Dr. Aradhana Khowala

Aradhana is a global expert on the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Her executive, entrepreneurial and board career spans over two decades, five continents and 75+ countries. She is currently the CEO of Aptamind Partners, a private client advisory that advises governments and businesses on using tourism as a force for good and she is the former Managing Director of Tourism at NEOM which is the US$ 500 Billion land of the future in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A sought-after Board Member she has an active portfolio of board roles both in private and listed companies which includes being the Chair of the Red Sea Advisory board in Saudi Arabia, Board Member of World Tourism Forum in Lucerne Switzerland as well as Board Member of the leisure arm of a multi asset listed holding company. Aradhana Khowala is a global expert and one of the world’s leading voices in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Over the last 24 years she has worked in five continents with more than 85 countries, shaping the global agenda at the intersection of luxury hospitality, wellness and regenerative tourism. Today, she is the CEO of Aptamind Partners, the go-to strategic consultancy for governments, emerging destinations, and public and private organisations seeking regenerative tourism solutions. Prior to her current role, she was the Managing Director of Tourism at NEOM as well as Chair of the Board of Advisors at Red Sea Global in Saudi Arabia for seven years. An active board member, she currently serves on the Board of Patrizia SE, a publicly listed real estate firm in Germany with €70 billion AUM. She is also Board Member and Chair of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee at Elaf Group (SEDCO) which leads the market in religious tourism and sits on the Board of the Global Wellness Institute in the USA, the world’s foremost authority on the US$6.3 trillion wellness economy. Her prior experience spans Jones Lang LaSalle, where she covered the UK, Benelux and Scandinavian markets; strategy consulting roles across Europe and Asia and operational roles in India’s hospitality sector.