PATA joins ‘Invisible Burden of Tourism’ partnership to address skill gaps in destination management

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced a new partnership with leading global charity The Travel Foundation, EplerWood International, and Cornell University’s Centre for Sustainable Global Enterprise, a year after the publication of their landmark report Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism.

In the age of climate change and over tourism, these organisations are coming together to equip the sector with the critical skills needed to manage tourism. Through this collaboration, the partners aim to develop new tools and educational content for PATA’s destination members which can then be applied globally.

Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA said: “It is imperative that our travel and tourism industry forges new methods to account for the full costs of our activities, to ensure the sustainable and responsible development of destinations for the future. The partnership is a welcome step forward for the association and aligns with our 2020 theme, Partnerships for Tomorrow.”

Amongst its findings, The Invisible Burden report illustrated that destinations urgently require increased capacity and skills to manage the costs associated with tourism growth, to protect the world’s most treasured natural and cultural assets.