The award was personally presented to Kohli by Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur, at a ceremony attended by Rajmata Padmini Devi of Jaipur, Princess Diya Kumari, Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and His Highness Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh.
Institute in 2000 by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, the Sawai Jaipur Awards recognise exceptional contributions across diverse fields, including tourism, heritage, culture, public service, medicine and the arts. The annual ceremony commemorates the birth anniversary of His Highness Brigadier Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, MVC, of Jaipur.
The recognition marks another significant milestone in Kohli’s career spanning more than three decades in India’s tourism industry.
A second-generation entrepreneur, Kohli is Joint Managing Director of Creative Travel, the family-owned destination management company founded by his father, the late Ram Kohli, in 1977. Alongside his brother Rohit Kohli, he has helped build Creative Travel into one of India’s internationally recognised destination management companies, specialising in luxury travel, incentive programmes, meetings and experiential journeys across India and South Asia.
Beyond Creative Travel, Kohli has played an active role in representing Indian tourism internationally. He served as Global President of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), becoming the first Asian to hold the position, and subsequently as President of euromic, the global association of destination management companies. He has also served in leadership and advisory capacities across several Indian tourism industry organisations.
His previous international recognitions include induction into the Events Industry Council Hall of Leaders in 2021, becoming the first Asian to receive the global events industry’s highest distinction, and recognition among the most influential personalities in the global events industry.
Speaking after receiving the award, Kohli said:
“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust and the Royal Family of Jaipur. To receive the award personally from Princess Gauravi Kumari, in such a historic setting, made the evening particularly memorable.
This honour means a great deal to me personally. I have spent over 30 years in an industry I genuinely love, one that has given me extraordinary experiences, lifelong friendships and the privilege of representing India around the world.
But my thoughts immediately go to my father, Ram Kohli, who founded Creative Travel in 1977. He taught us that integrity, relationships, hard work and keeping your word are the foundations of any successful business. Everything we have built began with him.
I also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my family, and the wonderful people of Creative Travel. Our team works tirelessly, often behind the scenes, and they are the people who make the Kohli family shine every single day.
This award carries my name, and I am enormously proud to receive it. But the journey that brought me here has never been mine alone.”
Kohli continues to be actively involved in promoting India and South Asia in international luxury travel and incentive markets, while advocating for greater global recognition of India’s destination management expertise.
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