The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Honours Distinguished Leaders in Tourism

During the PATA Annual Summit 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey, two outstanding figures from the Asia Pacific tourism sector received accolades for their exceptional contributions.

The PATA Life Membership Award went to Dr. Chris Bottrill, who serves as Associate Vice President, International at Capilano University, recognizing his lengthy dedication to the association. The PATA Award of Merit was awarded to SanJeet, Director of DDP Publications Private Limited, for his longstanding support and commitment.

This esteemed event, which included an awards ceremony, was hosted on April 22 by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).

PATA’s CEO, Noor Ahmad Hamid, expressed his admiration: “These honours reflect the recipients’ remarkable dedication, passion, and leadership, marking their significant impact on the broader tourism community. We celebrate Dr. Bottrill and Mr. SanJeet for shaping the future of our industry.”

Dr. Bottrill’s notable contributions include his direction of the PATA-supported Vietnam Community Tourism project, which emphasizes the protection and promotion of ethnic hill tribe culture via responsible tourism.

SanJeet, on the other hand, has been instrumental in nurturing various PATA committees and played a crucial role in launching the PATA Travel Mart in New Delhi, India, in 2023.