At the PATA Annual Summit 2026, the Pacific Asia Travel Association recognised five distinguished tourism professionals for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of travel and tourism across the Asia-Pacific region.
Among the highest honours presented was the prestigious PATA Life Membership awarded to SanJeet and Suman Pandey.
SanJeet was recognised for his long-standing contribution to the travel trade industry and his active engagement with PATA for over 25 years, including his instrumental role in bringing PATA Travel Mart 2023 to New Delhi.
Suman Pandey was honoured for his pioneering role in positioning Nepal on the global tourism map through initiatives ranging from Himalayan adventure tourism to sustainable community-driven projects. A key force behind the Himalayan Travel Mart, he is also credited with introducing commercial skydiving in Nepal and spearheading several innovative tourism initiatives in the Himalayan region.
PATA also presented its Awards of Merit to Ben Montgomery and Judy Torres for their contribution to tourism development, destination marketing and industry advancement.
Meanwhile, the Chairman’s Award was presented to Kornchalee Tantimongkonsakul in recognition of her exceptional contribution to PATA’s governance, operations and member engagement initiatives.
The awards reflected the broad spectrum of leadership currently shaping Asia-Pacific tourism — from destination marketing and sustainable tourism advocacy to industry collaboration, workforce development and grassroots community initiatives.
