More than 300 delegates expected at the PATA Annual Summit 2015 in Leshan, Sichuan, China

BANGKOK - From April 23-26, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will hold the PATA Annual Summit 2015 in Leshan, Sichuan, China. More than 300 international and local delegates are expected to be in attendance, including representatives from the national tourism bureaus of Malaysia, Palau, Guam, Solomon Islands and others, as well as representatives from The Boeing Company, TripAdvisor, and STR Global.

In order to enhance cooperation with Leshan, extensive elements from Leshan have been introduced. During the Summit, in addition to the conference, Executive Board, Board and Committee Meetings, and Annual General Meeting (AGM), many Leshan related events and activities will be held in conjunction with the event.

Founded in 1951, 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 PATA Annual Summit represents one of the Association’s three signature events during the year, with 64 AGMs having been held in more than 40 countries including China, the United States, and Thailand. The events have had a positive impact on the host destination by improving the reputation of the host destination and highlighting its responsible development of its tourism industry.

Introduced by the Leshan City Tourism and Sports Committee, Leshan and PATA began their partnership at the First Sichuan International Travel Expo held in 2014. During the event, PATA Chairman Scott Supernaw and PATA CEO Mario Hardy attended the “Tourism Development on New Formats – Emei Global Summit” and reached a consensus with Leshan City for Leshan to host the PATA Annual Summit 2015. In 2014, Leshan City Tourism and Sports Committee also joined the Association as a new Member.

During the PATA Annual Summit 2015, Leshan will arrange various tours for delegates to experience Emei Mountain, Leshan Giant Buddha, Xianzhizhujian (Panda ecology garden), and the Qianweijiayang train tour. Delegates will also be asked their advice on the development of Leshan tourism industry. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 23, the Launch Ceremony for the Establishment the PATA-Leshan Mountain Tourism Demonstration Base will be held. The PATA-Leshan Mountain Tourism Demonstration Base will showcase the responsible development of Emei Mountain tourism.

The highlight of the event will be the conference held on Friday, April 24. Under the theme, New Dimensions of Heritage and Culture Tourism, the conference will explore the challenge between increasing tourism growth and the appropriate management of heritage and cultural sites and attractions. Key industry thought leaders from around the world will share their insights and knowledge with conference delegates. Local delegates will have the chance to learn how the double world heritages of Emei Mountain and Leshan Giant Buddha can contribute to the Complete Visitor Economy in Leshan. During the conference, the city will hold cultural heritage exhibitions where visitors can experience to present Leshan cultural elements.

According to the Leshan City Tourism and Sports Committee, preparations for the event are underway and the city hopes that co-hosting the PATA Annual Summit 2015, it can further push the local tourism industry to “step out” and attract an international audience. Leshan also expects that the transformation, upgrade, responsible development of the tourism industry will expedited and pave the way for Leshan to be an international destination.

Photo caption: Top Row: L/R: Sharanjit Leyl, Presenter, BBC World News; David Chai, Deputy General Manager, Alitrip (a subsidiary of Alibaba group); George Cao, Co-founder & CEO, Dragontrail; Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director Asia Pacific, STR Global; and Dr. Mathew McDougall, CEO, Digital Jungle. Bottom Row: L/R: Rohantha Athukorala, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau; Xu Jing, Executive Secretary of the General Assembly and the Executive Council, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO; Sok Sangvar, Head, Angkor Tourism Management Plan, APSARA National Authority, Cambodia; Mallika Naguran, Sustainable Development & Communications, Accor Asia Pacific; and Professor Tongqian (Tony) Zou, Assistant to the President, Beijing International Studies University (BISU), China.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia