When PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum (NTFF) takes place in Palau from November 15-17, 2017, the event is expected to lend a helping hand in marketing and managing the fledgling tourism industry of this western Pacific nation.
Speaking to TTG Asia on the sidelines of the PATA NTFF in Cox’s Bazar last week, Palau Visitors Authority vice-chairman, Terrence Ruluked, said: “We have an influx of international tourists from markets including China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the US. Our major concern now is to maintain a healthy balance between environment and tourist flows, so our focus is now on high-end tourists.
“We expect the upcoming NTFF in Palau to help us identify how we can attract such tourists and at the same time maintain the pristine beauty of our country,” he added.
The forum agenda, while yet to be finalised, is expected to address sustainable tourism development as a key concern.
Starting with last year’s inaugural edition in Legazpi, the Philippines, the selection of secondary and tertiary destinations to host NTFF is a strategic one to ensure “better distribution of tourism”, PATA CEO Mario Hardy stated.
“Certain places like Bali, Bangkok and Venice have a huge concentration of tourists but other places in that country don’t receive as many tourists, so we want destinations and private players to promote new tourist destinations,” he added.
Welcoming PATA’s move to host events in new destinations, Syed Qadir, managing director of Dhaka-based Wonder Ways, said: “Lesser-known destinations need to be promoted for tourism globally for their economic development as well as for creation of employment opportunities.”
