BANGKOK, 2014-10-20 — /Travel PR News/ — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to be organising the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 (AT&RTCM 2015) in Thimphu, Bhutan on February 4-6, 2015. The event, under the theme, “Explore Beyond Tourism – Celebrate Happiness”, follows up on the success of AT&RTCM 2012 held in Paro, Bhutan, the first B2B travel trade event ever held in the country. AT&RTCM 2015 is generously hosted by the Tourism Council of Bhutan and supported by the event’s official carriers, Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines.
The PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 is a three-day niche event that brings together tourism professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism to discuss creating new opportunities for promoting environmental protection and social sustainability within the industry. The event will bring together the public and private sectors to address issues facing the adventure travel, responsible and sustainable tourism industries.
Martin Craigs, PATA CEO, stated, “PATA is proud to be returning to Bhutan to again show travel trade professionals first hand about this magical destination and the travel opportunities it has to offer. During these challenging times, Bhutan is the perfect place to celebrate happiness, explore beyond tourism and examine responsible and sustainable tourism growth across the region.”
Chhimmy Pem, Director, Tourism Council of Bhutan, said, “The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) is privileged to host the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 in Bhutan. The kingdom’s growing reputation as one of the most sought-after travel destinations has been further validated by PATA in awarding Bhutan to host the event for the second time.”
The conference and travel mart will take place in the Kingdom’s capital city of Thimphu, located in the western Bhutan region. The capital is the main centre of commerce, religion and government in the kingdom. The city is home to spectacular landscapes, monasteries and sacred sites, including the famous Tashichho Dzong, National Memorial Chorten, Textile Museum, a variety of markets and the Buddha Dordenma Statue.
The juxtaposition of ancient tradition and modernity make Thimphu the ideal location for visitors to break away from their tour itinerary and immerse themselves in the lifestyle of contemporary Bhutanese. This year- 2015, Bhutan has declared as Visit Bhutan 2015 to celebrate the 60th birth anniversary of the 4th King His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk. Colourful festivals, events and activities held in different parts of Bhutan will be arranged throughout the year.
“Bhutan continues to endeavour to provide a unique experience as it confronts change by nurturing social, political and economic transformation guided by the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. At a time when the world is facing numerous crises, this small kingdom hopes to inspire large global powers with a different approach to development and change,” added Ms Pem. “The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan would like to welcome all the delegates to the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2015 in Thimphu, Bhutan. We look forward to a successful AT&RTCM 2015.”
The Travel Mart offers a tremendous platform for sellers and buyers involved in the world of adventure travel to secure effective business appointments through its well-proven system of pre-matched appointments. It is an excellent opportunity to seek out new frontiers and create new business opportunities.
The Conference will explore various topics including “Linking National Philosophy to Tourism”, Millennials/Youth Travellers, Future Trends of Adventure Travel, and Success and Challenges in Community Based Tourism.
To register for the event as a seller, buyer, conference or media delegate, please visitwww.PATA.org/adventure2015 or email ATRTCM@PATA.org.
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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 43 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
E-mail: Communications@PATA.org
Online newsroom: www.PATA.org/Press
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The Pacific Asia Travel Association to host PATA Adventure Travel and