Intrepid Travel SL GM wins 2025 PATA Face of the Future award

Intrepid Travel celebrates the recognition of Intrepid Travel Sri Lanka Country General Manager Poornaka Delpachitra as a 2025 PATA Face of the Future awardee.  

Presented by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Face of the Future award is the association’s highest honour for young tourism professionals making an outstanding contribution to the industry. 

Poornaka is one of four emerging leaders across Asia Pacific recognised this year and the winner for Sustainability Initiatives. 

“It’s a great honour and deeply humbling to be recognised by the PATA. I’m proud to be leading a team that truly believes in creating positive change through the joy of travel and I’m excited to keep building that future in Sri Lanka and beyond,” he said.

Poornaka leads one of Intrepid’s largest global operations, overseeing both destination management company and its shared services centre in Sri Lanka. 

Under his leadership, Intrepid Sri Lanka has achieved strong commercial growth while being recognised nationally for its commitment to climate-conscious, community-based and inclusive tourism.

Recent highlights include winning the Best Destination Loyal Partner award in the Travel and Tourism Operator category at Sri Lanka Tourism Awards 2024, launching the Women in Tourism programme in partnership with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Market Development Facility, which is breaking down barriers for women across the tourism sector and partnering with ZeroPlastic through The Intrepid Foundation to tackle plastic waste and make behavioural change amongst Sri Lankans to reduce use of single use plastic, including investing in a Zero Plastic Impact Centre.

Further, also leading the introduction of Sri Lanka’s first electric vehicle tour, supporting Intrepid’s goal to decarbonise its global operations, supporting Sri Lanka’s first female cycling tour leader to enter the industry and being named among Sri Lanka’s Best Workplaces by Great Place to Work and recognised in the Top 40 Workplaces in Sri Lanka. 

Intrepid Travel Managing Director Asia and Head of Global Operations Natalie Kidd said, “Poornaka is a purpose-driven leader and a shining example of the next generation shaping the tourism industry for the better. He leads with care for people, communities and the planet and his work in Sri Lanka is proving that sustainable tourism can also be commercially successful. We’re incredibly proud of his leadership and impact.”