The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has appointed Martin Craigs as its new CEO, effective October 31, 2011.
Craigs is currently elected President of Aerospace Forum Asia (AFA) and Managing Partner at Hillcrest International Advisory. For the last 25 years, Craigs, 55, a UK and Irish passport holder, has been mostly based in Hong Kong.

The Radisson Blu Hotel Pudong Century Park continues its charity spirit to the Nursing House in Lian Yang community of Pudong by sending mooncakes and house-made delicious fruitcakes to brighten their mid-autumn festival. It’s been the 5th visit to the Nursing House since the hotel’s World EXPO social responsibility programme.
The hotel is committed to charity spirit and will do every effort in helping with the underprivileged in our community.

First time that environmental award goes to an airline

airberlin is the first airline to have been awarded the ÖkoGlobe 2011. The environmental award for pioneering innovations promoting sustainable mobility was conferred on airberlin for its corporate programme for “Eco-efficient Flying”. The award was presented in Karlsruhe by the insurance group DEVK and the ÖkoGlobe Institute.

Winner of the 2011 Five-Star Hotel of the Year
The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel is the recipient of this year’s highly-anticipated Five-Star Hotel of the Year award, given annually by TravelWeekly China. This is the first time that The Venetian Macao has earned this particular distinction.
The honor is a part of the China Travel & Meetings Industry Awards, which aims to recognize the best enterprises in China’s travel, meeting and incentive industry. Organized by a leading trade publication of the travel industry in China, the event has won recognition from the industry for its fairness, transparency, and creativity since its debut in 2002.

International tourism grew by almost 5% in the first half of 2011 totalling a new record of 440 million arrivals. Results confirm that, in spite of multiple challenges, international tourism continues to consolidate the return to growth initiated in 2010.
Advanced economies grow faster than expected
International tourist arrivals are estimated to have grown by 4.5% in the first half of 2011, consolidating the 6.6% increase registered in 2010. Between January and June of this year, the total number of arrivals reached 440 million, 19 million more than in the same period of 2010.

Supermodels from 30 Asia-Pacific countries will participate in the region’s first International Supermodel Contest to be organised in Thailand between September 12 – 19, 2011 with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Local tourist attractions in Bangkok and Pattaya will be the backdrop highlight of the event, the final round of which will be held on September 19, 2011 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok and then broadcast on TV Channel 9 on September 20, 2011.