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30 Nov, 2016

Tony Bruggemans, CEO, Sahid Int’l Hotel Management & Consulting Corp, Indonesia

ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame – Initiated by Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil to recognise the many veterans who helped grow and shape ASEAN tourism over the last 50 years.

tony-bruggemans 

Date of Birth: June 13, 1943

Education

CERIA Brussels Hotel School Diploma. Fluent in French, English, German, Dutch and Afrikaans.

Career

Spent 14 months as Chef Intendant of the First Belgian Dutch expedition in the South Pole before immigrating to the United States. Spent 8 years in Hawaii as Food & Beverage Manager and subsequently General Manager of several hotels.

Recruited by Tokyu Hotels International to open the only 5 star hotel, the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh as General Manager and Owner’s Representative. Spent subsequently 2 years as General Manager of the Imperial Hotel in Singapore.

In 1987, joined Sahid Jaya Hotel as General Manager and subsequently as CEO and Managing Director of the Sahid Group of Hotels.

Awards

Adikarya Pariwisata Award and Personality of the Year by the PATA Indonesia chapter.

Marital status

Married to Joanne Haulani Bruggemans whom he met and married in Hilo Hawaii in 1970.

As Chairman of the Casa Grande grouping of 4 & 5 Star Hotels in Jakarta, he was instrumental in expanding the association to the main cities of Indonesia, including Bali and Surabaya. Spent many years as chairman or member of the Board of PATA Indonesia Chapter, SKAL, Rotary Club and other organizations. Created, with the Governor of Jakarta, the Convention Bureau of Jakarta and was its Chairman until leaving Indonesia.

Advisor to the late Tourism Minister Joop Ave. Worked to boost awareness of PATA in Indonesia in cooperation with other members of ASEAN. Encouraged large cities to host both the PATA Mart and PATA Conference.

Led the first delegation of Tourism Professionals to South Africa to initiate tourism cooperation after the apartheid regime. His mantra was always to prepare the next generation of hoteliers who would be the children of the current generation of hotel owners.

Source: Tony Bruggemans