Tag Archives: PATA

Peter Semone, Chair, PATA said, “To boost IVAs in Asia Pacific, we need to prioritise India & China as source markets as these markets offer greater potential than traditional Western sources. He identified South East Asia as a key emerging market. Meanwhile, PATA Travel Mart 2025 will be held from 26-28 August in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Tourism Seasonality Summit (TSS) have joined forces to tackle the seasonality challenges in tourism destinations across the Asia Pacific region. The strategic partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aims to develop innovative solutions to distribute tourism more evenly throughout the year and mitigate the negative impacts of over-tourism. The MOU was officially signed by World Tourism Seasonality Summit CEO Ged Brown and PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid during the PATA Knowledge Forum on 27 August, 2024 which was part of the PATA Travel Mart 2024 programme. “This collaboration aligns with the Association’s mission to bring together private and public sector members to enhance the value, quality, and sustainable growth of travel and tourism. By working together, we aim to develop strategies that will effectively manage and alleviate the impact of tourism seasonality,” remarked Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA. Ged Brown, CEO, World Tourism Seasonality Summit, remarked, “The Tourism Seasonality Summit is the only travel and tourism event which is focused completely on resolving the seasonality issues facing tourism destinations, airports and airlines.” This agreement signifies a joint commitment to addressing the challenges of peak season tourism, which often contributes to over-tourism. Both organisations are dedicated to safeguarding, preserving, and enriching tourism experiences for both future generations of travellers and host communities. The collaboration will also provide mutual advantages, such as heightened brand recognition and speaking opportunities at the organisations’ respective events, to name a few.

PATA has announced its new Executive Board. Peter Semone will be the Chair for a second term. Suman Pandey as the Vice Chair, and Luzi Matzig as the treasurer. Noor Ahmad Hamid, PATA, CEO remains on the board as an ex-officio member. Executive Board members are Ben Montgomery, Henry Oh, Noredah Othman, Mayur Patel, Gerald Perez, and SanJeet.

Focusing on benefits of attending PATA Travel Mart 2024, Noor Ahmad, CEO, PATA, revealed that the event is expected to witness 57% participation from the leisure segment buyers and 31% from buyers with M!CE & leisure (both), while 8% from MICE segment. The PATA Travel Mart 2024 is scheduled from August 27-29, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Recently concluded PATA Annual Summit in Macao has set a new record for industry, attracting an impressive turnout of over 400 delegates from more than 25 destinations. This remarkable number of registrations marks the highest in PATA’s history since COVID, signalling the unwavering determination of industry professionals to rebuild and reimagine tourism.

Addressing PATA International Conference on Women in Travel in Bohol, Philippines, Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA, shared, “There should be equality, parity and equal representation for all tourism stakeholders including women. PATA is committed to advancing the role of women in tourism.”

International visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia Pacific are expected to rise from 619 million in 2024 to 762 million in 2026, with a recovery rate of 111.6 per cent compared to the 2019 level. Asia will lead the recovery, with visitor arrivals reaching 564.0 million by 2026 in comparison to the Americas and the Pacific.

Malaysia moves ahead to become the 4th largest source market for inbound travel in India as per the PATA report. It will climb to the 4th spot in 2024 from 7th rank in 2019, beating Australia. In mild scenario, International Visitor Arrivals (IVAs) from Malaysia to India is expected to go up by 176.7% in 2024.  

Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA highlights India’s unparalleled aircraft acquisition spree, with the country poised to witness the delivery of nearly three new aircraft per week over the next four years. This surge, coupled with initiatives like Air India’s restructuring, will enhance India’s competitiveness in the region.

As per the PATA forecast, the inbound arrival will surge between 2024-2026 in the Asia Pacific region. The top 10 source markets will contribute 59% of all IVAs in 2024. India will account for 1.9% of the relative share of IVAs by 2026 in comparison to 1.7% in 2024 in the Pacific region.