BANGKOK, 2014-6-24 — /Travel PR News/ — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has signed a Master License agreement with China Ready & Accredited (CRA) in order to promote the global rollout of CRA programmes to PATA members.
CRA delivers a global system of training and accreditation, which provides Chinese consumers with an assurance of a pre-determined level of service quality when interacting with product and service providers outside mainland China. CHINA READY® Training combines the wisdom and life experience of acknowledged expert cultural and business leaders in China, and has been developed in close collaboration with industry experts in the country in which they are to be delivered, ensuring proper cross-cultural pollination and industry relevance.
The agreement was signed by Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO, and Julia (TingTing) Gong, CRA CEO, during the PATA 2014 Annual Meeting in Zhuhai, China in May. The agreement enables PATA to promote and facilitate either face-to-face or online training to PATA members and chapters in the travel and tourism sector throughout the world. Upon completion of the CHINA READY® training course, participants will be awarded a co-branded certificate in recognition of their achievement. PATA member organizations that meet the global criteria guaranteeing best business practice focused on quality assurance, safety and legal compliance will also receive co-branded PATA/CRA quality service certification.
Ms Gong said: “We are proud and honoured that PATA has joined with many other recognized and reputable organizations across the globe in championing the CHINA READY® program to its members. I believe this will be of great advantage to Chinese consumers as well as the CRA / PATA co-accredited members that engage with them.”
According to PATA’s recently released Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2014-2018, Chinese visitor arrivals into the Asia Pacific region are expected to reach 182 million by 2018. In addition, China is expected to continue its double-digit growth of departures to destinations in the Americas, Northeast Asia and South Asia over the period 2014-2018. The top three receiving destinations – Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Macau SAR – are forecast to collectively receive over 87 million additional Chinese visitors by 2018.
Mr. Craigs added: “Destinations and companies that want business from China can give themselves a real advantage by attaining CHINA READY® accreditation. It’s one of the best investments in the future that a tourism body can make these days.”
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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 90 government, state and city tourism bodies, nearly 30 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 57 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. ThePATAmPOWER 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, Dubai, London and New York. Visit www.PATA.org
Media Contact:
PATA
Paul Pruangkarn
Manager – Communications
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 658 2000
Email: communications@pata.org
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Picture: L/R: Garry Crockett, Global Executive Chairman, CRA; Martin Craigs, CEO, PATA; Ms Julia (TingTing) Gong, CEO, CRA; and Geoff Buckley, Director, CRA