BANGKOK, 17 April 20290: Despite pessimism surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial impact it will have on travel organisations worldwide, the Pacific Asia Travel Association welcomed eight new organisations during April.
One of them is the Tourism Authority of Kiribati an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii. At the same time, an influential marketing and public relations company in the Maldives joins the association.
TTR Weekly posted questions to PATA’s CEO, Mario Hardy on membership and the possible decline as Covid-19 impacts on finances that could prompt companies to rethink association memberships.
Yes, he acknowledges an increase in membership terminations.
“They have increased by 3.5% compared to the same period in previous years, a drop out experienced entirely from SMEs, which is to be expected as they are the ones most impacted.”
He noted that destinations and corporates are still standing by the organisation.
“As a matter of fact, our strategic partner Visa, not only extends its partnership for three years, but also increases its overall contribution.
“As you have noted; we are still having new members joining every month, which shows the confidence in the support the organisation can provide. The entire secretariat is busy creating opportunities for engagement with our members and the industry at large and we will continue to do so during the recovery and long after.
“This crisis has created a need for cooperation and support across the industry, and we are pleased with the support and vote of confidence we’ve been receiving from our members and the international tourism community.”
In its latest description of its membership base, the PATA website states the association covers a region spanning 17 time zones from Turkey to Chile and has over 800 members worldwide.
Members include 88 government, state and city tourism bodies, 22 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 62 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
New member profiles
Tourism Authority of Kiribati
Joining as a government member the Tourism Authority of Kiribati is responsible for development and promotion of tourism and is governed by a board of directors who report to the Minister of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD).
Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation
A corporate member MMPRC is the government body mandated with the promotion of Maldives as a tourist destination and is responsible for all marketing and public relations activities including research, surveys, master plans, campaigns and advertising. MMPRC promotes the Maldives in multiple fairs and roadshows.
All Fine Co. Ltd
A Thailand-based company, All Fine offers a ticketing system for trips by air, rail and ships connecting Asian travellers with travel options in the West.
Daffodil International University
Offering IT-based education in Bangladesh, Daffodil International University (DIU) was established in 2002. Within a short period of time, DIU has become one of the top universities in Bangladesh according to many national and international rankings. Currently, DIU has 26,500 students in five different faculties and 25 departments.
3E Holidays
A traditional destination management company, the team consists of people dedicated to handling leisure travel for solo travellers, incentive groups, events and special interest groups. It has sales bases in UAE, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka & Oman.
MarkPlus Tourism
MarkPlus Tourism is a unit business of MarkPlus Inc, a leading marketing consultant in Indonesia. MarkPlus Tourism provides professional services for tourism and hospitality companies since 2014 by the former Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia,
Arief Yahya. MarkPlus Tourism is also GSTC’s (Global Sustainable Tourism
Council) training partner in Indonesia.
Metropark International Huangshan Travel Service
Huangshan Metropark International Travel Service is an international travel agency in Huangshan city and a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), through the national ISO9001 official quality certification.
Özyeğin University
Özyeğin University, located in Istanbul, Turkey, was established with the mission of serving society as an entrepreneurial and research-focused learning centre.
