Photo: PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid (left-most), Chairman of the Honours Committee Tunku Iskandar (middle), and Chair Peter Semone (right-most) with the PATA Honours Awards recipients during the PATA Executive Board & Board Meeting and PATA Awards Presentation. (Left to right) SanJeet, Director, DDP Publications Private Limited, and Suman Pandey, Group Chairman, Explore Himalaya Travel & Adventure, who received PATA Life Membership; Ben Montgomery, Corporate Ambassador, Centara Hotels & Resorts, recipient of the PATA Award of Merit; and Kornchalee Tantimongkonsakul, Corporate Affairs, PATA, recipient of the Chairman’s Award. Not pictured: Judy Torres, Deputy Managing Director, Marianas Visitors Authority.The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has recognised five prominent figures in the Asia Pacific travel and tourism sector with prestigious awards during its Annual Summit 2026 in Gyeongju, Korea. The awards, presented on 11 May at the Lahan Hotel, Pohang, included the Awards of Merit, Life Membership, and the Chairman’s Award.
SanJeet, Director of DDP Publications Private Limited, and Suman Pandey, Group Chairman of Explore Himalaya Travel & Adventure, were honoured with PATA Life Membership. This accolade, the highest individual honour by the Association, acknowledges their leadership and dedication. SanJeet, a key figure in PATA for over 18 years, was instrumental in bringing the PATA Travel Mart to New Delhi in 2023. Pandey, a leading tourism entrepreneur in Nepal, has pioneered initiatives like skydiving in Nepal and the Himalayan Travel Mart.
Ben Montgomery, Corporate Ambassador for Centara Hotels & Resorts, and Judy Torres, Deputy Managing Director of the Marianas Visitors Authority, received the PATA Awards of Merit. Montgomery has played a significant role in strengthening relations within the hotel industry, whilst Torres has been pivotal in tourism development and strategic marketing in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Kornchalee Tantimongkonsakul, from PATA's Corporate Affairs, was awarded the Chairman’s Award for her exceptional support and service to the Association. Her contributions have been vital in supporting PATA leadership and governance.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid expressed pride in the recipients, highlighting their contributions to the Association and the broader tourism industry
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