Caroline Tapken

Meet Caroline Shen – Director of Sales & Marketing Renaissance Pattaya, Caroline began her hospitality career in London and the USA, having graduated from hotel school in Switzerland. Focused on learning everything she could, and taking every opportunity to progress, she was blessed with some amazing mentors and managers, helping her to build her confidence alongside her career.

Meet Captain Zephina Khanam Mohd Jasbir Khan, Captain Zephina is a commercial pilot in Malaysia who only found her passion and drive after a teacher told her to ‘be realistic’ when she expressed her desire to become a doctor.

Monika Anggreni is a Captain with AirAsia Indonesia, with 13,000 flying hours under her belt since 2005. She joined AirAsia Indonesia in 2005 as a pilot after several false starts, and is now one of only 30 female pilots in the company. She is also a published author, Ironbird Monika – the story of how she became an airline pilot.

Cynthia came into hospitality later in life, finding her first job in hospitality after 17 years of raising her daughter, moving up from working in a school cafeteria in Bangkok to managing a new hotel chain in Tokyo in the space of ten years.

Chooleng is a Singaporean living in Thailand, working with Marriot for over 20 years and as general manager for more than 10 years. She is also mother of 2 daughters.

Tourism and hospitality is not only about hotels, airlines and travel agents – it is about the myriad of small businesses that support the industry, adding to the variety and local colour in each destination. Rachel O’Shea and Susie Martin, founders of the Laos Buffalo Dairy, are examples of just that.

Minu has only been in the tourism industry since 2016, entering with a background as a business analyst and strategist, and a passion for travel. Her first role in tourism was with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, where her manager took a chance on her, with no background in tourism, but with enthusiasm and a strategic approach. She worked on several different projects for RAK Tourism, including as Project Manager for the World’s longest zipline.

Gloria is the director and co-founder of Asia Exotica Travel, one of the fastest growing travel agencies in South East Asia. A luxury boutique tour operator, specializing in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian speaking markets. She manages the company’s offices in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

World of DMCs is a network of professional destination management companies focused on inbound group and incentive travel to their respective countries.