The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) opened the 2026 edition of the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) through the PTM Knowledge Forum today, 18th August, at the Sheraton Kuching in the Sarawakian province of Kuching in Malaysia.
This preliminary event served as an active update for PATA members with regard to the latest trends and issues impacting travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific.
This year’s forum is particularly special as the Association marks its landmark 75th anniversary.
In the opening remarks, recently-elected PATA chairman Henry Oh declared: “For three quarters of a century, PATA has brought people together across Asia Pacific and beyond to share knowledge, build relationships, and strengthen tourism. [Today,] tourism is evolving rapidly, driven by changing commerce, experimentation, technology, and shifting markets. It needs to create lasting value for destinations and communities. Today's programme reflects this approach.”
Oh explained that the day’s sessions would explore progressive growth, future leadership, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, as well as the role of communities and culture in shaping the contemporary travel experience.
Sarawak as a worthwhile venue
For Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive Dr Sharzede Salleh Askor, the province’s hosting of PTM 2026 in Kuching reflects her organisation’s commitment to developing a tourism industry that creates meaningful values by elevating its communities and specific destinations.
She said: “[PTM] brings the global travel media and travel trade directly to Sarawak, creating opportunities for our local tourism businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities to engage face-to-face with buyers and decision-makers from around the world.”
Askor likewise expressed hope that conversations throughout this week will lead to meaningful partnerships, the development of new travel products, stronger market access, and greater inclusion of Sarawak in international itineraries.
She added:”More importantly, we hope they will encourage visitors to travel beyond our main gateways, stay longer, explore further, and discover the many stories that make Sarawak truly unique.”
Key developments
As PATA marks its 75th anniversary, this run of the PATA Knowledge Forum included a preview of the upcoming audiovisual series Pacific Asia: Tourism with Purpose.
The series is set to officially launch on 8th September of this year via a dedicated microsite and official social media accounts.
A collaborative effort with Content with Purpose, the series is a living treatise on regenerative tourism via eight unique examples throughout the region which are changing the perception and process of meaningful tourism.
The Knowledge Forum ended with the signing of two memoranda of understanding with TOP25 Restaurants which was represented by founder Bernard Metzger, and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) which was represented by its senior director in APAC Elle Ng Damarwan.
