BANGKOK, THAILAND, 2016-Jul-21 — /Travel PR News/ — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2106 PATA Grand and Gold Awards. Proudly supported and sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) for the last 21 years, this year’s awards recognise the achievements of 26 separate organisations and individuals.
PATA will present 31 Grand and Gold Awards to such organisations as the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), EXO Travel, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hotel ICON, Jetwing Hotels, Ministry of Tourism Republic of Indonesia, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia.
The awards luncheon and presentation takes place at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE), Greater Jakarta, Banten Province, Indonesia on Friday, September 9, 2016 during PATA Travel Mart 2016.
Miss Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said, “The PATA Gold Awards 2016 winners reveal a variety of creative new ways that can be effective in advancing the tourism industry while following sustainable principles, in a valuable contribution to inspire good practices in the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific.”
Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO, added, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to congratulate the 2016 Grand and Gold Award winners and to thank all of this year’s participants for their submissions. This year’s winners exemplify the values of the Association in working towards a more responsible travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the PATA Gold Awards luncheon and presentation at PATA Travel Mart 2016 in Indonesia.
The PATA Grand Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment, and Heritage and Culture.
Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka will receive the 2016 PATA Grand Award for Education and Training for its ‘A Journey of Hope and Progress – The Jetwing Youth Development Project’. The Jetwing Youth Development Project (JYDP) is an initiative designed to empower rural youth who are underprivileged and do not enjoy the opportunities for higher education or meaningful career prospects. Providing free training to school leavers from disadvantaged families in locations of Jetwing Hotels around the country, JYDP offers both practical and theoretical training to prepare them for a career in the travel and tourism industry. JYDP enables them to acquire suitable employment within Jetwing Hotels as well as creating equal opportunities for them to find employment elsewhere. As well as providing them with life skills, they also gain valuable exposure to communities beyond their village helping towards positive cultural integration.
The Environmental award will be presented to Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, for its ‘Sands ECO360°’. With the ECO360° Meetings programme, Marina Bay Sands provides like-minded clients with responsible meeting practices as part of its standard services at no additional cost. The programme offers additional options which can help clients to meet their event’s specific sustainability priorities such as increasing the options in the local food harvest menu(freshest ingredients sourced), developing the quality and quantity of the venue’s communications to event participants, producing a complimentary event impact statement and improving the energy efficiency of the MICE building.
The Heritage and Culture Award will be awarded to Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), for its ‘One and Only Project in Discover Thainess Campaign’. The TAT organised ‘One and Only Project in Discover Thainess Campaign’ by inviting any foreigners who are interested in Thainess and have experienced Thailand’s traveling to participate in the Project. The participants were required to submit their video clips under the theme of ‘Discover Thainess’, filmed in any of these five topics: Muay Thai, Thai dancing, Thai cooking, Thai flower garland making and Thai language.
Three teams, with two persons in each team, were invited to Thailand to participate in activities related to these five topics. . Video clips of their activities in Thailand were uploaded daily on www.tourismthailand.org/discoverthainess. Visitors to this website voted to determine the winner.
The Marketing Award will be presented to Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for its ‘Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations Campaign’. In order to fully utilise the power of social media the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched a promotion for the Hong Kong’s New Year Countdown Celebrations with an integrated campaign that allowed people around the world to broadcast their blessings to their loved ones as well as to participate at the New Year Countdown event via a live-stream broadcast.
PATA Grand Award 2016
Education and Training
A Journey of Hope and Progress – The Jetwing Youth Development Project
Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka
PATA Grand Award 2016
Environment
Sands ECO360°
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
PATA Grand Award 2016
Heritage and Culture
One and Only Project in Discover Thainess Campaign
Tourism Authority of Thailand
PATA Grand Award 2016
Marketing
Hong Kong New Years Countdown Celebrations Campaign
Hong Kong Tourism Board
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PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Primary Government Destination
Total Solar Eclipse Indonesia
Ministry of Tourism Republic of Indonesia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Secondary Government Destination
NSW South Coast Campaign
Destination NSW, Australia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Carrier
Match.com Brand Partnership
Fiji Airways, USA
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Hotel
Ways to wow
Hotel ICON, Hong Kong SAR
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Industry
Thailand Boutique Awards
Krungthai Card Public Company Limited, Thailand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing – Youth Travel
Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights 5
Resort World Sentosa, Singapore
PATA Gold Award 2016
CSR
EXO Travel CSR Programme
EXO Travel, Thailand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Education and Training
Introducing young TEC – New Zealand training future tourism leaders
Tourism Export Council New Zealand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Environment – Corporate Environmental Programme
The TreadRight Foundation’s Wild Coverage across Planet
The Travel Corporation
PATA Gold Award 2016
Environment – Ecotourism Project
Low Carbon Holiday Initiative Project
DASTA, Thailand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Environment – Educational Programme
Eco Walk the Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa
The Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa, Malaysia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Heritage and Culture – Heritage
Stone Houses, the heritage of Matsu Islands
Tourism Bureau, Chinese Taipei
PATA Gold Award 2016
Heritage and Culture – Culture
Lalare Orchestra
Ministry of Tourism Republic of Indonesia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Consumer Travel Brochure
Perfect Moments – Luxury Travel by SOTC
SOTC Travel Services Pvt. Ltd., India
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Mobile Travel Application
Step Out, Macao Mobile App
Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao SAR
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Promotional Travel Video
Visit Nepal after the Earthquake
Adventure Travel Trade Association, USA
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Public Relations Campaign
Papua New Guinea’s Past, Present, Future Photo Exhibit Event
Tourism Papua New Guinea, USA
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – E-Newsletter
Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter
Kerala Tourism, India
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media
Visit Kerala
Kerala Tourism, India
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media
2016 Calendar: K-Food
Korea Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Travel Poster
Landmark of Malaysia
Tourism Malaysia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Web site
Mekong Tourism.org Digital Platform
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), Thailand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Marketing Media – Social Media
Discover Hong Kong Facebook Fan Page
Hong Kong Tourism Board
PATA Gold Award 2016
Travel Journalism – Destination Article
Da Nang Breathing Fire by Roderick Eime
Vacation & Travel, October/November 2015, Australia
PATA Gold Award 2016
Travel Journalism – Industry Business Article
The New Glamorous, TTG Asia Luxury December 2015
by Mimi Hudoyo and Raini Hamdi
TTG Asia Media PTE LTD, Singapore
PATA Gold Award 2016
Travel Journalism – Travel Guide Book
Thailand from the Air
Tourism Authority of Thailand
PATA Gold Award 2016
Travel Journalism – Travel Photograph
Journey of the Wanderer by Handi Lakonso
Colours, Inflight magazine of Garuda Indonesia, April 2015
Agency Fish, Indonesia
Honourable Mention
PATA Gold Award 2016 – Marketing
The RoadTrip: Asia 2015
Contiki Holidays, United Kingdom
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About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 29 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 63 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 41 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney and London.
Media Contact:
Paul Pruangkarn
Manager – Communications
+66 (02) 658-2000 | communications@PATA.org | Bangkok, Thailand
SOURCE: Pacific Asia Travel Association