PATA Exchange comes to London
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A second PATA Exchange is scheduled in London for 15 March 2010. Organised by the UK Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the PATA Exchange takes place immediately after ITB Berlin – when large numbers of delegates route through London on their way home.
This year’s inaugural event saw over 50 top Asia Pacific travel and tourism brands meet more than 120 UK agents and sellers. It attracted product, contract and reservations managers, hotel groups, destination management companies and national tourist organisations from across Asia, Australia and the Pacific. A similar delegate profile is expected next March.
The one-day Exchange will again operate on an appointments system, giving UK-based agents and buyers the opportunity to meet key sellers from the Asia Pacific region in one manageable forum.
Ian Hawkes, executive director of the PATA UK Chapter, says: “Everyone associated with the inaugural PATA Exchange felt it marked an important initiative in bringing together tourist boards, hotel chains, tour operators and ground agents with the UK travel trade. The challenge now is to build on that success and address the needs of exhibitors and visitors as our industry faces on-going challenges as well as many new opportunities.”
Ian Mills, of Langham Hotels International, said: “The timing of the PATA Exchange - straight after ITB - is key and a large part of the event’s success. This is an excellent initiative for those unable to attend ITB and we will definitely be there again in 2010.”
Entry for PATA members and non-members attending in a buying capacity is free. The cost for sellers is UK pounds 310.00 per company for PATA members and UK pounds 350.00 per company for non-PATA members.
PATA Exchange takes place at Australia House in London on Monday March 15. For further information and to register visit www.pataexchange.com
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About PATA UK Chapter
The UK Chapter of PATA has around 80 principal members - airlines, national and regional tourist offices, hotel groups and tour operators, both direct and wholesale. Membership also embraces over 1450 UK travel agents, 99 per cent of which are independent and form PATA’s Asia Pacific Travel Partners group.
About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with private and public sector members PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region.
PATA provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to over 80 government, state and city tourism bodies; nearly 50 international airlines, airports and cruise lines and many hundreds of travel industry companies across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to nearly 40 PATA chapters worldwide and participate in a wide range of PATA and industry events. PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) offers unrivalled data and insights including Asia Pacific inbound and outbound statistics, analyses and forecasts as well as in-depth reports on strategic tourism markets. PATA is a not-for-profit organisation. For more information, please visit www.PATA.org.
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