Picture: Back Row L/R: Georgy Voskanyan, Advisor International Department, Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Federal Agency for Tourism; Hostess from Russian Federation; and Ivy Chee, Regional Director-East Asia, PATA. Front Row L/R: Oxana McChristian, CEO, Travel Association, World Without Borders; and Martin Craigs, CEO, PATA.
BANGKOK, September 29, 2014 — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Travel Association “World Without Borders” of the Russian Federation (World Without Borders). The agreement strengthens the links initiated by PATA’s visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg in March 2014.
The MoU aims to promote and develop cooperation in the field of tourism and travel research to build sustainable flows of tourists between the Russian Federation and the PATA regions.
The MoU was signed by PATA CEO Martin J Craigs and World Without Borders CEO Oxana McChristian at the JATA Tourism EXPO Japan on Friday, September 26, 2014. The agreement commits the two organisations to share knowledge through research and publications, to reciprocate in event participation, to support mutual agreed advocacy positions, and to enhance two-way marketing whilst building business via more open market access.
Martin J Craigs said, “It is highly appropriate at this troubled time in many parts of the world for PATA to establish bridges for people of goodwill from all countries to access each other, empathise with each other and reject demonisation of each other. World without Borders is a worthy aim in terms of travel, tourism and trade. At the present time we have a form of globalisation that often benefits the few at the cost of the many.”
Oxana McChristian added, “We are honoured to have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), pursuing our mutual goal of the development of tourists flows and travel promotion between the Russian Federation and the PATA regions, which have become key markets for Russia and are the focus for World Without Borders since 2002. We are looking forward to strengthening our cooperation with PATA.”
As highlighted in PATA’s five-year visitor forecasts (2014-2018), arrivals from the Russian Federation into Asia Pacific are expected to grow from 7.4 million in 2014 to 15 million by 2018. According to the Federal Agency for Tourism, Ministry of Culture Russian Federation, total arrivals to the Russian Federation reached 30.8 million in 2013 achieving an annual growth rate of 9 percent.
