Three inspiring days of learning, connecting and collaboration
As the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2026 in Gyeongju & Pohang, Korea came to a close this week, I leave deeply encouraged by the passion, openness, and collaborative spirit demonstrated by tourism leaders and stakeholders from across Asia Pacific and beyond.
This year felt especially meaningful as PATA celebrated its 75th Anniversary, reflecting on a rich legacy while looking ahead towards a more resilient, adaptable, innovative and human-centred future for tourism.
The past three days reminded me that the future of tourism will be shaped through collaboration, innovation, resilience, wellness, and above all, human connection.
Personally, I’m truly grateful and honoured to have served as Speaker and Emcee of the PATA Annual Summit for the 3rd consecutive year, following Macao and İstanbul previously.
There were still many lessons for me to learn on my third time:
Be adaptable, think on my feet, be flexible, thank the translators, thank the AV team, engage the delegates as best possible, keep the energy high, be fully presence, show compassionate when things did not go as plan, be resilient.
As with the theme of the Summit, there were moments I had to navigate towards a resilient “present”, the ability to bounce forward quickly.
What inspired me most was the enthusiasm of delegates to learn, connect, exchange ideas, and build stronger collaborations together. That made my day!
Thank you to PATA, the organising team, speakers, partners, and delegates for an unforgettable experience and the many meaningful conversations throughout the Summit.
Hope I have added value to your overall Summit experience in Pohang and Gyeongju!
See you in Sanya, Hainan, China for the next PATA Annual Summit from May 17-19, 2027!
If you attended, how was your 2026 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Summit experience in Pohang and Gyeongju?
#PATA2026 #PATA75 #TourismLeadership #Hospitality #Collaboration #JonathanLow #EMBXY #GlobalSuccessLearning
