2013 PATA Travel Mart heads to China

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced that PATA Travel Mart 2013 will take place September 25-27 at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced that PATA Travel Mart 2013 will take place September 25-27 at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center, Chengdu, in Sichuan province, China.

Alongside the Mart, the PATA Board Meeting will be held September 27-29 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chengdu.

Established in 1978, PATA Travel Mart is Asia Pacificโ€™s leading and longest running B2B show for the travel industry.

Martin J. Craigs, PATA CEO, said: โ€œThe Mart does very well because of our high-quality, buyer-seller matching. We also offer delegates a different host destination each year.โ€

On the 2013 Mart venue, Craigs said: โ€œChengdu is one of the fastest-growing destinations and source markets in China. The Mart makes it easy for buyers and sellers to build their Asia Pacific travel businesses. We look forward to working with good quality buyers and vendors to make PTM 2013 a magnificently productive show for all attendees.โ€

Chengdu has been acclaimed as a leading tourism city by the UNWTO and the CNTA. It is increasingly popular in the MICE segment.

Mr. Zhao Miao, Vice Mayor of Chengdu, said: โ€œFollowing Beijing and Hangzhou, Chengdu is the third city in mainland China to win the bid to host PATA Travel Mart. Chengdu is the first city to host PTM in Midwest China. Hosting PTM2013 is a milestone event for Chengdu to get ready internationally. It is also a vital step to becoming a world-class travel destination. We will work closely with PATA to ensure the success of PTM2013.โ€

The Mart offers guaranteed scheduled appointments based on three successful criteria: mutual requests, buyer requests, and seller requests โ€“ in that order. The Mart offers opportunities to build exposure through networking functions, sponsorships, branding opportunities, and an educational program.

Helmut Mochel, Director, Eurasia Erlebnisreisen, Germany, a PTM seller, said of the 2012 Mart in Manila: โ€œI enjoyed participating. I was happy with the new business contacts generated. The system of prearranged appointments was very useful. Many of the buyer delegates were highly qualified and represented interesting companies.โ€

Joel Keimelo, Marketing Officer, PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Papua New Guinea, a PTM seller, said: โ€œPTM2012 was a big success for our clients. They are already talking about making business in 2013, which is very good. I believe PATA is the ideal platform for business. Papua New Guinea Tourism is very grateful for the opportunity to join.โ€

PTM buyer, Mr. Andy Ling, President, Canada One Travel, Canada, said: โ€œPTM was a useful event for me indeed. Meeting up with new and existing friends in the industry under one roof was great.โ€

The PATA Travel Mart 2013 is co-hosted by Chengdu Municipal Peopleโ€™s Government and supported by Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition, and Chengdu Culture & Tourism Development Group.

For further information, email [email protected]. Visit http://www.pata.org/events/pata-travel-mart-2013

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...