Monday, October 16, 2017
The inaugural Pacific Tourism Insights Conference (PTIC), which takes place in Port Vila, Vanuatu on Wednesday, October 25, is set to address key opportunities and challenges facing the region’s public and private sector tourism organizations.
Planned and implemented by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) the conference opens with a keynote address on ‘cathedral thinking’ from Rick Antonson, author and former CEO of Tourism Vancouver.
The conference programme, divided into five sessions, also features presentations from international tourism experts and thought leaders including Dr Mathew McDougal (CEO – Digital Jungle); Sarah Mathews (PATA Chairperson and Head of Destination Marketing APAC at TripAdvisor); Stewart Moore (CEO – EarthCheck); and Carolyn Childs (Director – MyTravelResearch.com) who will be making her presentation via video. The conference is being supported by BBC World News with both panel discussions being moderated by international correspondent Phil Mercer.
PATA’s Regional Director – Pacific Chris Flynn, the driving force behind the conference, said that they were looking forward to embracing the tourism ministers of the region to what they feel would be a ground-breaking event for Vanuatu and the South Pacific Tourism Organization.
Delegates will hear welcome remarks from both SPTO Chairwoman Sonja Hunter and PATA Chairperson Sarah Matthews, followed by an opening address from the Hon. Joe Yhakowaie Natuman, Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism.
Closing remarks will be made by Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO. The closing address will be given by Christopher Cocker, CEO of SPTO.
Tags: Mario Hardy, Pacific Asia Travel Association, Pacific Chris Flynn, Pacific Tourism Insights Conference, South Pacific Tourism Organisation
