Liz Ortiguera has made a name in international travel – for good reason. Born and raised in the United States but with roots in the Philippines, Liz is “a senior executive with more than 25 years of global experience and expertise in general management, marketing, business development, and partner network management,” her online profile as the CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) states.

An alumna of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, The Cooper Union, and New York University, her passion lies in innovation, business transformation, and community building, and her career spans several industries, namely travel/lifestyle, technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals.

She excelled everywhere she went, from top MNCs, including the most admired corporations such as Amex, Merck, and Bell Labs, to start-ups in the fields of digital lifestyle services, edtech and wellness travel. For 10 years, she was the General Manager for Amex’s Travel Partner Network, Asia-Pacific/ANZ, managing partnerships with the top TMC, MICE, and leisure agencies in the region. Working across varied cultures and business environments to speed up growth and access opportunities is, therefore, second nature to her.

“I am a seasoned executive known for transforming strategic visions into tangible outcomes across continents and industries,” she describes herself. “With a foundation in science and engineering and extensive leadership experience in finance, technology, and trade associations, I bring a unique ability to think laterally and forge strategic partnerships that bridge global organizations.”

Known as a ‘mental gymnast,’ she “excel[s] in adapting strategies to new challenges, always with a focus on integrity and inspiring purpose-driven performance in my teams.” … “Committed to the synergy of profit and purpose,” she “lead[s] organizations to achieve sustainable success by aligning their business goals with broader societal contributions.”
Today, as Managing Director of Asia Pacific and Senior Advisor to the CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), she brings with her the capacity to look at the industry with such a wide-ranging view. Clearly, by leveraging her diverse background to drive innovation and growth, she has reached the enviable position of a truly global influencer and industrial leader.

Indeed, during the inaugural International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) Asia held in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong on September 9-11, 2024, she held her own as she sat in a panel of travel industry titans responding to questions fielded by industry players.
The panelists in the hotel investment conference gathered influential figures from family offices, global hotel brands, and leading developers, and included the likes of Rizki Handayani, deputy minister of Industry and Investment of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, and Engr. Sultan Al-Shehri, chief of investment at Aseer Development Authority in Saudi Arabia. As they noted the emerging vacation trends, they were one is saying that employment growth is expected to bolster the travel sector in the near term. On the forum’s opening day, they particularly shared insights on the promising growth of tourism in the Asia Pacific region, analyzed the potential of new or alternative tourism destinations, and discussed strategies for growth, investment opportunities, and sustainability.

For her part, however, Ortiguera zeroed in on one particular shift in the industry: the need to better consider the welfare of destinations and communities, the importance of recognizing that both travelers and local residents hold significant influence. Tourism and hospitality investments across Asia, she revealed, should prioritize the needs of local communities and the overall visitor experience, in order to keep moving forward, or upward.

She referred to growing concerns about “overtourism,” particularly in Europe, urging a focus on “quality tourism” and the specific type of visitors being attracted. “Local leaders must consider whether the tourism they promote contributes positively to community engagement, well-being, and infrastructure,” she was quoted as saying in Hospitality Investor, noting that large investments aren’t always beneficial. She added that, “to protect strategic investments, it’s essential to support local communities.”

Ortiguera also highlighted the underappreciated impact of travel and tourism. According to her, the sector is often underestimated by governments, even when it contributes approximately 8.7% of the region’s GDP, with projections of this rising to 11.2% over the next decade. “We represent a mega sector that could account for 12.5% of jobs in the Asia Pacific, with 100 million jobs projected over the next decade, with 64 million jobs created in the Asia Pacific region alone,” she stated in a report by China Daily.

Furthermore, Ortiguera reportedly noted a surge in post-pandemic interest in food, heritage, spiritual, and wellness travel, trends that she said were catalyzed by COVID-19. Sustainability and community focus in investments, she emphasized, would encourage stakeholders to consider local impacts as they plan for the future. Despite a slow recovery following the pandemic, she observed that the past two years have been pivotal for reintegrating communities and focusing on sustainability. “Sustainable tourism is a form of risk management that must take local communities into account,” she was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, her life outside official work comprises of volunteer work that has informed how she speaks today as a global leader in the industry. In her personal capacity, she has been a continual advocate for poverty eradication programs and education initiatives across the region. With her Filipino roots and more than 25 years of work experience in Asia, it is no surprise that she has worked with the likes of Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Sala Bai, a charity hotel and restaurant school in Cambodia. “I did fundraising efforts in Singapore and built a village in Aklan, did fundraising to support the building of the new school in Cambodia and started a travel social enterprise to teach corporate types and students about global concerns,” she revealed to asianTraveler.

“For GK, I’ve done three trips to build. I ran an education tour for students, and we all stayed in a GK Village and engaged with the community to understand their needs,” she went on.

This lady leader really walks the talk. And that is why is she being listened to wherever she goes.