The Pacific Asia Travel Association announced the launch of a unified platform that provides reliable and up-to-date policy statements, authoritative information, and tourism indicators from around the globe with the aim to provide a global centralised repository of reliable information for users based on their needs.

The PATA Crisis Resource Center is a result of a pilot Expert Task Force (ETF) led by PATA Immediate Past Chair Sarah Mathews to accumulate knowledge, generate support, and help members and industry stakeholders across the globe access solutions by governments, while also assisting governments in understanding the challenges through the travel impact survey.

PATA Vice Chair Soon Hwa Wong also led an ETF to establish the PATA Tourism Recovery Monitor, an integrated resource for strategic tourism planners and decision makers to keep fully abreast of the fast changing environment. Both initiatives are housed under one microsite.

Ms Mathews said, “The travel and tourism industry has weathered many different types of crises; however, the current unprecedented pandemic poses a severe threat to the entire industry impacting the economic livelihood of millions of people around the world. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) up to 75 millions jobs are at immediate risk globally, while travel and tourism GDP loss to the world economy is up to US$2.1 trillion. Therefore, I felt it was critical that we brought together global crisis experts like Damian Cook of E-Tourism Frontiers, Willem Niemeijer of YAANA Ventures, and Greg Klassen of Twenty31 to help create a long term Crisis Resource Center. The center will be a unified source of information for travel and tourism organisations to find solutions to the current crisis.”

“We are launching with two key areas of focus; one is to house all the efforts across the globe by governments who have and are providing aid, relief, and support for their industry stakeholders within the resource center. Secondly, we are asking for the industry to complete a business impact survey in order to use those results to request for more government support for our industry. Whilst the current focus is on COVID-19 as a public health issue, the goal is to establish a long term resource center for the industry to utilize when we face any future crisis. The travel and tourism industry is incredibly resilient, and travel will continue to inspire millions of people across the world,” she added.

“In crisis management, we need to have the latest status of the situation. For post crisis recovery planning, we need reliable data, updates and developing trends at our disposal. Timing is everything especially when it relates to the execution of recovery efforts. Too early could result in a complete waste of resources. Too late could risk being one of the last off the starting block,” said Mr Wong. “The PATA Tourism Recovery Monitor (PTRM) is designed to be the go-to resource for strategic tourism planners and decision makers to keep fully abreast of the fast changing environment. Being the trusted voice of the industry, PATA has brought together an array of experts and partners to share valuable data, content and trends of leading tourism indicators to help us spot “green shoots” as soon as they start to appear. PTRM is a product of a new initiative recently announced known as the Expert Task Force (ETF) where PATA members can propose short term solutions to fix immediate challenges or introduce innovative and effective enhancements to help the association and members do better business. I am very happy to take the lead on this and encourage our members to do likewise going forward.”

The PATA Crisis Resource Center and Tourism Recovery Monitor collates reliable data and information to assist all industry stakeholders as they deal with the current crisis. The Association is currently asking governments, and international and national organisations to seek their assistance in collecting information on aid and relief packages available to businesses in their respective destinations.

In addition, PATA will add further data and information that will be useful to organisations as they deal with the current situation. While this is a much needed resource, PATA cannot do this alone and is encouraging governments, partners, members and, international and national associations and organisations to assist the Association and support this initiative.

For more information about the Crisis Resource Center and Tourism Recovery Monitor, please visit ptrm.pata.org