Bangkok--16 Sep--PATA
Tourism ministers from Tonga and Vanuatu are amongst the one thousand delegates and VIP visitors heading to Hangzhou next week for PATA Travel Mart 2009. James Bule, Vanuatu’s Minister for Trade and Tourism and Fineasi Funaki, Minister for Tourism in Tonga are being joined at this prestigious travel industry event by Somphong Mongkhonvilay, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Lao PDR. They will be welcomed by PATA Chairman Phornsiri Manoharn.
PATA Travel Mart is Asia Pacific's most important and influential travel and tourism industry networking and contracting event. This year industry and media delegates (including 600 Sellers from 38 markets and 306 Buyers from 51 countries) are attending the event which opens on September 23rd. Markets promoting at PTM for the first time include Spain and Korea (DPR).
“With China now ranked as the fifth strongest source market globally by UNWTO (when measured by tourism-related expenditure) there's no doubt that we're in the right country at the right time this year. PATA is most grateful for the help, advice and support of the China National Tourism Administration and our hosts, Hangzhou People’s Municipal Government of China and Hangzhou Tourism Commission, for the outstanding pre-event preparations,” says PATA Chairman Mrs Phornsiri Manoharn.
Hangzhou Tourism Commission Director Li Hong says, “It is really my great honour to welcome PATA to the city of Hangzhou for PATA Travel Mart 2009. I am so passionate that Hangzhou, the ‘Oriental Capital of Leisure’, is hosting this valuable event.”
PTM programme highlights:
? PATA briefing and luncheon for Ministers and VIP guests hosted by PATA Chairman Phornsiri Manoharn
? PATA workshops on China and India outbound tourism markets
? Presentation of PATA Award of Distinction to Mr Shao Qiwei, Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration
? Presentation of PATA Gold Awards to all winners
? Webinar on ‘China Outbound Tourism’ broadcast live from PTM, Hangzhou
“PATA Travel Mart was launched in 1978 in Manila. Every year the travel and tourism industry uses the event for fact-finding, research, networking and contracting. The value of business conducted at our Travel Marts since 1978 must now run into many hundreds of millions of dollars,” adds Mrs Manoharn.