PATA elects new Executive Board, honours leaders

Travel Biz News —
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) elected a new leadership during the 71st PATA Annual General Meeting held virtually .
Peter Semone has been formally endorsed as the Chair of the Association’s Executive Board and replaces Soon-Hwa Wong who was elected Chair in October 2020.
He has been actively engaged with the PATA since the mid-1990’s, serving as Chairman of the PATA Foundation Board of Trustees and the Education and Training Committee.
PATA also elected six new members to its Executive Board including Benjamin Liao, Forte Hotel Group, Chinese Taipei; Suman Pandey, Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure, Nepal; Tunku Iskandar, Mitra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia; SanJeet, DDP Publications Private Ltd., India; Luzi Matzig, Asian Trails Ltd., Thailand, and Dr Fanny Vong, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Macao, China.
They will be joining current Executive Board members Dr Abdulla Mausoom, Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, and Noredah Othman, Sabah Tourism Board, Malaysia , according to a release issued by PATA.
Benjamin Liao and Suman Pandey were elected as the new Vice Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively.
Similarly , PATA has recognised two individuals for their valuable contributions to the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
The PATA Life Membership and PATA Chair’s Award were presented during the 71st Annual General Meeting held online on May 13, 2022.
PATA Life Membership was awarded to Andrew Jones, Guardian, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong SAR, China. The award is the Association’s highest individual honour and recognises significant leadership and invaluable dedication to PATA.
The PATA Chair’s Award was presented to Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO). The Award, the personal gift of the serving PATA Chair, recognises an individual (or individuals) for their help, support, loyalty, and dedication during the Chair’s tenure.
Picture: Top Row: L/R: Peter Semone, Benjamin Liao, Suman Pandey, and Tunku Iskandar.Bottom Row: L/R: Luzi Matzig, Dr Abdulla Mausoom, Noredah Othman, SanJeet, and Dr Fanny Vong..
18 May 2022