KATHMANDU, APRIL 27 Nepal Tourism Board CEO Deepak Raj Joshi will join global tourism leaders at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2026 (PAS 2026), to be held across the South Korean cities of Gyeongju and Pohang from May 11 to 14. Joshi is confirmed to speak on the panel discussion titled 'Heritage-Led Tourism: Preserving Identity in a Global Market,' where he will be joined by representatives from heritage destinations including Hawaii and Jeju. The session will examine how authenticity, policy alignment, and community stewardship can be leveraged to build tourism resilience - rather than commodify culture. A tourism professional with over 23 years of experience, Joshi is widely recognised as a thought leader in tourism planning, marketing, destination management, and crisis management, with an extensive network spanning public and private sector stakeholders at the national, regional, and international levels. He will share the speaker roster with PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid, UN Tourism Executive Director Shijun Liu, Global Sustainable Tourism Council CEO Randy Durband, and AirAsia MOVE CEO Nadia Omer, among a wide roster of industry leaders, economists, and policy officials from across the region. The summit, co-hosted by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and the Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Organisation (GCTO), is held under the theme Navigating Towards a Resilient Future. It coincides with PATA's 75th anniversary and will bring together global tourism leaders for a programme spanning a one-day meeting, a two-day conference, and a half-day destination experience across Gyeongju and Pohang - respectively regarded as the cultural and industrial heartlands of South Korea's North Gyeongsang Province. Key discussions at the summit will focus on regional tourism innovation driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, sustainable post-APEC tourism development rooted in ESG principles, and the advancement of global heritage tourism through stewardship of cultural assets. The programme opens on May 11 at Lahan Hotel in Pohang with the PATA Executive Board meeting, a destination experience, a youth symposium, and an industry and education roundtable. The main conference sessions, the PATA Annual General Meeting, a policy forum, and the PAS 2026 Gala Dinner follow on May 12 and 13 at the Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO) in Gyeongju. Departing delegates will have the option of a complimentary half-day tour of both cities on May 14.