[Press Release_202605]   

 TIDESQUARE Attends PATA 75th Anniversary Summit as the 'Only Domestic Travel Platform Panelist'

Travel tech company TIDESQUARE participated in the 'PATA Annual Summit 2026,' the annual summit of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)—the largest tourism organization in the Asia-Pacific region—held in Pohang and Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, from May 11 to 13. TIDESQUARE participated as the only official panelist among domestic online travel platforms, discussing digital tourism strategies with global leaders and demonstrating the competitiveness of Korean travel tech companies on the international stage.

PATA 75th Anniversary Summit Hosted in Korea... Sole Domestic Online Travel Platform Panelist

PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) hosts an annual summit where government agencies, airlines, global OTAs, and hotel groups gather to discuss the future of the tourism industry. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, this year's summit in Korea served as a meaningful stage to solidify Korea's status as an Asian tourism hub and highlight its digital-based tourism competitiveness in the global market. Amid this momentum, Chang-Hee Oh, Chairman of Sebang Travel, was elected as the next PATA Chairman—the first Korean to hold the position—further elevating the Korean tourism industry's global influence.

Under the theme of 'Navigating Towards a Resilient Future,' the event drew significant attention, attracting around 500 decision-makers in the tourism industry from 35 countries. TIDESQUARE was invited as the sole official panelist among domestic online travel platforms, taking the stage for the main session on Day 3, titled 'Digital Tourism at a Crossroads: Platforms, Data and Destination Resilience.' Sunny Chang, Director of Global Business Development at TIDESQUARE, joined panelists from leading global companies such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and DidaTravel to engage in in-depth discussions on the impact of digital platforms on destinations and data-driven tourism strategies.

[Photo Caption] At the 'PATA Annual Summit 2026,' Sunny Chang, Director of Global Business Development at TIDESQUARE (third from left), discusses digital tourism strategies with global travel platform representatives.

Bridging Tech Gaps and Presenting a 'Platform Diversification' Strategy

The session covered key agendas, including: ▲ The dual nature of digital platforms ▲ Tech gaps within the tourism industry ▲ Sustainable relationships between platforms and destinations ▲ The role of platforms during crises. When live voting identified the 'tech gap' as the biggest digital challenge in the tourism industry, TIDESQUARE drew attention by offering a flexible response strategy to technological advancements.

Speaking as a panelist, Director Sunny Chang emphasized the distinctiveness of regional traveler behavior and information search patterns amid discussions centered on global platforms. Director Sunny Chang stated, "Korean travelers utilize a highly fragmented information ecosystem including Naver, online communities, and blogs. Rather than relying on a single global platform, destinations should establish a multi-platform strategy that reflects regional characteristics and traveler behavior patterns."

Accelerating Customized Multi-Platform Strategies: Global & Local

TIDESQUARE plans to leverage this summit to further refine its global business strategy by combining data analytics capabilities with regional operational expertise. Moving beyond simple travel product distribution, the company will strengthen its role as a data-driven service hub by analyzing traveler search paths, purchasing patterns, and regional demand data to deliver tailored strategies. To this end, TIDESQUARE plans to expand content and marketing collaborations with local partners worldwide, including destination marketing organizations (DMOs), major airlines, and hotel groups.

In particular, centering around its premium travel brand 'PRIVIA Travel' and online travel platform 'Tourvis,' TIDESQUARE plans to build a multi-platform operating system capable of simultaneously reflecting global service standards and regional travel demand.

 Additionally, the company will focus on customized services based on regional travel consumption trends and user behavior data while continuously strengthening local optimization capabilities to respond to the rapidly changing digital tourism environment.

Sunny Chang, Director at TIDESQUARE, said, "It was a meaningful experience to represent domestic online travel platforms at such a milestone event as PATA's 75th Anniversary Summit. Based on the discussions held with global partners on site, we will strengthen TIDESQUARE's differentiated data analytics capabilities and solidify our foundation as a strategic hub connecting the global tourism ecosystem."

*About TIDESQUARE (www.tidesquare.com)

TIDESQUARE is a travel tech company providing differentiated travel services backed by specialized technology and data-driven capabilities. It operates the premium travel brand 'PRIVIA Travel,' the online travel platform 'Tourvis,' and the luxury hotel booking platform 'Tourvis Select.' Building on global partnerships, TIDESQUARE leads innovation in worldwide flight and hotel booking systems while continuously expanding its global network.