• PATA announces Grand , Gold Award winners 2019

    PATA announces Grand , Gold Award winners 2019

    Travel Biz News —

    Bangkok – Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the winners of the 2019 PATA Grand and Gold Awards today (July 15).

    These awards, supported and sponsored since 1995 by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), this year recognise the achievements of 27 separate organisations and individuals, according to a release issued by PATA.

    The 2019 PATA Gold Awards presentation ceremony will be held in Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan on September 19 during PATA Travel Mart 2019.

    This year’s awards, 33 Grand and Gold Awards, attracted 197 entries from 78 organisations and individuals worldwide. The winners were selected by an independent judging committee of 14 personalities of different countries.

    The PATA Grand Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment, and Heritage and Culture.

    IECD (Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement), ASSET-H&C, Thailand will receive the 2019 PATA Grand Award for Education and Training for its ‘Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality and Catering (ASSET-H&C)’ initiative. The network currently gathers 14 member-schools across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

    The 2019 PATA Grand Award for Environment award will be presented to Elephant Hills Co., Ltd, Thailand for Elephant Hills, Thailand’s First Luxury Tented Jungle Camps.

    The 2019 PATA Grand Award for Heritage and Culture Award will be awarded to Sahapedia, India for its ‘India Heritage Walks’.

    The 2019 PATA Grand Award for Marketing Award will also be presented to the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) for its ‘Experience Macao Food Truck USA’ campaign.

    Winners of PATA awards –

    PATA Grand Award 2019

    1.Education and Training

    ASSET-H&C IECD, ASSET-H&C, Thailand 

    2.Environment

    Elephant Hills Elephant Hills Co., Ltd, Thailand 

    3. Heritage and Culture

    India Heritage Walks Sahapedia, India 

    4. Marketing

    Experience Macao Food Truck USA Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China 

     PATA Gold Award 2019

    1.Marketing – Primary Government Destination

    Find the Incredible You , Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, India 

    2. Marketing – Secondary Government Destination

    Free Buzzard in Mt. Bagua , Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Chinese Taipei 

    3. Marketing – Carrier

    Two Cities One Spirit , SriLankan Airlines Ltd, Sri Lanka 

    4. Marketing – Hospitality

    Art of Winning Campaign , Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macao, China 

    5. Marketing – Industry

    Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival ,. AsiaReach Events Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia 

    6. Marketing – Young Travellers

    Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance , Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR 

    7. Marketing – Adventure Travel

    Great Outdoors Hong Kong ,Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR 

    8.Environment – Corporate Environment Programme

    Responsible Eco-Sustainable Water Park , Waterbom Bali, Indonesia 

    9. Environment – Ecotourim Project

    Cardamom Tented Camp , YANNA Ventures, Thailand 

    10. Environment – Environmental Education Programme

    The Purple Ray Flash , Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Chinese Taipei 

    11. Corporate Social Responsibility

    Borneo Eco Tours: Sustainable Growth , Borneo Eco Tours, Malaysia 

    12. Women Empowerment Initiative

    Ethnic Restaurant at Kumarakom , Kerala Tourism, India 

    13. Heritage and Culture – Heritage

    Payuan Community Slate Houses , Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Chinese Taipei

    14. Heritage and Culture – Culture

    Guru Gedara Festival 2018 , Cinnamon Hotel Management Limited, Sri Lanka 

    15. Community based Tourism

    Airai State Cultural Tour , Palau Visitors Authority, Palau 

    16. Education and Training

    We Love to Care , Hotel ICON, Hong Kong SAR 

    17. Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media

    Come Out and Play Campaign , Kerala Tourism, India 

    18. Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media

    2019 Korea Tourism Calendar: Travel Korea by Theme , Korea Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)

    19. Marketing Media – Consumer Travel Brochure

    Mice Chess Box , Cox & Kings Limited, India 

    20. Marketing Media – E-Newsletter

    DiethelmCares , Diethelm Travel Group, Thailand

    21. Marketing Media – Travel Poster

    Khon – An Aesthetic Art of Drama , Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand

    22. Marketing Media – Public Relations Campaign

    Indy Guide – Insight Tourism on Central Asia and Mongolia , Indy Guide Ltd, Switzerland 

    23. Marketing – Social Media Campaign

    Discover Hong Kong Facebook Page , Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

    24. Marketing Media – Travel Video

    Why Limit Yourself , Sarawak Tourism, Malaysia 

    25. Marketing Media – Web Site

    www.keralatouirsm.org Kerala Tourism, India 

    26. Travel Journalism – Destination Article

    The Thailand you didn’t know you were missing , Kerry van der Jagt, Australia 

    The Sydney Morning Herald and online, November 7, 2018

    27. Travel Journalism – Business Article

    Magical Wand for Bangladesh Tourism , The Travel World, Bangladesh 

    28. Travel Journalism – Travel Photo

    Ramayana Hanuman Dance, Indonesia by Sandy Wijaya , Agency Fish, Indonesia 

    29. Travel Journalism – Travel Guidebook

    ebook on Thailand , Destination Asia, Thailand 

    Source : PATA HQ   July 15 , 2019

    Image : PATA Travel Mart 2019 venue – Almaty

    Wonderful City of Apples – Known as ‘the city of apples,’ Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan that served as its capital from 1936 to 1997. This is just the start of what participants will learn about the history and attractions of this Southern Capital! – PATA org.

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      Spain, a leading global tourism destination, recently reported a record-breaking 94 million visitors in 2024, underscoring the sector’s resilience and strength.

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      Spain said last week that a record 94 million foreign tourists flocked to the Iberian nation in 2024, a 10 percent increase from the previous year.

      France, which hosted the Olympic Games in July – September 2024, welcomed two more million visitors in 2024, an increase of two percent compared with 2023.

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      “The outlook for the first quarter of 2025 is very good, with visitor numbers on the rise,” the ministry statement added.- enca.com ,22 January 2025

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      Under the revised rules, every two climbers must hire a guide to climb any mountain over 8,000 metres, including Everest.Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to $15,000 from the current $11,000 per person.

      The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from $5,500 to $7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750.The new rates will take effect on September 1, 2025.

      The last royalty fee revision was made on January 1, 2015, when the government switched from a group-based system to a uniform fee of $11,000 per climber for the spring season from the normal route.

      For Nepali climbers, the royalty fee for the normal route during the spring climbing season has doubled from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000.Climbing permits, previously valid for 75 days, will now be limited to 55 days. The reduced validity is aimed at streamlining climbing activities.

      As per the amended rules, from the upcoming spring season, Everest climbers will be required to bring their poop back to base camp for proper disposal. Climbers must carry biodegradable bags to collect waste in the upper reaches.

      Base camps typically have designated toilet tents with barrels to collect human waste during expeditions. However, in higher camps, only a few agencies provide similar facilities, while others rely on pits. Very few climbers use biodegradable bags to transport waste from the summit.

      The government has also hiked the insurance coverage for high-altitude workers.Insurance coverage for high-altitude guides has gone up to Rs2 million ($14,400) from Rs1.5 million ($10,800), and for base camp workers, it has been raised to Rs1.5 million ($10,800) from Rs800,000 ($5,760).

      According to the Himalayan Database, which records all expeditions and deaths in the Himalayas, more than 200 people died on the Nepal side of Everest between 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first scaled the peak, and 2022.

      Nearly 8,900 people have summited the world’s highest peak from Nepal’s side since 1953.- Kathmandu Post , January 22, 2025

      Bangkok named the world’s

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      The ranking, based on surveys of city dwellers worldwide, highlights culture, food, affordability and overall happiness as key factors in making a city truly great.

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