Impact
Helping vulnerable
youth thrive.
The travel and tourism industry is growing fast.
We're working to ensure that young people have the employability skills needed to build sustainable and thriving careers in tourism and hospitality.
There are 700 million youth in the region, but 50% are unemployed. Poverty and lack of education act as barriers for taking advantage of economic opportunities. Even when youth are able to gain the technical skills needed for employment, their success is greatly limited if they don't also possess the life skills needed to live independently and navigate new careers.
Micro learning is fast becoming the go-to for professional and employability skills.
Short, repetitive learning has been proven to increase retention. By providing access
to micro life skills modules, we can complement hard skills to
ensure youth have the capacity to succeed!
to micro life skills modules, we can complement hard skills to
ensure youth have the capacity to succeed!
Micro Learning, Macro Impact!
We're working together with local partners to build capacity.In partnership with local Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) partners, we're introducing digital micro-learning opportunities to teach skills such as communication, problem-solving, self-motivation and collaboration.
These 21st century skills are crucial to enable youth to thrive in new working and living environments and make the most of the economic opportunities provided through travel and tourism.
With these skills, they can support their employers in providing the high quality tourism and hospitality experiences that our region is known for. In light of COVID-19, employers in travel and tourism have an even greater need for highly qualified staff. It's a real win-win!
To teach. To build. To grow.
Since 1984, more than 40 communities in Asia Pacific have benefited from
PATA Foundation investment.
PATA Foundation investment.
Highlights of Past Projects
To-date, PATA Foundation has invested in 132 community projects and provided 144 scholarships to support the sustainable growth of travel and tourism that benefits local communities across Asia Pacific.
Education
Until 2019, our work in education focused on improving the professionalism of travel industry personnel and of others working in related fields. The education of visitors, host communities and travel industry staff in respect to the environment and cultural heritage is also included. Our Education Fund provided grants to Technical and Vocational Educational Training partners throughout the region - including our partner for our signature project pilot, Sala Bai in Siem Riep. The fund also provided educational scholarships, enabling vulnerable youth to access training and education.
Cultural Heritage
Our work in Cultural Heritage has focused on the conservation of sites which are destinations which support the local tourism industry, including historical buildings, cultural attractions, historical towns and villages. Through our Cultural and Heritage Conservation Fund we have also worked with communities to invest in cultural heritage activities which support the growth of local tourism and provide employment opportunities within communities.
Sustainable Tourism
We have actively supported efforts within local travel and tourism industries focussed on making as low an impact on the environment and local culture as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people. Through our Sustainable Tourism grants, we have invested in community efforts to manage tourist sites for sustainable growth and supported education and training on environmental sustainability.