News @ PATA

Jul 12, 03 | 2:41 am

PATA APPLAUDS PACIFIC ASIA'S HEALTH SUCCESS
On July 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed Chinese Taipei from the list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. Chinese Taipei was the last destination in Pacific Asia to be removed from the list. The WHO, while urging caution, said that SARS virus transmission among humans appears to have been broken everywhere in the world. PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, said: "On SARS recovery, it's a great relief that all of Pacific Asia now has a clean bill of health. PATA will continue to communicate the good news to global travel consumers." He added: "Let us now work to quickly revitalise tourism, augment airline capacity, reinstate jobs and aggressively market the uniqueness of our region."

PROJECT PHOENIX ABOUT TO TAKE FULL FLIGHT
With the strong support of the leading Pacific Asia tourist boards and key industry stakeholders, PATA's ambitious campaign to restore consumer confidence in Pacific Asia is off to a flying start. Among the works in progress: a global media campaign to overcome the consumer's fear factor, a brand new high visibility consumer-dedicated PATA Web site and various high profile road shows around the region. PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong, said: "There is a new air of excitement as PATA pulls out all the stops." He added: "It is very gratifying to know that we are able to make a real difference to our destinations, our carriers, hotels and operators as we help drive leisure and business travellers back to our neighbourhood." To contribute funds or services to PATA's tourism recovery programme, contact PATA Project Phoenix Executive Director, Mr. Michael Yates. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 103. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: phoenix@pata.th.com.

FORECASTING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
MasterCard and PATA have joined together to announce the "MasterIndex of Travel for Asia Pacific". The MasterIndex will reveal the latest forecasts for travel for the second half of 2003 for 12 international markets in Pacific Asia. MasterCard and PATA will introduce the MasterIndex to journalists and travel industry leaders at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on the evening of July 24 and at the Regent Hotel in Singapore on the morning of July 29. Underlying assumptions on economic growth, both within the region as well as in the global economy, will be discussed. The findings are relevant to business leaders involved in travel, hospitality, retail, and other lifestyle-related sectors. The speakers at both events will be Dr. Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Economic Advisor, Asia Pacific, MasterCard International and Mr. John Koldowski, Managing Director, PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre. For further information, or to attend, contact ken@pata.th.com or georgette_tan@mastercard.com.

PATA SEEKS YOUNG FACE OF THE FUTURE
PATA is seeking new nominees for the annual Face of the Future award to be announced at the 53rd PATA Annual Conference in Jeju, Korea (ROK) April 18-22, 2004. The "Face of the Future" represents an up-and-coming individual in the Pacific Asia travel industry as well as the next generation of PATA leaders. The Face of the Future recipient will be invited to the Conference and will receive coverage in PATA Compass, the PATA Conference Daily and at a media briefing during the Conference. For more details, please contact Mr. Aaron Tan, Manager-Development. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 125. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: aaron@pata.th.com.

DESTINATION JEJU 2004
The 53rd PATA Annual Conference will take place on Jeju, Korea (ROK), April 18-22, 2004. The rugged island in the Korea Straits midway between the Korean and Japanese coasts is known as a honeymoon destination for Korean couples.
** The island is famous for its rocks, its (alleged) demographic preponderance of women and for its rock carvings.
** Mount Halla rises to 1,950 metres and is the highest peak in Korea (ROK) offering numerous hiking trails to the clear lake inside the volcano's crater.
** In April, with comfortable daytime highs of 20 Celsius or so, there will still be pink royal azalea blossoms on the slopes of Jeju's hills. On Mt. Halla flora ranges from sub-tropical to temperate, arctic and alpine depending on altitude.
** Jeju provincial government has a highly informative Web site at http://210.104.87.69/n_eng/Jeju_Main/menu/index.asp . The site includes weather and exchange tables, an embedded multimedia profile of Jeju, insights into the island's villages, natural history and folklore, and numerous other aspects of life in Jeju including the Jeju International Convention Centre (the Conference venue).

REGISTER FOR JEJU CONFERENCE ONLINE
PATA is offering an early bird deadline of 10 percent discount for delegates who register for the 53rd PATA Annual Conference in Jeju, Korea (ROK) before December 15, 2003 and who pay by MasterCard. Useful PATA Annual Conference 2004 information has been posted on www.pata.org including registration forms and initial programme details. The assertive theme of the Conference is "Tourism is Everybody's Business."

PATA STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE CENTRE WORLDWATCH
** Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will launch services on two new routes by September 2003. The new routes will provide direct links from Hanoi to Siem Reap in Cambodia and from Ho Chi Minh City to Fukuoka in Japan.
** Delhi's new state-of-the-art subway system is proving popular. Two days after the opening the trains became packed way beyond the designed capacity, the machines ran out of electronic tokens and the conductors had to deactivate the emergency intercoms because passengers kept buzzing and asking to go faster.
** In Chinese slang, backpackers are called "cool donkeys". Following western travel patterns, young and affluent urban employees from China's big cities increasingly take the wilderness option as an antidote to big city work pressures. Unlike the western prototype, the new generation of Chinese backpackers spends thousands of dollars on trendy hiking equipment. The free roaming "donkeys" are also fuelling a boom in Chinese guidebooks, Web sites, hiking clubs and country guesthouses.

ROBBIE COLLINS MEMORIAL
A memorial service for PATA stalwart Mr. Robertson "Robbie" Collins will take place in Jacksonville, Oregon, USA on August 17. Interested parties should visit http://homepage.mac.com/jsiporin/index.html for more information. Or e-mail: hbsugs@sbcglobal.net.

NEW PATA REPORTS ON AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TRAVELLERS
PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) has launched two new reports. "Adventure Travel Market Australia & New Zealand" analyses the travel and booking behaviour of the three million adventure travellers in Australia and New Zealand. The second report, "Outbound Holiday & Leisure Market Australia & New Zealand" studies leisure travellers from Australia and New Zealand, two million of whom stopover at PATA member countries. Each report is priced at US$175 for PATA members and US$350 for non-members and chapter members. For information and to order, please contact PATA Coordinator-Publications, Ms. Patcharin Hongprapat. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 121. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: publications@pata.th.com.

PATA VLX SEEKS SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS
The PATA Virtual Learning Exchange (PATA VLX) is seeking student scholarship information. PATA VLX, an online information resource for students and educators of travel- and tourism-related studies, will host information about your organisation's scholarship programmes at no cost. To submit information or to find out more please contact PATA Coordinator-Publications, Ms. Patcharin Hongprapat. Tel: (66-2) 658-2000 ext. 121. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: vlx@pata.th.com. Web site: www.patavlx.com .