APOT announces strategic partnership with World Shiology Forum and Global Culinary Alliances
Asia Pacific Onboard Travel (APOT) has joined forces with the World Shiology Forum (WSF) and Global Culinary Alliances (GCA) in a strategic alliance designed to drive progress in culinary innovation, sustainability, and wellness throughout the food and travel industries
Asia Pacific Onboard Travel (APOT) has announced a partnership with the World Shiology Forum (WSF) and Global Culinary Alliances (GCA)—a move that aims to advance culinary innovation, sustainability and wellbeing across the food and travel sectors.
Bringing together more than a decade of APOT’s industry leadership with WSF’s focus on holistic health and GCA’s tech-driven culinary initiatives, the collaboration marks a significant step forward in aligning foodservice with modern technologies and global wellness trends, Keerthi “Happy” Hapugasdeniya, Founder and Chairman of APOT, tells PAX International.
GCA, a disruptor in the culinary innovation space, will soon debut its Transparency App, designed to offer culinary professionals and organizations access to educational resources, masterclasses, mental health support tools and a digital “e-parliament” where pressing topics—such as sustainability, food safety and the integration of AI in foodservice—will be discussed and explored.
The World Shiology Forum brings a strong focus on sustainability and wellbeing, with programming centered around mindful consumption, food waste reduction and mental and emotional wellness practices for hospitality professionals.
APOT has partnered with WSF and GCA to promote innovation, sustainability, and wellness in the global food and travel space
Networking Forum to take place in China
As part of the collaboration, APOT will host its 11th Networking Forum from October 28 to 30, 2025, at the Hilton Haikou on Hainan Island, China. The event, held in partnership with WSF, is set to attract stakeholders from across the airline, rail, cruise and hospitality industries. A key highlight will be the debut of GCA’s Golden Knife Global Culinary Challenge, a competition that will showcase international culinary talent through a modern, tech-integrated judging format.
In a world-first, the Golden Knife Challenge will feature a hybrid judging panel that combines artificial intelligence with the insight of master chefs, celebrities, social media influencers and food critics, creating a transparent and dynamic evaluation process. The event will be streamed live through the GCA app, giving a global audience the opportunity to follow the competition in real time.
With more than 100 country delegations already engaged through the WSF, this partnership promises to broaden international collaboration in culinary excellence and innovation, Hapugasdeniya says.
Further details, including the full event agenda and accommodation options at the Hilton Haikou, will be released soon via the new APOT website: www.apotasia.com.
Stay tuned as APOT continues to shape the future of inflight and travel catering with this bold and exciting initiative, Hapugasdeniya concludes.
As part of the collaboration, APOT will host its 11th Networking Forum from October 28 to 30, 2025, at the Hilton Haikou on Hainan Island, China
