aw_GA-2012.pdf

In this PATA Gold Award 2012 winners’ showcase souvenir CD-Rom, the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA) is proud to honour the outstanding achievements
of the 21 organisations and individuals this year that are receiving the PATA
Grand and Gold Awards.
During a special luncheon at PATA Annual Conference, four Grand Awards will
be presented to the ‘Best-Of’ winners in the categories of Education and Training,
Environment, Heritage and Culture, and Marketing Campaign.
A total of 23 Gold Awards will be also presented to winning entries in the
above-mentioned categories as well as in Marketing Media (seven sub-groups)
and Travel Journalism (four sub-groups).
The 2012 PATA Gold Awards, open to members and non-members of the
Association, attracted a total of 180 entries from 79 organisations and individuals
from the public and private sector of the travel-and-tourism industry.
PATA wishes to acknowledge the generous support of the Macau Government
Tourist Office for again sponsoring the PATA Gold Awards.

Message from the Government of the
Macau Special Administrative Region

The PATA Gold Awards are a celebration of innovation and excellence in tourism industry, and
on behalf of the Macau Special Administrative Region Government, we are honoured to have this
opportunity to congratulate the winners whose achievements have crystallized these qualities.
Over the years, the PATA Gold Awards offered precious opportunities for individuals and organizations
across a wide spectrum of the tourism industry to showcase their outstanding contributions in developing
and promoting travel and tourism in Asia Pacific. As a long serving member of PATA, the Macau
Government Tourist Office is proud to be the sponsor of the PATA Gold Awards for the 17th consecutive year and to
pay tribute to those who not only have shown professionalism, passion and perseverance in their own field, but who
also serve as role models for others to follow.
I wish to thank PATA for organizing this prestigious awards programme and once again, congratulations to all the
winners of the 2012 PATA Gold Awards. We trust that your achievements will encourage the travel and tourism industry
to continue to excel and live up to any challenges that might come.
Cheong U
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government

PATA Gold Awards 2012
Judging Committee
AR Neethiahnanthan
Dean
Taylor’s University
School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts, Malaysia
Dale Lawrence
President
Skal International - Bangkok, Thailand
Dieter Burckhardt
International Marketing Executive
Bangkok Hospital, Thailand
Justin Malcolm
General Manager, Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort
Chairman, PATA Chiang Rai Chapter, Thailand
Chuck Yim Gee, Dr
Regent, UH System
Dean Emeritus, UH School of Travel Industry
Management, USA
Daniel Herron
LASplash Magazine, USA
Fanny Vong, Dr
President
Institute for Tourism Studies, Macau SAR
Kaye Chon, Ph D, CHE
Dean
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Hong Kong SAR

Li Hong
Director
Hangzhou Tourism Commission, China
Mandip Singh Soin FRGS
Founder and Managing Director
Ibex Expeditions Private Limited, India
Nicha Chatinan
Co-Founder
MellowMellow, Thailand
SanJeet
Director
Durga Das Publications Private Limited, India
PATA Gold Awards 2012
Judging Committee
Matthew McDougall, Dr
Group CEO & Executive Chairman
SinoTech Group, China
Markus Keller
Regional Director of Sales & Distribution - Asia Pacific
Sales & Distribution
Accor
Renton de Alwis
Writer and Social Activist, Sri Lanka
Steve White
Editor-in-chief
Action Asia, Hong Kong SAR

PATA Gold Awards 2012
Judging Committee
Teresa Xin
Deputy General Manager
China World Hotel/China World Summit Wing, China
PATA Gold Awards Project Manager
Parita Niemwongse
PATA Communications

PATA Grand Awards
2012
Education and Training
Passport to Success
Lao National Institute of Tourism
and Hospitality, Laos
Environment
7 Greens Concept
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Heritage and Culture
Heritance Tea Factory
Heritance Hotels and Resorts,Sri Lanka
Marketing
Rugby World Cup 2011 Marketing Campaign
Tourism New Zealand

Education and Training
Passport to Success
Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Laos
www.Lanith.com
As part of the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality’s (Lanith) mandate to improve
the quality of human resources in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s (Lao PDR) tourism
sector, an innovative skills training programme called Passport to Success has been designed.
It is to enhance the existing workforce’s capacity to deliver quality tourism services. Passport
to Success has been launched in five key tourism provinces of Lao PDR (Vientiane city,
Luang Prabang, Xiengkhuang, Khammouane, and Champassak). Since its inception
in mid-2011, the workforce development scheme has issued over 250 Passports and awarded
some 650 Passport stamps (statements of attainment) to employees of leading tourism companies,
such as Lao Airlines, as well as the country’s leading hotels, guesthouses and travel agencies.
Passport to Success offers a range of training modules in core, generic and functional topics in
six distinct labour divisions. It enables Lao PDR’s existing tourism sector workforce access to
continuous professional development and up-skilling. All Passport to Success modules are based
on ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals (ACCSTP) and focus on the
development of competencies and new knowledge that programme participants can immediately
apply in their workplace.
Passport to Success answers the need for lifelong learning and upskilling of the existing workforce.
As the programme grows from strength to strength in 2012 and beyond, it will provide people
working in hotels, airlines, travel agencies and attractions with the confidence and aptitude
to satisfy the needs of demanding international travellers. This will allow Lao PDR to shift
from a destination dominated by relatively low-spend backpackers and regional travellers
to one that can attract international up-market travellers seeking relaxation, soft adventure and
nature.
“Similar programmes might have existed, but this is a very well structured programme to enhance
the service capacity of tourism personnel that other institutions can follow. The logbook/passport
provides a guide for self-paced learning, motivates small steps of achievement and provides
recognition of trainee’s skills improvement” - Judge’s comment

Environment
7 Greens Concept
Tourism Authority of Thailand
www.tourismthailand.org/campaign/en/
www.tatnews.org/tat_news/3852.asp
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai tourism industry are jointly pursuing green
initiatives in an effort to maintain the delicate balance between tourism promotion and environmental
protection to ensure long-term sustainability.
Promoted under the 7 Greens Concept, the initiative aims to protect and preserve the environment
and restore environmental quality by raising environmental awareness. By promoting increased
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) it involves the active participation and support of all tourism
stakeholders. These include state agencies involved in promoting tourism, private sector tourism
operators and tourism-related service providers, as well as public and non-governmental organisations,
communities, media representatives and individual tourists, both Thai and foreign.
The 7 Greens Concept include Green Heart, Green Logistics, Green Attraction, Green Community,
Green Activity, Green Service and Green Plus.
Various special events have been initiated including workshops, seminars and campaigns
attracting over 1,300 participants in major cities nationwide. The events received extensive media
coverage in print and online channels with TV, radio, billboards, social media and web site
coverage.
“TAT has demonstrated its leadership in the development of a comprehensive environmental
concept for sustainable, green tourism in Thailand. By coordinating between the government and
private sectors, press and academic institutes, it has gained the endorsement of a significant
number of internal and external parties. These are concrete ways to bring sustainable tourism to
the travelling public, to ensure the long term protection of the environment, while also continuing to
support the tourism industry” - Judge’s comment

Heritage and Culture
Heritance Tea Factory
Heritance Hotels and Resorts, Sri Lanka
www.heritancehotels.com/teafactory/
Heritance Tea Factory is a four star theme hotel located on a 25-acre lush green tea estate, which
maintains the authentic atmosphere of living in a tea factory. In the mountain range, which gave
the world Pure Ceylon Tea, the hotel began as a factory built in the days of the British Raj in the
19th century. It has been converted while preserving much of the original style and machinery;
reminiscent of the past yet perfectly blending in the innovations of the present.
Being the highest located factory/hotel in Sri Lanka, Heritage Tea Factory is a reminder of the past
in a perfect blend with innovations of the present. From the architecture, to every space within the
hotel, the story of tea is told and a “Total Tea Experience” is offered, creating one of Sri Lanka’s
best attractions. The hotel actively participates in integrating the endemic culture of the area,
giving prominence and a sense of recognition to the communities who have contributed to the
development of the tea industry in Sri Lanka.
“By converting a historic tea factory into a productive tourism entity, the Heritance Tea Factory
benefits the local community of Kandopola in terms of jobs and employment, training for workers,
economic distribution through the supply chain, and visitor education. The project has already won
a number of awards. It deserves recognition from PATA” - Judge’s comment

Marketing
Rugby World Cup 2011 Marketing Campaign
Tourism New Zealand
www.newzealand.com
Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) was the biggest international event ever to be held in New
Zealand and is the third largest sporting event in the world with a cumulative global television
audience of four billion. Staged every four years, it involves 20 national teams and their fans, with
48 matches played over six weeks.
The delivery of the tournament itself and all the rugby or sporting elements were organised by
Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd (RNZ 2011) which was jointly owned by the New Zealand Rugby
Union (NZRU) and the New Zealand Government. Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) was charged
with co-ordinating the tourism sector and marketing the tournament globally to maximize visitor
numbers. Initial estimates were that the tournament would attract 65,000 international visitors.
TNZ devised a comprehensive marketing plan to achieve this target and deliver an exceptional
visitor experience: a four-year, four-phase approach. Alongside its many stakeholders and
partners, TNZ conducted a major four-phase integrated marketing, advertising, and PR campaign
that included numerous significant events, international media hosting, the use of digital strategies
and a social media programme.
RWC 2011 was a resounding success on and off the field, with high acclaim from teams, supporters,
international media and the 133,200 visitors who enjoyed a six-week long national party. From July
1, 2011 all international visitors answered a question on their immigration arrival card as to whether
they were visiting for the RWC 2011. Final international visitor arrivals were 133,200 up 56% on
the revised forecast and double the original estimated figure of 65,000. Top line market research
carried out by TNZ with visitors showed that 98.5% were satisfied or highly satisfied with their RWC
2011 experience, 93% said they wanted to return to New Zealand, and 97.5% said they would
recommend New Zealand as a travel destination to other people.
“The programme successfully positioned New Zealand as a major event host and superb tourism
destination” - Judge’s comment

PATA Gold Awards
2012
Marketing
Primary Government Destination
Secondary Government Destination
Allied Partner
Industry

Marketing
Primary Government Destination
A Million Experiences to Share
Tourism Malaysia
http://corporate.tourism.gov.my
Tourism Malaysia launched “A Million Experiences to Share” campaign aiming to meet growing
demands of ASEAN travellers by highlighting the myriad of experiences Malaysia offers, with
the intention of also giving Malaysian tourists experiences they would love to share with others.
Diverse experiences in Malaysia have been highlighted in this campaign, including value shopping,
unspoilt beaches, street food, gourmet delights, adrenaline-pumping adventure, nightlife and
parties, concerts and performances, massage in the city, and nature spas.
Genre-specific ads were developed for respective markets and appeared in various online, offline,
and out-off home channels from mid-June 2011. Campaign results as of November 2011 showed
that traffic to the Tourism Malaysia website registered huge growth during the campaign. Visits
from Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, even overtook Singaporeans who were the highest the
previous quarter. There was a whopping 619% increase in Tourism Malaysia website traffic from
ASEAN markets during the campaign.
“The campaign successfully captured and highlighted Malaysia’s strength of multiple attractions
and experience.” - Judge’s comment

Marketing
Secondary Government Destination
The White Rann
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, India
www.gujarattourism.com
The White Rann is a lyrical visual telescoping of the history of the vibrant and colourful land of
Kachchh that is located in Gujarat state in western India. The White Rann, the limitless expanse
of the white desert in Kachchh, is beautifully described in this book. Many monuments, cities and
people of this unique region are given life in the book’s pages. The book is a useful guide to
tourists and serves as a starting point to researchers who want to explore the vastness of the
region of Kachchh. The Kachchh region today is a gateway to past Indian civilisations. Also, traces
of the ancient maritime civilisation of India are all over the long coastline of Kachchh, which is
dotted with many ports, both ancient and modern. Its water bodies are ideal destinations for
millions of migratory birds which come from distant lands. The arts and crafts and the traditional
architecture and textile traditions of Kachchh are world famous. They are celebrated in the book.
But the book’s main focus is on the silence and serenity of the White Rann, a source of great
spirituality.
“The White Rann is unique – and beautifully developed from tourism point of view” - Judge’s comment.

Marketing
Allied Partner
www.germany.travel: Multilingual Web Site for Destination Germany
German National Tourist Board
www.germany.travel
The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) launched a multilingual website for destination
Germany www.germany.travel in April 2011. Designed in 26 languages for the Asian market, the
web site uses over 2,000 visually stunning images, 300 videos, panoramic shots, slide shows
and a video gallery. The web site delivers convenience through automatic optimisation for smart
phones and tablet PCs. The web site offers powerful tools to increase the GNTB publications’
range of coverage. Content is available completely or selectively in print, in PDF format, via email,
shared on social media platforms, and can also be used offline (e.g. on CDs and USB sticks). The
primary target groups are international consumers, journalists, tour operators, young people,
families, barrier-free travellers, honeymooners, and travellers aged 50+.
“It is a high quality look and feel web site. Top marks for image quality and image selection and
diverse information about Germany. The interactive map invites the user to play with its various
features. The web site creates real interest and makes one want to travel to Germany” - Judge’s
comment

Marketing
Industry
5th Anniversary Integrated Travel Trade Marketing Campaign
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong
http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort launched the “Anniversary Celebration in the Air” marketing
campaign to mark the attraction’s 5th anniversary. The resort leveraged the occasion to thank travel trade
partners. The marketing initiative generated sales momentum over the event’s year-long duration.
To build Anniversary buzz early, an integrated travel trade marketing campaign engaged trade partners
on multiple phrases and on multiple levels. Some 200 leading trade partners were invited for a
pre-launch “Disney Travel Trade Summit – Celebrating 5 Magical Years.” In overseas markets, the
trade launch helped partners convey the 5th Anniversary message to guests with a series of briefing
events with a total attendance of more than 1,600 trade partners and more than 1,200 travel agents
across Asia. Throughout the year, trade advertising, cooperative marketing activities, and special
events and promotions with airline partners were all carried out.
By leveraging Disney’s creativity, innovation and imagination, the campaign achieved quantifiable
business results and further strengthened relationships. It also laid the foundation for a future which
will include a US$460 million expansion programme with three new themed areas.
“Disney’s integrated marketing campaign was an effective showcase of its core values of creativity,
innovation and ability to deliver magical moments” - Judge’s comment

PATA Gold Awards
2012
Environment
Ecotourism Project
Corporate Environmental Programme
Educational Programme

Environment
Ecotourism Project
Organic Agriculture Project, Sukhothai Airport
Tourism Authority of Thailand and Natural Rice Co Ltd, Thailand
www.tourismthailand.org
www.kaohomsukhothai.com
The Organic Agriculture Project at Sukhothai Airport was initiated in 2003 and has developed to
cover over 150 acres with another 150 being anticipated for the next few years. Natural Rice is the
owner of the project. It aims to promote agricultural practices for better health and to promote a
respect for nature. The project produces organic rice, vegetables and fruits to supply companies
such as Bangkok Airways, the Sukhothai Heritage Resort and Bangkok Air Catering. The project
offers visitors a chance to experience first-hand the lives of the millions of farmers who grow rice
without chemicals, artificial colouring and genetically modified organisms.
Various activities are available for visitors, from short half-day visits to three days of intensive
training. Tourists can enjoy activities such as an overview presentation of the project, a ride on a
farm truck with a local guide, lessons in cooking easy Thai dishes using local farm products, the
early morning collection duck eggs, riding buffalos the traditional way, working in the farm and
doing craft work.
“It is an excellent project. It achieves its purpose of raising awareness of environmental issues while
increasing the number of visitors. The local community also benefits from better environmental
practices as well as revenues from responsible tourism” - Judge’s comment.

Environment
Corporate Environmental Programme
Jetwing SEA - Agreener Vision
Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka
www.jetwinghotels.com
Jetwing Seashells was reborn as Jetwing Sea on January 15, 2011 to re-affirm Jetwing Hotels’
commitment to green policies incorporating many new ways to be more energy efficient and
preserve the environment. The commitment to green policies played a vital role at every stage
of the reconstruction of Jetwing Sea. Several initiatives were taken to make the hotel even more
energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Some initiatives included 100% lighting through CFL,
LED and T5, solar power for guest room lighting, a solar powered hot water system, a biomass
boiler for hot water generator during night time, LED backlit guest room TVs, key-card control over
guest room lighting, dual set-point thermostats for room air-conditioning controllers, energy efficient
central chillers for air-conditioning, the sub-metered supply of electricity and water to control waste,
the maximum use of natural ventilation to avoid mechanical ventilation, and the creation of an
in-house sewage treatment plant to recycle waste water.
Since it has just been one year since the re-launch of the hotel as Jetwing Sea, tangible results
in the form of an audit are not yet available. However, measures are at present being taken to
gauge quantitatively how environmental initiatives have impacted the growth of business. What
is clear is that being green has made the property a preferred choice when compared to similarly
priced hotels. Jetwing Sea has become a natural top-of-mind option for chic, eco savvy travellers
who seek an environmentally responsible hotel for their holiday. The growth in numbers as well
as in the ‘quality’ of guests has been remarkable. There is a significant increase in the number of
high-spending tourists to Jetwing Sea.
“The extent to which Jetwing Sea has implemented green technologies is impressive and sets
a high bar for others to aspire to. The commitment of the management and engagement of
the staff is clear through initiatives such as the Resident Naturalist, community involvement,
the comprehensive study of environmental and cost impacts, and internal meetings and audits”
- Judge’s comment

Environment
Educational Programme
Frangipani Langkawi Waste Water System
The Frangipani langkawi Resort & Spa Malaysia, Malaysia
www.frangipanilangkawi.com
The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa Malaysia focuses on raising awareness of enviromental
issues among management, staff, the local community and guests. They have conducted educating
and training for staff on environmental practice, having rewarding systems for going green, and
educating schools, local government, the food industry, the hotel industry, the travel industry,
villagers and community leaders, to be partners in making Langkawi green. For the resort’s staff,
it is compulsory for all staff to attend training on the 4R’s concept in every division of the resort
especially the waste water treatment system to create a healthy and rich ecosystem.
Representatives from universities in the region visited the resort to do research on the waste water
treatment system. In order to share the green knowledge accumulated by the resort, members from
local authorities were invited to view the waste water system. The system treats water to such an
extent that it meets the Malaysian standard for drinking. After their visit, the local authorities agreed
to co-operate with the resort to treat Anak Tasik, a polluted lake located in the area.
The resort’s core strategy is to provide an island holiday experience on one of Malaysia’s premier
resort destinations. In tandem with this, the management is trying to establish a model that can be
used by other resorts in the region that want to reduce their impact upon the environment. One of
the aims of the resort is to co-exist with the local community within an environment that is not overly
affected by the resort’s development. While it is impossible to build a resort and not create some
environmental disturbance, it is possible to substantially reduce these impacts. And that is their
ultimate goal – to operate a profitable resort that has minimal impact on the environment.
It is a wonderful initiative. The wastewater system is vital among many environmental issues.
It deserves everybody’s attention” - Judge’s comment

PATA Gold Awards
2012
Heritage
Culture
Education and Training

Heritage
Heritage
Ban Na Ton Chan Community
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand
www.tourismthailand.org
The Ban Na Ton Chan Community is located in Sukhothai province, established more than 200
years ago. Most of the people are descendants from the ancient Lanna kingdom. The villagers here
believe that “humans are a part of nature and, therefore, everything should go to maintain a balance
between humans and nature”.
The villagers of Ban Na Ton Chan formed the Career Development Fund and Ban Na Ton Chan
Homestay Tourism Community with participation in management by all villagers. The Ban Na Ton
Chan Homestay Project has 20 member families and can accommodate up to 70 people.
The “Elephant Sanctuary” is a house providing safety and rehabilitation for tortured and neglected
elephants. It is located around 2 km from the community. Stray elephants in big cities will be
returned to nature here, with philanthropists donating money to rehabilitate the elephants. The
elephants here will be allowed to roam freely and feed themselves naturally, with no human control
by hooks, chains, training to haul logs, or for shows. There are around nine elephants here now.
Female villagers show tourists how to cook Thai food and provide knowledge on how to prepare
herbs and vegetables grown locally.
All members of the Ban Na Ton Chan Homestay Group share the responsibility to take visitors
to stay at their houses. The host family leads tours of the village. The benefits from the sales of
products such as woven-cloth and others are divided equally among the members. All the members
bring their products to store at the exhibition building of the community. The marketing department
is in charge of selling them and dividing the profits among the members. Ten per cent of the income
is deducted to be the costs on maintaining the environment and tourist attractions in the community.
Some of the amount is spent on training to educate the members and the youth in the village about
tourism, while the rest is kept as a common fund for communal affairs.
“The Ban Na Ton Chan Community programme is a very noteworthy one from the standpoint of
heritage” - Judge’s comment

Heritage
Culture
Ramayana Prambanan Ballet: Preserving Traditional Javanese Culture
PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Indonesia
www.borobudurpark.co.id
The Ramayana Prambanan Ballet is a dance-drama that visualises a legendary Ramayana
epoch in Javanese culture. Performed on an open stage, Ramayana ballet invites you to enjoy
the story of a typical Javanese dance accompanied by gamelan music. The ballet is a full-time
professional arts, drama, dance and musical project of Javanese heritage performance. With some 200
members, the Ramayana Prambanan Ballet has performed for 50 years. The first performance was
made on July 26, 1961. In August 1961, the performance was attended by the first President of
Indonesia, Soekarno, and other distinguished guests, including Charlie Chaplin.
The Ramayana Pranbanan Ballet’s versatile repertoire spans all-time favorite Javanese heritage
masterpiece arts, drama and dance as well as new premiere performances. Since its inception in
1961, the Ramayana Prambanan Ballet has toured Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Australia,
Japan, and European countries.
Its mission is to preserve the traditions of Javanese traditional performing arts and to develop
Indonesia’s Javanese traditional dance, promote an understanding and appreciation of Indonesian
culture, and provide a positive social and educational outlet for Indonesian youth.
“A truly unique organisation that is doing great work to preserve Indonesia’s rich Javanese culture
and heritage” - Judge’s comment

Education and Training
Banyan Tree Spa Academy
Banyan Tree Spa
www.banyantree.com
www.banyantreeglobalfoundation.com/news/bt_spa_academy
Since the founding of Banyan Tree in 1994, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been
embedded as a core value in Banyan Tree’s business strategy. It enables the company to be agents
of social and economic development in developing countries where they have a presence. As a
values-based company, Banyan Tree defines its success not only by its financial performance, but
also by its impact on communities and the environment. With this triple bottom line concept, one of
the company’s CSR missions is to empower people. The Banyan Tree Spa Academy was set up in
2001 with this mission in mind.
When Banyan Tree Spa was founded in 1994, it was the pioneer of the tropical garden spa
concept in the wellness industry which then had a lack of international standards. The Banyan Tree
Spa Academy Phuket was launched in 2001 with the vision of expanding the brand globally and
ensuring that with the expansion of the spas, a high level of consistency was maintained in service
delivery in all its spas around the world.
The Spa Academy today is renowned for its distinctive in-house training and development
programmes, for its spa therapists as well as development of its unique signature techniques and
treatment recipes. The Banyan Tree Spa Academy trains a dedicated group of therapists for both
Banyan Tree and Angsana Spas. The training programme encompasses all areas of spa therapy,
including knowledge of the human anatomy and important pressure points, modern and traditional
massage techniques, variation of body weight for different techniques, knowledge of skin epidermis
and facial applications, properties of different herbs and spices, preparation of spa ingredients,
setting up of treatment rooms and spa pavilions, and standard greeting procedures.
Home to Banyan Tree Spa and Angsana Spa therapists, the Academy promotes rigorous training to
ensure consistently high quality service which is synonymous with the brand.
“The Banyan Tree Spa Academy has made significant contributions to the global spa industry, by
professionalizing massage and therapeutic treatment in resort hotels. The Academy has provided
not only jobs but also career opportunities to many underprivileged people in developing countries”
- Judge’s comment

PATA Gold Awards
2012
Marketing Media
Consumer Travel Brochure
Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media
Travel Advertisement Print Media
Travel Poster
Promotional Travel Video
Public Relations Campaign
CD-Rom
Web site
E-Newsletter

Marketing Media
Consumer Travel Brochure
Luxury Escapades
Cox & Kings, India
www.coxandkings.com
Affluent Indians are always on the lookout for unique and high-end destinations, and new niche
products and services.
Cox and Kings designs brochures that perfectly illustrate the luxurious escapades that these high-end
Indian customers are looking for.
“These brochures contain extensive and detailed information. Their use of colour schemes with
motifs is excellent and the selection of photographs is superlative” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media
Touch Korea – Power Spot
Korea Tourism Organization, Korea ROK
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto
Korea has around 20,000 temples. A visit to these places of worship can give a sense of calm and
instil a humble perspective.
In the ‘Touch Korea – Power Spot’ 34-second travel advertisement, the Korea Tourism Organization
targeted females in the 20 to 30 demographic, appealing to their current wish in life – love, success,
fortune and health. The video features must-see temples or ‘power spots’ where one can wish
for these four goals, showcasing breathtaking sights coupled with the playful and creative use of
graphics that effectively captures the viewer’s attention.
“These ‘power spot’ temples will make the target audience’s heart beat” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Travel Advertisement Print Media
Hong Kong - Asia’s World City Destination Image Print Ad Campaign
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR
www.discoverhongkong.com
Hong Kong is a dynamic city that offers great variety. From city life to great outdoors, from tradition
to modernity, from east meets west, from shopping to dining, visitors from around the world find
Hong Kong compelling.
In the ‘Hong Kong. Asia’s World City’ print ad campaign, the mix of sky stripes depicting different
moments of Hong Kong is employed, while the visual foreground is collaged with the core attributes of
Hong Kong. These include festivals, events, attractions, shopping and dining elements, customised
to appeal to different target segments. A total of four print ads targeting the young segment
(short-haul markets), young professionals (long-haul markets), family and achievers’ needs were
developed. The overall tone of the print ad campaign was cosmopolitan, sophisticated, and vibrant.
“Hong Kong showed a great way of segmenting communciations and using strong images and
copy to depict the brand” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Travel Poster
Poster Orang Utan, Diving, Mt Kinabalu, Homestay & Siti Khadijah Market
Malaysia Tourism Board (Tourism Malaysia)
www.tourism.gov.my
Malaysia’s successful tourism campaign, ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’, has won over 25 awards worldwide
over the past decade. It has been attracting millions of travellers to visit the country and experience
its rich history, culture and variety of activities.
The integrated media campaign included a series of TV commercials broadcasted worldwide, print
with special media in international news and business publications, and online contests. A series of
promotional travel posters is part of this campaign. These travel posters have creatively depicted
the country’s rich and vibrant culture as well as showcased its enticing sights, attractions, and
adventures that await travellers when they visit Malaysia.
“Each poster corresponds to an event or festival theme, and the print layout and the choice of the
photos were effectively executed” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Promotional Travel Video
Hong Kong - Asia’s World City Brand Video
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR
www.discoverhongkong.com
To leverage the city brand of Hong Kong developed by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2001,
a destination brand platform “Hong Kong. Asia’s World City” was adopted to portray Hong Kong
as the leading travel destination in Asia, offering world-class and unrivaled travel experiences to
visitors from all over the world.
This campaign included a promotional travel video that aptly put forth the core values that make
Hong Kong distinctive, memorable and identifiable: cosmopolitan, variety, vibrant, trend-setting,
and fusion. All these make Hong Kong stand out from other competing destinations.
The campaign was executed targeting three key segments that were identified based on the
psychological needs and travel motivations of consumers:
1) Young: Entertainment/Excitement, Materialization
2) Family: Family time & Fun
3) Achievers: Local Culture/Heritage appreciation
By showing how people in each segment enjoy and experience the variety of specialties in Hong
Kong, it illustrates the wonderful ambiance of ‘Hong Kong. Asia’s World City’. It also makes an
emotional connection inducing visitors to come to Hong Kong or visit DiscoverHongKong.com for
more information.
“The video included all main attractions, easily recognisable by the viewer, invoking emotion and
creating an experience. It featured a variety of activities in an easily understandable manner,
representing the destination and the brand well. The production visually captures the viewer’s
attention for the entire length of the video, along with appropriate audio, creating curiosity”
- Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Public Relations Campaign
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Supported by
Ogilvy Public Ralations, Hong Kong
www.madametussauds.com/HongKong/en/Default.aspx
www.madametussauds.com/HongKong/en/OurFigures/Character/McDullMadameMak.aspx
The Madame Tussauds attraction has been in Hong Kong for over a decade. To keep attracting
visitors to visit, Madame Tussauds had to come up with a unique angle to win the hearts and minds
of visiting parents, as well as their children.
For Madame Tussauds, they have found that visitors tend to be mostly from mainland China looking
for something different for the whole family to enjoy. Madame Tussauds needed to brand a new
figure that is well loved by people from Greater China. To this end, Madame Tussauds unveiled the
world’s first wax doubles of cartoon characters McDull and his mother Madame Mak. McDull, the
much-loved animated piglet acts as the ambassador for HKTB’s Quality Tourism Services (QTS)
scheme and is widely known in Greater China and beyond.
Madame Tussauds and Ogilvy Public Relations, its PR agency rolled out an online/offline
engagement programme which revolved around McDull and Madame Mak to generate
desired buzz among media and the community in Hong Kong and mainland China,
which included showing the making of McDull and Madame Mak photos and video to media
before the official launch. To officially launch the event, Alice Mak, the creator of McDull,
joined HKTB Chairman James Tien and award-winning actress-cum-celebrity mother, Sandra Ng,
to unveil the wax figures of McDull and Madame Mak.
To sustain momentum following the launch, event videos and posts were shared in the attraction’s
website, YouTube, Facebook and on weibo to further boost the viral impact. The campaign resulted
to a surge in visitor numbers for Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.
“A truly effective PR campaign – a good example of thinking out of the box” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
CD-Rom
“Naturally Nepal” Once is not Enough
Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal
www.welcomenepal.com
The Government of Nepal, through the Nepal Tourism Board, launched a national tourism campaign
‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011’. The campaign aimed to bring in at least one million international tourists
in 2011.
The Nepal Tourism Board’s interactive CD Rom is part of this initiative in promoting and showcasing
what Nepal has to offer. The interactive CD-ROM features information on various outdoor activities
in Nepal such as trekking and mountaineering, rafting and kayaking, as well as useful information
on tourism related services, facts for visitors and suggested itineraries for travellers.
“A great way of showcasing information in a creative and highly interactive way” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
Website
2011 Hong Kong Summer Spectacular Mini site
Hong Kong Tourism Board
www.discoverhongkong.com/hkss/eng/html/hkss/index.html
www.discoverhongkong.com
The Hong Kong Summer Spectacular (HKSS) is a three-month-long summertime festival in Hong
Kong organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The city celebrates the occasion with a series
of exciting events, great retail sales and a multitude of great dining offers. The core event of HKSS
is the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival, which attracted 30 overseas teams and 150 local squads
for the high-spirited dragon boat races on the waters of Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour.
In addition to the races, HKSS filled the city’s shopping spots with lively promotions and crazy
capers. The ‘Visa go Surprises’ flash mob were on the loose every Saturday and a total of 231
spenders were ‘mobbed’ and were awarded with shopping coupons and Visa spending credits.
In order to arouse the awareness of HKSS amongst a global audience, an online promotion
campaign was launched before the event through the Hong Kong Summer Spectacular minisite.
The Hong Kong Summer Spectacular minisite acted as the centralized information platform for the
event. It contained information to facilitate visitor’s planning their trip to Hong Kong, such as the
easy-to-use online booking system for hotel accommodations, and the plan-your-trip library with all
the essential travel information about Hong Kong. The website contained a sharing function so that
that users could share the web page information with social media with just a few clicks.
The Hong Kong Summer Spectacular minisite achieved 1.2 million visits during the three-month
campaign period. The cost-per-click campaign was also a great success across multiple media
channels and countries -- a cost per click as low as HK$1.08 was achieved. During the period,
over 1,000 posts were generated as travellers created discussions of the events with their friends
and followers.
“The HKTBs site shows clarity in promoting their destination with easy access to must-have
information” - Judge’s comment

Marketing Media
E-Newsletter
Art of Travel
Sita, India
http://sita.in/newsletter/saug11.pdf
www.sita.in
Art of Travel is an e-newsletter sent out once a month to all of Sita’s travel partners, approximately
6,000 people across the globe. It was redesigned in July 2011 to incorporate a new element of
design and fresh content.
New content has been introduced in order to bring out the real essence of India today with some
influences of its past lineage. The content aims to help travellers explore India in depth. Through
this newsletter, Sita aims to keep their partners and travel operators outside of India informed,
so that they are able to promote India well.
The design was inspired by the Sita’s core values: reliability, authenticity and passion. Images used
in each section highlight the content well. The new sections introduced in the e-newsletter include:
Six Things You Didn’t Know (a section that brings to light interesting trivia about the most preferred
hotels that Sita works with); A Day in the Life Of (a section that gives insights into the life of interesting
characters); Spotted by Sita (a section where the Sita team talks about compelling elements they
spotted during their travels); and Top Chef Recommends (a chef from a partner hotel takes the
reader on a culinary journey, sharing his favourite dishes).
“Sita’s Art of Travel newsletter is packed with valuable information that would be relevant to any
traveller” - Judge’s comment

PATA Gold Awards
2012
Travel Journalism
Destination Article
Industry Business Article
Travel Photograph
Travel Guidebook

Travel Journalism
Destination Article
Can this be Paradise?, October 2011 by Peter Jon Lindberg
Travel + Leisure, USA
www.travelandleisure.com/articles/ko-samui-thailands-upscale-transformation
www.travelandleisure.com
Seasoned travel writer Peter Jon Lindberg takes us with him in his journey to rediscover one of
Thailand’s popular beach islands, Koh Samui. In his article aptly entitled Can This be Paradise? in
Travel+Leisure’s October 2011 issue, Lindberg revisits Thailand’s third largest island. He describes
the island’s dramatic transformation from being one of Thailand’s unchartered beaches to now one
of the country’s main upscale destinations.
“Clearly the strongest writing, with genuine wit, Peter Jon Lindberg name-checks all the uber
resorts but doesn’t sugarcoat them. They’ll still appeal to a certain crowd while others will like to
hear his considered wider view on tourism development” - Judge’s comment

Travel Journalism
Industry Business Article
Bhutan Rolls out the Welcome Mat, October 2011 by Arnie Weissmann
Travel Weekly – USA
www.travelweekly.com/Asia-Travel/Bhutan-rolls-out-the-welcome-mat/
www.travelweekly.com
Travel Weekly and TravelWeekly.com provide travel professionals with a necessary global
perspective through in-depth coverage of every business sector, including airline, car rental, cruise,
destinations, hotel and tour operators as well as technology, economic and governmental issues.
In Travel Weekly’s October 2011 issue, Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann wrote a report on one of
the world’s sought-after destinations, Bhutan. In his report, Weissmann provided a comprehensive
overview of this Himalayan Kingdom that gives importance to Gross National Happiness (GNH).
Weissmann paints a clear picture of tourism in Bhutan and the country’s strategy in moving forward.
“The piece gives real impressions not simply reams of stats. It dares to take a view. Quotes come
from the right people, are relevant and aid understanding of Bhutan’s direction” - Judge’s comment

Travel Journalism
Travel Photograph
Coron Island After Sunset, Mabuhay Magazine, November 2011 by George Tapan
Eastgate Publishing Corporation, Philippines
www.eastgatepublishing.com
Eastgate Publishing Corporation is the official publisher of Mabuhay, the Philippine Airlines’ travel
and lifestyle magazine. In over 20 years under Eastgate Publishing, Mabuhay has won 17 local and
international awards, highlighting creative talent at the publishing house.
In Mabuhay’s November 2011 issue, it featured a breathtaking photograph by veteran Filipino
photographer and 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest winner, George Tapan. The picture
was of Coron Island after sunset.
“A beautiful blending of sky and sea! This was technically well shot and it perfectly captured the
silky feel of the water” - Judge’s comment

Travel Journalism
Travel Guidebook
The Great Outdoor Series
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong SAR
www.discoverhongkong.com
With its glistening skyscrapers, Hong Kong is better known for its shopping malls and metropolitan
vibe than as a destination for lovers of the outdoors. But, less than an hour away from the hustle
and bustle of the city are a series of outlying islands - a world rich in history and culture,
breathtaking natural beauty and charming village life that continually leaves visitors astonished.
Equally amazing is that just a hair’s breadth away from the city lies a myriad of hiking
experiences that belie its cosmopolitan ambiance. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has therefore
produced two guidebooks that constitute the Great Outdoor Series: Local Favourites: Your Guide
to Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands; and The Inside Guide to Hikes and Walks in Hong Kong, both of
which offer a wide assortment of outings which are sure to appeal to outdoor aficionados.
The Great Outdoor Series guidebooks aim to showcase Hong Kong as a preferable destination that
offers diversity. The books introduce the four outlying islands and remind visitors to explore these
scenic islands to see a completely different side of Hong Kong. The guidebooks were distributed to
local and overseas HKTB visitor centres, hotels and government offices.
“The Great Outdoor Series guide books present a refreshing side of Hong Kong that most tourists
don’t know of. It is a comprehensive guide to enjoy what sights and adventures the Hong Kong
outdoors have to offer” - Judge’s comment