The first PATA Mekong Innovative Tourism Product Awards will take place during the Seventh Mekong Tourism Forum in…
The first
All tourism-related enterprises with travel products in the Mekong-region can enter hotels, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, and tourist attractions, to name just a few. Any commercially-available product launched after January 1, 2001, is eligible for entry. The judges are looking for new products which contribute to the quality of the tourism experience in the Mekong region.
The deadline for submission is March 15, 2002. Entries should consist of collateral such as a brochure, video tape, photographs and a descriptive support letter. The three best entries will be invited to give 10-minute presentations on April 5 during the Mekong Tourism Forum. The five-member judging panel will include representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Agency for Co-ordinating Mekong Tourism Activities (AMTA), CNN and PATA. The winning entry will be announced at the end of the Forum on April 6.
Ms. Malinee Kitaphanich, PATA Director-Southeast Asia, said the award should act as an incentive. “We want to encourage tourism operators to think creatively and work with their Mekong heritage by making it accessible to visitors from outside the region.” Small initiatives as well as larger ones are encouraged to enter, she said.
Official entries should arrive at PATA Operational Headquarters no later than March 15, 2002. The mailing address is: PATA Mekong Innovative Tourism Awards, Pacific Asia Travel Association, 28th Floor, Siam Tower, 989 Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
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