TravTalk India Online Magazine
As a pivotal force in global tourism, PATA stands ready to shift the narrative from ‘sustainability’ to ‘meaningful tourism’. With innovation, sustainability, and context-driven solutions, the organisation aims to drive travel growth in Asia Pacific in 2025 and will continue to focus on revenue growth for the benefit of its members.
Amita Pandey
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is gearing up for 2025 with a forward-looking vision. Speaking at the PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2025, Peter Semone, Chair, PATA, unveiled the organisation’s plan to shift the tourism narrative from ‘sustainability’ to ‘meaningful tourism’. Explaining the vision, Semone emphasised the need to redefine tourism’s impact by asking questions, such as “How can tourism be meaningful to communities—economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally?” He highlighted the importance of broadening tourism’s benefits beyond investors and major players to truly enrich local communities.
Another pivotal goal for PATA would be to address outdated tourism success metrics, such as visitor numbers and length of stay. Semone proposed innovative systems, like entry fees, that could be reinvested directly into communities. “It is time to build from the ground up—starting with communities and working towards agencies and governments,” he suggested.
PATA’s strategy for 2025 also emphasises the importance of creating conscious travellers who care about their destinations. Semone called for a shift from destination marketing to destination management, encouraging governments to focus more on managing resources and infrastructure than solely driving demand. “This is an opportunity to rethink priorities—less about attracting visitors, more about ensuring a sustainable, well-managed supply side,” he said.
Echoing a progressive outlook, Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA, outlined plans to elevate the organisation by expanding events and increasing revenue to benefit members. “This growth will help raise awareness about critical issues in the tourism sector, like over-tourism,” Hamid explained.
He revealed that PATA Annual Summit 2025 is set to take place in Istanbul, Turkey and PATA Travel Mart 2025 will return to Bangkok, Thailand. For the next PATA Destination Marketing Forum (PDMF), Chiang Rai, Thailand, is being considered as a fresh venue. Beyond events, PATA will focus on capacity-building initiatives across member countries to drive industry-wide improvement.
Paul Pruangkarn, PATA, Chief of Staff, emphasised the importance of focusing on sustainability and digitalisation in 2025, describing them as enduring priorities. “These are not fleeting trends—they will remain relevant and essential next year,” he said. He believes that key areas of attention will include climate change, the rise of AI, robotics, and virtual experiences.
Challenges
When asked about the challenges that tourism industry is facing globally, Semone said that the impact of geopolitics on tourism is in his priority list and needs to be discussed by the leaders worldwide. “From the Ukraine conflict to tensions in the Middle East, peace remains crucial for the industry’s success. Leadership decisions worldwide and safety concerns also play significant roles, driving a push toward strengthening intra-regional travel within Asia Pacific,” he said. In addition, Semone expressed concern over social media’s influence, warning of its potential to harm destinations.
