SOUTH KOREA: Winter Olympics Boosts Korea Tourism

Tourism in Korea (ROK) has been significantly boosted by the staging of the Winter Olympics in the country and the arrival of vastly increased numbers of Chinese tourists, according to the latest figures from research company ForwardKeys.

ForwardKeys, which predicts future travel patterns by analysing 17 million booking transactions a day, reports that international arrivals in February were up 5.7% on last year, and during the Olympics period (9-25 February) they were up 13.7%.

The most notable increase in arrivals as a result of the Olympics came from Chinese independent travellers, up 57.7%, with a 26% market share, rebounding from last year when China objected to the stationing of US Thaad missiles in Korea.

China’s government took action by discouraging group travel to Korea; consequently, 84% of Chinese arrivals are now independent travellers, compared to 35% a year ago.

ForwardKeys’ data shows other big arrival increases came from Hong Kong, up 98.7%, the USA 15.9%, and Canada 55.6%.

Vietnam saw an unprecedented 635.4% increase, due to improved air connectivity, a visa waiver during the Olympics, and the Vietnamese New Year.

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) CEO Dr Mario Hardy, said To put it poetically, the green shoots of Korea’s tourism recovery have emerged from the snows of the Winter Olympics.

And what’s particularly gratifying is that it’s being sustained. Tourists are coming from around the world to discover the great attractions of Korea, only glimpsed during the Olympics’ coverage.

ForwardKeys CEO and Co-founder, Olivier Jager, said Once again we’re seeing how a big set-piece international event can change tourism trends virtually overnight.

Our analysis is able to quantify the impact with hard data, providing organisers with a genuine and accurate gauge of how well their projects have succeeded.

Further details of the findings will be revealed at the PATA’s annual summit in Korea on May 17 this month.


Tourism Observer

GUAM: Kim Jong-un Destroying Guam Tourism

A new study reveals decline in tourism to Guam following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's threat to bomb Guam, home to a US military base.

A study by ForwardKeys reveals that the imposition of new UN sanctions, followed by the ratcheting up of hostile rhetoric between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un on 9th August, triggered a decline in tourism to Guam.

In the five weeks that followed, arrivals of people staying between four and twenty-one nights (a typical tourist visit), fell by 9%, with arrivals from Japan, traditionally Guam’s most important origin market, falling 30%.

The fall in travel to Guam would have been much more substantial, were it not for a remarkable rise in enthusiasm for the Pacific island from South Korea.

Prior to 9th August, arrivals in Guam were up 11% but that was due to a 41% increase in travel from South Korea, off-setting a 13% decline in visits from Japan.

Looking deeper at people’s plans to travel to Guam by analysing travel bookings made to date for stays of the same duration), it is clear that after 9th August, overall bookings fell by 43%, benchmarked against the same period last year and bookings from Japan fell by 65%.

By comparison, bookings from South Korea fell by 16%.

Looking ahead, by analysing the state of current bookings made for travel to Guam up to the end of the year, the current situation is that overall bookings are 3% behind where they were at the same time last year.

Current bookings from Japan are 24% behind; from the USA, they are 17% behind; from Hong Kong, they are 15% behind and from China, they are 51% behind.

Only current bookings from South Korea are 14% ahead. The strong growth in bookings can be partly attributed to increased air capacity between Guam and South Korea.

From 13th September 2017, Air Seoul became the sixth carrier from Korea to provide direct services to Guam.

The initial schedule is a five times weekly operation but Air Seoul will increase this to daily operations in October.

Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association, said we live in a world of constant volatility, uncertainty and political instability which is of great concern for many destinations around the globe.

The island of Guam is beginning to feel the impact of the war words between two nations’ leaders and reminds us of the fragility of the travel and tourism industry.

Olivier Jager, CEO, ForwardKeys, saidWhilst the stall in bookings for Guam is a concern, current bookings are a snap-shot as of now and it is still possible for the momentum to recover, if for example, the sabre-rattling has caused people simply to book later (ie: closer to the date of travel) rather than not to come.

One cannot be surprised that the escalating tension between North Korea and the USA has deterred visitors to Guam. What is interesting is the extraordinary extent to which the South Korean market is the white knight, bucking the trend.

I can only speculate that South Koreans have been enthused by Guam’s promotional claims that it is the perfect destination for romance – and by going there, are demonstrating they are much more interested in making love than war.



Tourism Observer

MACEDONIA: PATA Set To Build Macedonia Tourism

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is to bring its successful Global Insights Conference format to Europe as part of the Macedonia Tourism Summit 2017.

The PATA Global Insights Conference (PGIC) Europe Edition takes place at the Marriott Hotel in Skopje on Tuesday June 20th with the theme ‘Building Tourism Bridges’.

The conference, hosted generously by Tourism Macedonia, is part of a three-day programme that also embraces the International Travel Crisis Management Summit (June 19th) presented by the Jacobs Media Group and Travel Weekly.

Taking the successful PGIC format to Europe is a significant step forward for our Association, explained PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy.

Destinations across Europe are seeking to exploit the exponential growth in outbound travel from many influential source markets in the Asia Pacific region and national tourist organisations are recognising the important and influential role played by PATA in building bridges between destinations and markets on different continents.

This conference reinforces the value of PATA membership for Tourism Macedonia in seeking to attract more visitors from markets such as China, Korea (ROK), Japan and Australasia.

The conference program will include sessions on sustainable development, aviation and tourist industry trends/forecasts with an impressive gathering of international expert presenters and panellists.

PATA’s commitment to support Young Tourism Professionals around the world will be covered in the session ‘Bright Ideas – Future Trends’.

We are working with Tourism Macedonia to invite contributions from tourism students in Skopje. Their views, as ‘tomorrow’s tourism leaders’, will be an important component in the conference program,added Dr. Hardy.

* The inaugural PATA Global Insights Conference was staged in Auckland in October 2015.

The success of that first event prompted a return to Auckland in September 2016 and there is demand from other markets in Europe, Middle East and Asia to embrace the PGIC concept

UAE: Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification Launched At Arabian Travel Market

A unique Premium Hotel Classification scheme for Muslim-friendly accommodation has been launched at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), currently taking place in Dubai, UAE.

The global initiative, launched by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism & Culture, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz, aims to improve quality standards and transparency for Muslim travelers and enhance the visibility of accommodation that meets their faith-based needs.

Properties or hotel groups will be subject to rigorous checks to ensure they meet the required criteria, with audits conducted by a highly-qualified committee of Islamic tourism experts, including Salam Standard representatives.

“The Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification system sets new standards for Muslim-friendly accommodation across the globe,” said Salam Standard Co-Founder and CEO Faeez Fadhlillah.

“It cements Salam Standard’s position as the number one go-to resource for Muslim travelers seeking accommodation that is sensitive to their faith-based needs, providing them with complete clarity and assurance on the facilities and services provided.”

Any licensed accommodation provider can apply online for Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification.

Once their application is reviewed and accepted, the expert committee will conduct an audit of the property/properties. The committee will reserve the right to reject applications if they do not meet the minimum criteria.

The Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification scheme rates hotels according to four tiers – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum – considering the number and standard of Muslim-friendly facilities and services they offer.

For example, at Bronze-rated properties, all rooms have a shower and toilet or bath tub and toilet and a prayer mat and praying direction (Qibla/Kibblat), or they are available on request, whereas Platinum-rated accommodation offers several additional benefits including halal food that is certified by a recognised body, while the entire premises is alcohol free.

This four-tier system will simplify the user experience for travelers searching for Muslim-friendly accommodation on Salam Standard or booking it online with sister company, Tripfez, providing them with clear guidelines on what is offered, safe in the knowledge it has been checked and audited.

The committee will also conduct ongoing inspections of properties awarded Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification to ensure standards are upheld.

The travel industry has welcomed the new auditing process, a move it says will further boost Salam Standard’s credentials as a global online information tool for Muslim-friendly accommodation.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) CEO, Dr Mario Hardy, has also congratulated Salam Standard for introducing a valuable resource for travelers and hoteliers.

“The global Muslim travel sector is a multi-billion-dollar niche market to which few have paid attention up until now,” he said. “The Salam Standard Premium Hotel Classification system is a great initiative that will help Muslim travelers identify hotel properties that can meet their requirements and assist property owners in providing a quality and transparent experience to Muslim guests.”

NEPAL: Himalayan Travel Mart 2017 In Kathmandu From June 1.

Pacific Asia Travel Associ-ation (Pata) Nepal Chapter has said it will hold the Himalayan Travel Mart 2017 in Kathmandu from June 1.

The four-day event aims at redefining adventure tourism and establishing Nepal as gateway to the Himalaya. It will bring together foreign buyers and tourism professionals from various tourist generating countries.

Prior to the mart, Pata will hold International Bloggers and Media Conference—the first of its kind in the country—from May 22 to June 1.

“The objective of both the events is to make Nepal as an event-friendly destination and reposition Nepal in the map of global tourism,” said Suman Pandey, president of Pata Nepal, at a programme in Kathmandu on Sunday.

The Travel Mart will be a magnificently productive event for Nepal, which is struggling to revive the tourism industry, he said. Fifty buyers and sellers each will participate in the event.

The long-planned Travel Mart had been in limbo amid controversy surrounding Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The first Himalayan International Travel Mart was organised by Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Natta) in 2005, attracting more than 200 tour operators from South and Southeast Asian countries.

The International Bloggers and Media Conference aims at bring at least 30 top bloggers and 20 international media from around the world to Nepal and give them an instant update on the country’s various locations and experiences. The objective of the campaign is to promote the tourism recovery campaign in Nepal through digital media platform.

Tourism Ministry Secretary Shankar Adhikari said despite abundant resources, Nepal is still struggling to receive a sizable number of tourists and generate revenue from them.

In South Asia, Nepal’s tourism revenue share stands at just 1.4 percent, while it receives only 5 percent of tourists visiting the region.

“This figure indicates we are at the bottom of the tourism recipient table. We have not been able to attract high-end tourists. Besides, the length of stay of visitors in Nepal is low,” he said. “The figure is disappointing, but we can do a lot to improve our destination image.”

Andrews Jones, chairman of Bangkok-based Pata, said Nepal needs to disburse tourists to new and emerging destinations besides traditional locations.

Tourist arrivals to Nepal fell to a six-year low of 538,970 in 2015 as last year’s earthquake and subsequent Tarai unrest kept visitors away, according to government statistics.

Nepal received 251,148 less tourists last year, representing a sharp drop of 31.78 percent, compared to 2014 figures.

The impact of the killer quake was bigger for Nepal’s tourism industry with arrivals plunging 55.59 percent to 97,510 during the four-month period (May-August) following the disaster.

Just as the tourism industry was picking itself up, it received another knockout blow from a fuel shortage resulting from India’s trade embargo against Nepal last year.

NEPAL: Low Air Connectivity Lets Down Tourism Recovery

Tourism entrepreneurs say low air connectivity is hindering the progress in reviving the country’s tourism sector, as it struggles to get back on its feet following the setbacks of last year.

As per Binayak Shah, general secretary of the Hotel Association Nepal, there is tremendous potential to bring international visitors to Nepal, but the basic problem is lack of proper air connectivity with source countries. “The airfare to Nepal is very expensive as there are very limited carriers offering services to the country.”

Nepal had welcomed 538,970 tourists in 2015, according to the data unveiled by the Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation. However, inflow of tourists has been increasing in 2016 as the tourism industry is stirring back to normalcy after being suffocated by the earthquakes and protests in Tarai region.

The country has received 313,512 tourists in the first six months (January to June) of 2016, according to Tourism Ministry. Tourism entrepreneurs have said that inflow of tourist increased in 2016 as compared to low base of 2015 but the number of tourists that country received in first six months of 2016 is not very encouraging.

While the period between September and October is considered as peak tourist season in Nepal, tourists arrivals has not reached the level of 2014, as per Shah. “Occupancy rate in tourist standard hotels stands at average of 60 per cent, which was above 80 per cent in September to October of 2014.”

Moreover, the country has been able to tap only nominal number of tourists visiting Asia Pacific destinations. The country received around 600,000 tourists in 2015 against the total 577 million international visitors during calendar year 2015, shows the recently released Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Tourism Monitor 2016 Final Edition.

Though 2015 was an encouraging year in terms of Asia Pacific destinations, the year remained quite disappointing for Nepal as the flow of outbound travellers declined substantially due to two major earthquakes of April and May, followed by the protests in Tarai region of the country.

Currently, the average tourist stay is 12.8 days and a tourist spends around $70 per day in the country. Tourism sector has been contributing less than three per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Among the 44 destinations across the entire Asia Pacific region, the top five performing destinations — by annual percentage growth — were led by Myanmar with growth of almost 52 per cent. Japan, Chile, Thailand and Sri Lanka were the other nations achieving top-five ranking. Of the 44 destinations covered, 32 showed positive increases in foreign arrivals in 2015.

PATA has said that number of international travellers in 2016 has been rising continually.

“China continued to dominate the growth pattern in Asia Pacific in early 2016,” as per the PATA report. “Japan, Thailand and Korea recorded significant increases of between 800,000 and almost one million additional arrivals from China.”

ZIMBABWE: Pacific Asia Travel Association Admits Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe today became the first member outside the traditional geographical area of operation of PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, when just two hours ago the Chief of Staff of PATA Mr. Dale Lawrence and the CEO of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Mr. Karikoga Kaseke signed the admission documents.

This happened on the sidelines of the ongoing Sanganai 2016 World Tourism Expo, a major coup for Zimbabwe and a major new direction for PATA, which has so far only admitted members from their direct area of operation.

Said Mr. Dale Lawrence when asked if this signalled a shift of focus or had required a special resolution by PATA: 'When PATA was formed the objective was to support travel to, from and within the PATA geographical area of the Pacific and Asia.

The admission of Zimbabwe as the first African member is in line with the mandate to support travel from the PATA area to that country'.

In turn did ZTA chief Kaseke acknowledge that special moment to be the first country from the African continent to break the glass ceiling which hitherto existed and left no doubt where the new membership was heading: 'This MoU in itself does not move things along, we need to fill the membership with activities and work together to accomplish our objectives, which is to increase travel from the Pacific and in particular Asia to Zimbabwe.

In fact, now that we are a member I think we can host a major PATA meeting or tourism exhibition here in Zimbabwe in the space of five years'.

It is understood that other African countries and in particular the Indian Ocean islands may now very well also seek membership in PATA, which could significantly raise the organization's numbers and geographical extent across the globe and could turn PATA into a global body.

PATA Adventure Travel And Responsible Tourism Conference And Mart 2016 For February 2016

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has scheduled to stage the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2016 (AT&RTCM 2016) in Chiang Rai, Thailand from February 17 to 19, 2016 under the theme “Creating Experiences, Sharing Opportunities”.

The three-day event features both conference and travel mart components, bringing together tourism professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism to discuss creating new opportunities for promoting environmental protection and social sustainability within the industry. It is also set as a centre stage for the public and private sectors to address issues facing the adventure travel, responsible and sustainable tourism sectors.

Mr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO said, “PATA is excited to have the opportunity to showcase the historic northern city of Chiang Rai, Thailand. The city has so much to offer today’s travellers wishing to experience natural beauty, indigenous culture, and rich heritage.

“The choice of the destination reflects the growing importance of dispersing tourists to emerging destinations, an issue the Association has been actively promoting through such activities as the PATA CEO Challenge 2015. This event is the perfect opportunity for travel trade professionals to learn first-hand about this fast growing tourist destination.”

Mr. Sugree Sithivanich, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand added, “TAT has been encouraging tourism that promotes the environment and contributes to social and cultural betterment. It is in line with the “balanced philosophy” of tourism, which ensures that economic benefits of tourism go hand-in-hand with environmental and cultural preservation.

That’s why Thailand is pleased to be the host of the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2016.
“We also felt that Chiang Rai will be perfect destination for the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016.

In addition to being a wonderful destination in its own right, it also lies at the heart of the Golden Triangle region where the Thai border meets with those of Myanmar and Lao PDR.

So visitors will be able to get a three-in-one package by being able to visit all three destinations for the cost of one.”
The former capital of the great Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Rai is a fascinating province filled with cultural and natural wonders. Located in northern Thailand, it is a land of outstanding natural beauty, where tourists can escape the crowds and visit remote hill tribes and spot exotic wildlife.

Chiang Rai now competes with Chiang Mai as a major tourist attraction and is fast becoming a popular escape for today’s tourists. A traveller’s paradise, endowed with abundant natural attractions and antiquities, attractions range from ruins of ancient settlements and Buddhist shrines to magnificent mountain scenery and hill tribe villages.

For those interested in the pristine natural beauty of the countryside, travellers can take part in jungle trekking or mountain hiking. Visitors can also take the opportunity to immerse themselves in the indigenous culture, including those of a variety of different hill tribe communities.

THAILAND: Responsible Tourism PATA Leads

In an important milestone, the Headquarters of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) located in Bangkok, Thailand, has achieved Bronze Benchmarked Sustainability Certification by EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for the travel and tourism industry. The official certificate handover ceremony will take place during the PATAcademy-HCD Workshop on Sustainability in Tourism from December 1-3, 2015.

A dedicated team at PATA worked together with EarthCheck for 12 months to collect and collate operational data and information on its practices in order to be benchmarked against EarthCheck’s global sustainability standard. The benchmarking data addressed a wide range of issues, including water, waste and energy use, occupational health and safety, risk management, community contributions and the use of paper, chemicals and cleaning products. EarthCheck’s three-tiered rating of Bronze, Silver and Gold status is built on the belief that effective scientific benchmarking puts rigour and transparency into business processes, benefitting all stakeholders in the long term. This is the first time PATA has sought and achieved any sustainable operations standard.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy, commented, “Since 1951, PATA has aspired to be a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. We are honoured and proud to achieve such recognition, as it reflects our staff’s commitment to taking action for constant improvement. EarthCheck’s benchmarking allows us to measure ourselves against global industry standards, a valuable resource that gives pointers on where we do well, and where we can do more.”

PATA has been a champion of environmental and cultural heritage since its inception. Measures taken to demonstrate PATA’s stance on social responsibility include the 1970 conference on Tourism and Heritage Conservation, the adoption of the APEC/PATA Code for Sustainable Tourism in 2001, the establishment of the PATA Foundation, the PATA Gold Awards – of note is an award category of environment that honours the “best” practices upheld by individuals or organisations in protection and conservation of the environment, the establishment of the Sustainability and Social Responsibility (SSR) Committee, the PATA Task Force, the Tourism InSPIRE Awards, and the establishment of sustain.pata.org, the Association’s website devoted entirely to the dissemination of sustainable and socially responsible tourism knowledge.

In alignment with PATA’s 3 pillars – insightful research, aligned advocacy, and innovative events, PATA’s sustainability strategy objectives are to:

• Generate tools that will allow sharing of knowledge on good sustainability practices.

• Facilitate knowledge sharing and generate awareness on sustainability issues.

• Advocate for policies related to sustainable development of the visitor economy.

• Advocate for responsible organisational practices.

• Utilise PATA’s network to disseminate key related messages, disseminate awareness and knowledge on sustainability and social responsibility to develop a sustainable and responsible visitor economy.

• Incorporation of sustainability and social responsibility into all facets of PATA’s strategy and activities.

Headquartered in Australia, EarthCheck is a sustainability program that assists businesses, communities and governments in their efforts to protect and enhance the environmental, economic and social sustainability of their tourism initiatives. In presenting the certification, founder and CEO, Stewart Moore, announced, “I would like to congratulate the whole team at PATA on their achievement. The association is a leading advocate in the region and a valued member of a global group of tourism stakeholders who dare to make a difference. PATA is the first office in Thailand to benchmark and apply for certification through the EarthCheck program. In doing so, it is measuring its performance against best practices and making positive changes to reduce its environmental and social impact.

For PATA’s team, this certification is an enormous accomplishment, and long foreseen. As a frontrunner in sustainable travel and tourism, PATA now has yet another stamp of responsible action to lead with, and hopes to influence others to do the same.

Kerala Tourism receives PATA award for Thekkady

Kerala Tourism has been awarded for its efforts in making Thekkady, in Periyar National Park in the state, a top emerging destination in the world.

Kerala Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao received the Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Challenge 2015 award at a function held at the World Travel Mart (WTM), London on November 2, an official release said.

The award is in recognition of the pioneering responsible tourism undertaken in Thekkady by Kerala Tourism, it added.

Thekkady won the Top Emerging Destination award in the category for two-tier and three-tier cities while Albay in the Philippines received the award for regions/states/provinces.

NEPAL: Resilient Nepal Awaits Return Of Tourists

The exuberance of Tracy and many other trekkers like her that have started arriving in Kathmandu are a clear indication back that after being hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25, a resilient Nepal is steadily and firmly trudging back to normalcy.

Buying essential stuff from a shop in Thamel in Kathmandu, Tracy Austin, a young traveller from Australia, was readying to go for adventure climbing when dna caught up with her. "I learnt on the Internet that Nepal has put things back in shape and conducting adventures treks and climbing. I thought to give it a try and things are looking pretty great here. I am on for a climbing expedition to Island Peak, Lobuche East and Pokalde with my two friends in a couple of days," she said.

The exuberance of Tracy and many other trekkers like her that have started arriving in Kathmandu are a clear indication back that after being hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25, a resilient Nepal is steadily and firmly trudging back to normalcy. "After hitting a massive dip in tourist inflow after the earthquake, we have touched 60% of tourist arrivals in August this year when compared to August 2014. And hope to bring the figure to 100% or more in 2016," director general of department of tourism said.

Many Nepalese tour operators give credit to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a no-profit organisation, for the quick revival of tourism in Nepal. Soon after the earthquake PATA assessed the situation in Nepal and made Tourism Rapid Recovery Taskforce- Report and Recommendations to Nepal government in on 21 June, 2015.
"The report revolved around source market campaigns, organising international events, upgrading the level of services. It seems it has started paying dividends," said Suman Pandey, chairman of PATA - Nepal chapter who also heads a travel and adventure firm.

One of such events was the India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival organized jointly by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in association with South Asia Foundation from September 23-28, 2015 in Kathmandu. This event was an exhibition-cum-sale of craft products by artisans from India and Nepal where brand "Khadi Nepal" was launched by India ambassador, Ranjit Rae.

India tourists who contribute nearly 25% to Nepal's tourist traffic especially in pilgrim circuit of Pashupatinath, Bhaktapur and temples in Janakpur etc. is also showing signs of revival but their inflow is still to be matched with Western and Chinese tourists. "The Indians tourists were picking up. But because of the current standoff the numbers have again reduced to a trickle. We hope it ends soon," said Krishna Chhetri, a travel agent dealing in pilgrimage circuit.

Several travel and tourism firms and shops selling adventure equipment and essentials have also started feeling the crunch. "The blockade at the India-Nepal border has impacting our business. There is a sudden dip in tourist inflow," said Narendra Tamang who deals in adventure essentials.

According to Nepalese government officials, fuel stocks in Nepal have gone low with 9 days of petrol and 15 days of diesel left. The government has ordered maximum 3 litre supply to two wheelers per week, 10 litre to four wheelers per week and 40 litres of diesel supply to buses per week. "Fuel shortage will obstruct Nepal's tourism recovery process that was built up with a lot of effort. We earnestly request the two governments to resolve the blockade and pave way for Nepal's recovery," said Pandey.

THAILAND: PATA Launches The Tourism InSPIRE Awards 2015

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Tourism InSPIRE Awards 2015 to recognise organisations and businesses that demonstrate excellence in social, environmental, and economic sustainability in tourism. The deadline to submit applications is October 16, 2015, and there is no entry fee to submit applications.

This new award programme, supported by EU-SWITCH-Asia RPSC (Regional Policy Support Component), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and PATA, identifies and commends excellence in sustainable tourism by granting awards to travel and tourism organisations that demonstrate outstanding practices and performance within the three pillars of sustainability. Award criteria were developed based upon sustainable consumption and production principles and existing, internationally recognised sustainable tourism standards such those developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

PATA CEO Mario Hardy said, “This is an exciting joint initiative, which celebrates best practices in tourism by recognising those organisations that demonstrate leadership in sustainable tourism. It is a wonderful opportunity for the Asian tourism industry to share their stories with the rest of the community, exemplifying what can be done to make a sustainable and lasting impact in our community.”

Entries are now welcome from a broad range of travel and tourism businesses and organisations in the 19 designated countries (see list below). The awards categories cover accommodation providers, tour operators, destinations, and community-based tourism initiatives.

Winners are offered increased visibility and acknowledgement of their outstanding sustainable tourism performance. Specifically, winners will receive public recognition at the highest level in the region, and attain acknowledgement for their vision for sustainability, expertise, and innovative work. Winners in each category will be sponsored to attend the awards presentation ceremony in Legazpi, Albay, Philippines as part of the programme for the PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2015 on Friday, November 27. Winners will also receive an impressive selection of other benefits including use of award winner logo, listing in the winners showcase e-booklet, and worldwide media exposure.

Note to Editors:

Organisations representing the seven (7) award categories based in the 19 countries in EU SWITCH-Asia RPSC mandate are qualified to participate. These countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam may apply.
Organisations do not have to be PATA members to apply.
There is no fee to apply.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 87 government, state and city tourism bodies, 25 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 59 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 43 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney, Dubai, and London. Visit www.PATA.org.

Media Contact:
PATA
Paul Pruangkarn
Manager – Communications
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 658 2000
E-mail: Communications@PATA.org