Picture: L/R: Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO, Millennium Destinations; Prof. Dr Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Executive Director, Meaningful Tourism Centre; Peter Semone, Chair, PATA; and Anita Chan, CEO, Compass Edge, and Chief Executive Officer Asia Pacific, Elegant Hotel Collection, during the Meaningful Tourism Forum.
(IN SHORT) PATA highlighted its commitment to Meaningful Tourism at the 2025 Guangzhou International Travel Fair, calling for a shift away from traditional metrics to a more balanced, values-driven approach to tourism. With a focus on community well-being, cultural preservation, and environmental responsibility, PATA and the Meaningful Tourism Centre are working together to support a more sustainable tourism future.
(PRESS RELEASE) BANGKOK, 2025-May-29 — /Travel PR News/ — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) reaffirmed its dedication to advancing Meaningful Tourism at the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) 2025, where the concept was a central focus in numerous discussions and forums. As the tourism sector continues its recovery, PATA emphasized the need for destinations in the Asia Pacific region to embrace a more holistic approach to tourism development—one that prioritizes community well-being, cultural preservation, visitor enrichment, and environmental stewardship.
Meaningful Tourism offers a strategic framework for this shift, guiding destinations to go beyond traditional metrics like visitor arrivals and spending, and instead focus on long-term industry resilience that benefits all stakeholders. PATA’s participation at GITF 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the tourism industry, as the association calls for a rethinking of tourism’s purpose and goals.
In his keynote address at the China Outbound Tourism Forum and his participation at the Meaningful Tourism Forum on May 17, PATA Chair Peter Semone stressed the urgent need to rethink tourism’s objectives. “Tourism must evolve from being a numbers game to becoming a values-driven industry. Meaningful Tourism challenges us to redefine success—not just in terms of arrivals or spending, but in how we serve communities, protect cultural heritage, and enrich lives,” said Mr. Semone. “At PATA, we believe the future of tourism lies in creating shared value, and we are proud to work with the Meaningful Tourism Centre to guide this transition across the Asia Pacific region.”
During the Meaningful Tourism Forum, Prof. Dr Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Executive Director of the Meaningful Tourism Centre, introduced the foundational principles of Meaningful Tourism and explained its relevance in addressing the changing expectations of Chinese outbound travelers. A roundtable discussion, featuring industry experts, explored practical strategies for incorporating meaningfulness into tourism product design, policy, and destination management.
The sessions highlighted a growing awareness within the global travel community that sustainable recovery must be accompanied by cultural relevance, social equity, and ecological responsibility. Meaningful Tourism offers a comprehensive approach—reframing tourism as a catalyst for empowering local communities while enriching visitor experiences.
PATA and the Meaningful Tourism Centre had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this year to collaborate on knowledge-sharing, training, and the development of measurement tools to support a more inclusive and sustainable tourism landscape.
GITF 2025 served as a timely platform for advancing these critical conversations, bringing together government officials, private sector leaders, and destination managers in an evolving dialogue about tourism’s role in fostering more liveable, resilient, and meaningful societies.
About Meaningful Tourism Centre Ltd
The Meaningful Tourism Centre is a not-for-profit research organization based in London and Kathmandu. It promotes the Meaningful Tourism paradigm, which advocates for a holistic approach to tourism that provides both objective benefits and subjective satisfaction for all six major stakeholders in tourism and hospitality. These stakeholders include travelers, host communities, employees in tourism, service providers, governments, and the environment.
The Meaningful Tourism approach integrates sustainable practices across all aspects of tourism and hospitality, including hotel construction and financing, grounded in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing. It emphasizes activities that benefit individuals, communities, and future generations. Adopting Meaningful Tourism is essential for destinations and service providers to proactively respond to the impacts of climate change and remain resilient in the face of industry challenges.
The Meaningful Tourism paradigm was developed by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS, founder and director of the Meaningful Tourism Centre Ltd. It offers practical tools for identifying and implementing measurable benefits and satisfaction for all stakeholders, tracked using SMART Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for continuous improvement.
Media contact:
Tel: +66 (0)2-460-9264
E-mail: communications@PATA.org
SOURCE: Pacific Asia Travel Association
