The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is set to organise the PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 (PDFM 2023) from June 21-23 this year. The event will be held in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia.
Supported by Sarawak Tourism Board, PDFM 2023 will feature four components: destination experiences, a conference, a B2B adventure travel trade show with one-to-one meetings, and various networking opportunities.
The event provides an opportunity for tourism professionals to gain first-hand practical experience and knowledge in marketing and managing attractions, tourism products, and services that are relatively unknown by both trade and consumers to a global audience in a responsible and sustainable manner.
PATA chair Peter Semone said: “As the travel and tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region is seeing positive signs of recovery, the inaugural PATA Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 looks to highlight the best practices in destination marketing and destination management in support of a responsible and sustainable recovery for the region.”
Focusing on Ecotourism, Gastronomy Tourism, Adventure Travel, Wellness (particularly Sensory Nature Activities), Destination Management and Digital Marketing, the three-day programme begins with a one-day destination experience through a choice of technical tours, followed by a conference and travel mart spread across two full days, as well as various networking opportunities throughout the programme.
With gastronomy tourism being one of the themes of PDFM 2023, Sarawak Tourism Board’s CEO Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor said the theme suits Sarawak perfectly, as its capital city Kuching was recognised as the City of Gastronomy by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2021.
Attractions at the host destination include pristine rainforests, orangutans, the world’s largest flower – the Rafflesia, the Borneo Cultures Museum, and the rare proboscis monkey endemic to Borneo at the oldest national park in Sarawak, Bako National Park.
Buyers, sellers, and conference delegates can register and enjoy early bird rates until February 15.
After PDFM 2023, delegates can also extend their stay and visit the Rainforest World Music Festival, which takes place from June 23-25 – they will receive complimentary access to the first night of the festival on June 23 and ticket discounts for the full event.
