The winners of the 2015 PATA Grand and Gold Awards announced

BANGKOK, 2015-7-16 — /Travel PR News/ — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 PATA Grand and Gold Awards. Proudly supported and sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) for the last 20 years, this year’s awards recognise the achievements of 25 separate organisations and individuals.

PATA will present 29 Grand and Gold Awards to such organisations as Accor Asia-Pacific, Cox and Kings Ltd, Hong Kong International Theme Park Ltd, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Korea Tourism Organization, Taiwan Tourism Bureau and Taylor’s University.

The awards luncheon and presentation takes place at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 during the PATA Travel Mart 2015.

Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office, said, “The list of PATA Gold Awards 2015 winners unveils once again the very best of Pacific-Asia tourism practices. The excellence and innovation revealed by the works and projects awarded are impressive and can certainly provide inspiration to raise the standards of the tourism industry stakeholders in the region. Macau Government Tourist Office congratulates all winning organisations and individuals for such outstanding achievements and we are honoured to be part of this prestigious PATA initiative for the 20th consecutive year.”

Mario Hardy, PATA CEO, added, “On behalf of PATA, I extend our warmest congratulations to all 2015 Grand and Gold Award winners and I also thank all participants. This year we received 269 entries from 83 travel and tourism organisations and individuals – the highest number since 2007. We look forward to celebrating these accomplishments at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation at the PATA Travel Mart in Bangalore, India.”

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

Taylor’s University, Malaysia will receive the 2015 PATA Grand Award for Education and Training for its ‘Tourism Academy at Community College Langkawi, Malaysia’ project. It is the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiated by the Government through the Ministry of Higher Education jointly with Taylor’s University to establish a Tourism Academy in Malaysia. The hotel industry, through this strategic partnership, has committed to support the learning and development of the students and eventually hire graduates at a more competitive remuneration package in recognition of the skills and learning that they attained directly with the hotel partners through the Tourism Academy. This initiative will support the vision of the government to make Langkawi among the top 10 tourism island destination with qualified manpower to support and complement the service sectors.

The Environmental Award will be presented to Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Sri Lanka, for its “The Success of Self-reliance” project. After a decade from the devastating tsunami of 2004, Jetwing brings a truly one-with-nature concept to a more refined and elegant form with Jetwing Yala. Set within the immediate outskirts of the Yala National Park, Jetwing Yala boasts a tremendous commitment to sustainability and the environment, bringing a wildlife experience complemented with the finest in luxury and comfort. Designed by renowned architect Murad Ismail, Jetwing Yala has been created from the ground up to be as sustainable as possible with the intention of conserving energy and resources by reusing and recycling and by being part of the environment without inflicting harm upon nature.

The Heritage and Culture Award will be awarded to Ratchada Niramit Co., Ltd, Thailand for its ‘Siam Niramit Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Siam’. Siam Niramit is a world-class performance that displays Thailand’s artistic and cultural heritage. This must-see show is performed on a gigantic stage, listed in the Guinness World Records, and features over 100 performers and more than 500 costumes. Enhanced special effects and the world’s most advanced sound, light and stage technology combine to make this a realistic, stimulating and inspiring experience. Siam Niramit aims not only to introduce Thai arts and culture to the world but also to make Thai people take pride in their culture and inspire them to love and preserve it.

The Marketing Award will be presented to Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Hong Kong SAR for its ‘Follow Me to Hong Kong’ campaign. Hong Kong Tourism Board invited world-renowned Russian ‘Instagram’ couple Murad Osmann and Natalia Zakharova to Hong Kong to enable them to capture romantic Hong Kong SAR images and then share them with their followers on social media. Using the ‘instagrammer’ as a personality, HKTB spins off their Hong Kong SAR travel story to print and online media in Russia, Hong Kong SAR and all over the world. In the online world, ‘meet the fans’ meetings and videos are organised to maximise Hong Kong SAR’s exposure as a travel destination via the couple’s personal experiences.

PATA Grand Awards 2015

Marketing
Follow Me to Hong Kong
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

Environment
The Success of Self-reliance
Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Sri Lanka

Heritage – Culture
Siam Niramit Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Siam
Ratchada Niramit Co., Ltd, Thailand

Education and Training
Tourism Academy at Community College Langkawi, Malaysia
Taylor’s University, Malaysia

PATA Gold Awards 2015

Marketing – Primary Government Destination
My Time for Hong Kong
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

Marketing – Secondary Government Destination
Vivid Sydney
Destination NSW, Australia

Marketing – Carrier
With Vietjet, Saigon is closer
Vietjet Air, Vietnam

Marketing – Hospitality
RWS Moments Campaign
Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore

Marketing – Industry
Disney Paint the Night
Hong Kong International Theme Park Limited, Hong Kong SAR

Marketing – Adventure Travel
Grab Your Dream
Cox and Kings Limited, India

Environment – Ecotourism Project
Proactive Roles of Wendekreisen Travel Ltd.
Wendekreisen, New Zealand

Environment – Corporate Environment Programme
PLANET 21: Reinventing Hotels, Sustainably
Accor Asia-Pacific, Singapore

Environmental Education Programme
Be G.R.E.E.N. Beyond El Nido Resorts
Ten Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts, Philippines

Corporate Social Responsibility
A Journey of Sustainability
Banyan Tree Marketing Group, Singapore

Heritage – Culture – Heritage
Muziris Heritage Project
Kerala Tourism, India

Heritage – Culture – Culture
The Ultimate Travelling Camp, India

Education and Training
Thomas Cook Travel Quest
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India

Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media
Taste Taiwan
Taiwan Tourism Bureau, USA

Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media
Korea Tourism Photo Contest Awards Winners 2014
Korea Tourism Organization, Korea ROK

Marketing Media – Consumer Travel Brochure
The Ultimate Travelling Camp, India

Marketing Media – E-Newsletter
The Front Desk
Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Sri Lanka

Marketing Media – Travel Poster
Visit Malaysia Year – Sarawak
Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia

Marketing Media – Public Relations Campaign
PNG Pop Up Village
Tourism Papua New Guinea, USA

Marketing Media – Social Media
I Hate Thailand
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand

Marketing Media – Mobile Travel Application
My Hong Kong Guide
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

Marketing – Promotional Travel Video
Discover Thainess
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand

Marketing Media – Web Site
DiscoverHongKong.com Brand Rejuvenation
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

Travel Journalism – Destination Article
Transcendence, Travel +Leisure Southeast Asia, July 2014
written by Holly McDonald, photographed by Lauryn Ishak
Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, Thailand

Travel Journalism – Business Article
Rock Star Economy, Travel Digest, June 2014
written by Lorraine Thomson
Travel Digest, New Zealand

Travel Journalism – Travel Photograph
Mount Bromo, East Java Indonesia
By Yaman Ibrahim, Colours Garuda Indonesia Inflight Magazine, August 2014
Agency Fish, Indonesia

Travel Journalism – Travel Guidebook
Best of the Best: Philippines Coffee Table Book
Eastgate Publishing Corp., Philippines

 -ENDS-

 

About
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 87 government, state and city tourism bodies, 24 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 59 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. 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. Visit www.PATA.org.

 

Media Contact:
PATA
Paul Pruangkarn
Manager – Communications
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 658 2000
E-mail: Communications@PATA.org

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