Hong Kong Tourism Board and Intrepid DMC Nepal Named PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title Winners
Twenty Two Winning-Entries Announced for the 2024 PATA Gold Awards, Winners To Be Celebrated at PATA Travel Mart 2024
BANGKOK, July 18, 2024 -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 PATA Gold Awards, honouring organisations and individuals for their exceptional achievements and commitment to advancing tourism. Among them, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has been selected as the Grand Title Winner in the Marketing category for its "Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign," which also secured victories in two sub-categories. Similarly, Intrepid DMC Nepal's "More Intrepid Women for Nepal" campaign has been named the Grand Title winning-entry in the Sustainability and Social Responsibility category.
Since its inception in 1984, the PATA Gold Awards represents the true spirit of innovation, sustainability and the notion of tourism as a force for good. The awards are further distinguished by the voluntary participation of 23 independent expert judges from renowned organisations across the region. This prestigious celebration of excellence is generously sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), marking an impressive 29 consecutive years of collaboration.
“On behalf of PATA, I wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Macao Government Tourism Office for our long-standing partnership in powering the PATA Gold Awards 2024,” said PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid.
He added, “I am extremely delighted to note that we have received a significant number of high-quality submissions, with a 19% increase compared to the previous year. This is a clear sign that the travel and tourism sector is thriving and becoming more competitive than ever. We have witnessed tourism professionals putting more creativity and passion into their work to enhance the tourism economy. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the applicants and judges who have dedicate their time and efforts into making the PATA Gold Awards a possibility."
Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office said, “This year’s PATA Gold Award winners bring another colorful kaleidoscope of outstanding initiatives in marketing, along with sustainability and social responsibility in the tourism industry, which deserve our admiration. As Macao aims for more diversification in its development as a world center of tourism and leisure, we are honored to collaborate with PATA to help shape a vibrant yet responsible tourism industry across the Asia-Pacific region with the awards.”
This year’s winners across two broad categories, namely Marketing, and Sustainability & Social Responsibility, were selected from over 100 entries submitted by 47 travel and tourism organisations and individuals.
All 20 winners will be celebrated at the upcoming PATA Travel Mart 2024, to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand on August 28. To further honour these outstanding achievements, all 22 winning entries will be featured in the 2024 PATA Gold Awards booklet, to be published in August, and throughout PATA Travel Mart 2024.
As mentioned above, the PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Titles were presented to two esteemed organisations:
The Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR received the PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Marketing for its “Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign”. The campaign actively engaged all segments of society in the mission of recovery, inviting visitors to explore Hong Kong SAR’s natural beauty, rich heritage, culinary delights, and more through innovative marketing initiatives. By 2023, Hong Kong SAR had successfully achieved 68% of pre-pandemic visitor arrivals through this recovery campaign, contributing to the revitalisation in areas such as hotel occupancy rates, per capita spending, and length of stay.
The PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Sustainability and Social Responsibility was awarded to Intrepid DMC Nepal, for its “More Intrepid Women For Nepal” Initiative. This initiative fosters a workplace culture that not only recognises but actively nurtures the potential of women, ensuring their voices are heard and contributions valued at all organisational levels. By encouraging and facilitating active female participation in all levels of operation from office-based staff to local communities, Intrepid DMC Nepal has increased the number of women-led accommodation providers, supported women-led non-profit organisations, and highlighted success stories to inspire others, among other impactful initiatives.
The full result of the PATA Gold Awards 2024 and list of the distinguished judges is attached herewith.
PATA Gold Awards 2024 Grand Title Winners:
PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Marketing
Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SARSubmission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign
PATA Gold Award 2024 Grand Title in Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Winner: Intrepid DMC NepalSubmission: More Intrepid Women For Nepal
PATA Gold Award Winners 2024 – Marketing Category
Digital Marketing Campaign
Winner: Kerala Tourism, Government of Kerala, IndiaSubmission: Holiday Heist
Marketing Campaign (National - Asia)
Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR
Submission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign
Marketing Campaign (National - Pacific)
Winner: Tahiti Tourisme, French Polynesia
Submission: The Treasured Test
Marketing Campaign (State and city - Global)
Winner: Jeju Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)
Submission: Nurturing Jeju's Wellness Tourism Ecosystem
Marketing – Carrier
Winner: SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka
Submission: Colours of Jaffna
Marketing – Hospitality
Winner: Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macao, China
Submission: Studio City Water Park
Printed Marketing Campaign
Winner: Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR
Submission: Hello Hong Kong Recovery Campaign
Travel Video
Winner: Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia
Submission: Truly Wondrous, Nature & Rainforest
Travel Photograph
Winner: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand
Submission: Monk on the raft
Business Article
Winner: TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapore
Submission: Going green
Destination Article
Winner: Anabel Dean, Australia
Submission: The Simple Bear Necessities of Life
PATA Gold Award Winners 2024 - Sustainability & Social Responsibility
Climate Change Initiative
Winner: Jetwing Hotels Ltd., Sri Lanka
Submission: SolarPV Installations
Community-Based Tourism
Winner: Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal
Submission: Tourism Thrives when communities unite (Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project)Corporate and Social Responsibility
Winner: Sivatel Bangkok Hotel, Thailand
Submission: From Kitchen to Chicken and Beyond
Culture (Joint winners)
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration – DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Revitalizing the Unique Performing Arts and Traditional Local Wisdom of the Trai Trung Community through the Establishment of Cultural Community Tourism
and
Winner: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand
Submission: The Diversity of Southern Border
Heritage
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration – DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Building on Ancient Inspiration for Inter-generational Heritage of Sangkhalok Wares
Human Capital Development Initiative
Winner: Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China
Submission: Tourism Human Capital Development
Tourism Destination Resilience (Asia Pacific)
Winner: Korea Tourism Organization, Korea (ROK)
Submission: Rising Star! The Sustainable and Informational 'Stargazing Tourism' in Jeollanam-do Province, Republic of Korea (ROK)
Tourism for All
Winner: Gangneung City, Korea (ROK)
Submission: Gangneung Accessible Tourism City Establishment Project
Women Empowerment Initiative
Winner: Destination Asia
Submission: Empowering Marginalized Women in Bali
Youth Empowerment Initiative
Winner: Galaxy Entertainment Group, Macao, China
Submission: Nurturing Macau’s future leaders and cultivating our Team Members
Panel of Judges:
Mr. Anthony Hoglund, General Counsel, APAC, Amadeus IT Group, Thailand
Mr. Bernard Metzger, Founder & Chairman, Travelindex Group, United Kingdom
Mr. Bharat Nagpal, Director-Sales, Rate Gain Adara Inc., United Kingdom
Mrs. Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel Research, Euromonitor International, United Kingdom
Mr. Chad Shiver, VP Destination Marketing, Clicktripz, LLC, United States
Mr. David Hailstones, Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Bella Vista Institute of Higher Education Switzerland (BVIS), Switzerland
Mr. Ed Kastli, Vice President, International Sales, American hotel & Lodging Association (AHLEI), United States
Elif Balci Fisunoğlu, Deputy General Manager, Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), Türkiye
Emmanuelle Charotte, VP Business Development, ECA2 LIMITED, Hong Kong SAR
Ms. Hannah Pearson , Regional Director APAC, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), United States
Mr. Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director Asia PAcific, STR, Singapore
Ms. Jintana Borin, Head of Market Development, Cloudbeds, United States
Mr. John Williams, VP Advertising Sales, BBC Studios Singapore, Singapore
Mr. Jonathan Song, Director of Global Business Development, Plaza Premium Lounge Management Limited, Hong Kong SAR
Prof. Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR
Ms. Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), Spain
Professor Kumi Kato, PhD, Faculty of Tourism/Graduate School of Tourism, Wakayama University, Japan
Mr. Randy Durband, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), United States
Mr. Simon lloyd, Dean – Hospitality Management, Dusit Thani College, Thailand
Ms. Suyin Lee, Managing Director, Discova Travel, Singapore
Mr. Taichiro Ishida, Marketing Manager, Suruga Marketing & Tourism Bureau, Japan
Ms. Topaz Smith, Project Lead, Travel and Tourism, World Economic Forum (WEF), United States
Ms. Xin Mok, Community Lead, Aviation, Travel & Tourism, Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd., Singapore
