MGTO Director Elected as PATA Vice Chairman, Chairman-Elect

The Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), João Manuel Costa Antunes has been elected as Vice Chairman of PATA for the year 2010-2012. He is also Chairman-Elect for the next term.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to building responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. MGTO has been a member of PATA for over half a century since 1958 and is one of its strongest supporters.

PATA currently has over 800 full members and 7,474 chapter members around the globe. The membership boasts about 104 government, state and city tourism bodies, 51 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies.

PATA Chapter is the foundation of the Association with 39 chapters all over the world, of which PATA Macau Chapter was set up in 1983, it has over 70 members at present.

There has been a close tie between Macau and PATA. MGTO has participated in different tourism events and activities organized by PATA. Between 1980 and 2002, PATA conducted 5 task force projects to provide guidelines and recommendations of tourism development in Macau. These projects include “Macau – A study of Tourism Development” in 1980 regarding the balance between preservation and tourism development; “Macau Education Task Force” in 1990 that concerning overall education and training framework to meet short and long term manpower needs; “Macau tourism in Transition” in 1994 which is about development of a MICE destination; “Macau Tourism Marketing – A new Focus for the Millennium” in 1996 which talked about setting up overseas representation office; “A study of the Future of Macau’s Tourism and its International Airport in the Context of the Pearl River Delta Region” in 2002 regarding market diversification and interrelationship between aviation network and marketing promotion. MGTO has also been supporting the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon since 1996.

 In 2005, the 54th PATA Annual Conference was held in Macau. Antunes was awarded PATA Life Membership the same year. Previous to the appointment as the Chairman-Elect, he played a role as the member of Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Audi & Finance Committee, Honours Committee, as well as Chair in the Nominating Committee and Government/Destination Committee.

According to the bylaws of PATA, the Chairman-Elect will serve for a two-year term with immediate effect, and shall succeed to the Office of Chairman upon expiration of the preceding Chairman’s term, for another two years.

PATA Travel Mart 2010 will be held in September in Macau.

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