In luxury hospitality, marketing is not simply about visibility – it is about trust, emotion, and long-term brand relevance. Over the past 15 years, Pramukshi Kariyawasam has built a career at the intersection of creativity and commercial strategy, shaping how premium hospitality brands across South Asia and the Middle East engage with their audiences.
Recognised as Hospitality Marketer of the Year 2024 and featured across multiple regional industry power lists, Pramukshi’s influence has been defined less by hype and more by consistency: a consistent ability to translate brand purpose into measurable business outcomes.
From the Front Line to the Brand Table
Pramukshi’s entry into hospitality marketing was grounded in operational reality. She began her career at John Keells Hotels in Sri Lanka in customer-facing and reservations roles, gaining first-hand exposure to guest behaviour, expectations, and service delivery. Long before leading brand campaigns, she learned how hospitality promises are experienced or broken, on the ground.
That early exposure shaped her marketing philosophy. Rather than treating brands as abstract constructs, she came to view them as lived experiences; a mindset that would later define her approach to storytelling and brand positioning.
As she moved into brand and marketing roles, she combined this operational insight with formal marketing training, steadily progressing through positions that expanded her remit across public relations, partnerships, campaign strategy, and integrated communications.
Shaping Brands Through Change
A defining phase of Pramukshi’s career unfolded at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, where she held senior leadership roles across brand marketing, digital strategy, and partnerships. Working across a portfolio of 15 hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, she played a central role in repositioning legacy brands for evolving consumer expectations.
One of her most significant contributions was leading the Cinnamon 2.0 brand enhancement initiative, which redefined the group’s brand architecture and storytelling approach. Working closely with the C-suite and external brand agencies, she helped modernise the brand while preserving its core identity – a challenge familiar to many heritage hospitality groups.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pramukshi’s focus shifted sharply toward adaptability. With international travel halted, she led micro-segmented domestic marketing strategies that challenged the assumption of a “one-size-fits-all” local market. These digitally driven campaigns delivered strong revenue outcomes while optimising spend — a reminder that strategic precision often matters more than scale.
In parallel, she oversaw the launch of Flavours by Cinnamon, the group’s food delivery platform, supported by a full 360-degree marketing campaign. At a time when the hospitality industry faced unprecedented disruption, the initiative generated over USD 1.5 million in revenue within its first year.
Leadership on a Global Stage
Pramukshi’s move to Dubai marked another pivotal chapter. As Director of Marketing and Communications at Shangri-La Dubai, she joined the senior leadership team of one of the region’s most established luxury hospitality brands.
Operating in a highly competitive market, her work focused on strengthening brand desirability while driving commercial performance. Campaigns such as Picture Perfect Room blended influencer-led content, digital strategy, and PR to reposition key products, generating nearly AED 1 million in incremental revenue and significant earned media value.
Beyond flagship campaigns, she also led the repositioning of several food and beverage outlets, refreshing their narratives to resonate with contemporary audiences and contributing to year-on-year revenue growth. Her role extended to executing global brand initiatives, including #FindYourShangriLa, aligning local storytelling with international brand direction.
These efforts culminated in multiple industry recognitions, reflecting not only campaign success but sustained leadership in brand building.
A Shift Toward Strategic Consultancy
After more than a decade in in-house leadership roles, Pramukshi made a deliberate transition into consultancy. Today, she operates as a strategic marketing and PR advisor, showing brands how to build relevance, credibility, and long-term equity rather than chasing short-term visibility.
Her consultancy work today spans hospitality, lifestyle, and select emerging sectors across the Middle East, offering fractional marketing leadership, PR strategy, and integrated campaign direction. The model reflects her belief that modern brands need senior thinking without necessarily expanding permanent headcount, particularly in fast-moving or growth-stage environments.
Clients often engage her during moments of transition: rebranding, market entry, repositioning, or reputational reset. Her approach remains collaborative and grounded, shaped by years of navigating both creative ambition and commercial accountability.
Marketing with Meaning
Across roles and regions, a consistent theme runs through Pramukshi’s work: the belief that effective marketing must resonate emotionally while delivering tangible results. Whether through brand storytelling, digital transformation, or PR strategy, her focus remains on clarity, intent, and audience connection.
She has also championed marketing as a force for social impact, initiating community-driven campaigns such as Meals that Heal, which supported vulnerable communities through large-scale food distribution, and destination-led storytelling initiatives designed to revive tourism through cultural pride.
Looking Ahead
As marketing continues to evolve, shaped by data, technology, and changing consumer values — Pramukshi remains focused on thoughtful innovation rather than trend-chasing. Her future work centres on helping brands navigate complexity with confidence, integrating creativity, strategy, and purpose in equal measure.
In an industry often driven by spectacle, her career stands as a reminder that lasting brand success is built quietly: through consistency, trust, and an unwavering understanding of what truly matters to guests.
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