PAS 2021 Post-Event Report: Reviewing the Status Quo and Previewing the Future
PATA Annual Summit 2021 just wrapped up on April 29, gathering more than 3,000 attendees from 91 global destinations. We have curated important takeaways from the insightful sessions: Reflect, Reconnect, Revive, and What’s Next. Check them out if you missed the session or if you want to review the thought-provoking discussions!
The three-day event kicked off with warm welcomes from PATA Chair, Soon-Hwa Wong; CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Raki Phillips; and Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), Pansy Ho.
RAKTDA CEO Raki Phillips sharing his welcome remarks (Watch his exclusive 1-on-1 interview with BBC here)
Session 1 - Reflect
In the first session of the forum, Pansy Ho (GTEF, Shun Tak Holdings, MGM China) shared insights on the success of Macao, China in combating the pandemic. She noted that the success formula was the ‘unique partnership between the government, the six integrated resort concessionaires and the community.’ The concessionaires, based on their commitment to the destination, have continued to support their employees and local SMEs despite the economic downturn. In addition, they have used this time as an opportunity for training and education. Meanwhile, the Macao government has been utilising a newly launched digital platform to engage the residents and encourage domestic travels.
Pansy Ho in PAS 2021 Forum ‘Reflect - Keynote Presentation: Reflections on Travel’
Following the presentation was a panel discussion on ‘New Models of Tourism,’ moderated by Rochelle Turner (Head of Research & Insight, MaCher USA). This topic focused on understanding what could be used to ensure the sustainable revival of the tourism industry. They touched on several hot topics in tourism, including digitalisation, the restructuring of tourism financing and economics, and stakeholder capitalism.
They agreed on the central idea that the pandemic era would be an ideal time to change how the industry works. Lauren Upperlink Calderwood (Head of Aviation - Travel and Tourism Industries, World Economic Forum) mentioned that destinations and businesses would have to increase their competitiveness by interacting with, and meeting, the demands of their stakeholders. Digitalisation, which will unlock previously unavailable datasets, would be an ideal way to increase the interconnectedness of the small and large enterprises while strengthening the value chain.
On the topic of measuring tourism successfulness and effectiveness, Alain Dupeyras (Head of the Regional Development and Tourism Division, OECD) noted that resilience is now at the center of creating a new index of measuring tourism and that they are ‘also seeing the crisis as a sort of opportunity to accelerate the transition and transformation of the tourism economy - for instance the sustainability and digital business model.’ John Perottet (Global Tourism Specialist, The World Bank) reminded the audience that regardless of the model type, destinations must be given more autonomy to take control of what is happening in their community in order to achieve sustainability.
PAS 2021 Forum ‘Reflect - New Models of Tourism’
Top (L/R): Rochelle Turner, Lauren Upperlink Calderwood; bottom (L/R): Alain Dupeyras, John Perrottet
Session 2 - Reconnect
Presented as a transition from COVID resilience to recovery, panellists were asked by moderator Siew Hoon Yeoh (Founder & Editor, Web in Travel) to express their thoughts on some of the trends emerging under the pandemic. They all agreed that a risk-moderated approach would be much needed for the tourism industry to start recovering. According to Ross Veitch (CEO & Co-Founder, Wego), ‘What will really get travel to restart is getting rid of quarantine. So, [that means] governments waiving quarantine policy for anybody who is vaccinated or coming from a country that is of so low risk that quarantine is, bottom line, pointless.’
On the subject of digitalisation replacing events and business travels, the panellists believed that despite online events becoming mainstream and staying in the future, they will not completely replace physical events. On the other hand, business travel would inevitably be substituted by technology - at least partially. Stephen Kaufer (CEO, Tripadvisor), believes that it will take a decade before business travel will return to pre-COVID levels.
With regards to sustainability from the perspective of product providers, all three CEOs agreed that there is a rising attention from the consumers. However, businesses have not received signals to meet this demand, as consumers have yet to vote with their wallets. As a result, the shift towards more sustainable products will happen at a rather slow pace. As concluded by John Brown (CEO, Agoda), ‘When we go back to travel, we will undo some of the damage we felt having no one travel anywhere last year - now with a piece of sustainability in mind.’
PAS 2021 Forum ‘Reconnect - Reconnecting Tourism’
Top (L/R): Ross Veitch, John Brown; bottom (L/R): Siew Hoon Yeoh, Stephen Kaufer
Session 3 - Revive
Revitalising the Industry - Aviation
This session took place in the format of an interview with Aaron Heslehurst (Business News Presenter, BBC World News). Sir Timothy Clarks (KBE President, Emirates Airline) and Paul Griffiths FRCO CMG (CEO, Dubai Airport) painted the audience a picture of how the aviation industry has been navigating the pandemic and shared their thoughts on vaccination programme - the commonly believed answer to reopening tourism.
Paul Griffith noted that airports, such as the one he oversees, have been taking all the necessary measures like thorough UV disinfection processes, doubling up on cleaning, using iris and face recognition, and requiring tests to ensure that they do not carry the extra risk of infection. He commented, ‘the airline airport combination has shown the world the way to do it.’ He believes that airlines and airports would not - and should not - be the ones to regulate vaccination for passengers. In the short term, it would be the responsibility of governments to mandate evidence of vaccination in order to prevent the spreading of viruses.
Both aviation leaders agreed that everyone in the world must be able to access and receive a vaccine in order for global mobility to return. Sir Tim Clark remarked, ‘This presents problems, not just for the aviation and hospitality sector, but all sorts of other sectors… G7, G20 summits… World Health Organization, WTTC: they need to be emphasising the equality of vaccine rollout, so everybody gets it, not just the rich.’
PAS 2021 Forum ‘Revive - Revitalising the Industry - Aviation’
Top (L/R): Paul Griffiths FRCO CMG, Sir Tim Clarks; bottom: Aaron Heslehurst
Revitalising the Industry - Hospitality
In the second segment, Raini Hamidi (Editor-at-Large, Skift) conducted a one-on-one interview with Adrian Zecha (Founder, Azerai) about the hospitality sector. Adrian Zecha shared stories from his decades of experience, sharing advice about creating distinctive brand and products, as well as how he visualises a destination’s development: he begins with a product and matches it with the perfect destination. His products have not been created from a burst of imagination, but with constructive strands of strategies and ideas aggregated from people around him. Relating back to how this industry will revive post-COVID, he believes that the industry will change, but the human desire to explore the world through travel will not change.
PAS 2021 Forum ‘Revive - Revitalising the Industry - Hospitality Discussion’
L/R: Raini Hamdi, Adrian Zecha
Session 4 - What’s Next
Greg Klassen (Partner, Twenty31 Consulting) served as the moderator of this session and began with a presentation on upcoming trends and measures that must be taken to bring travel back to normal. He also presented the 21 trends that are likely to shape tourism in 2021, including hygiene over fees, embracing work from anywhere, wellness tourism, and travel testing (such as proof of vaccinations and quarantines).
Greg Klassen in PAS 2021 Forum ‘What’s Next?’ presenting ‘21 trends likely to shape tourism in 2021’ by Twenty31 Consulting
The panel discussion with Ghada Shalaby (Vice Minister, Ministry of Tourism - Egypt) and Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., (Undersecretary - Tourism Development, Department of Tourism - Philippines) examined the tourism revival activities through the perspective of governments. Philippines has been focused on facilitating the provider sector during this period, such as through providing training and financial assistance to tourism workers. Meanwhile Egypt has worked to keep its destination at the top of consumers’ minds, as well as through training on health and safety measures and maintaining open communication channels.
Both panellists showed positive attitudes toward vaccine passports in recovering the industry, but the uncertainties and inequalities in the distribution process indicate that their governments would require further discussion before they can be realised. They also believe that once travel can resume, there will again be a tug-of-war between environmental and economical benefits.
However, they are also optimistic about tourism recovery, as the industry will become more innovative once it overcomes immediate challenges. For example, Ghada Shalaby shared that Egypt has been taking measures to develop high-quality products instead of fully low-price, high-volume mass tourism that create benign competition. Benito C. Bengzon, Jr. echoed the comment and emphasised that the industry ‘will see greater appreciation of concepts in respect of environmental protection, sustainabilities, and destination management moving forward.’
PAS 2021 Forum ‘What’s Next?’
Top (L/R): Greg Klassen, Ghada Shalaby; bottom: Benito C., Bengzon Jr.
Registration to PAS 2021 was complimentary for all delegates through the support of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (Platinum Sponsor), Global Tourism Economic Forum (Gold Sponsor), Airbnb (Official Debate Topic Partner), Twenty31 Consulting (Session Sponsor), and iFREE Group (Sponsor). We are grateful for the support of BBC (Media Partner), eGlobal Travel Media, Profi.Travel, Travel Daily News, Travelindex, TTG Asia, TTN Worldwide, and TTR Weekly (Supporting Media Partners), as well as our PATA Youth Sponsors, Guam Visitors Bureau, iFREE Group, MAP 2 Ventures, SIGMUND, and Talent Basket.
In addition, thank you to all of our speakers and attendees that made PATA Annual Summit 2021 possible! Our upcoming event, Adventure Travel Conference and Mart, will take place on May 26 -27. See you there!
Rewatch the PAS 2021 sessions: PATA Annual Summit 2021 Playlist
Visit the PAS 2021 event page: PAS 2021
