Photo (L/R): Ji Xiaodong, Chairman, China Chamber of Tourism; Guoliang Wu, Secretary-General, China Chamber of Tourism; Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA; and Henry Oh, Chair, PATA, during the MoU signing ceremony.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the China Chamber of Tourism (CCT) have signed a new strategic partnership agreement during the PATA Annual Summit 2026 in the Republic of Korea. The agreement aims to strengthen tourism cooperation between China and the wider Asia Pacific region through joint projects, training programmes, marketing initiatives and industry research.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on May 13 during PAS 2026 in Gyeongju. The partnership focuses on sustainable tourism development, rural revitalisation and global tourism marketing as both organisations seek to expand collaboration across the travel sector.
The agreement was signed by Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA, and Guoliang Wu, Secretary-General of the China Chamber of Tourism. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Henry Oh, Chair of PATA, and Ji Xiaodong, Chairman of the China Chamber of Tourism.
“This partnership reflects the growing connection we have with the China Chamber of Tourism and the destination’s tourism community,” said Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA.
“China has been part of our journey since the early years of the Association, so it is especially meaningful to formalise this partnership during our 75th anniversary. I extend my gratitude to our new partner, the China Chamber of Tourism, and I look forward to working closely with them on new projects and initiatives in the future,” he added.
Ji Xiaodong, Chairman of the China Chamber of Tourism, said the partnership comes at a time when tourism exchanges between China and the Asia Pacific region continue to grow.
“It is our great honor to formally establish a strategic partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association on the occasion of PATA’s 75th anniversary. China and the Asia-Pacific region enjoy close tourism exchanges and broad prospects,” said Ji Xiaodong, Chairman of China Chamber of Tourism.
“Focusing on sustainable tourism, rural revitalization and global marketing, the two sides will deepen exchanges and cooperation, share development experience, jointly promote the high-quality and sustainable development of tourism in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and inject new impetus into the prosperity of global tourism industry,” he added.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will cooperate on industry events, professional training programmes and joint promotional campaigns targeting international audiences. They also plan to publish tourism reports and share research and best practices across the sector.
The partnership will also support the PATA Gold Awards programme. CCT said it will help promote the awards among China’s private tourism businesses and recommend companies and tourism projects for consideration.
PATA and CCT said the agreement reflects their shared commitment to building a stronger and more connected tourism industry across China and the Asia Pacific region.
