The Pacific Asia Travel Association has honoured five travel and tourism leaders from across the Asia Pacific region with its highest individual awards at a ceremony held during its annual summit in South Korea.
The awards were presented on 11 May at the PATA Executive Board and Board Member and PATA Awards Presentation Dinner, held at Lahan Hotel in Pohang. Recipients received Life Membership, Awards of Merit, and the Chairman’s Award.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said the honourees had helped define the association through their leadership and commitment. “I would like to congratulate all the recipients and express how proud we are of their immense contributions to PATA and the wider tourism industry,” he said. “Each of these changemakers has helped shape the Association through their leadership, integrity, and commitment to advancing our community, playing an important role in PATA’s continued growth and relevance today.”
PATA Life Membership, the association’s highest individual honour, was awarded to two industry veterans: SanJeet, Director of DDP Publications Private Limited, and Suman Pandey, Group Chairman of Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure.
SanJeet: 25 Years of PATA Service
SanJeet has been a PATA member for more than 25 years, having joined the association in 1999. A two-term member of the Executive Board, he has served on various PATA committees and leadership positions over more than 18 years.
He played a central role in bringing the PATA Travel Mart to New Delhi in 2023, one of Asia Pacific’s longest-running regional travel trade exhibitions. Through DDP Publications, he oversees ten travel industry magazines, including two based in Dubai, and is the founder of the India Travel Awards, India Cargo Awards, and the Arabian Travel Awards.
Suman Pandey: Three Decades of Himalayan Tourism Leadership
Suman Pandey brings more than three decades of leadership across adventure travel, aviation, hospitality, and tourism policy in Nepal. He has served as President of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal and the PATA Nepal Chapter, as a Board Member of the Nepal Tourism Board, and as General Secretary of the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal.
In 2009, Pandey pioneered skydiving in Nepal and coordinated the historic World’s Highest Cabinet Meeting at Kalapathar. He later led the launch of Nepal’s first Himalayan Travel Mart and International Bloggers Conference in 2017, and contributed to hosting the PATA Annual Summit in 2023.
He continues to drive grassroots change through initiatives including Development through Tourism, Each One Teach One, and the Nuwakot Green Initiative.
Awards of Merit for Centara and Marianas Leaders
Ben Montgomery, Corporate Ambassador at Centara Hotels and Resorts, and Judy Torres, Deputy Managing Director of the Marianas Visitors Authority, each received a PATA Award of Merit for their sustained contributions to the association and its chapter network.
Montgomery currently serves as Vice President of the Thai Hotels Association, a Board Member of the ASEAN Hotel and Restaurant Association, and a member of the Joint Public and Private Working Committee developing workforce capacity for Thailand’s hotel and tourism industry. She is also part of the Thailand Creative Tourism Think Tank and serves on the board of Burapa University’s Faculty of Tourism and Management.
Torres has more than 30 years of experience in tourism administration, destination marketing, research management, and public relations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. She has held leadership roles within the PATA Micronesia Chapter and continues to support sustainable tourism growth and community-focused destination development across the region.
Chairman’s Award for PATA Secretariat Member
Kornchalee Tantimongkonsakul, of PATA’s Corporate Affairs team, received the PATA Chairman’s Award in recognition of her behind-the-scenes support for the association’s chair and her dedication to governance, executive coordination, and member engagement. She has been a member of the PATA Secretariat for many years and has contributed across a broad range of operational and leadership support functions.
