PATA Annual Summit 2019: Issues of sustainability and social responsibility

The PATA Annual Summit 2019 (PAS 2019), under the theme ‘Progress with a Purpose’, opened in Cebu, Philippines on May 9 with 383 delegates from 194 organisations and 43 destinations attending the four-day event. Delegates also included local and international students, as well as student chapter representatives, from 21 educational institutions hailing from eighteen destinations.

Generously hosted by the Department of Tourism, Philippines, the event included the Association’s executive and advisory board meetings, annual general meeting (AGM), PATA Youth Symposium, PATA Insights Lounge, the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate and a one-day conference that highlighted the fundamental challenges, issues and opportunities of the travel and tourism industry and how the industry working together can bring about actionable change for a better future.

“The need for demonstrated leadership in the travel and tourism industry has never been more critical. As an industry, we are grappling with large scale global and regional challenges including climate change, overtourism and the resulting strain on infrastructure, as well as and social and economic inequality in many destinations, which will require a new type of leadership from truly progressive entities,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “This year’s PATA Annual Summit, with the theme ‘Progress with a Purpose’ not only examined the issues and challenges affecting our industry but also challenged our delegates to take action and address these problems directly.”

During the one-day conference on May 10, delegates were given the unique opportunity to hear from Airbnb Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer, and Chairman of Airbnb China, Nathan Blecharczyk, who sat down for a special one-on-one interview with BBC World News Presenter, Rico Hizon.

Sponsored by the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), the opening keynote on the ‘State of the World Economy’ was delivered by Dr. Andrew Staples, Global Editorial Director at The Economist Corporate Network. He shared the latest macroeconomic forecasts for the global economy from The Economist Intelligence Unit before identifying the longer-term opportunities and challenges facing the Asia Pacific region

During the day, delegates also heard from a diverse line-up of international thought leaders and industry shapers on various topics including ‘The Current and Future State of Travel and Tourism in Asia Pacific’, ‘Navigating the Numbers’, ‘Travelling the Unknown to Find Yourself’, ‘Destination Management in Times of Uncertainty’, ‘Mainstreaming Sustainable Tourism’, ‘The Power of Data and Insights for Responsible Development’, ‘Accessible Tourism for All’, and ‘The Future of Sustainable Destination Branding’.