BON PEOPLE: MEET LEXY RAMOROKA, GROUP MARKETING SERVICES MANAGER

Recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Lexy Ramoroka and getting to know her better through 12 good questions. One of the most fascinating answers she gave was about an unusual demand she once faced during her time as an F&B supervisor at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.?

One day, while serving VIPs and VVIPs, Arsène Wenger (the biggest VVIP of them all) asked for a sweet treat. Despite her nerves, Lexy rushed to the chocolate fountain to get him his treat, only to knock over the fountain and make a giant mess right in front of him! Looking back, she can laugh about it, but at the time, she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.?

Lexy's journey to her current role at BON has been filled with hard work and determination. From her student days at the University of Johannesburg’s School of Tourism & Hospitality to learning the ropes within the Protea Hotels by Marriott group, earning her stripes during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and forming part of the operational teams tasked with the opening of both the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch and the Marriott Executive Apartments Melrose Arch, Lexy has grabbed every opportunity within South Africa’s Hospitality Industry.?

Lexy knows the industry inside out, with stints at a transit hotel at OR Tambo, top properties in Johannesburg, and a luxury resort in Lusaka, Zambia. Not to mention a role with Fusion, Sun International’s Marketing Services Division.?

Despite her varied experience and expertise, marketing remains Lexy’s first love. And it’s this passion that brought her down to the Mother City – and her new role as Group Marketing Services Manager for BON Hotels.?

In Lexy’s words it has been quite a journey, and she’s excited to oversee the marketing services for BON’s South African and eSwatini properties – a diverse portfolio which often requires Lexy to adapt to the ways and means of each property, and a really unique and exciting environment to learn and grow. At an exciting time in the travel, tourism and hospitality space.?

For Lexy, the most important hospitality trends at the moment include:?

Sustainability, with more and more people looking do their bit for the environment by staying with hotels/brands that are demonstrating a real commitment to protecting people and the planet. So much so, that data increasingly shows that travellers are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services.?

Bleisure and workcations, with many travellers, particularly the younger set, often looking to combine work trips with a bit of downtime – particularly if their company has a ‘work from anywhere’ policy which allows for business trips to become extended stays.??

Wellness travel, where, according to Euromonitor’s Travel Forecast Model for 2023, this sub-segment is expected to account for 57% of all travel packages worldwide in 2023.?

Of course, in an industry where real, sustained recovery is still underway, there are still a number of challenges to navigate. Lexy believes the biggest of these remain staffing, with many South African companies and properties still working hard to fill the gaps left by Covid-19; the cost of flights, with current airfares affecting South Africa’s long-haul, inbound travel market; and finally, loadshedding, crime and the political climate in South Africa all impacting a potential visitor’s decision-making process. Unfortunately, says Lexy, the onus is often on industry partners to showcase and promote what they’re doing in order to combat unease and uncertainty around South Africa’s current realities. It’s a big job.?

For Lexy though, the future is bright. Our powerhouse Group Marketing Services Manager has her sleeves rolled up, and her sights set on BON being the leading independent hotel management company in Africa – and beyond.?

To get to know Lexy a little better, we asked her 12 good questions. Have a read https://bonhotels.com/2023/05/09/bon-people/ ?

#GoodPeople #GoodThinking #GoodFeeling #Hospitality #HotelManagement #Travel #Leisure #Corporate #Hotels #Marketing???