Participants at the inaugural Pacific Tourism Insights Conference (PTIC) in October will be treated to an array of innovative and disruptive ideas aimed at exploring unchartered territories that will drive tourism destination development in the future.
The Conference is being organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in collaboration with South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), hosted by the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) and co-sponsored by Air Vanuatu. The inaugural PTIC will be held on October 25th at the Vanuatu Convention Center in Port Vila.
This event will bring together a dynamic and unique line up of international thought leaders in innovative and disruptive thinking with key topics to be analyzed and discussed including; connecting with the new traveler, the difference between consumer and customer, crisis and recovery and ingredients for success and sustainability.
Author and the former CEO of Tourism Vancouver, Mr Rick Antonson will deliver the conference keynote address. Mr. Antonson has been a leader in the Tourism Industry for 30 years and has served as board chair of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) based in Washington, D.C., and as deputy chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) based in Bangkok, Thailand. He was also President of Pacific Coast Public Television until the spring of 2014. His extensive experience and impressive track record in the field of tourism is expected to contribute innovative thinking and radical insights that will benefit Pacific tourism operators.
PATA CEO, Dr. Mario Hardy says, “The world is rapidly changing and evolving right before our eyes and many of us need to abandon our traditional way of thinking in linear manner in order to prepare for an exponential future”.
“The Pacific Tourism Insights Conference provides the perfect opportunity for travel and tourism industry stakeholders in the Pacific to gain deeper insights into how to prepare for an unimaginable future and the inevitable technological changes and developments that will affect our lives,’ he added.
The conference discussions are aimed to contribute towards achieving the objectives of the Pacific Tourism Strategy 2015-2019 which provides the strategic framework to support the development of tourism in the Pacific. It is also expected to contribute to new ideas and approaches to help improve the business approach in tourism and to create opportunities for greater focus and reflection to take tourism to the next level. The conference will provide a unique convergence for networking, learning and growing.
SPTO CEO, Chris Cocker said, “SPTO as one of the conference organisers is encouraging all industry and associated stakeholders to become a part of this significant event, to engage with those that influence change and to share thoughts and ideas on the future of tourism.”
“Pacific industry stakeholders, especially the private sector in Vanuatu, will gain insight into the latest industry trends in this competitive commercial environment and learn ways to stay ahead of the changes.”
Key discussions expected to specifically be of interest to the Pacific are technological innovation and the importance of tourism data. In terms of innovation, it is noted that the internet continues to revolutionize tourism marketing and product distribution globally. The Pacific region has in many aspects failed to keep pace with the level of technological change and the implications that this change has for tourism business and National Tourism Offices.
Tourism data is important given the fact that travel is a fast paced industry which drives the need for speedy data analytics and quick decision making.
According to the VTO, preparations for the conference are well underway with the excitement for the event building as the dates draw closer. Information can be sought from the conference microsite https://www.pata.org/event/ptic-2017/
About SPTO
Established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the region. Its 18 Government members are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the People’s Republic of China. In addition to government members, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation enlists a private sector membership base.
About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 25 international airlines and airports, 108 hospitality organisations, 72 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 36 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney and London.
For more information, contact:
Alisi Lutu, Marketing Manager
South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
Email: alutu@spto.org or +679 3304177
(Source: South Pacific Tourism Organisation [SPTO] Press Release 22 September 2017)
