PATA Travel Mart goes back to its roots in Manila

BANGKOK, Manila – It has been a long time since the Philippines did not play host for the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

BANGKOK, Manila – It has been a long time since the Philippines did not play host for the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). And it has also been a few years that a Southeast Asian city did not host the PATA Travel Mart (PTM), one of the largest travel shows in this part of the world. Over the last three years, the PATA Annual Conferences or the PTM mainly took place in Greater China (Hangzhou, Macau, and this year in Beijing) or in India (Hyderabad and Delhi this year). Asia’s largest travel association is now pleased to announce that the PATA Travel Mart 2012 (PTM 2012) will take place in Manila, Philippines. Dates have still to be confirmed but are expected to be announced very soon. The event will be hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board.

The Philippines successfully won the bid over other strong contenders in the running. Manila hosted the very first PATA Travel Mart back in 1978, where over 300 delegates assembled. After more than three decades, the show is today an event not to be missed as it attracts at least 1,000 delegates at each annual edition. PTM remains a B2B trade show offering good opportunities to do business in a relaxed atmosphere but also learn about Asia’s latest trends thanks to numerous seminars and presentations.

In the past, the Philippines has also hosted several key PATA events including the 29th PATA Annual Conference and Workshop in 1980, PATA Annual Board of Directors Meetings in 1989, the 47th PATA Annual Conference in 1998, the Chapter World Congress, and the PATA Board of Directors Meeting in 2002.

According to Greg Duffell, PATA CEO: โ€œOur association is delighted to bring this signature event back to Manila. We received tremendous support from the Philippine Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board to host our event. I strongly believe that the PTM 2012 will showcase Philippinesโ€™s capacity in hosting major international events and highlight its re-emergence as a leading tourism destination hub in Asia Pacific.โ€

Said Alberto A Lim, secretary, Philippine Department of Tourism, said: “I am pleased to announce that the Philippines won the bid to host the PATA Travel Mart 2012. The decision of the PATA Executive Board to award this event to the Philippines is a strong indication of the regionโ€™s business confidence in the country. The forthcoming PTM 2012 will give us the opportunity to showcase once again the beauty and culture of our country and the charm, warmth, and hospitality of a friendly people, as well as the new tourism infrastructure in place since the last time we hosted a big PATA event in 1998. Our public and private sectors will now join hands to work for the success of PTM 2012 for the sake of Philippine tourism, as well as the entire Pacific Asia region.โ€

The event is scheduled to take place at the SMX Convention Center, the largest private venue in the Philippines and one of the flagship establishments of the countryโ€™s MICE industry. It is conveniently located within close proximity to prestigious hotels and key public transportation systems.

Manila remains the country’s leading destination with 23.5% of all arrivals between January and May 2010 according to data provided by the Philippines Department of Tourism. The capital city accounts also for 37% of all rooms capacity in the country, with 240 hotels offering slightly over 24,000 rooms. From January to May 2010, Manila welcomed 848,000 travelers.

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Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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