The Institute for Tourism Studies(IFT) welcomed on 13 September the PATA Youth Symposium 2017. It is the second time the Institute has hosted an edition of the initiative. The first time was in September 2010. More than 250 local and overseas students and academia, as well as industry professionals attended the event.
The PATA Youth Symposium 2017 was themed “Enabling Travel and Managing a Complex Future”. The Symposium was part of the PATA Travel Mart 2017, an event held in Macao from 13 to 15 September, and hosted by the Macao Government Tourism Office. The Group Chief Executive Officer of low cost airline AirAsia, Mr. Tony Fernandes, shared his success experience and insights on the development of the aviation industry with local and international students. Other speakers at the PATA Youth Symposium included Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Dr. Chris Bottrill, Vice Chairman of PATA, Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT, Ms. Rika Jean-François, Commissioner ITB Corporate Social Responsibility, Competence Centre Travel & Logistics, ITB Berlin and Ms. JC Wong, Young Tourism Professional Ambassador, PATA.
Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO said, “The PATA Youth Symposium is a cornerstone of our commitment to the next generation of young tourism professionals. We are honoured that Tony Fernandes has agreed to address tomorrow’s tourism industry leaders. The Association has placed special focus upon the Young Tourism Professional this year and the PATA Youth Symposium highlights our continued dedication to enhancing the knowledge and skills of students seeking careers in travel and tourism.”
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, "These are exciting times for air travel in Asia. The low-cost revolution has made flying affordable and we are seeing more and more people fly for the first time. This creates opportunities as well as challenges for the region's travel and tourism industry.
Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT, said, "As a long-term member of PATA, IFT is excited to host the 2017 PATA Youth Symposium. It serves as a platform for students to learn from the experiences and success stories of industry entrepreneurs and professionals. It helps students to keep abreast of changing trends and practices, and it provides important guidance about career opportunities.
PATA was founded in 1951 and is a non-profit, membership-based association dedicated to enabling responsible development of the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry. Its membership includes governmental tourism bodies, international airlines, airports, cruise lines, educational institutions; and travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond.
IFT has been a member of PATA since the Institute was established in 1995. The Institute has on 2 occasions been recognised with a Gold Award in Education and Training by PATA.
