The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is excited to announce its speaker line-up featuring world-renowned leaders from the tourism sector for the PATA Annual Summit 2024. The summit will also introduce new program segments and highlight PATA’s latest developmental initiatives. The event is set in the dynamic city of Macao, China, and will run from May 15-17, 2024.
Organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and co-hosted by SJM Resorts, S.A., this three-day conference, themed ‘Reimagining Tourism,’ emphasizes the potential for significant transformation in the Asia Pacific tourism industry. The summit aims to shape the future of travel and tourism, making it more resilient and sustainable.
While sustainability remains a focal point, this year’s summit will certainly delve into broader discussions, thought provoking conversation, encompassing areas such as travel technology trends, marketing strategies, tourism policy, and cultural advancements. It will catalyse positive change transcending current norms across various dimensions of tourism,” said PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid.
He continued, “PATA extends its sincerest gratitude to the Macao Government Tourism Office and SJM Resorts for their invaluable support in bringing this event to fruition. With the collective effort of all parties involved, coupled with Macao’s captivating destination, I am happy to inform you that we have achieved the highest number of delegate registrations for the PATA Annual Summit since the end of the pandemic. I am thrilled to see that when PATA members come together in full force at such a flagship event like the PATA Annual Summit, it will present an opportunity for the Association to come into full form that can recalibrate the strength of what PATA is all about. We can only get stronger when we are together. Hence, it is our hope that members from across the world will seize this opportunity to find touch-points to collaborate with each other as the travel and tourism industry is recovering to its fullest potential.”
Macao Government Tourism Office Director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said, “We are looking forward to welcoming the PATA Annual Summit 2024 and extending the best of Macao hospitality to ensure a successful event. It has been several years since our destination last staged a PATA flagship event, and it will be a great opportunity to provide delegates from across the Asia Pacific region with a first-hand experience about the new dynamic development of Macao as a world center of tourism and leisure.”
Distinguished speakers participating in the main conference include Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Daisy Ho, Managing Director at SJM Resorts, S.A.; Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board; Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board; Fathmath Thaufeeq, CEO and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (Visit Maldives); Manisha Saxena, Director General (Tourism) at the Ministry of Tourism, India; Pansy Ho, Group Executive Chairman and Managing Director at Shun Tak Holdings Limited; David Fowler, Vice President and Head of Cross-Border & Sales Excellence- Asia Pacific at Visa; and Mich Goh, Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong & Taiwan at Airbnb.
Additional confirmed speakers include:
- Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
- Gerry Perez, Vice President at Guam Visitors Bureau
- YB Dato Dennis Ngau, Chairman of Sarawak Tourism Board
- Peter Semone, Chair of PATA
- Andrew Staples, Editorial Director at Impact Initiatives & Alliances and Head of Policy & Insights (Asia) at Economist Impact
- Chris Cocker, CEO of the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
- Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA
- Sarah Wang, Regional Director Asia at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
- Steve Lai, Chief Presenter at BBC News
- Xin Mok, Director of Public Sector at Mastercard Asia-Pacific
- Fabrizio Orlando, Global Director of Industry Affairs at Tripadvisor
- Mayur (Mac) Patel, Head of Asia at OAG
- Yang Li, Head of Public Affairs for Asia Pacific at Booking.com
- Olivier Ponti, Director of Intelligence & Marketing at Forwardkeys
- Liu Shijun, Vice Chairman of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA)
- Alan Elliott Merschen, Executive Director of Specialist Publications at The SIGMUND Project
- Caroline Bremner, Senior Head of Travel Research at Euromonitor International
- Henry Oh, Jr., Chairman of the Korea Association of Travel Agents
- Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director – Asia Pacific at STR
- Professor Haiyan Song, Associate Dean and Chair Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Simon Lloyd, Dean of Hospitality Management and Business Administration at Dusit Thani College
- Dr. Diamantina Coimbra, Vice-Rector at Macao University of Tourism (UTM)
- Lee Williamson, Executive Director of Specialist Publications at South China Morning Post
- Jonathan Song, Global Director of Business Development at Plaza Premium Group
- Catarina Lio, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at MGM Macau
- Barry Ip, Vice President – Learning & Advancement at Wynn Macau, Limited
- Steve Chan, Senior Manager – Training & Development – Human Resources at Sands China Limited
- Hannah Pearson, Founding Partner at Pear Anderson
- Ian Stazicker, Partner at Churchill & Partners; Founder and Managing Director at Nelian Pty Ltd
- Brendan Sobie, Independent Analyst and Consultant at Sobie Aviation
- Adam Platt-Hepworth, Director of Emerging Ventures at Discova
- Dr. Dori Davari, Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Maria Paz Alberto, Chairperson of PATA Philippine Chapter; President at Ark Travel Express, Inc.
- Boris Miketic, President at Croatia Travel/ Boris World of Travel
- Jonathan Low, CEO at Global Success Learning Academy
- Min Ye Swan, Student in International Tourism and Hospitality Management at Bangkok University International
Brief Overview of the PATA Annual Summit 2024 Program
The summit is set to kick off on May 15th, featuring internal PATA meetings and an exclusive PATA Life Members Get-Together, alongside the PATA Power of Networking event and the first-ever Education Roundtable session.
The following day will start with the PATA Youth Symposium off-site at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST). This will be followed by a series of Government and Industry Roundtables, Government Bilateral Meetings, and the PATA Chapter Congress.
Additionally, this year introduces the PATA-WTCF China Dialogue, a collaborative effort with the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and sponsored by Dragon Trail International. This inaugural session will focus on the evolving sphere of China Inbound Tourism, addressing various challenges and exploring opportunities.
Featured speakers at the summit include:
- George Cao, Co-founder & CEO of Dragon Trail International
- Chen Bo, Executive Director of the World Tourism Cities Federation
- Zhang Jing, II Level Consultant, Large Events Division, Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau
- Xia Jun, Vice Director General, Nanjing Culture and Tourism Bureau
- Fan Hui, Vice Director General, Qingdao Culture and Tourism Bureau
- Albert Yip, Director General, Sanya Tourism Board
- Ning Guo Xing, Chief Government Officer, Utour
- Soon Hwa Wong, PATA Ambassador for Greater China
- Leo Liu, Vice President, MasterCard
- Yan Lanru, General Manager, Smart Tourism, Qunar.com
- Qin Qin, Deputy General Manager, Shenzhen Century Holiday Travel Group
- Sunny Li, Vice President, Artyzen Hospitality Group
- Lylia Shen, GM, Government Relations, Funyard Hotels & Resorts
- Professor Dr. Jingjing Guan, Associate Dean, School of Tourism & Urban-Rural Planning, Zhejiang Gongshang University
- Associate Professor Dr. Jun Wu, Director of International Affairs, School of Tourism & Urban-Rural Planning, Zhejiang Gongshang University
The day will conclude with a Hosted Dinner and the PATA Awards Presentation at the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, featuring delegates dressed in their finest national costumes for the Cultural Attire Competition at PAS2024.
The main conference kicks off on the afternoon of May 16th and wraps up on May 17th. It includes the official opening ceremony and sessions on a variety of topics such as the ‘State of the World Economy,’ ‘Marketing and Branding in Asia Pacific Tourism,’ ‘Reimagining Your Business Model,’ ‘Future-Proofing Travel and Tourism Policies,’ and ‘In Conversation with Pansy Ho.’ Additional sessions will focus on key travel and tourism trends, hotel and air travel trends in APAC, the evolution of aviation in Asia Pacific, and the launch of a new PATA report on human capital development. These sessions will stimulate meaningful discussion in line with the theme ‘Reimagining Tourism.’
Other key activities include the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding; one between PATA and the Sarawak Tourism Board, and another with the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation during the ‘Partnerships for Tomorrow’ session.
PATA will also introduce the Kind Hearts initiative, demonstrating the Association’s dedication to community impact by donating around 100 children’s books to the Instituto Cultural de Macau to foster a love of reading among the young.
The Summit’s diverse agenda also features the Offsite Educational Experience hosted by MGTO, including workshops on traditional dessert making and Portuguese Blue Tile “Azulejo” Painting. Participants will enjoy various tours, including a ‘Cruising through Macao’s Night Skyline’ tour and excursions to Macao, Hengqin, China, and Hong Kong SAR, hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Aiming for sustainability, the PATA Annual Summit is committed to being a carbon-neutral event. Attendees are encouraged to contribute USD10 to help maintain environmental sustainability and contribute to global conservation efforts.
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