Peter Semone

Founder & President, Destination Human Capital Limited;
Chair, PATA

After completing his studies in US East Coast Ivy League Universities (UPENN and Cornell), Peter Semone arrived in Asia and never returned to his native California. Over the past 30 years, he has engaged in tourism development across the Pacific Asia region spanning industry, academia, and government. 

Since 2006, Peter successfully implemented multiple projects and consultancies funded by international development partners, including the Asian Development Bank, UN World Tourism Organisation, The World Bank Group, Luxembourg Development Cooperation (LuxDev) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

He has been actively engaged with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) since the mid-1990’s, serving as Chairman of the PATA Foundation Board of Trustees and the Education and Training Committee. Peter was also a member of the PATA Executive Board, Board of Directors and several Task Forces. He is a founding member of the PATA Lao PDR Chapter and the Young Tourism Professionals program, and from 2002-2006 held the post of PATA Vice President at the Association’s Headquarters.

Early in his career, Peter founded a destination management company in Indonesia, where he also participated in several tourism start-ups. He is widely published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to tourism marketing and destination human capital. 

Peter currently resides in Dili, Timor-Leste where he is Chief of Party of USAID’s Tourism For All Project aimed at developing tourism sector competitiveness and stimulating diversification of the country’s economy.