Cambodia to Host its First PATA Travel Mart

Bangkok (Thailand) – March 4, 2014 – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will hold the 37th PATA Travel Mart 2014, September 17-19 at Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the “Kingdom of Wonder.” The Mart is being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia.

PTM 2014 will offer delegates the opportunity to buy and sell Asia Pacific travel products in an emerging destination that has diversified its tourist attractions and attracted double digit increases in arrivals over the last 10 years.

PATAmPower statistics show that in 2013 Cambodia’s visitor arrivals increased 8% to over 3.7 million. Tourism accounts for about 16% of Cambodia’s GDP, around US$2.5 billion per year.

In 2014 the first-ever Responsible Travel Pavilion will be a feature of the Mart. The Pavilion will provide a business platform for PATA members and travel industry players who are committed to responsible and sustainable travel. Companies and organizations with proven responsible and sustainable practices are invited to take space in the Responsible Travel Pavilion.

“There is a palpable spirit of optimism in Cambodia,” said PATA CEO, Martin Craigs. “I’m confident that spirit will be apparent on the PTM show floor in Phnom Penh. It will be the right time and place to new business.”

PTM 2013 in Chengdu, China, attracted 550 seller and 473 buyer delegates with over 10,000 business appointments conducted over the days. A similar or larger number are expected in Phnom Penh.

PATA Travel Mart brings together outbound tour operators, wholesalers and specialty travel agents from around the globe. Through scheduled appointments they do business at PTM with inbound tour operators, destination management companies, travel agents, hotels and other related travel companies.

Small as well as big companies are welcome. First launched in PTM 2013, the MicroEnterprise Pavilion serves companies or family business with five to 10 employees operating on US$25,000 or less in start-up capital.

Access to Phnom Penh is easy. The airport is located 10 kilometres or 15-40 minutes from the city centre where the convention centre is located. There are international direct flights to Phnom Penh from Bangkok, Beijing, Doha, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, Nanning, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Vientiane, and Yangon.

Foreign visitors are now able to obtain a Cambodian visa online easily or upon arrival at the airport. Visitors can get an e-visa online. Instead of applying through a Cambodian embassy, the process is quickly done online at http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.

The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 90 government, state and city tourism bodies, nearly 30 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 57 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond.

Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 41 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC.

The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney, Dubai, London and New York.

Media Contact:
PATA Communications
Bangkok Thailand
Tel: +66 2 658 2000
E-mail: Communications@PATA.org
Online newsroom: www.PATA.org/Press