How new generations of consumers are connecting to travel

BANGKOK, Thailand – The PATA Youth Forum, which has the theme, “Search, Connect, Experience – The Future of Tourism,” is aiming to attract hundreds of young professionals and students from overseas and Thailand. The forum will commence one day prior to the 2013 PATA Annual Summit and is hosted by the College of Innovation at Thammasat University in Bangkok.

Next Gen travel industry professionals already holding down senior positions of responsibility will share their forthright views with travel industry students at the PATA Youth Forum, April 25 in Bangkok. Their focus will be on how new generations of consumers are finding, searching and connecting to travel, now and in the future.

Next Generation speakers from acclaimed private-sector hospitality companies will share their take on: “The Future of Tourism: Industry Perspectives from Thailand.” The session’s key speakers include Mr. Siradej Donavanik, Manager – Operations and Profit Improvement, Dusit International, and Mr. Arrut Navaraj, Managing Director, Sampran Riverside, Thailand.

Mr. Siradej said: “There are micro- and macro-level challenges for young professionals in our industry. In micro terms, the Gen Y demographic has limited opportunities to flourish under the conventional structure of doing business. In a macro sense, there is an inadequate level of sustainability in the industry, both in the market and for the natural environment and cultural preservation. Fortunately, Asia is geared for growth. Younger generations, therefore, must maximize their work experiences and compete for greater creativity, whilst being a responsible global citizen.”

Mr. Arrut Navaraj, Managing Director, Sampran Riverside, said: “In the ultra fast pace of today’s business world with all the ever-changing modern technology, young professionals are faced with the balancing act between work and play. Often success is measured by material wealth and everyone is trained to compete for it. After a while, many, plagued with stress, are left unfulfilled and search for the meaning of it all. The solution, I believe, lies in the understanding that one is only a part of nature after all.”

Mr. Peter Jordan, International Relations Officer, the World Youth, Student & Educational Travel Confederation, will share his view on the “Big Picture of Youth Travel.” Mr. Jordan said: “Global tourism today is growing at an unprecedented rate and it is young people who are leading that growth. The global industry is worth over US$182 billion. Youth student and educational travel is changing young people’s lives, spreading global understanding, and contributing to global economic growth. However, more can be done to help young people to travel and for the tourism industry to meet their needs. I look forward to sharing our research on this dynamic industry with the participants of the PATA Youth Forum.”

Other speakers who will address the “search, connect, experience” theme at the PATA Youth Forum include Prof. Dr. Somkit Lertpaithoon, Rector, Thammasat University; Mr. Martin J. Craigs, PATA CEO; Dr. Glenn McCartney, University of Macau; Dr. JS Perry Hobson, Taylor’s University, Malaysia; Ms. Chittimas Ketvoravit, Managing Director, Universal Hospitality, Thailand; and Mr. Ariya Banomyong, Country Manager, Google Thailand.

Registration is now open. The fee for the PATA Youth Forum is just US$50. Package prices, including the PATA Annual Summit, the PATA Youth Forum, and Digital Innovation Asia, which all take place the same week, are also available.
The PATA Youth Forum will take place April 25, 2013 at Sri Burapa Auditorium, Thammasat University, Tha Pra Chan Campus, Bangkok.

For further information and registration, contact [email protected] or visit http://www.pata.org/news/pata-youth-forum-2013 .

Click to view the brochure of the PATA Youth Forum and the PATA Annual Summit.