NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) announced that the PATA Adventure Travel Conference and Mart 2020 (ATCM 2020) will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah at the Sutera Harbour Resort from February 12-14. The announcement was made by Mr. Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof, Senior Director of Corporate Communication Division – Tourism Malaysia; Ms Noredah Othman, General Director – Sabah Tourism Board, and Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO – PATA during PATA Travel Mart 2019 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
The three-day event is hosted by Tourism Malaysia in partnership with Sabah Tourism Board and Malaysia Airlines. It will be the first time that ATCM is being hosted in Malaysia.
PATA Adventure Travel Conference and Mart (ATCM) is traditionally held in February and attracts more than 200 delegates from over 25 countries. This three-day niche event, with both conference and travel mart components, brings together tourism professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism to discuss creating new opportunities for promoting environmental protection and social sustainability within the industry.
The one-day conference is designed to support PATA’s vision for the responsible development of tourism, while the one-day travel mart helps promote, build and strengthen business and networks for delegates.
“The PATA Adventure Travel Conference and Mart provides an exceptional platform for travel trade professionals to gain deeper insights into adventure travel trends and contribute to creating a more responsible travel and tourism industry”, said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “This event has enjoyed outstanding success in recent years, and we are delighted to have the opportunity for the first time to focus upon the many opportunities for adventure travel and responsible tourism in Sabah, Malaysia.”
The one-day conference is designed to support PATA’s vision for the responsible development of tourism, while the one-day travel mart helps promote, build and strengthen business and networks for delegates.
Upon winning the bid to host the event, YB Datuk Mohamaddin bin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said, “Malaysia is proud and honored to be given the opportunity to host this PATA event in Malaysia. It will be a golden opportunity for us to showcase Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, world-renowned for its nature and adventure attractions.”
“We look forward to welcoming our international guests to Malaysia for a fruitful meeting and explorations of the beauty and rugged landscapes of Sabah,” he added.
The selection of Sabah for this niche adventure program is ideal as the state is popular for outdoor activities. Among its natural assets are Mount Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia’s highest peaks; the Sipadan island dive site with its great marine biodiversity; lush rainforests and flora and fauna including the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.
It is expected that the hosting of this event will bring greater media publicity to Malaysia as a destination for adventure travel, create awareness for Malaysia’s diverse eco-tourism and cultural product offerings, and brand Malaysia as a key player in sustainable tourism practices.
It will be a boost to attracting tourists to Malaysia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign.
About Sabah:
Situated on the island of Borneo, Sabah is the second largest of thirteen states within Malaysia. It shares the island with Sarawak, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan.
Sabah is well-connected domestically and internationally. The main gateway to Sabah is the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) situated about 20 minutes away from the city. Presently Sabah enjoys almost 100 direct international flights that connect to major cities including Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur (via Kuala Lumpur International Airport), Seoul (Korea ROK), Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen (China), Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), Taipei (Chinese Taipei), Manila (Philippines), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), Tokyo (Japan) and Perth (Australia).
To register as a buyer or seller or for more information, please visit www.PATA.org/ATCM.
