Report – WTM2005: The Eighth Annual World Tourism Award, co-sponsored by American Express Company (AMEX), Corinthia Hotels International (CHI), International Herald Tribune…
Report – WTM2005: The Eighth Annual World Tourism Award, co-sponsored by American Express Company (AMEX), Corinthia Hotels International (CHI), International Herald Tribune (IHT) and Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), was presented at a special ceremony on Opening Day of World Travel Market. The presentation was made at the World Stage, ExCel Centre, London. The 2005 Award Honorees were two of the travel industry’s leading membership associations in the travel and tourism industry : the Africa Travel Association (ATA) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
The Award was presented in recognition of ATA and PATA’ s “extraordinary vision in forging a historic Asia-Africa Bridge of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration” announced at the recent 3rd IIPT Global Summit on Peace Through Tourism, Pattaya, Thailand, Oct. 2-5, 2005.
Accepting the Award at World Travel Market on behalf of their organisations, were the Hon. Kabinga J. Pande, MP, ATA President and Zambia’s Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources and Mr Peter de Jong, President and CEO of PATA. Both leaders, who signed the agreement in Thailand, expressed thanks to IIPT for fostering and facilitating this agreement.
Hon. Pande and Mr Peter de Jong expressed their firm commitment towards cooperation between their respective organisations and geographic regions. On behalf of ATA and PATA, the agreement aims to forge a closer relationship between Asia Pacific and Africa in the areas of tourism intelligence and research, technology transfer and best practices, bilateral cooperation and sustainability initiatives. An outline of immediate and medium-term initiatives, that both organisations would be able to commit to, is being drafted.
The Award itself, a specially designed Steuben Crystal bridge entitled, PARTNERSHIP, which “celebrates the bond of a supportive partnership which, like a bridge, spans both time and distance,” seems especially appropriate for the 2005 Honourees.
Presenting the Award on behalf of the sponsors were: Ms. Donna Flora, CTC, Vice President, Travel Industry Relations, American Express Company; Mr. Geoff Andrew, Group Director, Sales & Marketing, Corinthia Hotels International; Mr. Will Nicholson, Managing Director Global Sales, International Herald Tribune & New York Times; and Mr. Tom Nutley, Chairman, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
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