The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today announced an update for its calendar of events for 2020 and 2021. The upcoming PATA Travel Mart 2020, originally to be held in Leshan, Sichuan, China from September 3-6, will now be organised as a virtual event in late September of this year. The event, held in in conjunction with the Sichuan International Tourism Expo and with the support of the Leshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, will include webinars, virtual exhibition space and one-on-one virtual meetings.
The PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2020 has been postponed to November 24-26, 2021 and will continue to take place in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Sarawak, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and the Sarawak Convention Bureau, the event gathers the top minds in destination travel for inspiring and insightful discussions on marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations.
The PATA Annual Summit 2021 will take place from March 23-26 at the Al Hamra International Exhibition Center in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The event, generously hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. The Summit embraces a global forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of tourism.
PATA Travel Mart 2021 will take place on Ocean Flower Island in Hainan, China and is organised in partnership with the Hainan Province Government with the support of the Dazhou Municipal Government and EvergrandeTourism Group.Located on the west coast of Hainan Island, China, Ocean Flower Island offers convenient transportation accessible by a multi-dimensional traffic network that integrates Haikou Meilan International Airport, Sanya Phoenix International Airport and high-speed railways. Baimajing High-speed Railway Station is only 5km away from Ocean Flower Island.
“Like many organisations across the world, PATA has needed to adapt to the impact of COVID-19. While we are disappointed that we are unable to organise a physical event this year, we remain committed to working with our members and industry colleagues to build a more resilient, responsible, and sustainable travel and tourism industry,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy.
“Through our virtual events this year, like the Dream to Travel Festival, we are looking to expand upon the digital experience, allowing our members to truly engage, network and learn. In addition, we are examining how to innovate and integrate some of these virtual elements into our future events,” he added.
Forthcoming PATA events include:
June 22-July 17, 2020: PATA Dream to Travel Festival
September 2020: Virtual PATA Travel Mart 2020
March 23-26, 2021: PATA Annual Summit 2021, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
September 2021: PATA Travel Mart 2021, Hainan, China
November 24-26, 2021: PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2012, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
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