Salil Panigrahi has lived in Male, Maldives, for more than two decades and found joy and privileges to be there.
The hotel was born in Odisha, who started his career at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in India, moved to Maldives when he joined Six Senses Group.
“I led the finance department there but also responsible for project management for resort construction, product launch, and was very involved in resort operations.
My love for Maldives is estimated through this experience,” he said.
The entrepreneurship trip began in Maldives in 2003 with a resort’s development effort through private placement which produced a number of internationally managed resorts opened in the archipelago.
There are challenges in doing business in Maldives, he said, but many also become their strength.
“Global challenges such as liquidity in financial markets have an impact on Maldives in a way that we cannot imagine or control.
The general above with all of them is the resilience of Maldives,” he explained.
“The country has always bounced back and displays extraordinary attached strength in demand for tourism.
We believe this will be the case of post a pandemic.” Panigrahi, the first in his family to seek entrepreneurship, is the founder and director of the atmosphere of the Hotel & Resorts, a hospitality company in the Indian Ocean region.
He felt that in addition to the short and comfortable flight routes, security, tranquility, and exclusivity offered by Maldives made them a favorite destination for Indians.
“Maldives has always been the preferred goal for Indians, because of the unique concept of ‘One-Resort Island’.
In India, a little holiday is a bit about a family vacation.
People will worry about domestic trips until their children are vaccinated.
In Island countries such as Maldives, where each resort is on a private island with minimum contacts with the outside world, parents will be sure of salvation, “he said.
He launched his company in 2012 to fill what he believed was a gap in the market for the resort brand in the Indian Ocean region.
“It is conceived to offer tranquility, pleasure, and value and network sales and our extensive distribution throughout the world has become our biggest strength, both in Europe, Japan, China or India,” he added.
“In recent years, we have received guests from new source markets such as Brazil, USA and Australia.” More than seven years, this group has launched six resorts including the Atmospheric Kanifushi, Alam Helengeli Oblu, OBLU select Sangeli, Oven Life Maadhoo and Varu by the atmosphere.
Two more scheduled to open at the end of 2021.
“The latest addition is the Oven Reserve Bolifushi in South Atoll Male, which with it we launched Uber Luxe Brand us – a collection of Ozen – at the end of 2020,” Panigrahi said which was hand-in the company’s growth, development Brand and operational shipping of the company.
And even though he would not risk long-term predictions for the Post Pandemic Tourism industry, he strongly believed that Maldives would continue to be an isolated heaven naturally, providing security and maximum peace for travelers.
“People around the world have hidden desires for travel and relaxation, which is a strong recovery indicator.
I am sure that global tourism will take – but may look a little different from pre-pandemic days,” he said.
The recipient of the Indian Samman Pravigation Award for 2021 for its contribution to Maldives Tourism and strengthened the relationship between Maldives-India, Panigrahi believes that tourism is an industry that connects ‘human to human beings’.
“Outside the property and offerings, what is meant by our guests, partners, and colleagues are human relations.
So, I call it the humanitarian industry.
I believe what we do has the power to connect and build bridges with people in India, and Indians throughout the world.
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