PATA unveils new chair and executive board to lead industry into post-Covid future and beyond

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the ratification of the new PATA executive board. Soon-Hwa Wong has been formally endorsed as the chair of the association’s executive board and replaces Dr. Chris Bottrill who was elected chair in May 2018 and remains a member of the executive board as immediate past chair.

Soon-Hwa said: “PATA will celebrate a significant milestone, our 70th anniversary, next year. We are embarking on a comprehensive organisation redesign that will transform PATA into an association that will lead the tourism industry into the post-Covid future and beyond. Together with our industry partners from both the public and private sector, we will commit to sustainable tourism development to benefit the economic well-being of the community at large.”

During the PATA board meeting held virtually, it also elected six new members to its executive board including Hai Ho, CEO of Triip in Singapore; Suman Pandey, president of Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure in Nepal; Andrew Jones, guardian of Sanctuary Resorts in Hong Kong; Dr. Fanny Vong, president of Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Macao, China; Oliver Martin, partner – Twenty31 Consulting in Canada, and Peter Semone, founder and president of Destination Human Capital in Timor Leste.

Hai Ho and Suman Pandey were elected as the new vice chairman and secretary/treasurer, respectively. The new executive board members were confirmed at the PATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) held online.