PATA Travel Mart 2020 heads online

PATA Travel Mart, originally slated to be held in Leshan, Sichuan, China, will now

take place virtually; Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China pictured

This year’s PATA Travel Mart, originally to be held in Leshan, Sichuan, China from September 3-6, will now take place online in late September.

The event, held in conjunction with the Sichuan International Tourism Expo and supported by the Leshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, will include webinars, virtual exhibition space and one-on-one virtual meetings.

That revision is part of an update that PATA has announced for its 2020 and 2021 events calendar. Elsewhere, 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 will gather the top minds in destination travel for inspiring and insightful discussions on marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations.

In addition, 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, hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, will bring 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.

As well, the PATA Travel Mart 2021 will take place on Ocean Flower Island in Hainan, China, and is organised in partnership with the Hainan Province government, and supported by the Dazhou Municipal Government and EvergrandeTourism Group.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy said: “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.

“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.”

-TTG Asia.