MGTO to Participate in PATA Annual Summit 2017

PAS 2017 takes place on the tropical island of Sri Lanka in the fishing village of Negombo

Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes will join the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2017 (PAS 2017) in Negombo, Sri Lanka from 18th to 21st May.

Under the theme 'Disruption. Innovation. Transformation: The Future of Tourism', the Annual Summit includes a one day-conference, a World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)/PATA Ministerial Debate, PATA Annual General Meeting, the PATA Youth Symposium, and other initiatives and activities.

The PATA Annual Summit conference will open with remarks by the Minister of Tourism of Sri Lanka John Amaratunga, PATA Chairman Andrew Jones and UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai. The panel of speakers of PAS 2017 also includes tourism ministers and officials, along with travel's most innovative thinkers and leaders to connect, share and move travel forward to hear fresh ideas, discover market-changing innovations and learn from industry luminaries on the sharing economy, digital marketing, the future traveller and more.

During the four-day event, PATA will also host the PATA Executive Board Meeting and PATA Board Meeting. The MGTO Director currently serves as an elected-voting member of PATA Executive Board, the governing body of the Association. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes will attend PAS 2017 in Sri Lanka accompanied by MGTO Communication and External Relations Department Head Kathy Iong.

The PATA Annual Summit is one of the signature events of the Association, which last year assembled 640 participants from 206 organizations representing 33 regions and countries across Asia Pacific. PAS 2017 is organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Later this year, Macao will also host another highlight event organized by the Association - PATA Travel Mart 2017, which will be held in The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel from 13th to 15th September. PATA has for decades been a valuable platform for Macao to promote its tourism image and connect local travel trade stakeholders to the world.

More information available at: www.pata.org/event/pas-2017