BANGKOK, 16 October 2020: The Pacific Asia Travel Association announced a new PATA executive board this week led by a former Hertz Asia Pacific regional chief Soon-Hwa Wong.
He takes over from Chris Bottrill as the chair of the association’s executive board for a two-year term. Bottrill remains on the board as the immediate past chair.
Chairman – Forte Hotel Group Taiwan; and Dr Fanny Vong, President – Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Macau, China. Bottom Row: L/R: Henry Oh, Jr., Chairman – Global Tour Ltd., Korea (ROK); Jennifer Chun, Director, Tourism Research – Hawaii Tourism Authority, USA; Oliver Martin, Partner – Twenty31 Consulting Inc., Canada; Peter Semone, Founder and President – Destination Human Capital Limited, Timor Leste; Vinoop Goel, Regional Director –
Airports & External Relations, International Air Transportation Association (IATA), Singapore; Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director – Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Macau, China; and Supawan Teerarat, Senior VP, Strategic Business Development & Innovation – Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Thailand.
On his appointment, Soon-Hwa said: “ PATA will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year. We are embarking on a comprehensive organisation redesign that will transform PATA into an association that will lead the tourism industry into the post-Covid future and beyond.”
Soon Hwa has some 40 years of extensive experience in the Asia Pacific tourism and hospitality industry. After a long and successful corporate career with Hertz, he founded Asia Tourism to provide advisory and consulting services to commercial and not-for-profit enterprises.
He recently set up AsiaChina, primarily focusing on the two-way tourism flow between China and the APAC region.
Presently serving as chairman of the PATA Singapore Chapter, Soon Hwa is also the recipient of the PATA Life Member Award in 2018 and PATA Award of Merit in 2008.
PATA also elected six new members to its executive board. They are Hai Ho, CEO Triip Pte Ltd Singapore; Suman Pandey, president Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure Nepal; Andrew Jones, guardian at Sanctuary Resorts Hong Kong SAR; Fanny Vong, president Macau Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) Macau, China; Oliver Martin, Partner Twenty31 Consulting Inc Canada; and Peter Semone founder and president of Destination Human Capital Limited, Timor Leste.
They join executive board members: Benjamin Liao, chairman Forte Hotel Group Taiwan; Jennifer Chun, Director, Tourism Research Hawaii Tourism Authority USA; Vinoop Goel, regional director airports & external relations, International Air Transportation Association Singapore, and Henry Oh Jr, chairman Global Tour Ltd South Korea.
Hai Ho and Suman Pandey were elected as the new vice-chairman and secretary/treasurer.
PATA confirmed the appointments during the Annual General Meeting held online 14 October, the first fully online AGM convened by the 70-year-old trade association.
