Going for Gold - PATA announces 2009 Awards winners

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 PATA Gold Awards, sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office. This year the awards recognise the achievements of 24 separate organisations and individuals. For 2009 there are 23 PATA Gold Awards to be presented, with multiple awards going to Hong Kong Tourism Board, Korea Tourism Organization and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The awards ceremony takes place on September 25th during PATA Travel Mart 2009 in Hangzhou, China (PRC). PATA Grand Awards are presented to the outstanding entries in the four principal categories: Marketing, Education and Training, Environment and Heritage. This year the Grand Awards go to Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited (Marketing); Bintan Resorts (Education and Training), Spice Village Thekkady, India (Environment) and Temple Tree, Malaysia (Heritage). The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has generously sponsored the PATA Gold Awards for the past 14 years. MGTO Director Jo?o Manuel Costa Antunes said, Our applause goes to all the winners for their excellent projects. It is inspiring to see such a wide spectrum of organisations and individuals from the tourism industry demonstrating their best in times of adversity. I believe they are encouraging examples for all members of the industry to continue to pursue excellence, innovation and advancement. PATA Grand Awards 2009 1. Education & Training Education and Employment Assistance Programme Bintan Resorts With the aim of elevating the standard of education of the local students, the scheme provides scholarships and bursaries to students from the seven selected villages. This is an avenue for promising youths to continue and/or pursue higher education, to attain better employments opportunities and to focus upon the importance of an individuals contribution to the travel industry. As of 2008 more than 4,600 local students from various levels of institutions have benefited directly from the scheme. This is a remarkable project. Very well presented and argued. They must be commended for their commitment to the community. This type of activity has been argued for before but now we have a living example. The offering of scholarships bursaries is noteworthy, judges comment. 2. Environment Spice Village and the Community Spice Village, Thekkady A Unit of CGH Earth, India Set in the Periyar forest region, with its great biological and ethnographic cultural diversity, Spice Village creates an identity that blends in with the ambience of the region, while being distinctive. The environmentally-friendly practices include dry/wet waste management, efficient microbial composting, food waste composting and use of non-renewable resources and solar panels. Local community participation is the major focus in the programme. Spice Village has managed to succeed in turning an effective management programme into its own company ethos. This comprehensive and honest environmental initiative has resulted in an extraordinary living and breathing visitor experience, - judges comment. It is evident that what has been created is a culture of responsibility. A responsibility to protect and promote this unique environment whilst preserving many of local skills and traditions as means of ensuring they will be past on for generations to come. Spice Village should be seen as beacon of success for others to follow. Judges comment. 3. Heritage & Culture 'Temple Tree - A Resort of Many Cultures BON TON Snd Bhd., Malaysia Antique buildings of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian & Arab origin make up this 14 suite hotel. These predominantly timber villas range from 70 - 110 years old and were sourced from all over the Malaysian peninsular. They were first dismantled and then re-erected piece by piece on site in Langkawi. Many were derelict when found, but have now been preserved for future generations. These preserved houses are now used as a hotel to promote a truly Malaysian holiday experience. Guests may choose between five different cultural styles. Visitors are provided with a unique opportunity to experience, understand and enjoy the value of these heritage assets. Profits from the resort help to fund LASSie (Langkawi Animal Shelter and Sanctuary Foundation). Temple Tree conserves heritage whilst assisting the foundation to carry out its ideals of receiving, rehabilitating and caring for neglected abused. This is an excellent private sector initiative and contribution to Asian heritage restoration and cultural presentation, judges comment. A good example of a public-private sector partnership. Government-backed tourism loan helped fund the project, judges comment. 4. Marketing Visa Travel Happy Visa Worldwide Pte. Ltd. Visa's new travel-focused advertising campaign in Asia Pacific aimed at capturing a very common love for travel celebrating the multi-cultural, multi-faceted face of travel with the singular card that makes it possible. Launched in Asia Pacific, the commercial recreates the dance made famous by internet celebrity Matt Harding in his self-made quirky video travel diaries. Matt repeats his signature jig in China PRC, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, the USA and Vietnam - celebrating how Visa has freed him from the hassle of exchanging cash for each countrys local currency as he travels around the world. The travel happy dance continues in Visas second commercial by various merchants including cruise operators, hotel and restaurant staff, tour guides, and taxi drivers, all performing their renditions of Matts famous dance. The message is simple merchants around the world accept Visa. Well executed campaign with FUN. The creative use of a YouTube internet celebrity made this promotion so unique and different, judges comment. It is catchy and memorable and it makes you smile. The three pillars of success, judges comment. PATA Gold Awards 2009 Marketing - Primary Government Destination 2008 Korea, Sparkling Campaign Korea Tourism Organization Marketing - Secondary Government Destination DreamSeason in God's Own City Kerala Marketing - Allied Partner VisitBritain & British Airways Partnership Project British Tourist Authority Marketing - Carrier Cathay Pacific New Cabin Designs Marketing Campaign Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong Kong SAR Marketing - Hospitality The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai after Attack and Re-launch Campaign Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces Marketing - Industry Perfect Moments Kuoni Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd., India Ecotourism Project Xizha Eco-tourism Community Project Same Ancient Town, Different Wuzhen China Wuzhen Tourism Development Co., Ltd., China (PRC) Corporate Environmental Programme Together we can make it, The Jetwing Eternal Earth Project Jetwing, Sri Lanka Environmental Education Programme Environmental Education at Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Malaysia Heritage Mamallapuram Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, India Education and Training Singapore Specialist Program Singapore Tourism Board Marketing Media - Consumer Travel Brochure Enhancement of the Complete Suite of HKTB Hong Kong Tourism Board Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media Incredible India Ministry of Tourism, Government of India Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Print Media Malaysia Truly Asia -- Truly More with every Visit. It must be Malaysia TBWA-ISC Malaysia Marketing Media - Travel Poster Incredible India Ministry of Tourism, Government of India Marketing Media - Promotional Travel Video Meetings & Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) Hong Kong Tourism Board Marketing Media - Public Relations Campaign Enviro.aero - An Industry United Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), Switzerland Marketing Media - Web site Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong www.ExploreMekong.org USAID, ACE Project, Mekong Tourism and OPEN Advertising Marketing Media - E-Newsletter Creatively Yours Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd, India Travel Journalism Destination Article Taipei 2.0 by Jennifer Chen Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, September 2008 Travel Journalism - Industry Business Article DMCs defined: The real knights of creativity TTGmice, September 2008 TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapore Travel Journalism - Travel Photograph Path to the Past Lester V. Ledesma Ink Publishing, Singapore Travel Journalism - Travel Guidebook Korea, Sparkling 365-365 Reasons to Visit Korea Korea Tourism Organization Honourable mentions Marketing Media - Promotional Travel Video Experience Macau Macau Government Tourist Office Macau SAR Travel Journalism Destination ArticleT Is Baja on the Block? by James Conaway National Geographic Traveler, November/December 2008 Travel Journalism Destination Article Shanghai Surprise by Julie Miller VIve magazine, April 2008, Australia Issued by: PATA Corporate Communications, Bangkok, Thailand. Tel: + 66 2 658 2000 Ext 116 E-mail: [email protected] Online pressroom: www.PATA.org/news

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