Weekly Chapter Update: PATA Hub City Forums Successfully Launched in Hong Kong

Author: Ben Montgomery
Posted: Thu 15 Dec, 2011 10:46 AM

PATA Hub City Forums Successfully Launched in Hong Kong

This week has been extremely productive at PATA. Starting from Monday, December 12, 2011 in Hong Kong where CEO Martin Craigs, Regional Director Kate Chang and I visited Hong Kong to jointly organize an industry leader luncheon with Aerospace Forum Asia at Hong Kong Marriott SkyCity Hotel. Around 120 people in the room heard John Slosar, CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways give a speech entitled, “2012: Navigating the Headwinds.”

PATA will keep playing major role together with other major tourism industry players e.g. IATA against the UK Air Passenger Duty and similar taxes which would damage the travel and tourism industry in this region.

After lunch, 40+ delegates moved over to PATA’s 1^st Hub City Forum to discuss Hong Kong specific issues under the theme “Quality: A Valuable Destination”. The event was well covered. For a debrief click here.

At the end of the day, we received commitments from travel industry members in Hong Kong to revive the PATA Hong Kong Chapter which was the first PATA Chapter ever formed, way back in 1961. There is still a lot of work to do, but let me say what a wonderful afternoon. Thank you very much to our friends at the Aerospace Forum Asia. We will work together again very soon.

On Tuesday Martin and I met with the PATA Hong Kong HSTM Student Chapter executive committee at their classroom in Kowloon. What a great energy we have there. They are PATA Next Generation. They would like to work more closely with PATA members in Hong Kong.

On Wednesday, Martin and I joined PATA Macau Chapter meeting in Macau. We updated them with PATA Head Office activities and plans for 2012. After learning about the Hub City Forum in Hong Kong, the Macau Chapter would like to organize one PATA Hub City Forum in Macau next year. We have made a mutual commitment and will start working on it after the New Year holiday.

Martin and I also met with an energetic group of student leaders from the Institute for Tourism Studies who are setting up a new Student Chapter with the guidance of the PATA Macau Chapter. This new Student Chapter will have a significant role to play at our PATA Hub City Forum in Macau. PATA Next Generation is indeed shaping up!

At this moment (Thursday), Martin is heading to Beijing to lead the 1^st China Responsible Tourism Conference and the official launch of the PATA China Chapter and a new Student Chapter at Beijing International Studies University together with Jens and Kate.

Today, I am having my last “PATA Party” of the year at the Skal/PATA Joint Christmas Lunch at Rembrandt Hotel, a PATA member, in Bangkok. Merry Christmas and A very Happy New Year to you!

Till next year, take care.