Hotelier wins PATA'a face of the future 2012

Mr Justin Malcolm is the recipient of the most prestigious honour for young tourism professionals in Asia Pacific - the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Face of the Future 2012 award. Mr Malcolm is General Manager of Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort, and Chairman of the PATA Chiang Rai Chapter, Thailand. Mr Malcolm is set to receive the honour at an official awards ceremony taking place during the opening ceremony of PATA Annual Conference on April 21, 2012 at the Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Courtesy of IMEX (the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events), Mr Malcolm will be offered complimentary registration and subsidised travel to attend IMEX 2012 in Frankfurt, Germany, May 22-24. A native of Australia now based in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Mr Malcolm has accumulated a wealth of experience over his 17 year career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific, working for world class award winning hotels & resorts in Australia, Malaysia, Maldives and Thailand. In 2009 Starwood Hotels & Resorts awarded him Most Inspiring Leader in South Asia for his efforts in rebranding Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa at the height of the global economic crisis. Since commencing at Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort Mr Malcolm has been instrumental in the resort being awarded TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice – Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Thailand as well as achieving the highest guest satisfaction rating amongst Le Meridien Resorts in Asia Pacific. As a community supporter, Mr Malcolm was also an active volunteer member of the NSW State Emergency Service for 11 years where he coordinated a number of major emergencies as Emergency Operations Manager, and has been presented with numerous awards for the preservation of life & property. Mr Malcolm was appointed as the first Chairman of the newly-established PATA Chiang Rai chapter in 2011. He currently works with the government and private sector in Chiang Rai to promote the province as a destination, the true gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and a centre for arts and culture. Mr Malcolm said: “My vision is simple and I’m extremely determined. If the tourism bodies in Chiang Rai can continue the momentum we’ve started, allowing the industry to have a voice whilst representing the needs of the ever changing traveller by developing a sustainable tourism development plan in a partnership between the private sector and local government, we will have set the course for a very bright future for the travel industry in Chiang Rai. That’s a legacy I would be proud of!”