PATA Reveals Speaker Line-up for PTM Knowledge Forum 2026 in Sarawak, Malaysia
Bangkok, Thailand, August 13, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the confirmed speaker line-up for the PTM Knowledge Forum 2026, taking place on August 18 at the Sheraton Kuching Hotel in Sarawak, Malaysia, alongside PATA Travel Mart 2026.
Held under the theme “The Next Era: Impactful Partnerships, Purposeful Growth,” the PTM Knowledge Forum will bring together senior tourism leaders, destination experts, industry executives and innovators from across Asia Pacific and beyond to explore the forces shaping the next era of tourism.
The Forum is designed to complement the commercial objectives of PATA Travel Mart 2026 by providing a platform for knowledge exchange, strategic dialogue and practical insights into tourism growth, partnerships, innovation, sustainability and destination development.
Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and Business Events Sarawak, the Forum will also highlight Sarawak’s approach to tourism development, including its focus on economic prosperity, social inclusivity and environmental sustainability through innovation and partnerships.
The programme will feature a diverse group of speakers from tourism authorities, destination organisations, airlines, hospitality companies, technology firms, media and storytelling, and community-based tourism organisations.
Confirmed speakers include:
- The Honourable Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts, Sarawak
- Dato Dennis Ngau, Chairman, Sarawak Tourism Board
- Henry Oh, Chairman, PATA
- Eugene Tang, Chief Development Officer, South China Morning Post
- Gary Bowerman, Managing Director, Check-in Asia
- Dr. Temesgen Assefa, Chief Consultant, JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co.
- Yang Li, Head of Public Affairs, APAC, Booking.com
- Morshidi Fredrick, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Performing Arts, Sarawak
- Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Director-General, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA)
- Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office
- Sarah Mathews, CEO, e-Tourism Frontiers
- Dr. Sharzede Salleh Askor, CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board
Adela Issachar Aru, Chief Executive Officer, Vanuatu Tourism Office - Eric Fong, Marketing Director, Macau International Airport Company Ltd.
- Bharat Nagpal, Senior Director, Sojern
- Bracken Hollings, Head of Content & Storytelling, Content With Purpose
- Lizam Dorji, CEO, MICE Bhutan
- Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin, CEO, AirBorneo
- Dileep Mudadeniya, Senior Vice President Global Alliances & Partnerships, Leisure and Head of Corporate Affairs, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts
- Dmitry Smolnikov, Deputy CEO, Center for Strategic Research (CSR), Discover Russia
- Lujaina Al Maskari, Head of Conferences Division, Oman Convention Bureau
- Andrew Jones, Guardian, Sanctuary Resorts
- Jessica Yew, Director, Sticky Rice Travel
- Somsak Boonkam, Founder and CEO, Local Alike Co. Ltd.
The Forum will open with a fireside chat titled “Tourism, Partnerships & Purposeful Growth,” featuring The Honourable Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Eugene Tang, Chief Development Officer, South China Morning Post. The conversation will explore Sarawak’s tourism vision, regional collaboration opportunities, cultural identity, sustainability ambitions and the future of tourism growth across Asia Pacific.
The programme will then turn to global market dynamics with Gary Bowerman’s keynote, “The Next Era of Travel: Global Business Trends Shaping Tourism’s Future,” followed by a Japan outbound tourism snapshot from Dr. Temesgen Assefa, providing insights into the outlook, behaviour and recovery trajectory of Japanese outbound travel.
Sustainability will take centre stage in “From Vision to Reality: Sustainable Tourism in Action,” featuring practical case studies from Sarawak, Thailand and Macao. Moderated by Yang Li of Booking.com, the session will explore how destinations and tourism stakeholders are translating sustainability ambitions into initiatives that balance economic growth, inclusivity, visitor experience and long-term destination stewardship.
The Forum will also feature a senior industry discussion on “Purposeful Growth in an Age of Change,” moderated by Sarah Mathews of e-Tourism Frontiers, examining how destinations and businesses can remain competitive while responding to changing traveller expectations, sustainability requirements, geopolitical uncertainty and the need for inclusive economic development.
Technology and innovation will be another key focus, with “AI, Digital Commerce, Sales & the Future Traveller” bringing together Bharat Nagpal of Sojern and Yang Li of Booking.com for a conversation on how artificial intelligence, data, digital platforms and smart destination strategies are reshaping travel marketing, distribution, visitor engagement and tourism business models.
The Forum will also mark the official launch of the new PATA & Content With Purpose (CWP) digital series, “Pacific Asia: Tourism with Purpose,” featuring a prerecorded presentation by Bracken Hollings, Head of Content & Storytelling at Content With Purpose.
In the afternoon, “Building Impactful Partnerships Across Borders” will explore how tourism boards, airlines, convention bureaux, hospitality groups and travel businesses can work together to unlock new visitor markets, strengthen regional connectivity and create commercial opportunities. The session will be moderated by Lizam Dorji, CEO of MICE Bhutan, with panellists representing aviation, hospitality, destination development and international tourism.
The Forum will conclude with “Communities, Culture & Meaningful Tourism Experiences,” moderated by Andrew Jones, Guardian, Sanctuary Resorts. The session will examine community-based tourism, cultural preservation, Indigenous storytelling, tourism dispersal and community-led tourism models.
“PATA Travel Mart is fundamentally about connecting buyers and sellers and creating commercial opportunities, but business exchange is strengthened when the industry also has space to step back, examine the forces shaping tourism and share practical knowledge,” said Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA. “The PTM Knowledge Forum brings together an impressive cross-section of leaders and practitioners to explore how partnerships, innovation and purposeful growth can help shape a stronger and more resilient tourism economy across Asia Pacific.”
The PTM Knowledge Forum will be held on August 18, 2026, at the Sheraton Kuching Hotel, immediately ahead of the main PATA Travel Mart 2026 business programme. PATA Travel Mart 2026 will take place at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) from August 18-20, 2026, bringing together tourism buyers and sellers from across Asia Pacific and international source markets for business appointments, networking and industry engagement.
The Forum will also feature two Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremonies, including an MOU between PATA and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), as well as an MOU between TOP25 and the Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF).
