Pacific Asia Travel Association

10/08/2026

PTM Knowledge Forum: Communities, Culture & Meaningful Tourism Experiences 🌿🚂

How can tourism preserve cultural heritage while creating real economic opportunities for local communities? Join this inspiring session examining community-led tourism, cultural preservation, and Indigenous storytelling across Asia Pacific!

Featuring a special Sarawak case study on Indigenous tourism initiatives, this discussion will explore practical strategies for tourism dispersal, benefit-sharing, skills development, and authentic product creation in rural communities.

Panellists:
🔹 Somsak Boonkam, Founder and CEO, Local Alike
🔹 Jessica Yew, Director, Sticky Rice Travel

Moderator: Andrew Jones, Guardian, Sanctuary Resorts; Chair, PATA Foundation

The forum is open to PTM delegates only—it's not too late to take part! 👉 Register now: https://www.pata.org/ptm

10/08/2026

PTM Knowledge Forum: Purposeful Growth in an Age of Change 🌏✨

How can destinations and businesses stay competitive while navigating changing traveler behaviour, sustainability demands, and geopolitical uncertainty? Join this 40-minute panel discussion to explore how leading tourism stakeholders balance commercial success with long-term responsibility, public-private partnerships, and inclusive economic development!

Panellists:
🔹 Dr. Sharzede Salleh Askor, CEO, Sarawak Travel, Malaysia, Borneo
🔹 Adela Issachar Aru, CEO, Vanuatu Tourism Office Corporate
🔹 Eric Fong, Marketing Director, Macau International Airport 澳門國際機場

Moderator: Sarah Mathews, CEO, E-Tourism Frontiers Ltd

The forum is open to PTM delegates only—it's not too late to take part! 👉 Register now: https://www.pata.org/ptm

09/08/2026

When Indigenous women lead, entire communities thrive.

This year's International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples focuses on how indigenous women safeguards the community's living- a wonderful time to rethink how we interact with the local communities when we travel! 🧳

Indigenous women are the caretakers of local wisdom, traditional healing, and cultural heritage. Supporting their businesses helps travel become a positive force that truly supports local communities.

👉 Swipe through to see how women-led Indigenous tourism is shifting the Global landscape, and how you can be an ethical guest on your next journey.

07/08/2026

PTM Knowledge Forum: AI, Digital Commerce, Sales & the Future Traveller 🤖

How are digital platforms, AI, and smart destination strategies reshaping how we market, sell, and manage travel? Join this 35-minute session at the PTM Knowledge Forum to explore practical tools, data-driven solutions, and evolving business models transforming the Asia Pacific travel ecosystem!

Key discussions include: AI-powered travel planning, personalisation & B2B sales tools; smart destinations, connected experiences & data-driven tourism management; and digital commerce, new distribution models & tech-enabled sustainability solutions.

Speakers:
🔹 Bharat Nagpal, Senior Director, Sojern
🔹 Yang Li, Head of Public Affairs, APAC, Booking.com

The forum is open to PTM delegates only—it's not too late to take part! 👉 Register now: https://www.pata.org/ptm

07/08/2026

"Resilience can no longer be viewed as a crisis response. It must become a core element of tourism strategy." 💡

In a featured Op-Ed for Greek Travel Pages Headlines, PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid reflects on PATA’s 75th Anniversary and shares a powerful vision for the future of travel in the Asia-Pacific region.

He discusses how destination leaders can transform global uncertainty into opportunities for innovation by measuring success through community well-being and environmental stewardship, diversifying visitor markets, pairing AI with investments in workforce development, and strengthening regional partnerships.

🔗 Read the full article here:

PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid talks to GTP on uneven recovery, market diversification and why resilience must become a core element of Asia Pacific tourism strategy.

06/08/2026

PTM Knowledge Forum: From Vision to Reality: Sustainable Tourism in Action 🌿🌏

How do destinations translate sustainability commitments into real-world impact? Join this session to hear real case studies from destination leaders on balancing economic growth, community inclusivity, and cultural preservation with long-term stewardship.

🔹 Morshidi Fredrick, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak
🔹 Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office (Visit Macao)
🔹 Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Director-General, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA Thailand)

Moderated by Yang Li, Head of Public Affairs, APAC, Booking.com.

The forum is open to PTM delegates only- it's not too late to take part! Register now: pata.org/ptm.

06/08/2026

Food is a precious resource and a key element of the tourism experience, holding significant economic, social and environmental impacts for both tourism destinations and businesses.

The purpose of this survey is to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the tourism food system and to redesign how food is produced, sourced, and consumed in tourism. 🥕

Your insights will help co-create an impact roadmap for more resilient and sustainable food systems in tourism. Fill in the survey by August 20: https://www.untourism.int/circular-economy/food-for-good-initiative-survey

📢 Calling private sector organisations across the tourism food value chain!

UN Tourism, together with the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) at the University of Cambridge and TUI Care Foundation, invites you to take part in the Tourism Food for Good Private Sector Survey.

We want to hear from:
🏨 Hotels
🌍 Tour operators
🍽️ Restaurants
🥕 Food and beverage suppliers
🤝 Food banks
♻️ Circular solutions providers
🏢 Business associations

The survey explores how organisations approach food sourcing and procurement, circularity, waste management, redistribution and sustainability strategies.

Your insights will help co-create an impact roadmap for more resilient and sustainable food systems in tourism, from today’s practices through to 2040.
🗓️ Deadline: 20 August 2026
🔗 https://www.untourism.int/circular-economy/food-for-good-initiative-survey

05/08/2026

PTM Knowledge Forum: Japan Outbound Tourism Snapshot 2027 ✈️

Join Dr. Temesgen Assefa, Chief Consultant, Global Tourism Intelligence at JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co., as he delivers a focused look into the outlook, traveller behaviour, and recovery trajectory of Japan's outbound market, and what it means for destinations and tourism businesses across Asia Pacific.

The forum is open to PTM delegates only- it's not too late to take part! Register now: pata.org/ptm.

05/08/2026

Discover Russia is the official Private Lunch Sponsor for !

Counting down two weeks, expand your APAC-focused network and build long-lasting partnerships at PATA Travel Mart 2026. ⚓️

About Discover Russia: The national Russian tourism brand and a marketing ecosystem for promotion in foreign markets. Under the brand consists of regional brands, the Golden Ring - the route of UNESCO and historic cultural sites, and the Silver Way- the fascinating expanses of the Russian North and Northwest.

It’s not too late to secure your spot at the region's premier travel trade show! 📌 Register today: https://www.pata.org/pata-travel-mart-2026

Sponsorship opportunities: https://www.pata.org/pata-travel-mart-2026

04/08/2026

PATA Chair Henry Oh recently met with Li Zhu Yuan, Executive President & Secretary-General of the MICE Committee of the China Association of Travel Services (CATS), at his office in Seoul.

During the visit, both leaders engaged in fruitful discussions regarding strategic cooperation and potential future cooperations aimed at driving growth, innovation, and partnership within the MICE sector across the Asia Pacific region. 🤝

We are excited for the collaborations ahead!