PATA to organise Bhutan’s first travel trade event
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The third PATA Annual Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart will take place in Paro, Bhutan, from 3-7 February 2012. The event will be the first travel trade event ever hosted in the Kingdom of Bhutan, and will run under the theme ‘High Value Tourism – Low Impact Footprints’.
“We are honoured to host the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart in Bhutan for the first time,” said Kesang Wangdi, Director General of the Tourism Council of Bhutan. “I am confident that such an international conference will help broaden the understanding of tourism and stress its positive impact on societies.”
At the event, international, regional and local speakers will provide insights into existing and future travel trends in the responsible and adventure tourism sectors. A buyer-seller component will target a limited number of relevant high quality buyers primarily from Japan, Taiwan, western Europe, Australia, USA and Canada, as well as the key Asian hubs of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“We welcome all PATA conference delegates to visit Bhutan, where happiness is the ultimate development goal complimented with a strong commitment to environmental and cultural preservation,” said Karma Lotey, Chairman of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators. “We look forward to fruitful interactions that will create meaningful business associations, many friendships and lots of happy memories,” he added.
The new event in Bhutan follows previous adventure travel marts staged by PATA in 2010 and 2011 in the Nepalese cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara. The Bhutan event will also feature a series of pre-conference webinars, activities and interactions with speakers and participants.
“Due to the unique nature of this destination, participation is limited to a select number of delegates,” said Bill Calderwood, PATA’s Interim CEO. “It is therefore advisable to register as soon as possible to secure your place at what promises to be a unique event in an exceptional destination.”
The news comes as PATA prepares to launch another major travel trade event in South Asia – the PATA Travel Mart 2011, which kicks off on Wednesday in New Delhi.
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