Top speakers at PATA summit in Negombo
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Taleb Rifai
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will be holding its annual 2017 summit in Sri Lanka on May 18-21 at the Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negombo.
The organisation said in a media release that the PATA Annual Summit programme (PAS 2017) “embraces the dynamic one-day conference and the PATA Youth Symposium that allows students and young professionals to engage with industry leaders. This is particularly important in 2017 as we are focusing specifically on Young Tourism Professionals within our Human Capital Development programme”.
PATA said it was continuing its successful partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to organise once again the UNWTO/PATA Ministerial Debate. This is an event where Tourism Ministers discuss issues, challenges and opportunities with leaders from the private sector.The conference theme this year is ‘Disruption. Innovation. Transformation: The Future of Tourism’. The travel industry is constantly evolving. The marketing and media channels required to reach travellers – formerly the purview of the big and well-funded – have disrupted, levelling the playing field for even the smallest of operators and destinations. This provides the opportunity for every operator or destination to engage their communities and stakeholders, understand their unique strengths and apply them to attract a specific target audience. Those who embrace technology and content alongside a profound understanding of the new traveller will be rewarded with a disproportionate share of tourism revenue growth, the release added.
PATA said the PAS 2017 Conference and UNWTO/PATA Ministerial Debate together bring travel’s most innovative thinkers and leaders to connect, share and move travel forward. Confirmed speakers include Taleb Rifai Secretary General UNWTO; Rafat Ali, CEO and Founder Skift, and Greg Klassen, Partner, Twenty31 Consulting Inc.