The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is organising the PATA Annual Summit 2015 at the Hong Zhu Shan Hotel in Leshan, Sichuan, China from April 23- 26, 2015. The summit hosted by the Leshan Municipal People’s Government, includes a one-day conference, the PATA Youth Symposium, the PATA Executive Board and Committee meetings, and Annual General Meeting 2015.
‘New Dimensions of Heritage and Culture Tourism is the theme of this year’s Annual Summit and will explore the preservation of heritage and cultural sites and attractions, while promoting and attracting an increased amount of tourism growth to a region.
Visitation to natural and cultural heritage destinations, including scenic landscapes, parks and ancient civilisation sites is increasing year-on-year, with 26 locations added to the World Heritage List in 2014 alone, totalling over 1,000 natural and cultural sites. With the increased amount of visitors to these areas, the challenge is balancing the preservation and maintenance of the authentic and natural sites with the increased growth of tourism.
The programme will feature domestic and international speakers, on such topics as Preserving Heritage Sites, Social Media in China, and “The Conscious Traveller”.
Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA said, “I am delighted to be returning to Leshan for the PATA Annual Summit. From my two previous trips to Leshan, I was impressed with the rich culture and beautiful natural landscape. It is the perfect setting for people to network, learn and discuss the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region and I would like to welcome members and non-members to join us at this special destination.”
Leshan is a prefecture-level city located at the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers in the Sichuan Province of China The city is located on the south-western fringe of the Red Basin in southern Sichuan, about 120 km from Chengdu.
Leshan is one of the most mature tourist destinations in Sichuan and even China. It annually receives over 25 million visitors. The Leshan Giant Buddha of Mount Emei, a Cultural, Heritage and National 5A tourist attraction, draws worldwide attention due to its profound influence on Buddhist culture and is surrounded by a unique natural landscape. Other leisure activities in the area include hot springs, skiing and rural tourism.