Sustainability in Action

June 21-23 | Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Event photos will be posted daily
to PATA's Flickr album.
Check out some best event moments!

The PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 (PDFM 2023), generously hosted by the Sarawak Tourism Board, is a 3-day event that gathers the top minds in destination travel for insightful discussions on key issues in destination management and marketing. The event brings together tourism professionals from adventure, eco-tourism and gastronomy tourism to discuss new opportunities to promote sustainability within the industry.

The three-day programme consists of:

Featured Destination: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

One Day Destination Experience

One Day
Conference

Tabletop
1-1 Meeting

Networking Sessions

The event provides the perfect opportunity for tourism professionals to gain first-hand practical experience in managing and marketing world-class attractions and tourism products and services that are relatively unknown by both trade and consumers to a global audience in a responsible manner.

Programme

Sustainability matters, but no longer can we talk about it and do nothing. As the travel and tourism industry begins the road to recovery, we need to take concrete action and not repeat the mistakes of the past. The conference programme will explore how the industry can achieve long-term sustainability in conjunction with long-term growth and profitability as we look to create a better future for all.

Jun 21
Experience


0800 - 1730

  • Registration

  • Destination Experience (0800 - 1500)

    HALF-DAY

    DESTINATION EXPERIENCE

  • Route A: Responsible Tourism

  • Route B: Ecotourism

  • Route C: Gastronomy Tourism

EVENING

  • Welcome Dinner hosted by Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak

Jun 22
Forum & Mart


MORNING

  • Opening Ceremony

  • Main Stage Conference

    SESSIONS

    • Welcome by State Minister of Sarawak & PATA Chair

    • Opening Keynote: Sustainability in Action

  • Press Conference

  • Main Stage Conference

    SESSIONS

    • Climate Action Strategies for Destinations & Operators

    • Global and Asia Pacific Travel Market
      Trends & Insights

    • Recalculating the Measurement of Success

  • Networking Lunch hosted by Sabah Tourism Board

AFTERNOON

TRADESHOW

  • 1-1 Tabletop Meeting Networking Opportunities

Jun 23
Travel Mart & Forum


MORNING

Tradeshow

1-1 Tabletop Meeting Networking Opportunities

AFTERNOON

  • Main Stage Conference

    SESSIONS

    • Tourism’s Role for Development

    • The Power of Gastronomy Tourism for Destinations

    • Walk the Talk: Setting Your Sustainability Goals and Executing Them

    SESSIONS

    • Leveraging New Trends in Sustainable Forms for Tourism

      • New Trends in Ecotourism

      • Adventure Travel Trends in the Asia Pacific

      • Wellness Tourism and the Rise of Sensory Nature Activities

    • Closing Keynote: Using Digital Marketing to Drive Sustainability

  • Complimentary ticket & transfer to Rainforest World Music Festival

Programme subject to change

Featured Speakers

Yang Berhormat Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak

Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor
CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board

Datuk Musa Hj. Yusof
Deputy Director General (Promotion), Tourism Malaysia

Thoyyib Mohamed
CEO & Managing Director, Visit Maldives

Harry Hwang
Director, Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO

Karen Shepherd
Strategic Director, Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Kuching, City of Gastronomy

Randy Durband
CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

Celine Wickerhoff
Director of Business Development, APAC, Expedia

Masaru Takayama
Founding Chair, Asian Ecotourism Network

Peter Christiansen
Director of Operations, Discova

Chelsea Tan
Sales Director - APAC, Sojern

Hannah Pearson
Regional Director APAC, Adventure Travel Trade Association; Director, Pear Anderson

Natalie Kidd
Managing Director Asia, Intrepid Travel

Audra Morrice
Masterchef Asia/ Singapore Host & Judge, Cook, Author

Karma Lotey
CEO, Yangphel Adventure Travel

Destination Experience

(Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 8 AM - 3 PM)

Note:
**Please note that all destination experiences are on a first-come, first-served basis, each delegate can book only one routing, and only registered delegates are eligible for booking any one of the destination experiences.

Product Highlights

Hear from PDFM Buyers

REGISTRATION FOR PDFM 2023 IS NOW OPEN

Special price for Youth

PATA Youth Member: $40
Discount code to be released upon
request.
Students (Non-member): $59
Discount code is “Students59”

The price includes:

    • 1 Exhibitor Pass

    • 1 Table & 3 Chairs

    • 1 Set of appointment with 1-1 meeting (max. 30 slots)

    • Company Name

    • Choice of a Destination Experience

    • Complimentary access to the Conference

    • Complimentary access to all social functions listed in the programme including dinners, lunches and coffee breaks

    • Airport Transfer to/from official hotels

    • Daily transfers from the official hotels to the venue

    • Complimentary ticket to the Rainforest World Music Festival on June 23 evening.

    • 10 USD Event Carbon Offset

    • Air Transportation on economy class to/from Kuching by Malaysia Airlines

    • 4-night accommodation

    • 1 Set of appointment with 1-1 meeting (max. 30 slots)

    • Attendance to conference

    • Destination Experience

    • Airport Transfer to/from Official Hotel

    • Social Functions listed in the Program

    • Daily transfers from the official hotels to the venue

    • Complimentary ticket to the Rainforest World Music Festival on June 23 evening

    • 10 USD Event Carbon Offset

    *For Malaysian Delegate, please note that the Air Transportation and Accommodation are not included.

    • Complimentary access to the Mart Area

    • Airport Transfer to/from Official Hotel

    • Social Functions listed in the Program

    • Destination Experience

    • Daily transfers from the official hotels to the venue

    • Complimentary ticket to the Rainforest World Music Festival on June 23 evening

    • 10 USD Event Carbon Offset

10 USD offsetting fee to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute towards a carbon neutral event

Official Transfer

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will operate official transportation for arrival, departure and between PDFM 2023 official hotels, supporting hotels, dinner reception, PDFM Travel Mart and official functions as per following schedule.

Arrival Transfer

Arrival transfer service will be available from June 19- 21 only at the Kuching International Airport (KCH). The service will be based on flight details submitted through Google Form no later than June 16 (Friday)

Delegates who fail to submit flight details within the above deadline and/or staying at non-official

hotels will be required to arrange their own transfer.

Departure Transfer

Departure transfer service will be available from June 24 & 25. Delegates are required to confirm their transfer at the PDFM 2023 hospitality desk when they arrive at the event at BCCK.

Delegates who fail to confirm their departure transfer and/or staying at non-official hotels will be required to arrange own transfer.

OFFICIAL HOTEL: Grand Margherita Hotel | Pullman Hotel Kuching | Riverside Majestic Hotel | The Waterfront Hotel

Official Hotels

is the first international purpose-built convention centre in Sarawak, Malaysia. Growing alongside Sarawak’s position as a captivating culture, adventure and nature destination on the exotic island of Borneo, the BCCK debuted in 2009, as a state initiative of the Sarawak Government to grow business tourism through the hosting of business events. The centre has received local, national and regional accolades from professional standards, innovation and best practices achieved within Malaysia’s business events industry, and for having the size and capabilities to handle the requirements of different conferences in a bespoke manner.

About Venue

  • Environmental sustainability features significantly on BCCK’s agenda, and we are motivated to reduce and minimise any negative impact of our day-to-day operations on the environment. We currently have the assurance of ISO management systems from an appointed vendor to process, salvage, and turn our waste into reusable materials, which aligns well with our efforts to be environmentally sustainable.

    BCCK remains committed to maintaining and exceeding the best quality standards and adhering to international certifications. ISO 14001:2015 is a tool we use to integrate environmental issues, preserve local biodiversity and ecosystems, and safeguard the environment from harm and degradation.

    The Centre has initiated a synergistic collaboration with a leading farm in Kuching to manage its food waste via a bioconversion process. The segregated waste is recycled into organic fertilisers used to grow pesticide and chemical-free plants and herbs, aligning with our environmental goals. This not only eliminates surrounding waste but also reduces the depth of existing landfills and incinerators, cutting down harmful factors that affect the environment. BCCK has also garnered much-needed support from our food suppliers, some of whom have chosen to work with the farm, a great step for the community in the long term.

    Event planners can now opt to digitise their banners through a myriad of digital solutions available in-house, such as digital signage and large LED screens, to reduce or eliminate physical prints. Our free public WiFi system, capable of connecting 8,000 devices concurrently, provides immense support for planners to digitize their event program. Please feel free to speak to us to collaborate on achieving your event’s sustainable goals.

    In Sarawak, over 60 percent of our energy comes from renewable energy, which is a major feat among the region. Our renewable energy comes from hydro plant, which is the results of our state government foresighted vision.

    Sarawak has achieved a significant milestone in the region, as over 60 percent of its energy is derived from renewable sources. This impressive accomplishment is largely attributed to the state government's visionary approach in developing hydroelectric plants. The Sarawak government is committed to its vision of achieving net-zero emissions in the near future and is actively pursuing measures to make this a reality.

  • i) International Conference on Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development 2010 – 28 – 31 March 2010

    ii) International Hydropower Association 2013 – 22 – 24 May 2013

    iii) Green Building Conference 2014 – 2 – 3 December 2014

    iv) Better Air Quality 2018 – 11 – 16 November 2018

    v) Sustainable & Renewable Energy Forum 2019 – 10 – 11 December 2019

    vi) International Conference on Design for Sustainable Living 2021 – 14 – 15 December 2021

    vii) Sustainable & Renewable Energy Forum 2023 – 6 – 7 September 2023

    viii) International Conference of Sustainable Food Security and Exposition – 20 – 22 November 2023

All You Need to Know About Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Malaysia is located in the Southeast Asian region, occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It is known for its beaches, Petronas Twin Towers, and shopping districts such as Bukit Bintang. The country is culturally influenced by a diverse mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, indigenous tribes as well as an expatriate community.

Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia, located along the southwest tip of the island of Borneo- the third largest island in the world. A vibrant city well known for its immersive culture, adventure, nature, food and festival elements, it makes you feel at home away from home. Enjoy pristine rainforests, meet gentle orangutans, spot the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia, check out the second largest museum in South East Asia -the Borneo Cultures Museum and find the rare proboscis monkey endemic to Borneo at the oldest national park in Sarawak, Bako National Park. Of course, there is more to discover!

Getting there

(Kuching International Airport)

  • Kuching can be accessed via Kuching International Airport, situated a 20-minute ride away from the city centre.

    There are 4 daily direct flights from Singapore and direct flights from Brunei on Thursday and Sunday.

  • Easily access by direct flight from several airports in Malaysia

    • Direct flight from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Kuching (KCH): 1.50 hrs.

    • Direct flight from Senai International Airport (JHB) to Kuching (KCH): 1.25 hrs.

    • Direct flight from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) to Kuching (KCH): 1.25 hrs.

  • Standard Time is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).

    Blessed with a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures ranging between 19 °C to 36 °C, Kuching is also well-known for its rainfall. With an average annual rainfall of approximately 4,200 millimetres, Kuching experiences up to 247 rainy days per year and is averaged as the wettest populated area in Malaysia. The wettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February, while the dry season for Kuching begins from June till August.

    June:

    Average high temperature: 32 C
    Average low temperature: 23 C
    Average temperature in June is 32 C

  • Smart casual is the official dress code during the event.

  • The dialect of Malay spoken in Kuching is known as Bahasa Sarawak (Sarawakian Malay Language), which is a subset of the Malay language. Since the second largest population in the city is made up of Han Chinese, the Chinese language is also commonly used, particularly Hokkien, Hakka, and Mandarin Chinese. Almost all residents are able to speak English.

  • In early 2022, Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) reported that Kuching has a total population of 402,738. The city population (North Kuching, South Kuching, and Padawan) consists of Malays, Chinese, Iban, Bidayuh, Non-Malaysian citizens, other Sarawak Bumiputras (Orang Ulu), Melanau, Indian and others. Most of the Malays and Melanau are Muslim. The Iban, Bidayuh, Dayak and Orang Ulu are mainly Christians and a number of Hindus, Sikhs and a small number of secularists also exist around the city.

  • The Malaysia Ringgit (MYR) is the official currency in Malaysia

    4.40 Malaysia Ringgit = 1 US dollar or 34.03 Thai baht (Jan 6, 2023)

    Foreign currencies can be exchanged for Malaysian Ringgit (RM) at a few 5-star hotels and foreign currency exchange counters located in major shopping complexes. Most major hotels charge a nominal fee for currency conversion.

  • There is a tourism tax of MYR10 per room, per night – this is usually levied on arrival at your accommodation and not included in the stated price.

  • The international country code for Malaysia is +60. The international dialling format is needed to make a direct call to Malaysia. For example, calling Malaysia from Thailand: 001 (exit code for Thailand) + 60 (country code) + area code + number.

    The emergency hotline number for Malaysia is 999.

Electricity

Malaysia uses 240 Volts, 50 Hz alternating current as the power source. There are four associated plug types: Type A has two flat parallel pins, type C has two round pins, type G has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern and type M has three round pins.


Update: Jan 6, 2023

Following the event, extend your stay and visit the Rainforest World Music Festival taking place from June 23-25. Event delegates will receive complimentary access to the first night of the festival on June 23 as well as a discount on tickets to access the full event during the weekend, June 24-25.

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Questions? Please contact us at Sponsorship@PATA.org

Sponsors

PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 is proudly supported by:

Destination Partners

Dinner Sponsor

Lunch Sponsor

Session Sponsor

Event Tech Partners

Supporting Media Partners

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