MALAYSIA TO HOST 2012 PATA CONFERENCE IN PUTRAJAYA

NEW DELHI, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- After a lapse of a decade, Malaysia will host
the tourism industry's premier event, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
annual conference, next year.

About 600 delegates from 60 countries, mostly doyens of the international
travel and tourism industry, are likely to attend the conference in Putrajaya
from April 20 to 22.

"For a long time, we did not bring the big players from the PATA fraternity
to Malaysia. This will be a good platform to promote our new products to the
world," Tourism Malaysia acting director-general Azizan Noordin told
Bernama here.

Malaysia hosted the 50th PATA Annual Conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.

Malaysia has been in the forefront of the global tourism industry, with its
impeccable record, steadily wooing millions of foreign tourists to its shores.


Last year, Malaysia registered a record 24.5 million tourist arrivals with a
staggering RM56.5 billion (US$18.94 billion) in revenue, second only to the
manufacturing sector.

"In Putrajaya, we will focus on green tourism, youth tourism and the use of
technology, especially on how to engage the social media.

"We are also planning to organise an expo during the conference," Azizan
said.

Azizan is leading a Malaysian delegation to the 2011 PATA Travel Mart in New
Delhi where over 1,000 delegates are attending the three-day trade event.

-- BERNAMA