The Pacific Asia Travel Association UK & Ireland is to hold its annual flagship event Taste of Pata virtually in association with Travel Uni.
The event, which aims to showcase the Pacific Asia region, will be rebranded Experience Pata and take place over three weeks from September 1-18 with a variety of masterclasses, videos, and live training sessions for agents.
There will be three 90-minute Experience Live training sessions for agents to join on September 3, 10 and 17 followed by seven-minute meetings with suppliers online.
New for this year will be a ‘virtual passport’ initiative. Agents can complete a virtual passport by collecting a ‘stamp’ and a keyword from each supplier to go into a prize draw.
Live destination masterclasses will be held every Tuesday and Wednesday, hosted by sponsors. They will include question and answer sessions and the chance to win spot prizes. They will also be available to watch at another time via Pata’s Facebook page.
There will also be a host of short videos from suppliers on Pata’s Facebook page for agents to watch to improve their product knowledge between September 1-18.
It hopes to link more than 100 agents with more than 30 suppliers. Sponsors include Tourism Australia; Outrigger Resorts; Tourism Thailand; Philippine Department of Tourism; Taiwan Tourism Bureau; and Travel Uni.
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Sharon Anderson, Pata trade and events executive, said: “Agents can sign up for all three Experience Live sessions for the chance to meet all exhibitors and win the top prize. They can sign up for individual masterclasses to tailor their learning to the sessions that interest them. The masterclasses and a variety of training videos will also be streamed on our Facebook page and added to our website & Travel Uni’s so there’s lots of ways to engage and learn.”
Prizes agents can win during the three week event include: ‘adopt a koala’ from the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, courtesy of Tourism Australia; a five-night stay at Outrigger Resorts, half board for two people; theatre tickets to La Perle in Dubai, £30 John Lewis/Waitrose vouchers; Thai meal kits and a variety of other stays at hotels and resorts across the region.
Ian Dockreay, training spokesman for Pata and managing director of Travel Uni and Equator Learning said: “This new virtual experience will really reinforce our key objective of training and educating travel agents, and the industry as a whole, on Pacific Asia’s offering. Experience PATA Live will provide agents with the opportunity to connect and forge relationships with suppliers, together with showcasing the world leading destinations and products the region has to offer.”
To register agents should visit pata.org.uk/experience.
