WEBDESK – MEDIABITES – IMRAN MALIK
Ali Rehman, the food influencer and entrepreneur behind Shoonkria and widely known for his Pola-Pola food content, has been appointed Consultant for Digital Tourism and Food Heritage by the Tourism, Archaeology and Museums Department, Government of the Punjab.
In his new role, Rehman will lead the integration of food and restaurant platforms with the Magnificent Punjab Tourism App and develop the Lahore Heritage Food Trails, a digital infrastructure project aimed at connecting visitors to the city’s culinary and cultural identity.
The scope of work includes bringing over 100 restaurants onto the tourism app, mapping heritage food trails through the Walled City and Lahore’s historic precincts, and building a sustainable partnership model for long-term participation by restaurants and digital platforms. His own food discovery app, Shoonkria, will be integrated directly with the department’s digital assets.
Announcing the appointment, Rehman said, “I’ve spent years telling the story of Lahore’s food, and it has given me so much. Now I get to build the digital infrastructure that carries that story to every visitor who walks into this city.”
Rehman brings a multi-disciplinary background to the role. He spent over 15 years in senior leadership at Navitas, driving student mobility and institutional partnerships across South Asia, MENA and beyond. He is also the founder of Gradix.io, an AI-powered international admissions platform, and holds a Diploma in Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
He is the first and only influencer to receive the Government of Punjab Tourism Excellence Award 2026, and was named Food Critic of the Year 2025.
The appointment positions Rehman at the intersection of his two worlds, digital platforms and food heritage, with Lahore as the starting point and a city-by-city expansion model already in view.
Background
Ali Rehman brings over 20 years of experience spanning international education, digital entrepreneurship and food and culture influence. He spent more than 15 years in senior leadership at Navitas, one of the world’s largest international education groups, where he served as Regional Director for Pakistan and Regional Manager for Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa. Earlier in his career he held marketing roles at the British Council and the University of Hertfordshire.
He is the founder of Gradix.io, an AI-powered international admissions platform, and has led the development of a white-label admissions portal for the Beaconhouse School System. He is also a TEDx Speaker and a Managing Partner at SAM AI.
On the education side, he holds a Diploma with Distinction in Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed executive education in Human Resource Management at LUMS.
His food and culture work has earned him the Government of Punjab Tourism Excellence Award 2026, making him the first and only influencer to receive the recognition, alongside the Food Critic of the Year 2025 title.
