Zhuhai to Host 63rd PATA Board Meetings and 2014 AGM

Bangkok (Thailand) – March 5, 2014 – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will hold the 63rd PATA Executive Board, Board Meeting and 2014 AGM, May 16-18 at the Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel, Zhuhai, China. Also known as the “Chinese Riviera,” it is one of China’s premier tourist destinations. This event is being hosted by, and supported by Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel.

Zhuhai, on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People’s Republic of China, is a garden-like coastal city with 146 charming islands. It is located in the Pearl River Delta and borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south.

The city boasts many attractions including the Fisher Girl Statue, New Yuanmingyuan Garden, Pearl Land Amusement Park, Jiuzhou City, Meixi Royal Stone Archways, Huangyang Mountain and Baiteng Lake. Zhuhai is also famous for its hot springs and golf clubs where visitors can take a break from sightseeing.

The city is just over the border from Macau and is one of the cleanest and greenest metropolises in China. It is also an important university centre.

Mr Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO said: “I am delighted to recommend attendance to all PATA family members, long established and new. I have been visiting Zhuhai for its biannual air show since 1996 and have witnessed its transformation into a sophisticated travel and tourism hub. Thanks to Pearl River Delta based PATA members for their sponsorship and impressive coordination; particularly our remarkable hotel host Chimelong.”

The PATA venue hotel, the Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel, is the largest ocean ecological themed hotel in China. It opened on January 18, 2014. The hotel is only a five-minute drive from Hengqin Port, connecting Zhuhai and Macau, and a 45-minute drive from Jiuzhou Port.

The hotel features 1,888 spacious guestrooms and suites, and stunning ocean views. The hotel’s dining facilities offer a wide variety of international cuisines.

In addition, the 1000-metre Grand Canal connects the hotel to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park. The theme park features seven different zones and boasts the world’s biggest aquarium.

Access to Zhuhai is easily accessible via ferry from Hong Kong or a short ride from Macau.

Attendees can take advantage of the new six day, free of charge Chinese visa process, please initiate by advising interest to attend and details will follow.

Foreign visitors can find further visa information online at http://www.visaforchina.org/.

For further inquiries email events@PATA.org or visit http://www.pata.org/events/pata-executive-board-board-meeting-and-2014-agm.

View a short promotional video of the 63rd PATA Executive Board, Board Meeting and 2014 AGM on the PATA TV YouTube channel.

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, 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, who organise 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