Hong Kong Tourism Board and Intrepid DMC Nepal Named PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title Winners

BANGKOK, July 18, 2024 -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 PATA Gold Awards, honouring organisations and individuals for their exceptional achievements and commitment to advancing tourism. Among them, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has been selected as the Grand Title Winner in the Marketing category for its "Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign," which also secured victories in two sub-categories. Similarly, Intrepid DMC Nepal's "More Intrepid Women for Nepal" campaign has been named the Grand Title winning-entry in the Sustainability and Social Responsibility category.

Since its inception in 1984, the PATA Gold Awards represents the true spirit of innovation, sustainability and the notion of tourism as a force for good. The awards are further distinguished by the voluntary participation of 23 independent expert judges from renowned organisations across the region. This prestigious celebration of excellence is generously sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), marking an impressive 29 consecutive years of collaboration.

"On behalf of PATA, I wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Macao Government Tourism Office for our long-standing partnership in powering the PATA Gold Awards 2024," said PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid.

He added, "I am extremely delighted to note that we have received a significant number of high-quality submissions, with a 19% increase compared to the previous year. This is a clear sign that the travel and tourism sector is thriving and becoming more competitive than ever. We have witnessed tourism professionals putting more creativity and passion into their work to enhance the tourism economy. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the applicants and judges who have dedicate their time and efforts into making the PATA Gold Awards a possibility."

Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office said, "This year's PATA Gold Award winners bring another colorful kaleidoscope of outstanding initiatives in marketing, along with sustainability and social responsibility in the tourism industry, which deserve our admiration. As Macao aims for more diversification in its development as a world center of tourism and leisure, we are honored to collaborate with PATA to help shape a vibrant yet responsible tourism industry across the Asia-Pacific region with the awards."

This year's winners across two broad categories, namely Marketing, and Sustainability & Social Responsibility, were selected from over 100 entries submitted by 47 travel and tourism organisations and individuals.

All 20 winners will be celebrated at the upcoming PATA Travel Mart 2024, to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand on August 28. To further honour these outstanding achievements, all 22 winning entries will be featured in the 2024 PATA Gold Awards booklet, to be published in August, and throughout PATA Travel Mart 2024.

As mentioned above, the PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Titles were presented to two esteemed organisations:

The Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR received the PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Marketing for its "Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign". The campaign actively engaged all segments of society in the mission of recovery, inviting visitors to explore Hong Kong SAR's natural beauty, rich heritage, culinary delights, and more through innovative marketing initiatives. By 2023, Hong Kong SAR had successfully achieved 68% of pre-pandemic visitor arrivals through this recovery campaign, contributing to the revitalisation in areas such as hotel occupancy rates, per capita spending, and length of stay.

The PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Sustainability and Social Responsibility was awarded to Intrepid DMC Nepal, for its "More Intrepid Women For Nepal" Initiative. This initiative fosters a workplace culture that not only recognises but actively nurtures the potential of women, ensuring their voices are heard and contributions valued at all organisational levels. By encouraging and facilitating active female participation in all levels of operation from office-based staff to local communities, Intrepid DMC Nepal has increased the number of women-led accommodation providers, supported women-led non-profit organisations, and highlighted success stories to inspire others, among other impactful initiatives.

The full result of the PATA Gold Awards 2024 and list of the distinguished judges is attached herewith.
PATA Gold Awards 2024 Grand Title Winners:

1. PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Marketing
   Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

   Submission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign

2. PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Sustainability and Social Responsibility
   Winner: Intrepid DMC Nepal

   Submission: More Intrepid Women For Nepal

PATA Gold Award Winners 2024 - Marketing Category

1. Digital Marketing Campaign
   Winner: Kerala Tourism, Government of Kerala, India

   Submission: Holiday Heist

2. Marketing Campaign (National - Asia)

   Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

   Submission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign

3. Marketing Campaign (National - Pacific)

   Winner: Tahiti Tourisme, French Polynesia

   Submission: The Treasured Test

4. Marketing Campaign (State and city - Global)

   Winner: Jeju Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)

   Submission: Nurturing Jeju's Wellness Tourism Ecosystem

5. Marketing - Carrier

   Winner: SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka

   Submission: Colours of Jaffna

6. Marketing - Hospitality

   Winner: Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macao, China

   Submission: Studio City Water Park

7. Printed Marketing Campaign

   Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR

   Submission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign

8. Travel Video

   Winner: Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia

   Submission: Truly Wondrous, Nature & Rainforest

9. Travel Photograph

   Winner: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand

   Submission: Monk on the raft

10. Business Article

    Winner: TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapore

    Submission: Going green

11. Destination Article

    Winner: Anabel Dean, Australia

    Submission: The Simple Bear Necessities of Life

PATA Gold Award Winners 2024 - Sustainability & Social Responsibility

1. Climate Change Initiative

   Winner: Jetwing Hotels Ltd., Sri Lanka

   Submission: SolarPV Installations

2. Community-Based Tourism

   Winner: Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal
   Submission: Tourism Thrives when communities unite (Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project)

3. Corporate and Social Responsibility

   Winner: Sivatel Bangkok Hotel, Thailand

   Submission: From Kitchen to Chicken and Beyond

4. Culture (Joint winners)

   Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration - DASTA, Thailand

   Submission: Revitalizing the Unique Performing Arts and Traditional Local Wisdom of the Trai Trung Community through the Establishment of Cultural Community Tourism

   and

   Winner: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand

   Submission: The Diversity of Southern Border

5. Heritage

   Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration - DASTA, Thailand

   Submission: Building on Ancient Inspiration for Inter-generational Heritage of Sangkhalok Wares

6. Human Capital Development Initiative

   Winner: Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China

   Submission: Tourism Human Capital Development

7. Tourism Destination Resilience (Asia Pacific)

   Winner: Korea Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)

   Submission: Rising Star! The Sustainable and Informational 'Stargazing Tourism' in Jeollanam-do Province, Republic of Korea (ROK)

8. Tourism for All

   Winner: Gangneung City, Korea (ROK)

   Submission: Gangneung Accessible Tourism City Establishment Project

9. Women Empowerment Initiative

   Winner: Destination Asia, Thailand

   Submission: Empowering Marginalized Women in Bali

10. Youth Empowerment Initiative

    Winner: Galaxy Entertainment Group, Macao, China

    Submission: Nurturing Macau's future leaders and cultivating our Team Members

Panel of Judges:

1. Mr. Anthony Hoglund, General Counsel, APAC, Amadeus IT Group, Thailand

2. Mr. Bernard Metzger, Founder & Chairman, Travelindex Group, United Kingdom

3. Mr. Bharat Nagpal, Director-Sales, Rate Gain Adara Inc., United Kingdom

4. Mrs. Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel Research, Euromonitor International, United Kingdom

5. Mr. Chad Shiver, VP Destination Marketing, Clicktripz, LLC, United States

6. Mr. David Hailstones, Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education Switzerland (BVIS), Switzerland

7. Mr. Ed Kastli, Vice President, International Sales, American hotel & Lodging Association (AHLEI), United States

8. Elif Balci Fisunoğlu, Deputy General Manager, Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), Türkiye

9. Emmanuelle Charotte, VP Business Development, ECA2 LIMITED, Hong Kong SAR

10. Ms. Hannah Pearson , Regional Director APAC, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), United States

11. Mr. Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director Asia PAcific, STR, Singapore

12. Ms. Jintana Borin, Head of Market Development, Cloudbeds, United States

13. Mr. John Williams, VP Advertising Sales, BBC Studios Singapore, Singapore

14. Mr. Jonathan Song, Director of Global Business Development, Plaza Premium Lounge Management Limited, Hong Kong SAR

15. Prof. Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR

16. Ms. Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), Spain

17. Professor Kumi Kato, PhD, Faculty of Tourism/Graduate School of Tourism, Wakayama University, Japan

18. Mr. Randy Durband, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), United States

19. Mr. Simon lloyd, Dean - Hospitality Management, Dusit Thani College, Thailand

20. Ms. Suyin Lee, Managing Director, Discova Travel, Singapore

21. Mr. Taichiro Ishida, Marketing Manager, Suruga Marketing & Tourism Bureau, Japan

22. Ms. Topaz Smith, Project Lead, Travel and Tourism, World Economic Forum (WEF), United States

23. Ms. Xin Mok, Community Lead, Aviation, Travel & Tourism, Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd., Singapore

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