BANGKOK – Although there is no confirmation on its own website today, PATA is reported to have hired a travel agency CEO, based in Bangkok, to head the association.
Travel Trade Report (TTR), which has been following the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s attempts to find a new CEO following the sudden resignation of Peter de Jong, said the new man was Bangkok-based Indochina Services CEO, Greg Duffell,
TTR said Duffell accepted the appointment following a series of interviews by the association’s executive committee.
TTR further revealed that Duffell was among four persons interviewed for the post.
They included a high-ranking executive from a national tourist office based in Australia, a former journalist resident in Singapore and the CEO of a youth association based in Europe.
Duffell is expected to start work at PATA’s head office in Bangkok by late January depending on the outcome of talks with Indochina Services on contact details such as the notice period.
TTR said Duffell comes to the post with no baggage and “is not considered an insider of the so called buddy club that has ruled PATA affairs for decadesâ€.
