CEO says PATA ‘Next Gen’ momentum is gathering pace
September 26 , 2012, Manila: The PATA Travel Mart 2012 opened today in Manila , Philippines . Some 925 attendees have joined the three-day annual B2B travel industry event, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association ( PATA ) and hosted by The Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines .
At the opening press briefing, PATA CEO Martin Craigs told media: “There is real momentum and clarity about PATA ‘s new core value propositions of PATA mPower insights, innovative events, aligned advocacy and human resource capacity building for the industry.”
When Manila hosted the first PATA Travel Mart in 1978, just over 300 delegates attended. The PATA CEO said: “Over 30 years’ later our PATA Travel Mart remains at the forefront of a crowded travel event calendar. It has stayed ahead by prioritizing quality B2B buyer-seller interactions in order to build business for members.”
The PATA CEO today told media at the Mart venue, the SMX Convention Center , that for the 2012 Mart, 454 seller delegates representing 233 organisations had booked almost 3,000 square metres of floor space. Of 233 seller organisations, 93 were first-time sellers to the Mart. In total, some 29 seller destinations (countries and territories) were present.
PATA reported that the Mart had also attracted 304 buyer delegates from 287 organisations across 52 countries and territories. There were 85 journalists attending from 14 source markets. Some 94 buyers were first-timers to the Mart.
PATA Travel Mart 2012 was officially opened today with a ceremony in front of the trade floor presided over by Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, Daniel G Corpuz, and PATA Vice Chairman, Rick Antonson.
At the opening reception dinner on September 25 the PATA Vice Chairman Antonson told delegates: “This week’s Mart promises to be a highly energetic affair full of great business opportunities. The Philippine economy is turning into a remarkable success story. I believe that the 2012 PATA Mart will also benefit from our being in the Philippines with its mood of growth and optimism.”
To applause he told delegates: “Be ready to be pleasantly surprised by an upbeat ‘can do’ attitude on the Mart floor this week. That’s how they do it in the Philippines .”
