KTO, PATA Agree to Boost Partnership
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has agreed to boost its partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for the promotion of tourism and development of new tourism-related programs.
The agreement came at a meeting between Sho Jae-Pil, the editor and publisher of Travel Press and lifetime member of PATA, and KTO President Lee Charm at the KTO headquarters in central Seoul, Tuesday..
They discussed the possibility of bringing key PATA conferences to Korea in the future. Korea hosted the 53rd PATA Annual Conference on Jeju Island in 2004.
Sho, the committee chair of the PATA Travel Industry Council and a board member of the organization, has been actively working for the development of the tourism industry of Korea and the world.
A life membership is the association's highest honor, given to individuals who have devoted at least 15 years of exceptional voluntary service to PATA and to the industry. Sho is the second Korean to receive the membership, following former Korea Tourism Organization head Oh Jae-kyeong.
PATA is a non-profit travel trade association serving government tourist offices, airlines, hotels and other travel-related companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region.