Centara closes SA office

CENTARA Hotels & Resorts will close
its SA sales office on August 20.
The South African market has
been handed over to Popo Hartopo,
Centara’s group director of sales
for Pacific Region, who has already
started working with local agents.
The closure is attributed to a
recent management change at
Centara’s head office in Bangkok.
Although SA has a strong market,
it is small compared with other
markets, says Melanie Floor, ceo
and owner of Exclusive Serenity, who
has represented Centara in SA since
2013. Melanie also mentioned that
Centara was reducing its sales force
worldwide and South Africa was not
the only place to be affected, but
couldn’t name the other markets
facing closure at this time.
“We are very grateful and
appreciate the fantastic support
received from the travel trade
throughout the years. With its great
value proposition, we are confident
that Centara will continue to thrive in
the SA market,” said Melanie.