PATA Global Insights Conference 2015 to be held in Auckland, New Zealand

BANGKOK - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will organise the inaugural PATA Global Insights Conference 2015 to be hosted in Auckland, New Zealand on October 16, 2015 at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel. This first time event will explore the key influences that will drive and shape future thinking in terms of tourism destination development, design, access and marketing.

“PATA understands the many changes happening within the industry, and this event will allow all stakeholders involved and affected by travel and tourism to gain valuable insights and knowledge into future trends. This is the perfect opportunity to break from traditional silo mentality and explore new ideas and concepts,” said PATA CEO Mario Hardy.

The PATA Global Insights Conference brings together a dynamic and unique line up of international thought leaders recognised for their success and expertise in innovative and disruptive thinking. Key topics to be analysed and discussed at the PATA Global Insights Conference include the rapid boom of digital technologies and its impact on managing further growth; retail and online payment systems and the consumer purchasing experience; increasing market access though aviation expansion; destination design, branding and positioning in an increasingly cluttered market; and environmental and economic sustainability.

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) Chief Executive Chris Roberts noted that TIA is pleased to support the PATA Global Insights Conference, which will offer a wealth of new information to the New Zealand industry. A key goal of the Tourism 2025 growth framework is to achieve better outcomes by making better decisions based on quality data and informed insight.

“New Zealand has a paucity of global market insight that tells us what’s happening elsewhere, especially in Asia and the Pacific. Our partnership with PATA to bring this conference to New Zealand is enabling access to this sort of information,” he added.

The host city Auckland is a vibrant destination boasting a unique mix of magnificent natural features, rich and distinctive cultural heritage, all supported with ‘big city’ sophistication and infrastructure. Recently ranked third internationally for its quality of living, Auckland is at the forefront of hosting New Zealand’s international events and has a worldwide reputation for superior hospitality. Home of New Zealand’s major airport gateway, with a flight frequency unparalleled by any other city in the New Zealand, PATA looks forward to welcoming all delegates to this significant and timely event.

PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2015 to be held in Albay, Legazpi, Philippines
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will organise the newly re-branded PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2015 (formerly the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference 2015) from November 25-27, 2015 at the Oriental Hotel Legazpi in Albay, Philippines.

The three-day event, under the theme “Ecotourism – Transcending Climate Change”, is being generously hosted by the Provincial Government of Albay in partnership with The Department of Tourism, Philippines. The choice of venue is due to the outstanding achievements of the Province of Albay in Climate Change adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management. Albay has also been recently declared as the most vibrant and the fastest growing tourist destination in the Philippines.

The event stems from the need to help secondary and tertiary areas grow and develop into widely recognised, bucket-listed tourism destinations.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy noted that, “The dispersion of tourism is the Association’s main advocacy issue this year, and one that I hold very dear to my heart. Last month we announced the PATA CEO Challenge 2015 as one avenue to address this issue, and now this event will allow destinations the opportunity to learn from various travel and tourism stakeholders how best to market and manage these new and emerging destinations, which are ready to be discovered.”

The Forum brings together tourism professionals to share their insights and experiences in marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations, thus ensuring the sustainable growth and development of travel and tourism in the area. Local communities will economically benefit through the dispersion of tourists to these new frontiers. In addition, this conference aims to explore new tourism opportunities based on sound eco-systems and climate change adaptations—of which Albay has become a world-class role model. Speakers will examine ecotourism and adventure travel, marketing new destinations, and connecting adventure hubs.

Governor Joey Sarte Salceda, Province of Albay, said, "For its tourism marketing, Albay has partnered with the Department of Tourism in targeting the hosting of treaty conferences like UNWTO to gain more bang for our bucks and we consider PATA in the same category. We are happy to present our ecotourism at the center of our sustainable development strategy. Its iconic feature, Mayon Volcano has just recently been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

A one-day conference, and technical tour and, for the first time, Tourism Marketing Treasure Hunt highlight the PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2015, allowing tourism professionals to gain first hand practical experience in how to discover and get to know a destination in order to market the world-class attractions and tourism products and services that are relatively unknown by both trade and consumers to a global audience.

Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in southeastern Luzon Island. It is a United Nations Global Model for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, while Legazpi City, the capital of the province, also recently hosted the UNWTO-ASEAN International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change.

Albay is home to the famed Mayon Volcano—the eco-systems and natural parks of which have been nominated in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Albay’s natural assets which include pristine beaches, sand bars, lava walls, caves, undulating hills and subterranean rivers have recently brought adventure and interactive tourism to a new level with the involvement of local communities very much like that in Bali, Indonesia. Albay, being strategically at the centre of the Bicol Region, also serves as port of entry and host to tourists interacting with Butanding Whale Shark and Sinarapan, the world’s largest and the smallest commercially-available fish, respectively.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia