TMS Asia-Pacific has been invited to address the PATA board on the role professional recruitment services can play in helping to alleviate what now constitutes the regional tourism industry’s worst staffing crisis in years.

The recruitment specialist’s Managing Director – Asia, Andrew Chan will join an eminent group of international HR specialists invited to address PATA board members at a specially convened pre-AGM sitting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, next month.

Key driver for Mr Chan’s presentation will be an overview of the HR Challenges impacting all sectors of travel and tourism from the perspective of a professional recruitment agency.

“The staffing crisis showed no signs of letting up and human capital had become critical to any company looking to achieving success in the current environment,” he said.

“Being connected to the right and best talent in the market place can prove to be the fundamental difference between success and failure in this extremely tough environment.

“And this is where professional recruitment services provide the point of difference.”

Mr Chan’s co-presenters include Dr. Walter Jamieson, Dean, School of Travel Industry Management, University of Hawaii; Mr. Kumar Senaratne, Head of Human Resources, Jetwing Group (Sri Lanka), Mr. Kenneth Low, Director of Strategy, Asia Pacific, InterContinental Hotel Group and Mrs. Pradeepa Dahanayake, Head - Human Resources, Sri Lankan Airlines.

Acknowledged as one of the first Asia Pacific-based HR specialists to draw attention to what has now become a fully-fledged regional staffing crisis, it has been a busy start to the year for the TMS MD.

Last week he presented two workshops at the Eye For Travel, Asia Distribution Summit in Singapore and shortly before the PATA AGM on 07 April, he is scheduled to present at the  of Dusit Hotels & Resorts GM’s annual conference in Manila on 01 April.