The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the winners of the PATA Gold Awards 2020 which was sponsored by the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) for the last 25 years, this year’s awards recognise the achievements of 23 organisations and individuals.
The winners were announced during the Online PATA Gold Awards Presentation as part of Virtual PATA Travel Mart 2020, taking place from September 23-27.
Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of MGTO, said, “I commend all PATA Gold Awards participants for keeping alive the spirit of innovation, helping to raise the bar across all sectors of the industry. As we look forward to restarting tourism in the ‘new normal’, more than ever we will have to come up with solutions ‘outside the box’ to ensure that tourism is not only safe but also seamless and appealing. Macao is honored for its long-standing support to PATA in this inspiring initiative, on our way to transforming the city into a world center of tourism and leisure.”
PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy added, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all PATA Gold Award winners and Grand Title winners, and I would also like to thank all of this year’s participants. The achievements of this year’s winners will hopefully inspire and encourage our industry to create new responsible and sustainable initiatives as we look towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first year that we announced the winners live and it was an absolute pleasure to celebrate their accomplishments during the Online PATA Gold Awards Presentation.”
The PATA Grand Title Winners were presented to outstanding entries in three principal categories: Marketing, Sustainability, and Human Capital Development.
Kerala Tourism, India received the PATA Gold Award 2020 Grand Title Winner in Marketing for Education and Training for its “Human by Nature Print Campaign”. In August 2018, unprecedented heavy Monsoon rain devastated Kerala. The ordinary people of Kerala, the fishermen, students, working professionals, and villagers emerged as the Heroes of the Flood. The campaign is drawn from the everyday life of people in the five diverse terrains of Kerala and explores the fascinating ‘human scale’ of the land. The idea emerged from travellers who began to perceive ‘human’ encounters in Kerala as a unique, enriching experience. Moreover, the campaign which promotes ordinary people as brand ambassadors of the land is built on the idea of common humanity that connects the travellers with Keralites and the fact that everyday life in its reality is one of the most exceptional experiences that Kerala offers.
The Grand Title Winner in Sustainability was presented to YAANA Ventures, Thailand, for the Anurak Community Lodge. Anurak Community Lodge in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, is a Travelife Gold certified eco-lodge for active lifestyle visitors who respect nature and local community traditions. Surrounded by spectacular limestone karst scenery, the lodge is an ideal base to explore adjacent Khao Sok National Park and majestic Chiew Larn Lake. Anurak’s operation since opening in 2016 has been guided by an ethos of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Guests and staff are encouraged to save energy and water. Single-use plastic, Styrofoam, and cardboard plates are banned. Plastic straws have been replaced with bamboo and metal ones. An onsite recycling station has been set up, along with a composting area. A greywater treatment filter system for laundry wastewater is in place. Water from that system is being used on the Rainforest Rising project, Anurak’s project to return two rai (3,226 sqm; 0.8 acres) of former palm oil plantation beside the lodge to indigenous lowland evergreen forest by 2023.
The Grand Title Winner in Human Capital Development was bestowed to MGM China, Macao, China for its “Unleashing Greatness – MGM’s Human Capital Development Initiative”. Guided by MGM’s vision of “Unleashing Greatness for all”, they aim to unleash the greatness of their constituents through sustainable development of its employees, communities, and responsible tourism. They build a sustainable world-class hospitality workforce with a strong learning culture that engages employees and lifelong learning. Their best-in-class 74 training hours per head per year validates our commitment and achievement in this endeavor. MGM practices responsible citizenships to ensure localization of staff and the sustainable development of its extended communities. Their initiatives include scholarships for local students, internship opportunities, community outreach programs, youth leadership development, etc. One example is its pioneering free online sign language lessons to the community in Macao, China
PATA Grand Title Winners 2020
Human By Nature Print Campaign Kerala Tourism, India (Marketing)
Anurak Community Lodge YAANA Ventures, Thailand (Sustainability)
Unleashing Greatness – MGM’s Human Capital Development Initiative
MGM China, Macao, China (Human Capital Development)
PATA Gold Award Winners 2020 –
Red Panda Manor Mekong River Tourism, China (Marketing – Hospitality)
Slow Travel Myanmar, Sampan Travel, Myanmar (Marketing – Industry)
Sustainable Gastronomy – The Great Green Food Journey, Macao, Celebrating Creativity, Sustainability and Culture.Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China (Digital Marketing Campaign)
Taichung – Perfect Weekend Tourism and Travel Bureau, Taichung City Government, Chinese Taipei (Printed Marketing Campaign
Travelstan Kazakh Tourism National Company JSC, Kazakhstan (Travel Video)
PATA Gold Award 2020A Beautiful Bond, Ban Nong Bua Elephant Village, SurinTourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand (Travel Photograph)
Thai Left Bank -Dr. John Borthwick, Australia (Destination Article)
Food For The Soul -TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapore (Business Article)
Outrigger’s Zone (OZONE) Outrigger Hospitality Group, Hawaii (Climate Change Initiative)
Banyan Tree 25th Anniversary Global Sustainability Initiatives Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Singapore( Community and Social Responsibility)
Community Homestay Network Royal Mountain Travel, Nepal (Community based Tourism)
Alishan Tea Culture Performance and Sustainable Development, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Chinese Taipei (Culture)
Rainforest Ecolodge (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka (Heritage)
Virtual Tourism for Senior Citizens Taylor’s University, Malaysia (Tourism for All)
Supporting and Promoting Women’s Career Development of Tourism Products of the “Nan-Ner-Jaow” Brand. Designated Areas for Sustainable Development Administration (DASTA), Thailand (Women Empowerment Initiative)
DASTA NAN Youth Club (DNYC) Designated Areas for Sustainable Development Administration (DASTA), Thailand (Youth Empowerment Initiative )
The IFTM Tourism Education Student Summit (TEd Summit) Event Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao, China (Human Capital Development Initiative)
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