PATA Face of the Future 2018: Call for Entries
BANGKOK, January 30, 2018 — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is now accepting submissions for PATA Face of the Future 2018. The winner will receive complimentary round-trip economy class air ticket and accommodation to attend the Association’s Dinner and Awards Presentation during the PATA Annual Summit 2018 on May 18-21 in Gangneung, Korea (ROK). Deadline for submissions is March 9, 2018.
The winner will also be provided a speaking opportunity at the PATA Youth Symposium and the one-day conference during the PATA Annual Summit 2018 and will be invited to join the PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer.
Other benefits include:
Recognition as the PATA Face of the Future 2018 including the use of a corresponding brand identity logo
Mentorship opportunity with PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy
Opportunities to speak at other PATA events or partner events on behalf of PATA
Global media exposure via PATA’s far-reaching communication channels
Opportunity to participate in PATA Committee meetings as an ‘Observer’. Join international discussions and grow your professional network in various sectors including Aviation/Carrier, Government/Destination, Hospitality, HCD, Industry Council and Sustainability
Build your profile as a mentor for the PATA Young Tourism Professional (YTP) Mentorship Programme to develop young tourism professional students in the region
Complimentary registration to one PATAcademy-HCD training of your choice (June or December 2018)
One blog post about your passion and journey to success
PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to human capital development (HCD) across the broad spectrum of the travel and tourism industry. The primary focus of the Association’s HCD programme for 2018 is upon the development of the ‘Young Tourism Professional’ (YTP).
To highlight PATA’s commitment to HCD, the Association annually presents a special award and prize to an exceptional ‘rising star’ in the industry. All recipients of this prestigious award have exhibited initiative and leadership in the advancement of tourism as well as demonstrating commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in line with PATA’s mission.
“I feel so honoured and humbled to have been recognised with the prestigious PATA Face of the Future 2017 award. This award is a recognition for my amazing team at Tripfez and Salam Standard who have put in tremendous effort in promoting the concept of inclusive travel focusing on localisation of our travel products for Muslim travellers,” said Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and co-founder of Tripfez, Malaysia and PATA Face of the Future 2017. “Being recognised as the PATA Face of the Future opens up a whole new opportunity to connect with national tourism organisations, associations, hotels, and travel stakeholders to promote Muslim travel as an integral part of the hospitality industry and move towards culturally localised travel experiences.”
“The PATA Face of The Future recipient also has the opportunity to join the PATA Executive Board and be part of the dynamic team in deciding the future of the industry and association at large and be able to experience and see first-hand its operations. I think for young travel professionals, it opens a whole new world, not just in networking, but also in understanding first-hand how the travel industry works and to witness how important policies are made. It’s a great learning experience,” he added.
Dr Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Há – the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macau SAR and PATA Face of the Future 2015 said, “It was truly an honour being PATA Face of the Future and being invited to join the prestigious PATA Executive Board for a one year term. I had the chance to join different PATA events during my term, which was a great opportunity to meet remarkable tourism leaders from various PATA destinations. I also met many other outstanding young tourism professionals, whom inspired me to continually think and better myself in order to keep pace with my counterparts. I also benefited from global media exposure via PATA’s far-reaching communication channels. If you would like to be the next PATA Face of the Future and be found on different search engines, ACT NOW!”
ELIGIBILITY
An individual is eligible to enter the 2018 PATA ‘Face of the Future’ Award if he or she is:
Aged 18-35 as of May 21, 2018
Working for a PATA member organisation in good-standing as of May 21, 2018
JUDGING CRITERIA
The judges will seek to identify an individual who has best:
Exhibited initiative and leadership in the implementation of local, regional and/or international tourism initiatives (including research projects)
Demonstrated commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in a spirit compatible with PATA’s mission
JUDGING COMMITTEE
Faeez Fadhillah – PATA Face of the Future 2017 | CEO, Tripfez
Sarah Mathews – Chairperson, PATA | Head of Destination Marketing APAC, TripAdvisor
Dr. Mario Hardy – CEO, PATA
Parita Niemwongse – Director of Human Capital Development, PATA
JC Wong – Young Tourism Professional Ambassador, PATA
HOW TO ENTER
The candidate him/herself OR a third-party person may submit the nomination.
No entry form is required. Simply submit a nomination letter, along with the nominee’s full professional contact details and bio-data with photo (JPG format, 300 dpi resolution, maximum 500KB total file size), in soft copy only (DOC or PDF file; maximum three pages).
Submit a video (up to three minutes in length) detailing the nominee’s experiences to date and aspirations for the future of travel and tourism. Movie clips shot on smart phones or tablets are acceptable.
Please email the entry, clearly labelled ‘PATA Face of the Future 2018 Nomination’, to Parita Niemwongse at [email protected] by March 9, 2018.
The results will be notified to all entrants by March 16, 2018. Public announcement will be made by March 20, 2018.
For further information, please visit http://www.pata.org/face-of-the-future
The PATA Annual Summit 2018, generously hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization and Gangwon Province, brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers, and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region, attracting 200-400 delegates from 30+ countries. The Summit serves both as the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and as a global tourism forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
The 4-day programme consists of the association’s executive and advisory board meetings, annual general meeting, and the PATA Youth Symposium; and a one-day conference that addresses major issues relevant to the travel and tourism industry. In addition, PATA in partnership with the UNWTO will be holding a half-day PATA/UNWTO Leaders Debate. More information about the event can be found at www.PATA.org/pas.
Past winners of PATA Face of the Future
2017 Mr Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and co-founder of Tripfez, Malaysia
2016 Mr Danny Ho, Executive Pastry Chef, Hotel ICON, Hong Kong SAR
2015 Dr Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Há – the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macau SAR
2014 Ms Soulinnara Ratanavong, Teacher/Trainer at the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (Lanith), Lao PDR
2013 Mr James Mabey, Senior Director of Development, Marco Polo Hotels, Hong Kong SAR
2012 Mr Justin Malcolm, General Manager, Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort, & Chairman of the PATA Chiang Rai Chapter, Thailand
2011 Ms Tavalea Nilon, Miss Samoa 2010, Samoa
2010 Mr Toney K Thomas, Programme Director & Senior Lecturer of the School of Tourism, Events & Recreation, Taylor’s University College, Malaysia
2009 Mr Andrew Nihopara, Marketing Manager, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Fiji
2008 Mr Kenneth Low, Director Strategy – Asia Pacific, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Singapore
2007 Mr Tran Trong Kien, CEO, Buffalo Tours, Vietnam
2006 Mr Shikher Prasai, Managing Director, Natraj Tours & Travels, Nepal
2005 Ms Sally Hollis, Manager, Tourism Council of Western Australia, Australia
2004 Ms Silvia Sitou, Head of the Research & Planning Department, Macau Government Tourist Office, Macau SAR
2003 Mr Vivek Sharma, Sales & Marketing Manager – Eastern USA, SITA World Tours, United States
2002 Mr Mayur (Mac) Patel, Founder, eTravelConsult.com, Australia
Note: All stated positions are as of year obtaining their award.
Destination competitiveness through cooperation: Embracing challenges right next door
As a very busy 2017 for global Travel & Tourism now fades into the background, tourism leaders face the daunting task of resetting the counters for 2018. Little opportunity exists for a quiet exhale following year-end tourism high periods of activity. A new year means new targets, new expectations, and new competition.
Global Travel & Tourism (T&T) saw a remarkable performance in 2017, with international arrivals crossing the 1.3 billion mark reflecting a high of +7% growth as a result of strong recovery in regions suffering instability in previous years, the UNWTO’s recent announcement of the stats has many tourism leaders across the globe feeling a level of confidence not experienced for many years where growth was a consistent +4%. The sector continues to inspire the quest for discovery of people and places, which in turn is inspiring economies and societies looking to the sector as a source of sustained unity and opportunity.
Still, the year ahead is not without its challenges. With a number of milestone initiatives set to take place in the months ahead, be they new aviation and visa facilitation policies going into effect, megaevents ranging from the Olympic & Paralympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, to royal births and royal weddings going live, and iconic attractions opening their doors, 2018 promises to be a year of immense excitement.
COMPETITIVE NEIGHBOURHOODS
The excitement will not only be felt by travelers. It will also be felt by destinations, especially those looking at activity taking place in their neighborhood.
Such is the case in the increasingly active Middle East region, where T&T continues to be integrated into national and regional strategic visions as a vehicle for sustainable economic and social development, not to mention cultural and environmental protection.
One such destination is the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) in the UAE. With very active tourism destinations on its doorstep, namely Abu Dhabi and Dubai, RAK has found a firm position for itself in the eye of the competitive storm, much thanks to the tourism authority’s CEO since 2015, Haitham Mattar.
A hospitality professional at heart with almost three decades of front-line experience in hotel and destination management, Mattar views RAK’s competitors as a source of solid inspiration. Not an easy position to take when major events such as Abu Dhabi’s recent opening of the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, and Dubai’s rapidly approaching Expo 2020 can easily cause distraction from strategic decision making.
As stated by Mattar:
“Ras Al Khaimah is indeed located in a very competitive region, however, I believe that because we are a unique destination that offers nature-based adventure activities and attractions that are distinct in the UAE and the region. Everything we do is focused on how we compliment the other Emirates and add value to the UAU as a whole, particularly with our 45-minute proximity from Dubai International Airport.”
A complementary approach allows for a more steady, sensible and sustainable approach to growth. It’s all about perspective. And positioning. Mattar continues:
“Our strategy aims to bring one million tourists to Ras Al Khaimah by the end of 2018, focusing on three key tourist segments beyond the traditional leisure market seeking sun and sand. These segments are active adventurers, cultural explorers and luxury indulgence and wellness seekers. Our ongoing efforts will remain targeted on growing awareness of Ras Al Khaimah’s hidden gems both locally and internationally, focusing on its untouched and beautiful natural resources, just 45 minutes away from the modern life offering in Dubai and other Emirates.”
Clearly the aspirations of RAK’s neighbors, and investment into same, are being adopted by RAK as levers to accelerate growth. As explained by Mattar:
“Let’s take Abu Dhabi as an example. After the opening of the Louvre the Emirate reported an increase of 17.6% in its hotel occupancy. This week we’ll officially open the world’s longest zipline, Jebel Jais Flight, and it will be followed with other unique projects in the mountains including our Viewing Deck Park. We expect these products to help us deliver significant tourism growth and strengthen our position as the adventure capital of the region. Such unique mega-events that have the ability to create a bucket list effect internationally and when combined with the breadth of offer in a destination really drive appeal for the next generation of travelers.”
Taking a regionally holistic, inclusive and innately grateful approach to destination leadership allows for win:win development for both travelers and destination(s) alike.
“Ras Al Khaimah prides itself on being the outdoor adventure capital of the Middle East. Looking ahead to Expo 2020, Dubai is expecting more than 25 million visitors during the event, 70% of which will be from outside of the UAE. Given the proximity of Ras Al Khaimah to Dubai and the complimentary nature of the destination’s we hope to capitalize on this influx of tourists by focusing on the breadth of experience in our Emirate to encourage dual center visitors. We have a clear understanding on what the Ras Al Khaimah identity and unique brand stands for, and this is at the heart of everything that we do. We don’t try to compete with others, we listen carefully to what our travelers want and we work on facilitating their needs and catering to them all.”
Competition through cooperation. A winning strategy for travelers, destinations, and greater global sector development.
by Anita Mendiratta for CNN TASK GROUP