To highlight commitment to human capital development, PATA annually presents a special award and prize to an exceptional “rising star” in the industry. All recipients of this prestigious award have exhibited initiative and leadership in the advancement of tourism, as well as demonstrating commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in line with PATA’s mission.

Key Dates

April 15, 2026
Call for Applications

June 15, 2026 11:59 PM (GMT+8)
Application closes

Early July, 2026
Winner Announcement

Aug 17-21, 2026
Award Ceremony @ PTM 2026

Apply Now!

*The Award is reserved for PATA Member Organisations only.

Benefits of Winning*:

Recognition as the PATA Face of the Future 2026 including the use of a corresponding brand identity logo
Full sponsorship for participation at PATA Travel Mart 2026
Speaking opportunity at the PATA Youth Symposium during the PATA Travel Mart 2026 to share your story about your passion and journey to success. (Can be replaced with Virtual PATA Youth Symposium)
Opportunities to speak at other PATA events or partner events on behalf of PATA
Global media exposure via PATA’s far-reaching communication channels
Build your profile as a mentor for the PATA Youth Mentorship Programme to develop young tourism professional students in the region
- Speaking and Mentoring opportunities at PATA Youth webinars and other youth events
One blog post on PATA Blog about your passion and journey to success
Seat on the PATA Board to represent the youth community of PATA

*While there might be more than one winners in the form of “recognitions”, only the Grand Winner will be eligible for the associated benefits.

Eligibility

Aged 18-35 as of April 15, 2026

Working for a PATA member organisation as of April 15, 2026 or is undertaking postgraduate travel and tourism studies at a PATA member educational institution
- Nominee's organisation must be in good standing from April 15, 2026, through the awarding period at the PATA Travel Mart 2026.

Judging Criteria

Exhibited initiative and leadership in the implementation of local, regional and/or international tourism initiatives (including research projects)
Demonstrated commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in a spirit compatible with PATA’s mission

Application Guideline

The candidate himself/herself OR a third-party person may submit the nomination.
No entry form is required. Simply submit a nomination letter, along with the nominee’s latest resume, contact details, and bio write-up with photo (JPG format, 300 dpi resolution, maximum 500KB total file size), in soft copy only (DOC or PDF file; maximum three pages).
- The nomination letter can be from the candidate or from a third-party person from the same organisation.
Submit a video (up to three (3) minutes in length) of the nominee speaking, detailing the nominee’s experiences to date and aspirations for the future of travel and tourism. Movie clips shot on smartphones or tablets are acceptable.

Please email the entry, clearly labelled ‘PATA Face of the Future 2026 Application’, to Nick Chun, Manager- Membership & Youth Programme at FoF@PATA.org

2025 PATA Face of the Future Winners

Grand Winner

Yeji Cho
Assistant Manager / International Cooperation Team, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)

PATA FoF in Sustainability Initiatives

Poornaka Delpachitra
Country General Manager/Director - Sri Lanka, Intrepid Travel

PATA FoF in Strategic Management

Dr. Bella Vongvisitsin
Assistant Professor for Hospitality & Tourism Management Programme, Hong Kong Metropolitan University

PATA FoF in Leadership

Nikhil Jeet
Director, DDP Group, India

Past PATA Face of the Future

2024

Ha Yeon (Jane) Park
Assistant Manager - F&B Revenue Management & Operations
2023

Sangeetha Liyanapathirana
Manager - Health, Hygiene and Sustainability, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
2021

Surayyal Hizmi
Lecturer at Lombok Tourism Polytechnic and Lecturer Advisor of the PATA Lombok Tourism Polytechnic Student Chapter, Indonesia

2024

Recognition for Sustainability Initiatives
Amine Gabbouj, Coordinator, IGLTA Foundation
2024

Recognition for Strategic Management
Karnchana Phakpho, Chairperson, International Tourism and Hospitality Management Programme, Bangkok University
2020

Suresh Singh Budal, CEO, PATA Nepal Chapter
2019

Flori-Anne dela Cruz, Youth representative to the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Board of Directors, Guam
2018

Abdulla Ghyias, President, Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), Maldives
2017

Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and Co-founder, Tripfez, Malaysia
2016

Danny Ho, Executive Pastry Chef, Hotel ICON, Hong Kong SAR
2015

Dr Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Há – the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao, China
2014

Soulinnara Ratanavong, Teacher/Trainer at the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (Lanith), Lao PDR
2013

James Mabey, Senior Director of Development, Marco Polo Hotels, Hong Kong SAR
2012

Justin Malcolm, General Manager, Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort
2011

Tavalea Nilon, Miss Samoa 2010, Samoa
2010

Toney K Thomas, Programme Director & Senior Lecturer of the School of Tourism, Events & Recreation, Taylor’s University College, Malaysia
2009

Andrew Nihopara, Marketing Manager, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Fiji
2008

Kenneth Low, Director Strategy – Asia Pacific, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Singapore
2007

Tran Trong Kien, CEO, Buffalo Tours, Vietnam
2006

Shikher Prasai, Managing Director, Natraj Tours & Travels, Nepal
2005

Sally Hollis, Manager, Tourism Council of Western Australia, Australia
2004

Silvia Sitou, Head of the Research & Planning Department, Macau Government Tourist Office, Macao, China
2003

Vivek Sharma, Sales & Marketing Manager – Eastern USA, SITA World Tours, United States
2002

Mayur (Mac) Patel, Founder, eTravelConsult.com, Australia