I have learnt to be more patient, to pace myself, and demonstrate perseverance in my day-to-day activities. My work at Wyndham has also taught me how to remain agile and adaptable.

Today’s Traveller:   Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction.

Nikhil Sharma:   I have a passion for long-distance running and hope to one day run the New York City Marathon. I have also recently taken up cycling and yoga and in 2020 I co-authored a book ‘Rumi & Kabir Consulting’ with my friend Akbar, which has given me great joy.

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Read More: Corporate Connect

This in turn will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team, or to change your perspective.

Today’s Traveller : How do you keep up your team’s morale?

Dietmar Kielnhofer: In today’s time and age, the most difficult task a leader has is to keep his team motivated and focused. This is where a companies’ culture plays a pivotal role, this is where the rubber meets the road. Let us bear in mind that over one year ago the market was incredibly buoyant, we were riding the back of the dragon, we all thought we are (commercially) invincible, everything was going our way . . . . . and then came COVID-19.

What I have learned over the last 10 month is that an open door policy does miracles for staff morale and motivation. You have to show your team that you genuinely care for their well-being, and above all be visible, demonstrate that you are sincere and understand the concerns, the needs and wants of your associates, and create a culture of shared experiences.

One great learning over this period was to demystify COVID, remove the fear of the unknown, and bring clarity to the confusion.

It was time to show empathy with your team, over-communicate what needs to be done and what is the new norm, respectively what is the expectation from all stakeholders, first and foremost customers. This is also the time to be transparent, where you have to live up to your brand expectations, values, and culture. During a crisis like COVID, it is imperative to be emotionally connected to your team, listen to their innermost fears and anxiety; in a nutshell, practice your leadership skills.

Today’s Traveller : A major milestone which shaped you as a leader?

Dietmar Kielnhofer: People always talk about the character traits of great leaders and bosses they had and how they inspired them. I look at inspiration and leadership from a more controversial angle. I observe, I learned more from poor leaders than from good ones.

We all take good leaders for granted, yet what defines a great leader is a clear, unassailable purpose, it is principles and character that matter. What I require from a “leader of people” is trust, support, honesty and the freedom to make decisions (and the freedom to make mistakes ).

Many years ago I said to myself: if I am in leadership position I will not make the same mistakes my bad bosses made. I learned from their poor judgment and inadequate leadership behavior and skills. And I vowed not to repeat these mistakes; this approach served me rather well.

The old adage that, a smooth sea does not make a good sailor holds true. You don’t learn when everything is smooth and goes according to plan, you learn and grow during an emergency, when you must step out of the comfort zone and learn . . . . . and COVID-19 is a once in a lifetime crisis that provides this platform.

Today’s Traveller : How do you approach a challenge?

Dietmar Kielnhofer: I try to be objective, fair, and open-minded and look at the challenge with a healthy dose of common sense. Too many times we overcomplicate and overthink problems, simplicity to problem resolution is key.

A managerial attribute to successful decision making is to gather as much information as possible, weigh the available options and look at it from a viewpoint of different stakeholders.

Challenges come in all shapes and forms, but they also come with opportunities and different protagonists have different interests to protect. The challenge is then to identify who has a valid point!

Who has the most to gain, respective to lose? We all know the more stakeholders involved in a decision the more complex the problem and, potentially, the more convoluted the outcome. Hence, I am a great believer in Occam’s Razor philosophy which states that all things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the best one.

At the end I try to reach a compromise that satisfies the major parties (to prevent loss of face). The decision making thought process tends be biased by nature and if a compromise cannot be reached than I try to mitigate the outcome for the losing party, nobody likes the feeling that he/she lost.

The skill in negotiating a satisfactory and acceptable outcome is to avoid a win lose scenario as there is a possibility to antagonize an already fragile situation further. At the end it comes down to satisfying your key stakeholder/s.

Today’s Traveller : What is that one thing that you have learnt during Covid-19 Pandemic?

 Dietmar Kielnhofer: Irrespective of how you look at COVID, it was a game-changer of biblical proportions that forced us to rethink the way we conduct business. COVID was an invaluable learning experience for an entire generation of hospitality executives. But it was also time for self-reflection and learning.

Never take your past successes for granted. COVID-19 was the great equalizer, it made it clear that impeccable hygiene and sanitation standards are non-negotiable, it leveled the playing field.

COVID-19 has reset the tourism and hospitality industry and we start all over again. It taught us also a vital lesson in crisis management: be prepared for all eventualities, you never know from which direction the next curved ball comes from (and there are plenty).

Never let you guard down, be over prepared, don’t compromise on your principles and your values. Keep an open mind, be agile and be willing to learn and adopt. The “rules book” was completely rewritten over the past ten months; actually it is work in progress, and there are still a couple of chapters under review.

Today’s Traveller : What is that one thing that you cannot miss?

Dietmar Kielnhofer: A good cup of coffee, exercise and a good book.

Today’s Traveller : Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction?

Dietmar Kielnhofer: Rigorous exercise, biking, golf, a good movie, and/or a book. Anything that takes my mind off work for a short period of time to gain a different perspective and recharge my batteries.

Read More: Corporate Connect