Next
Gen travel industry professionals shared their forthright views with
over 150 travel industry students and young professionals at the PATA
Youth Forum on April 25 at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
Interactive
sessions debated on how new generations are finding, searching and
connecting to travel and tourism industry now and in the future.
Peter
Jordan, International Relations Officer, WYSE Travel Confederation,
the Netherlands, told the audience: "When businesses and
destinations are looking for the next best thing in travel and
tourism, it's no coincidence that they go straight for the youth
market. Youth, student and educational travel is worth US$182bn
annually and is attracting attention from beyond the traditional
travel and tourism stakeholders.”
He
added: “Besides the impressive economic impact that youth travel
has on the world's destinations, the social impact is no less
important.”
He
told the audience that young people cite their number one motivation
for travel as the possibility to "explore other cultures…The
capacity to enhance global understanding by encouraging young people
to travel is considerable too.”
Assistant
Prof Dr Glenn McCartney, Hospitality and Gaming Management,
University of Macau and Author of “Event Management: An Asian
Perspective” addressed the audience on the subject “Experience –
Making Events Happen.” He emphasized that successful modern events
need a compelling idea from the inception. The best events are highly
responsive to the audience, environment, community and the venue, he
said.
Ariya
Banomyong, Country Manager, Google Thailand said there were five
stages that Thai travellers go through in the travel process:
dreaming, planning, booking, experiencing and sharing.
The
Forum commenced one day prior to the 2013 PATA Annual Summit and was
hosted by the College of Innovation at Thammasat University in
Bangkok.
The
Forum had the theme, “Search, Connect, Experience – The Future of
Tourism.” Participants were from 12 destinations including
Bangladesh, Canada, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Macau SAR,
Malaysia, Maldives, Sweden, Thailand, Netherlands and USA.
The
Forum opened with a welcome statement by Prof Dr Somkit Lertpaithoon,
Rector, Thammasat University and Prof Dr Walter Jamieson, Programme
Director, College of Innovation at Thammasat University.
Arrut
Navaraj, Managing Director, Sampran Riverside, Thailand made the case
for sustainable growth during the forum but said it needed a lot of
coordinating forces behind it to make it work properly.
James
Mabey, PATA Face of the Future 2013, Senior Director of Development,
Marco Polo Hotels said: “In today's fast paced and increasingly
interconnected world, young professionals must embrace the spirit of
cross-cultural understanding and creative problem solving.
Globalisation is a powerful force that will inevitably bring
confrontation, but also drive innovation through the disbursement and
proliferation of pioneering ideas. The future belongs to those young
professionals who will boldly challenge tradition and capitalize on
the opportunities of our new interdependent global society.”
The
PATA CEO Martin Craigs told the audience that PATA was “walking the
talk” on its next gen commitments. Positive proof was the
association's support for young professionals and student chapters.
The
Youth Forum theme and content was developed by Prof Dr J S Perry
Hobson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement, Taylor's
University, Malaysia.
Peter
Jordan summed up the day: “I congratulate the PATA Youth Forum for
making a valuable contribution to the discussion on how to improve
the complete visitor economy. We look forward to working with PATA
and its members to maximise the positive impacts of youth travel in
the future."
The
PATA Youth Forum concluded with a cocktail party at Siam Center in
Bangkok. The party was hosted by Siam Center and supported by Thai
Bev.
