How do you maintain your vision in your work, given that you’re leading three completely different ho- tels that aren’t even in the same country? “It is true that each of these three hotels has its own specif- icities, but the essence of their business, which is what I mostly deal with, is actually very similar. I maintain my vision with the help of teams that deal with them in- dividually, and do so on the spot, with great confidence, adjusting the dynamics of operations in such a way as to align that with the strategy to the greatest pos- sible extent.” We're talking for Elevate, and you've emphasised for us the role of connecting destinations in the tour- ism industry... “With globalisation growing in both the business and private spheres, connecting destinations in the 21 st century is recognised more directly than ever before as an indicator of profitability in the hotel sector. It is a particular wish of ours to position Belgrade high on the list of tourist, congress and sports destinations, and we absolutely recognise Air Serbia as a company that’s one of the lead- ers in this endeavour. Given the close proximity of the airport and all the amenities that the city has to offer, developing new aviation routes and strengthening the na- tional airline as a brand are more essential prerequisites than ever if our capital is to gain its right- ful place under the European sun.” What’s next when it comes to your business? “As a company, we are contin- uously on the lookout for the best opportunities, addressing the ho- tel portfolio – we are considering acquisitions of some existing ho- tels, as well as the development of new projects, the current fo- cus of which is the project for a much-needed 5-star hotel in Bel- grade, as well as at least one addi- tional hotel in the region.”
INTERVIEW: ANDREJ SOVROVIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL GROUP We want to position Belgrade high under the European Sun
WE ARE SITTING IN THE PLEASANT AMBIENCE of a suite on the 8 th floor of Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, conversing with An- drej Sovrović, general manager of the hotel and Cluster manager of the InterContinental Hotel Group. We discuss the upcoming business year, the fickleness of the hotel mar- ket and why he personally doesn’t fear those changes... Setting aside the circum- stances that led to your de- cision, what was the deci- sive factor motivating you to switch to the hotel in- dustry? “Considering that my career started at company Delta Hold- ing, within frameworks that I’m still developing to this day, I must admit that every business change has been a huge challenge, while it is now already becoming sympto- matic of the fact that I’m able to deal quite successfully with busi- ness segments that bring with them more challenges at that juncture. I suppose that’s why, after the coro- na pandemic, hotel management at Delta ended up in my hands 😊 .” This is an interesting time for the hotel industry, with everything changing. How do you see 2023 when con- sidering your area of busi- ness? “More than ever before, the in- dustry requires a high degree of flex- ibility and the preparedness of staff
for unexpected changes. That’s why I expect a very dynamic year ahead and the harmonisation of business plans on multiple fronts, but I feel positive when it comes to progres- sively resolving the labour force is- sue, as well as the volume of work that’s coming.” All studies that deal with the analysing of prominent hotel managers insist that successful managers of ho- tels must have certain per- sonality traits as an essen- tial plus factor (empathy). How can you remain con- sistent in your decisions without jeopardising this basic prerequisite? “The hotel industry is a specific branch, given that its most impor- tant product is a service and that, as such, it is oriented directly towards the client and has the end goal of en- suring that client feels good. A log- ical prerequisite that imposes itself is for hotel staff to work in a good and healthy atmosphere, while, on the other hand, it is unrealistic to expect business processes to run smoothly without formal adher- ence to the system. My opinion is that, as a manager, one should be open, because people always recog- nise that, and fair, because in that way you’ll also see criticism as con- structive, but the most important thing of all is to be consistent with your principles and words, because you’ll thereby set an example.”
Povezivanje destinacija je u 21. veku
prepoznato je kao indikator profitabilnosti u hotelijerstvu Connecting destinations is recognised in the 21 st century as an indicator of profitability in the hotel sector
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