Following the opening ceremony officiated by Weizheng Fan, Vice-Mayor of the People’s Government of Sanya City, Sanya Tourism Board Director General Albert Yip announced the launch of the “Tropical Coastal Cities Tourism Alliance” initiative. 

PATA Ambassador for Greater China Soon-Hwa Wong and UN Tourism Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific Harry Hwang also spoke during the ceremony to set the stage for the exciting event!

The event featured 3 parallel insight-sharing sessions: 

- ‘The Next Wave: Shaping the Future of Tourism Marketing in Tropical Coastal Cities,’ moderated by PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid 

- ‘Global Tourism Quality: Best Practices for Tourism Services Management’ 

- ‘Indigenous Tourism: Enriching Journeys and Supporting Local Communities’

Joseph M. Cheer, Professor of Sustainable Tourism and Heritage and Associate Dean at the International School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, also delivered a presentation on the need for destinations to provide a meaningful experience for travellers in the session ‘Beyond the Beach: The Shift Towards Deeper, Meaningful Travel Experiences.’

The event also welcomed a significant number of PATA members from the Pacific region, including representatives from Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Maldives!