Chief Executive of Macau SAR Chui Sai On presided over the opening ceremony of PATA Travel Mart 2010 today (Sept 15) at the Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Cheong U, Chief of Cabinet of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Cecilia Cheung, Director of Macau Government Tourist Office João Manuel Costa Antunes, PATA Chairman Hiran Cooray, PATA CEO Gregory Duffell and PATA Secretary and Treasurer Anthony Wong. PATA and MGTO held a media briefing after the opening ceremony to introduce PATA Travel Mart 2010. Director Antunes also presented the latest information on Macau's tourism industry as well as the destination's tourism products and facilities. PATA Chairman Cooray expressed, “It gives me much pleasure to welcome all PTM delegates this year, to the colourful and culturally rich city of Macau, SAR. I am happy to see that we have a positive response from the industry for PTM2010. We can assure you of valuable industry gleanings that you will take back with you. We are also looking ahead to the coming year, which will be a grand celebration for PATA to celebrate our 60 years of glory and success. Your participation and involvement will add infinite value.” MGTO Director João Manuel Costa Antunes said that being the first time for Macau to host Asia Pacific's premier travel trade show which gathers close to 1000 delegates from around the world, we believe PTM2010 will be a landmark on Macau's road in the development of our MICE industry as well as a defining moment of our cooperation with PATA in contributing towards the progress of the tourism industry in the region. He added that as host city of PTM2010, Macau will make sure that participants will not only benefit from the business and networking platform of the event, but will also have the chance to experience Macau's business and leisure tourism facilities, feel the unique charm of 'The Historic Centre of Macau', and see how Macau is transforming itself into a global centre of tourism and leisure. As Asia Pacific's foremost travel contracting and networking show, the PATA Travel Mart 2010 takes place from September 15 to 17 at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and is expected to attract a thousand delegates and guests. The 3-day travel mart provides a platform for 900 buyers and sellers to network and seek business opportunities. The first two days are for trade members and the organizer will invite local higher education institutes to visit the mart on the third day. Today (Sept 15) a workshop on ‘Designing Dream Experiences’ is held, and the City of Dreams have invited delegates to a show preview of the House of Dancing Water. Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to building responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. MGTO has been a member of PATA for over half a century since 1958. PATA has currently 800 full members and over 7,000 chapter members around the globe. PATA's membership boasts more than 100 government, state and city tourism bodies, over 50 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies. PATA Chapter is the foundation of the Association with close to 40 chapters all over the world, of which PATA Macau Chapter was set up in 1983 and it has over 70 members at present. There has been a close tie between Macau and PATA. Between 1980 and 2002, PATA conducted 5 task force projects to provide guidelines and recommendations for tourism development in Macau. These projects include "Macau - A study of Tourism Development" in 1980 regarding the balance between heritage preservation and tourism development; "Macau Education Task Force" in 1990 concerning the overall education and training framework to meet short and long term manpower needs; "Macau Tourism in Transition" in 1994 pointing to the development of a MICE destination; "Macau Tourism Marketing - A new Focus for the Millennium" in 1996 about the setting up of overseas representation offices; and "A study of the Future of Macau's Tourism and its International Airport in the Context of the Pearl River Delta Region" in 2002 regarding market diversification and interrelationship between the aviation network and marketing promotion.
MGTO has been actively participating in the tourism meetings and activities held by PATA and since 1996, MGTO has been supporting the PATA Gold Awards, so as to promote Macau tourism.
In 2005, the 54th PATA Annual Conference was successfully held in Macau and its MICE industry then entered a new era.
