d' Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today announced the winners of the PATA Gold Awards 2020. Proudly supported and sponsored by the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) for the last 25 years, this year’s awards recognise the achievements of 23 organizations and individuals.
PATA presented 20 Gold Awards to such organizations as Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts; Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka; Designated Areas for Sustainable Development Administration (DASTA); Kazakh Tourism National Company JSC; Macao Government Tourism Office; Mekong River Tourism; Outrigger Hospitality Group; Sampan Travel; SriLankan Airlines Ltd.; Taylor’s University; Tourism Authority of Thailand, and TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd.
The winners were announced during the Online PATA Gold Awards Presentation as part of Virtual PATA Travel Mart 2020, taking place from September 23-27.
Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of MGTO, said, “I commend all PATA Gold Awards participants for keeping alive the spirit of innovation, helping to raise the bar across all sectors of the industry. As we look forward to restarting tourism in the ‘new normal’, more than ever we will have to come up with solutions ‘outside the box’ to ensure that tourism is not only safe, but also seamless and appealing. Macao is honored for its long-standing support to PATA in this inspiring initiative, on our way to transform the city into a world center of tourism and leisure.”
PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy added, “On behalf of PATA, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all PATA Gold Award winners and Grand Title winners, and I would also like to thank all of this year’s participants. The achievements of this year’s winners will hopefully inspire and encourage our industry to create new responsible and sustainable initiatives as we look towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first year that we announced the winners live and it was an absolute pleasure to celebrate their accomplishments during the Online PATA Gold Awards Presentation.”
The PATA Grand Title Winners were presented to outstanding entries in three principal categories: Marketing, Sustainability, and Human Capital Development.
Kerala Tourism, India received the PATA Gold Award 2020 Grand Title Winner in Marketing for Education and Training for its “Human by Nature Print Campaign”. In August 2018, unprecedented heavy Monsoon rain devastated Kerala. The ordinary people of Kerala, the fishermen, students, working professionals, and villagers emerged as the Heroes of the Flood. The campaign is drawn from the everyday life of people in the five diverse terrains of Kerala and explores the fascinating ‘humanscape’ of the land. The idea emerged from travelers who began to perceive ‘human’ encounters in Kerala as a unique, enriching experience. Moreover, the campaign which promotes ordinary people as brand ambassadors of the land is built on the idea of a common humanity that connects the travelers with Keralites and the fact that everyday life in its reality is one of the most exceptional experiences that Kerala offers.
The Grand Title Winner in Sustainability was presented to YAANA Ventures, Thailand, for the Anurak Community Lodge. Anurak Community Lodge in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, is a Travelife Gold certified eco-lodge for active lifestyle visitors who respect nature and local community traditions. Surrounded by spectacular limestone karst scenery, the lodge is an ideal base to explore adjacent Khao Sok National Park and majestic Chiew Larn Lake. Anurak’s operation since opening in 2016 has been guided by an ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle. Guests and staff are encouraged to save energy and water. Single-use plastic, Styrofoam and cardboard plates are banned. Plastic straws have been replaced with bamboo and metal ones. An onsite recycling station has been set up, along with a composting area. A grey water treatment filter system for laundry wastewater is in place. Water from that system is being used on the Rainforest Rising project, Anurak’s project to return two rai (3,226 sqm; 0.8 acres) of former palm oil plantation beside the lodge to indigenous lowland evergreen forest by 2023.
The Grand Title Winner in Human Capital Development was bestowed to MGM China, Macao, China for its “Unleashing Greatness – MGM’s Human Capital Development Initiative”. Guided by MGM’s vision of “Unleashing Greatness for all”, they aim to unleash the greatness of their constituents through sustainable development of its employees, communities and responsible tourism. They build a sustainable world-class hospitality workforce with a strong learning culture that engages employees and lifelong learning. Their best-in-class 74 training hours per head per year validates our commitment and achievement in this endeavor. MGM practices responsible citizenships to ensure localization of staff and the sustainable development of its extended communities. Their initiatives include scholarships for local students, internship opportunities, community outreach program, youth leadership development, etc. One example is its pioneering free online sign language lessons to the community in Macao, China.
Open to both PATA and non-PATA members, this year’s Awards attracted a total of 121 entries from 62 travel and tourism organizations and individuals.
PATA Grand Title Gewënner 2020
1. PATA Grand Title Winner 2020
Marketing
Human By Nature Print Campaign
Kerala Tourismus, Indien
2. PATA Grand Title Winner 2020
Nohaltegkeet
Anurak Gemeinschaft Lodge
YAANA Ventures, Thailand
3. PATA Grand Title Winner 2020
Entwécklung vum mënschleche Kapital
Unleashing Greatness – MGM’s Human Capital Development Initiative
MGM China, Macao, China
PATA Gold Award Gewënner 2020
1. PATA Gold Award 2020
Marketing Campagne (National - Asien)
Macao’s Mobile Cafe 2019
Macao Government Tourism Office USA, Macao, China
2. PATA Gold Award 2020
Marketing Campagne (Staat a Stad - Global)
Script Your Adventure 2019
Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, India
3. PATA Gold Award 2020
Marketing - Carrier
Next Door Neighbors
SriLankan Airlines Ltd., Sri Lanka
4. PATA Gold Award 2020
Marketing - Gaaschtfrëndlechkeet
Pu’er Red Panda Manor
Mekong River Tourism, China
5. PATA Gold Award 2020
Marketing - Industrie
Slow Travel Myanmar
Sampan Travel, Myanmar
6. PATA Gold Award 2020
Digital Marketing Campagne
Sustainable Gastronomy – The Great Green Food Journey, Macao, Celebrating Creativity, Sustainability and Culture
Macao Regierung Tourismus Büro, Macao, China
7. PATA Gold Award 2020
Gedréckt Marketing Campagne
Taichung – Perfect Weekend
Tourism and Travel Bureau, Taichung City Government, Taiwan
8. PATA Gold Award 2020
Rees Video
Travelstan
Kazakh Tourism National Company JSC, Kazakhstan
9. PATA Gold Award 2020
Rees Foto
A Beautiful Bond, Ban Nong Bua Elephant Village, Surin
Tourismus Autoritéit vun Thailand, Thailand
10. PATA Gold Award 2020
Destinatioun Artikel
Thai Left Bank
Dr. John Borthwick, Australia
11. PATA Gold Award 2020
Business Artikel
Food For The Soul
TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapur
12. PATA Gold Award 2020
Klimawandel Initiative
Outrigger’s Zone (OZONE)
Outrigger Hospitality Group, Hawaii
13. PATA Gold Award 2020
Gemeinschaftlech a Sozial Verantwortung
Banyan Tree 25th Anniversary Global Sustainability Initiatives
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Singapore
14. PATA Gold Award 2020
Gemeinschaft baséiert Tourismus
Community Homestay Network
Royal Mountain Travel, Nepal
15. PATA Gold Award 2020
Kultur
Alishan Tea Culture Performance and Sustainable Development
Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Taiwan
16. PATA Gold Award 2020
Heritage
Rainforest Ecolodge (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka
17. PATA Gold Award 2020
Tourismus fir All
Virtual Tourism for Senior Citizens
Taylor’s University, Malaysia
18. PATA Gold Award 2020
Women Empowerment Initiative
Supporting and Promoting Women’s Career Development of Tourism Products of the “Nan-Ner-Jaow” Brand
Designated Areas for Sustainable Development Administration (DASTA), Thailand
19. PATA Gold Award 2020
Youth Empowerment Initiative
DASTA NAN Youth Club (DNYC)
Designated Areas for Sustainable Development Administration (DASTA), Thailand
20. PATA Gold Award 2020
Human Capital Entwécklung Initiative
The IFTM Tourism Education Student Summit (TEd Summit) Event
Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao, China
