The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has elected Kevin B. Murphy, President & CEO, Asiawide Hospitality Solutions (AHS), Hong Kong SAR & Thailand, as Chairman of the PATA Executive Board. Murphy replaces W. Scott Supernaw who served as Chairman of PATA since April 2013 and will remain on the Executive Board as PATA Immediate Past Chairman.
On his appointment, Murphy said, “I take up this responsibility at a time of continuing change, and at a time of continuing challenges. PATA is clearly alive but we need to ensure that PATA keeps its place as “the authority on travel and tourism in Asia Pacific” and, more importantly, continues to support its members both in the public and private sectors.”
In addition, PATA has elected four new members to its Executive Board including, Andrew Jones, Guardian, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong SAR; Haji Azizan Noordin, Deputy Director General (Planning), Tourism Malaysia; John Schubert, Managing Director – Marketing Asia Pacific and India, The Boeing Company, USA; and Philip Schaetz, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing, Dorsett Hospitality International, Hong Kong SAR.
Long-time PATA member Jones has been elected as the new Vice Chairman; while Basant Mishra, Executive Chairman, Temple Tiger Group of Companies, Nepal remains Secretary/Treasurer.
Other Executive Board members include Henry Oh, Jr., President, Global Tour, Ltd., Korea (ROK); Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., Secretary of Tourism, Philippines Department of Tourism; Sarah Mathews, Destination Marketing Senior Sales Manager APAC, TripAdvisor, Hong Kong SAR; Setyono Djuandi Darmono, Chairman, President University, Indonesia; and Stephen Pearce, Vice President, Leisure Travel & Digital Marketing, Tourism Vancouver, Canada.
Furthermore, Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Ha (the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies Macau – IFT) and the 2015 PATA Face of the Future, joins the PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer for a one-year term at the invitation of the PATA Chairman.
