Phuket Hotels Association welcomes new leadership team

Press Release

Bjorn Courage was named as the association’s President and Sumi Soorian was promoted to the role of Executive Director, while long-term leader Anthony Lark will continue to serve as a Senior Advisor

PHUKET, THAILAND: The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation with 72 member properties has embarked on an exciting new era with the appointment of a new senior leadership team.

Bjorn Courage, General Manager of the InterContinental Phuket Resort, who has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, has been named as the Association’s new President of the Phuket Hotels Association, succeeding founding President, Anthony Lark, ex-General Manager of Amanpuri, Trisara, and now Executive Director at HMD, Shinta Mani and Bensley Collection hotels.

Sumi Soorian, who has been with the Phuket Hotels Association since its foundation in 2016 and most recently served as Development Director, has also been promoted to Executive Director. A marketing and communications professional who specialises in project management and business development, Sumi graduated in the USA and has worked in multiple countries, including Australia, China and Thailand.

Bjorn moves into the role of President at a time of optimism for Phuket’s tourism and hospitality industry. The island was one of the first Southeast Asian destinations to safely reopen to international visitors when it launched the innovative “Phuket Sandbox” programme in July 2021, and its hotels and resorts are now gearing up for a strong recovery in the winter high season and beyond.

There can be few more qualified people to lead this proactive organisation than Bjorn. During the course of a 25-year career, he has worked with many of the industry’s most iconic brands, including IHG, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Six Senses, and Mandarin Oriental. He also successfully completed Cornell University’s Executive Leadership programme. “During these initial times of recovery from the Covid pandemic, I am proud to serve our member hotels, communities and destination to the best of my ability. I will strive to continue and further evolve the important work done by the association, working groups and member hotels to-date, especially in regard to our association’s three key pillars: Marketing, Environment and Education. Thank you to Anthony for his leadership since the inauguration of the Phuket Hotel Association and for continuing to serve the Association as Senior Advisor,” Bjorn commented.

Since it was founded in January 2016, the Phuket Hotels Association has grown to represent 72 of the island’s top internationally-branded and independent luxury and midscale hotels and resorts, comprising just over 12,000 rooms. Each of these members has made a commitment to the destination and, through the Phuket Hotels Association, are actively investing in a sustainable future through long-term environmental and educational initiatives.

Anthony Lark will continue to serve as a Senior Advisor to the Association, alongside Bill Barnett, a founder of the Phuket Hotels Association and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, David Keen, CEO of QUO, David Johnson, CEO of Delivering Asia Communications, Boon Yongsakul, Chairman of Boat Pattana, and Saharat Jivavisitnont, Executive Director at Jee Teng Hospitality Group.

ENDS

For further information and high-resolution photography, please contact:

Bjorn Courage
President
Phuket Hotels Association
E-mail: president@phukethotelsassociation.com,

David Johnson
CEO
Delivering Asia Communications
E-mail: dj@deliveringasia.com
Website: www.deliveringcommunications.com

Phuket Hotels Association

The Phuket Hotels Association is a nonprofit organization comprising a broad spectrum of hotels based in Phuket. Our goal is to promote a well-rounded, dynamic picture of Phuket to travellers from around the world by celebrating the diversity of Phuket’s natural resources and vibrant culture, while at the same time providing educational scholarships, environmental initiatives and other community-based activities to help nurture and develop Phuket’s standing as one of the world’s most sought-after destinations.

Phuket Hotels Association members are as follows:

Absolute Twin Sands Resort & Spa, Amanpuri, Amari Phuket, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, Anantara Vacation Club Mai Khao Phuket, Andaman House Phuket, Andara Resort & Villas, Angsana Laguna Phuket, Banyan Tree Phuket, Best Western Patong, Best Western Plus The Beachfront Rawai, Boat Lagoon Resort, Burasari Phuket, Cape Sienna Phuket Gourmet Hotel & Villas, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, COMO Point Yamu, Courtyard Marriott Phuket Town, Dewa Phuket, DoubleTree by Hilton Phuket Banthai Resort, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Four Points by, Sheraton Phuket, Patong Beach, Grand Mercure Phuket Patong, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, Holiday Inn Resort, Phuket, Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, InterContinental Phuket Resort, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Kalima Resort and Spa, Kata Rocks Resort & Residences, Keemala Phuket, Kudo Hotel Patong, Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Maikhao Dream Villa Resort & Spa, Centara Boutique Collection, Mangosteen Ayurveda & Wellness Resort, My Beach Hotel, Narai Mai Khao Resort Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach, Novotel Phuket Phokeethra, Novotel Phuket Resort, Paresa Resort, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Seagull Bliss Patong Resort, Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach, Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, Rayaburi Hotel Patong, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, Rosewood Phuket, SAii Laguna Phuket, Six Senses Yao Noi, Stay Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort, Thanyapura Sports Hotel, The AIM Patong Hotel, The Bell Pool Villa Resort, The Boathouse Phuket, The Lokal, The Nai Harn, The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket, The Pavilions Phuket, The Shore at, Katathani, The Slate, Phuket, The Surin Phuket, The Village Coconut Island, The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket, Trisara, Twinpalms MontAzure, Twinpalms Phuket, Villa PhuKhao, Wyndham Grand Nai Harn Beach Phuket, Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay.