Intrepid Travel has promoted Malinda Samarasekera as General Manager for Thailand & Laos to lead the tour operator’s business across two of its South-East Asian growth markets.
Samarasekera will relocate from Sri Lanka to take up the role in early August, working closely with teams across both destinations to ensure a smooth transition and overseeing Intrepid’s locally led operations, from on-the-ground guides to its expanding itinerary lineup.
He most recently served as Intrepid’s General Manager – DMC Sri Lanka, bringing operational and leadership experience from across the region and a working knowledge of Intrepid’s destination management model.
He reports into the Regional General Manager South-East Asia Mike Stewart, and takes on the role at a busy time for both markets.
Stewart said: “We’re thrilled about the energy, experience and leadership Malinda brings to the team, and we can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make. His deep understanding of our business and our locally led model makes him a fantastic fit to lead our Thailand and Laos operations.”
“Thailand holds a special place in Intrepid’s history as the first destination we operated in when we launched in 1989, and today we offer more than 50 itineraries across the country. We’re also seeing strong momentum in Laos, where year-to-date bookings have grown 20 per cent, making this an exciting time for Malinda to lead the next chapter of growth.”
Samarasekera said: “I’m thrilled to be taking on this new role and relocating to Thailand. It’s an exciting opportunity to work alongside an incredible team and support the continued growth of Intrepid’s locally led travel experiences in Thailand and Laos.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: With more than 50 Thailand itineraries and Laos bookings up 20% year-to-date, new GM Samarasekera inherits two markets with real momentum as advisors selling Intrepid Travel in the region can expect additional growth within the network’s operations.
