The PATA Life Membership Awards is given to nominated members who satisfied at least 8 requirements, including: being an active member of PATA for at least 10 years, being active at various levels of PATA, such as Chapter, Divisional and/or Board levels, has been cited for the quality of his / her contribution in tourism, professionally and within the individual’s community, and more. As a general rule, except for unusual situations, only one award is given in this category each year.

In PATA’s 70 years of history (as of the end of 2020), 119 members have been awarded this honour.

About Michael Paulin

• Education: Bachelor of Science - International Business and Economics from University of Southern California

• Lecturer: University of Hawaii & Hawaii Pacific Schools of Travel Industry Management

• PATA: Life Member, Chair 1996/7 and Board Member 1985 - 1998

• Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association: Chair 1995/6

• Founder, Chair, & CEO of Aqua Hotels & Resorts (Now known as Aqua-Aston Hospitality a division of Marriott Vacations)

• Spouse: Aida Alcantra Paulin

• First Business: 1964 created the first villa and apartment/condo vacation packages for marketing exclusively through travel agents to world wide destinations which are now popularly sold by OTAs, AirBnB, VRBO in nearly every country

The night just before the ’95 Auckland conference being called to be informed I would be giving the welcome address in the morning as PATA vice-chairman, since the Chairman found it necessary to depart the country forthwith.  Fortunately, I had a speech already prepared for later in the Conference upon accepting the PATA Chair and spent until the wee hours amending it, inserting it on a dry run into the teleprompter, then delivering it before a full house of at least 2,000 curiously surprised faces, including PM Bolger who later shared some choice words with me about the events of earlier that morning.  While that played in the press for a week or so, it was soon forgotten, as it was exceeded by the excesses to the next conference in Auckland only 2 weeks later, held by The Asia Bankers Association. While embarrassing, it is surely on the top 3 list of most members at that time in response to the question and proved that PATA is a resilient organisation able to learn and move ahead.

At the Aukland ’95 Conference our Keynoter was Nicholas Nigroponte of MIT and author of Going Digital, an International best seller, forecasting the boom about to occur in using the Webb.  In retrospect, his prognosis of quantum growth proved conservative but inspired our membership 25 years ago to be prepared.  In the end, it was the countries within our membership that the greatest contributions evolved led by the airlines who were even then the largest users of the Webb after the military.  It was then that we created PATA.ORD.  Also, note Dr. David Suzuki below mentioned, Margaret Thatcher in Honolulu was stunning — Speaking without notes for 60 minutes and you could hear a pin drop. Alwin Zecha, whose rich voice and intellectual acumen could capture any audience, on Board meeting and at the Kobe-Osaka conference he pushed PATA to begin the recognition process for China’s membership, and an American speaker on business strategy who remarked “If you are not changing the way you do business every 3 years, you are going out of business”.

DR. DAVID SUZUKI, the environmental activist who addressed the Bali Conference circa 1992 and came back 10 or so years later to check up on us caused me, during my chairmanship, to focus PATA on an environmental pathway toward “sustainable tourism”, and we established an Office of Environment and Sustainability which was the genesis for PATA’s leadership role in this area today.  PATA chapters around the world opened their doors to me for PATA chapter lunch and dinner discussions traveling with European Director, John Semone, to a half the chapters there, while doing the same with Ian Kennedy, director of Pacific, to the small island kingdoms and possessions spreading the gospel of love and sustainability.  Eventually, John came to head up the Office we created 25 years ago.  Ian’s son, David, gave PATA an inspiring youth-driven perspective at a Conference, not fearful of taking some jabs at the old guard which accelerated PATA’s commitment to not only sustainability but also fostered its initiatives toward the next generation and youth.  I note names in PATA leadership today who were beginning their careers involved with PATA at that time.

Creating life long friendships since 1965.  Frankly, I did not do vast amounts of business for my Hawaii hotels from PATA contacts other than from Japan, but having graduated from USC in ‘63 with a then rare International Business degree, I was fascinated by PATA as a networking organisation that stimulated me more intellectually than commercially.  Participating on the Management Committee for a dozen years and serving as PATA Sec/Teas for 5 years provided innumerable opportunities to practice what I learned during my years at USC.  Upon my retirement from the Board and Management Committee around 1998, PATA’s balance sheet was in excellent shape and included a surplus nearing $2 million US, v.s. being on the verge of bankruptcy in the mid-80s.  Much of the credit goes to the careful stewardship of President Ratanapala and the extraordinary efforts of VP Marketing, Jerry Picolla ,whose marketing and sales platforms he created are mimicked globally today.

Check out more photos >