The PATA Life Membership Awards is given to nominated members who satisfied at least 8 requirements, including: being an active member of PATA for at least 10 years, being active at various levels of PATA, such as Chapter, Divisional and/or Board levels, has been cited for the quality of his / her contribution in tourism, professionally and within the individual’s community, and more. As a general rule, except for unusual situations, only one award is given in this category each year.

In PATA’s 70 years of history (as of the end of 2020), 119 members have been awarded this honour.

About Michael Paulin

Education: Bachelor of Science - International Business and Economics from University of Southern California
Lecturer: University of Hawaii & Hawaii Pacific Schools of Travel Industry Management
PATA: Life Member, Chair 1996/7 and Board Member 1985 - 1998
Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association: Chair 1995/6
Founder, Chair, & CEO of Aqua Hotels & Resorts (Now known as Aqua-Aston Hospitality a division of Marriott Vacations)
Spouse: Aida Alcantra Paulin
First Business: 1964 created the first villa and apartment/condo vacation packages for marketing exclusively through travel agents to world wide destinations which are now popularly sold by OTAs, AirBnB, VRBO in nearly every country

Which was your most memorable PATA event and why?

The night just before the ’95 Auckland conference being called to be informed I would be giving the welcome address in the morning as PATA vice-chairman, since the Chairman found it necessary to depart the country forthwith. Fortunately, I had a speech already prepared for later in the Conference upon accepting the PATA Chair and spent until the wee hours amending it, inserting it on a dry run into the teleprompter, then delivering it before a full house of at least 2,000 curiously surprised faces, including PM Bolger who later shared some choice words with me about the events of earlier that morning. While that played in the press for a week or so, it was soon forgotten, as it was exceeded by the excesses to the next conference in Auckland only 2 weeks later, held by The Asia Bankers Association. While embarrassing, it is surely on the top 3 list of most members at that time in response to the question and proved that PATA is a resilient organisation able to learn and move ahead.

Who have you heard speak or met at a PATA event that either inspired you or/and positively affected your career?

At the Aukland ’95 Conference our Keynoter was Nicholas Nigroponte of MIT and author of Going Digital, an International best seller, forecasting the boom about to occur in using the Webb. In retrospect, his prognosis of quantum growth proved conservative but inspired our membership 25 years ago to be prepared. In the end, it was the countries within our membership that the greatest contributions evolved led by the airlines who were even then the largest users of the Webb after the military. It was then that we created PATA.ORD. Also, note Dr. David Suzuki below mentioned, Margaret Thatcher in Honolulu was stunning — Speaking without notes for 60 minutes and you could hear a pin drop. Alwin Zecha, whose rich voice and intellectual acumen could capture any audience, on Board meeting and at the Kobe-Osaka conference he pushed PATA to begin the recognition process for China’s membership, and an American speaker on business strategy who remarked “If you are not changing the way you do business every 3 years, you are going out of business”.

1993: 42nd Annual Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii. Ambassador L.W. 'Bill' Lane presenting former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, keynote speaker at the 42nd Annual Conference, with the first copy of 'The Story of the Pacific Asia Travel Associatio… — **1993: 42nd Annual Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.**
Ambassador L.W. 'Bill' Lane presenting former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, keynote speaker at the 42nd Annual Conference, with the first copy of 'The Story of the Pacific Asia Travel Association'.

Can you name a PATA project or initiative that made you really proud of being associated with the organisation?

DR. DAVID SUZUKI, the environmental activist who addressed the Bali Conference circa 1992 and came back 10 or so years later to check up on us caused me, during my chairmanship, to focus PATA on an environmental pathway toward “sustainable tourism”, and we established an Office of Environment and Sustainability which was the genesis for PATA’s leadership role in this area today. PATA chapters around the world opened their doors to me for PATA chapter lunch and dinner discussions traveling with European Director, John Semone, to a half the chapters there, while doing the same with Ian Kennedy, director of Pacific, to the small island kingdoms and possessions spreading the gospel of love and sustainability. Eventually, John came to head up the Office we created 25 years ago. Ian’s son, David, gave PATA an inspiring youth-driven perspective at a Conference, not fearful of taking some jabs at the old guard which accelerated PATA’s commitment to not only sustainability but also fostered its initiatives toward the next generation and youth. I note names in PATA leadership today who were beginning their careers involved with PATA at that time.

What do you like most being a PATA member?

Creating life long friendships since 1965. Frankly, I did not do vast amounts of business for my Hawaii hotels from PATA contacts other than from Japan, but having graduated from USC in ‘63 with a then rare International Business degree, I was fascinated by PATA as a networking organisation that stimulated me more intellectually than commercially. Participating on the Management Committee for a dozen years and serving as PATA Sec/Teas for 5 years provided innumerable opportunities to practice what I learned during my years at USC. Upon my retirement from the Board and Management Committee around 1998, PATA’s balance sheet was in excellent shape and included a surplus nearing $2 million US, v.s. being on the verge of bankruptcy in the mid-80s. Much of the credit goes to the careful stewardship of President Ratanapala and the extraordinary efforts of VP Marketing, Jerry Picolla ,whose marketing and sales platforms he created are mimicked globally today.

Story Time! A Hilarious Incident in Kathmandu Board Meeting, 1995:

Following the Board Meeting which I chaired, Life Member RR Pandey agreed to take the board, staff, spouses, and all to view Mt. Everest up close. RR provided 3 giant Russian helicopters each carrying about 25 of us. We visited the sacred monestary at 12,000 ft where Everest climbers and guides are blessed prior to their climbs, had lunch at the remote Everest View Hotel (formerly Oberoi hotel). Then, suddenly the weather began to turn, clouds were approaching, and we need to split and get out while the choppers could still safely fly. While the monks were all waving goodbye to us, the choppers lifted off, but that’s not all that lifted off. The wind from the rotors was a new thing to the monks and it sent their crimson and saffron robing right up over their faces and the 2 dozen or so monks were there exposed in their birthday suits as we lifted off and away. On the return journey, RR had an unlimited supply of Carlsberg for all and the Day finished at Ambica Stresha's magnificent boutique Dwarika's hotel for an incredible Nepali dinner.