ITIC APAC Review: The future of travel in the APAC Region

Liz Ortiguera, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), shared insights about travel trends in Asia

ITIJ are reporting on all the discussions taking place at ITIC APAC 2022 in Singapore. Read more of the reviews here

Liz began with a brief introduction to PATA, explaining that it’s a not-for-profit membership-based organisation that ‘aims to act as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within, the Asia Pacific region’.

Liz pointed out that while travel was at one point vilified for assisting in the spread of Covid-19, at the same time, hospitality staff were working in quarantine hotels, field hospitals and vaccine centres throughout the pandemic. “Travel has, and will continue to be, a source of job creation,” she told ITIC attendees.

The main focus for PATA right now is initiatives for the successful and sustainable recovery of travel, looking at destination marketing and management, supporting small businesses (which have been particularly hit by the decline in travel due to Covid-19), innovation, community-based tourism efforts, which support local initiatives and bring wealth to local communities, and wellness in travel – she pointed out that most travel involves wellness in some form or other, not just ‘health retreat’ style holidays.

Health-related concerns during travel are now more important than ever before.

Euromonitor research shows that for Asia Pacific consumers, the safety of a destination is now paramount in their decision making process. Liz then moved onto recapping the latest travel restrictions around the world, noting ongoing restrictions in China and Japan negatively affecting the potential for the APAC travel market recovery. Liz invited attendees to join PATA, and other organisations such as Collinson and Virgin Atlantic, in becoming part of the Travel Coalition, which has been created to tackle the issue of global vaccine inequity.

Looking once more at international travel statistics, Liz showed that compared to 2019, inbound travel to APAC in Q1 2022 has fallen by 86 per cent, which is significantly more than is being seen in other parts of the world. Hotel occupancy rates, she added, remain low. The strongest numbers are current being seen in India and Singapore. India is also leading the way in returning to previous levels of airline capacity.

In conclusion, Liz shared details of recent initiatives led by PATA to aid the ongoing recovery of the travel and tourism sector.

Liz Ortiguera, Chief Executive Officer | Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

Liz Ortiguera is a senior executive with over 25 years of global experience and expertise in general management, marketing, business development, and partner network management. Liz is passionate about innovation, business transformation, and community building. Her career spans several industries - travel/lifestyle, technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. She has experience in working at both multinational corporations including American Express and Merck and start-up environments in software as a service (SaaS), e-commerce, and ed-tech. For 10 years she was the General Manager for Amex's Travel Partner Network in Asia-Pacific, managing partnerships with top travel management companies, MICE, and leisure agencies in the region. She is able to adeptly work across cultures and business environments to catalyse opportunities and drive growth. In her personal life, she has been a continual advocate for poverty eradication programmes and education initiatives across the region. Liz is an alumna of the Stanford University Graduate Business School, Columbia University Business School, New York University, and The Cooper Union in New York.