(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka hosted the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2017 which includes the PATA Annual General Meeting and the PATA Youth Symposium from May 18 through 21 at the Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negombo.
The PATA Annual Summit 2017 (PAS 2017), under the theme ‘Disruption. Innovation. Transformation: The Future of Tourism’, opened on May 18 with 406 delegates from 191 organisations representing 39 countries attending the four-day event.
The program for PAS 2017, hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau along with the Ministry of Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs of the government of Sri Lanka, included the Association’s executive and advisory board meetings, annual general meeting (AGM), PATA Youth Symposium, PATA Insights Lounge (Formerly the PATA Marketplace), the UNWTO/PATA Ministerial Debate and a one-day conference that addressed the issues, challenges and opportunities arising from the constantly evolving landscape of the travel and tourism industry.
PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy told local and international media that the PATA Annual Summit brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region.
He said the organisation understands that, to overcome the challenges and issues facing the industry, the public and private sectors must work together.
“Providing a catalyst for closer cooperation is one of PATA’s key roles. Through such partnerships between private and public sector members we stand on much firmer ground when seeking to enhance the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region,” he added.
The summit began with 130 students, alumni, lecturers and industry professionals from Sri Lanka and overseas participating at the PATA Youth Symposium 2017 with the theme ‘No Barriers: Millennials and the Future of Tourism’. The symposium was hosted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM).
Opening remarks at the one day conference on Friday, May 19 were given by the Minister of Tourism, Lands and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga and by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai. The conference keynote address on ‘Managing disruption through innovation’ was given by Rafat Ali, CEO and founder of Skift. Delegates also heard from several international thought leaders and industry shapers.
Other topics discussed during the conference were: The Transformation of Marketing, Research Innovation, Disrupting the Travel Industry, The Real Future of Tourism: Young Tourism Professionals, and Embracing Disruption: A Blueprint for the Future of Tourism.
PATA, in partnership with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), held a half-day PATA/UNWTO Ministerial Debate on Saturday, May 20 when representatives from the public and private sectors discussed the concepts of recognized sustainability leadership and the sharing economy as they pertain to the travel and tourism industry. The debate was moderated by BBC News Correspondent & Presenter Yogita Limaye.
Before the session on ‘The Shift to Recognized Sustainability Leadership in the Travel and Tourism Industry’, UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Rifai provided an inspiring speech regarding the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, while Mr Ali presented on the personalization of the sharing economy before the session on ‘The Sharing Economy and Travel and Tourism’.
Other highlights of the four-day event included the PATA Awards Presentation, the election of the new PATA Executive Board, the Signing Ceremony of the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics by Triip.me, the signing ceremony with the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) for PATA Annual Summit 2018, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Mei Shan Municipality Tourism to strengthen the strategic cooperation between both organisations.
