PATA has announced the winners of the 2015 PATA Grand and Gold Awards, an initiative that recognises the achievements of organisations and individuals in the tourism industry.
The PATA Grand Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment; and Heritage & Culture.
Taylor’s University, Malaysia will receive the 2015 PATA Grand Award for Education and Training for its ‘Tourism Academy at Community College Langkawi, Malaysia’ project, an initiative that aims to make Langkawi among the top 10 tourism island destinations with qualified manpower in the service sectors.
The Environmental Award will be presented to Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka, for its ‘The Success of Self-reliance’ project. Set within the outskirts of the Yala National Park, the hotel was created to be as sustainable as possible, by conserving energy and being part of the environment without harming it.
The Heritage and Culture Award will be awarded to Ratchada Niramit, Thailand for its ‘Siam Niramit Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Siam’. The world-class performance aims not only to introduce Thai arts and culture to the world, but also to make Thai people take pride in their culture.
The Marketing Award goes to Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for its ‘Follow Me to Hong Kong’ campaign, where world-renowned Instagram couple, Murad Osmann and Natalia Zakharova, were invited to Hong Kong to capture romantic photos and share them on social media. This increased the city’s exposure as a travel destination via the couple’s personal experiences.
The awards luncheon and presentation will take place at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on September 8 during the PATA Travel Mart 2015.
For the full list of award winners, click here.
