MALAYSIANS` HOSPITALITY MAKES PATA MEETING A SUCCESS

From Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah


KUCHING (Malaysia), April 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysians' hospitality,
particularly the people of Sarawak, the state government, Tourism Malaysia and
related agencies has made the hosting of the Pacific Area Travel Association
(PATA) Annual Meeting here a successful bid, says PATA immediate-past chairman
Phonsiri Manoharn.

"The meeting has been very successful. It is the 59th annual meeting for all
our PATA members. Malaysians' hospitality, especially the people of Sarawak,
are friendly and marvellous.

"They are friendly and helpful. Since we arrive at the airport, they have
been
taking good care and make us feel at home," she told Bernama at a tree- planting
event to mark the five-day PATA annual meeting at the Borneo Convention
Centre beginning last Friday.

Describing her experience when she first set foot at the Kuching
International
Airport, Manoharn said she was amazed by the scenic surrounding and cleanliness
of the airport.

"I was so surprised at the airport, it's so beautiful, it's very clean and
brand new. I've never been to Sarawak before and Kuching especially," she said.

She said the Borneo Convention Centre, the venue of the meeting, has
state-of-the-art facilities.

"The venue itself is very good and the people there did their best to make
us
feel comfortable," she said.

On the meeting, Manoharn said PATA elected a new chairman, Hiran Cooray,
from
Sri Lanka and a new team of board committee members.

The meeting also addressed several matters including deciding Macau as the
next
venue for PATA meeting in September and Beijing to host the meeting in April
2011.

On Kuching City as a host, Manoharn said the delegates were impressed with
the city.

"Even I've limited time, I still find time to visit the Orang Utans and
they're wonderful. The lush greenery and how they preserve the environment are
really impressive," she said.

"I think nature lovers will like to come here as there are not many places
like this in the world," she added.

Newly-elected chairman Cooray said he and the delegates had a fantastic
experience of Sarawak and its people.

He was impressed with Sarawak's fast pace of development compared with when
they came for a PATA meeting in 2002.

"The development in the city is well spread out and the facilities are world
class. I think it is going in the right direction. I see a good future for
Sarawak to be an eco-tourism attraction as the state is 60 per cent under forest
cover and this is excellent, he said.

Tourism Malaysia Industry Development director Zulkifly Md Said said the
PATA
annual meeting is an annual agenda on PATA calendar. The meeting is rotated
among PATA members.

"When Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and Sarawak Convention Bureau did
the
bidding, initially we were looking at various destinations in Malaysia and I
think we made the right choice in picking Kuching as the venue.

"Looking into one of PATA's main agenda, which is environment, culture,
and heritage preservation, the venue fitted very well into the agenda.

"Of course, the Malaysian hospitality has always been second to none and
Kuching is no exception to that.

"The delegates were very happy and really enjoyed themselves with the
hospitality, cultural performance by the Sarawak cultural village people, and
today is the tree planting as a symbolic gesture between PATA and the various
organisations here including Tourism Malaysia to commemorate PATA annual meeting
being held here.


A total of 136 delegates comprising PATA board of directors, members and
staff attended the five-day event.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a membership association acting as catalyst for the
responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry.

In partnership with the public and private sector members, PATA enhances
sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism from and within the
region.

-- BERNAMA