AHRA APPOINTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Hospitality Leaders of ASEAN Ready to Face New Challenges”
January 26, 2021
Singapore (21 Jan 2021) – The ASEAN Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHRA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually for the first time in history on 21 January 2021, attended by members of nine countries embracing the new norm and its devastating impact on the tourism and hospitality industry.
Apart from its usual proceedings of meeting, each member country represented by respective national hotel & restaurant associations, shared situation updates, strategies as well as outlook of the industry for the year ahead. The pandemic that started in early 2020 has literally crippled the tourism industry and led to the hotel industry suffering unprecedented losses and forcing some hotels to close and leaving thousands jobless.
Nevertheless, AHRA remains strong and determined in rebuilding the industry through sharing of resources and strategic collaborations across the region. Part of AHRA’s roadmap to recovery includes industry support events with focus on tourism safety & health, sustainability, human resources & productivity and also a regional hospitality conference set for quarter three this year.
The AGM also witnessed the election of new office bearers for term 2021 – 2023 with its members unanimously electing Mr. Eugene Yap of the Hotel & Restaurant of the Philippines (HRAP) as the President for the second term, another first for the association, entrusting him to lead the AHRA and the industry to recovery.
“We are optimistic of a healthy recovery for the tourism and hotel industry with positive development and deployment of vaccination across the region. ASEAN is an important market for not only the world but also its very own member states and this will be the key to our economic recovery for the next two years,” said Eugene.
Board of directors 2021 to 2023
President: Eugene Yap, Hotel & Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP)
First Vice President: Ms. Ben Montgomery, Thai Hotels Association (THA).
Second Vice President: Ms. Chenda Clais, Cambodia Hotel Association (CHA).
Third Vice President: Hariyadi B.S. Sukamdani, Perhimpunan Hotel dan Restoran Indonesia (PHRI).
Secretary General: Ms. Margaret Heng, Singapore Hotel Association (SHA)
Honorary Treasurer: Ms. Christina Toh, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)
AHRA is represented by the following national associations:
Brunei Association of Hotels (BAH);
Cambodia Hotel Association (CHA);
Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA);
Laos Hotel and Restaurant Association (LHRA);
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH);
Myanmar Hotel Association (MHA);
Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP);
Singapore Hotel Association (SHA);
Thai Hotel Association (THA).
source: AHRA Press Release: 22 January 2021
