Tell us about VFS and its tourism services.
VFS Global has established its regional and global footprints in the space of tourism services with over 15 years of experience and presence in 25 countries.
We specialize in destination representation and trade support services for national tourism authorities from client governments to whom we provide visa services. We facilitate them in a wide range of destination promotional activities. Some of the key services include dedicated tourism support offices, destination training, product development, B2B roadshows & workshops, consumer events, digital campaigns, MICE engagement programme, e-learning modules and public relations.
We have a highly competent, energized and resourceful team spread across several geographies, including in India and Middle East. Our Dubai office delivers our tourism services across the Gulf region, in UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.
What are some of your key achievements this year and what are the plans for 2024?
At present, we are managing and servicing a portfolio of multiple destinations and clients such as Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Philippines and Miral-Yas Island, in Middle East, India, and other regions.
VFS Global Tourism Services ventured into new destination representation agreements last year with Uzbekistan – National PR Centre out of UAE, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines in Indonesia, Dubai Economy of Tourism in countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
We also had an opportunity to exhibit and deliver strategic projects for Ministry of Tourism of Republic of Cyprus, Qatar National Tourism Council, Department of Tourism – Government of Goa, Singapore Tourism Board, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia and Tourspain.
Tell us a bit about your journey that led you here to be the head of tourism services at VFS Global.
I had spent more than two and a half decades with the Singapore Tourism Board, with the past seven and a half years as its Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa (IMESA). With my experience in managing Singapore’s destination branding, tourism development and marketing and leading consumer engagement projects in IMESA, I am happy to continue my travel and tourism journey with VFS Global Tourism Services, taking over from Arzan Khambatta who had helmed the team. And that too, in a region I am very familiar with and grown to love working in.
Working closely with my solid and highly charged up team in VFS Global Tourism Services, I look forward to enabling VFS Global Tourism Services to deliver innovative, effective and quality tourism campaigns for our client destinations – leading to increase in their brand awareness, visibility of their offerings, visitor-ship and incremental tourism spend.
We greatly value the business network chain of our multiple stakeholders, which we have nurtured over the years, and we will continue to build a strong network of new business partners in the region.