Asian tour operators association plans two main events for 2004

Thailand will host a couple of major events in 2004 planned by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). On the one hand, the Mekong’s Ninth PATA Tourism Forum to be held in the northern Thai location of Chiang Mai from March 26 through 28.

A few months later –from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1- the Thai capital, Bangkok, will put on its best bib and tucker for the 27th edition of the PATA Travel Mart.

Both events will be attended by hundreds of professionals from the hospitality industry, chiefly scores of purchasers, that will choose what products to include in their travel packages.

“We’re delighted with Thailand’s decision to pick Chiang Mai as the host city for the Mekong’s PATA Tourism Forum,” PATA president Peter de Jong pointed out.

For Thai tourism authorities, organizers will go a long way, setting Chiang Mai –a city that’s been known as Thailand’s North Rose for ages- as a bridge linking all Mekong countries.

The forum, planned in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Asian Development Bank, is penciled in as the number-one leisure industry event for the Mekong, a region that embraces Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Chinese province of Southern Yunnan.