The new head of the Pacific Asia Travel Association has detailed a strategy to better serve its members going forward and a stronger focus on engagement with younger people.
Speaking exclusively to TraveMole.tv, CEO Mario Hardy said the PATA brand is still very strong in people’s minds, but it needs to deliver relevant services and product to a younger generation.
"We are surrounded by technology today and we cannot ignore it, there are certain aspects of technology which will change the way we live and the way we travel in the next decade, so we have to embrace it," Hardy said.
"The businesses that are members of PATA need to learn about this to enable them to adapt."
Hardy cited a focus on travel technology at PATA’s training academy in December as a prime example of the importance of keeping pace with new innovations.
One of the major challenges, Hardy says, is the need to attract more young people to support the exponential growth of Asian tourism.
"We need to promote tourism as a good career path for young people," he said.
Another challenge PATA faces is the dispersal of tourism.
Citing one example – the disconnect between the overwhelming popularity of UNESCO heritage site Angkor Wat and much of the rest of Cambodia which is virtually unknown, Hardy has proposed a research project to look at how destinations can address the problem.
"We want to help destinations disperse tourists so that wealth is spread throughout a country," Hardy added.
To view the video interview click here.
