The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) ‘s signature annual event, PATA Travel Mart, just concluded in Chengdu, China and the GSTC capitalised on the size and scope of the event to generate exposure thanks to the collaboration of the GSTC Market Access Working Group and GSTC member Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee (HSAC). The HSAC is the managing organisation dedicated to responsibly growing tourism in China’s top destination and in this opportunity, partnered with GSTC, staffing a booth, disseminating brochures and offering extra publicity to the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Prior to the event, Mr. Zhang Yangzhi and his staff at HSAC translated the Global Sustainable Tourism Guidelines for Hotels and Tour Operators into Chinese; some 2500 copies were distributed beyond the travel mart to include local universities with tourism programs. Hence, both organisations recognise the importance of cooperating and contributing to the development of universal sustainable practices and are planning on working collaboratively in the areas of advocacy, promotion and education to achieve their shared objectives.

Randy Durband, Chair, Market Access Working Group, partnered with HSAC to represent the GSTC at the Travel Mart booth.  He also represents the GSTC on PATA’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee, which also met in Chengdu prior to Travel Mart.

Earlier in April, the GSTC announced partnership with PATA, sealed in a memorandum of understanding and has strongly been building noticeable presence in Asia ever since. Clear examples of facilitating strategic partnership includes discussion to collaboration in PATA travel mart 2014 in Cambodia as well as the election of PATA’s Engagement Strategist and Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist, Ms. Chi Lo, to the GSTC Board of Directors, the organisation’s supreme authority. Ms. Lo also serves on the GSTC Knowledge Network Education & Training Working Group, and her appointment will bring newpartnerships and connections to strengthen relationships with the region.

The GSTC has a commitment to its members to maintain a strong and visible long term presence throughout the Asia Pacific region. As Mauro Marrocu, GSTC CEO asserted “Across the region, GSTC seeks to reinforce patterns of cooperation that willenable sustainable tourism development. Whilst we strongly believe in our global outreach, we recognise the immense potential of Asia’s tourism growth in particular, both outbound and inbound, to influence the adoption of our Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, supported in this by the excellent work of our GSTC-Recognised and GSTC-Approved Certification Partners. Our strong links with PATA and with Mt. Huangshan are of fundamental importance in this sense”.