SAIPAN — Marianas Visitors Authority Deputy Managing Director Judy C. Torres, who is now serving as acting managing director following the departure of former Managing Director Jamika Taijeron, has received a PATA Award of Merit from the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
The award was presented during the PATA Awards Presentation Dinner on May 11 at the Lahan Hotel in Pohang, Korea, the association said. Torres was one of five travel and tourism leaders honored across several award categories.
Torres has more than 30 years of experience in tourism administration, destination marketing, research management and public relations in the CNMI, the association said. It said she has played a leadership role in tourism development, industry recovery efforts, airline and stakeholder relations, grants management and strategic marketing for the Marianas.
The association said Torres has represented the Marianas in leadership positions within the PATA Micronesia Chapter and currently represents MVA as a board member of the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture. It said she continues to support sustainable tourism growth and community-focused destination development across the region.
PATA also presented an Award of Merit to Ben Montgomery, corporate ambassador for Centara Hotels and Resorts. Two tourism leaders, SanJeet of DDP Publications and Suman Pandey of Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure, received PATA Life Membership, the association’s highest individual honor, while Kornchalee Tantimongkonsakul of PATA received the Chairman’s Award.
PATA Chief Executive Officer Noor Ahmad Hamid congratulated the honorees, saying the association is proud of their contributions to PATA and the wider tourism industry.
