Published on
February 13, 2026
The Pacific Asia Travel Association, PATA, has geared up to restart its long-awaited training road shows in the UK and Ireland. This training program focuses on empowering travel agents by providing them with the latest information on the Asia Pacific travel market, thus ensuring them of the knowledge necessary for the promotion and sale of destinations in this vibrant marketplace. This includes the involvement of key suppliers of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry, ensuring a greater sale of destinations in the Asia Pacific marketplace for UK and Ireland travelers.
Roadshow Tour to Target 600 Travel Agents
PATA’s UK & Ireland chapter has planned an extensive series of roadshow events designed to engage up to 600 travel agents across various cities in the UK. The initiative is part of a larger effort to promote Asia Pacific destinations and increase bookings by providing travel agents with firsthand information and networking opportunities with industry suppliers. These events will allow agents to directly engage with key players in the Asia Pacific tourism sector, expanding their knowledge of unique destinations and tourism offerings.
The training roadshow will be conducted across several key UK cities in March 2026, where travel agents will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of suppliers. The roadshow schedule includes the following locations:
- Glasgow: PATA Roadshow at Citation Glasgow, 9 March 2026
- Liverpool: PATA Roadshow at Corinthian Suite, Doubletree by Hilton, 10 March 2026
- Leeds: PATA Roadshow at Revolucion de Cuba, 11 March 2026
- Birmingham: PATA Roadshow at Manahatta Temple Street, 12 March 2026
These events aim to foster a dynamic and interactive environment where travel agents can efficiently network with suppliers and learn about the latest trends in the Asia Pacific travel market.
Speed-Networking Format to Enhance Agent-Supplier Connections
The roadshows will follow a speed-networking format, allowing travel agents to meet with suppliers in short, 10-minute appointments. This format maximizes networking opportunities, enabling agents to quickly absorb key information from multiple suppliers, which can then be used to tailor recommendations for their clients.
The evening events will be designed to be both engaging and informative, offering a mix of food, drinks, and plenty of networking opportunities. Participants will also be in the running for a range of exciting prizes, including luxury hotel stays, goodie bags, bottles of wine, and more. This approach encourages a relaxed, social environment where agents can build relationships with suppliers while gaining essential insights to enhance their offerings to customers.
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A Broad Range of Asia Pacific Suppliers to Participate
One of the key highlights of the PATA training roadshows is the range of Asia Pacific tourism suppliers participating in the events. These suppliers include hotels, resorts, airlines, tourist boards, and travel representatives from some of the most popular and emerging destinations in the region. The diverse lineup ensures that travel agents will receive a comprehensive overview of what the Asia Pacific region has to offer.
Some of the key suppliers attending the roadshows include:
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- Angsana Velavaru, Dhawa Ihuru, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru (Maldives)
- Bangkok Airways (Thailand)
- Elephant Hills (Thailand)
- Etihad Airways (United Arab Emirates)
- Far East Hospitality (Singapore)
- Heritance AARAH Maldives (Maldives)
- Hong Kong Tourism Board (Hong Kong)
- Journey Beyond (Australia)
- Kimpton Maa Lai Bangkok and InterContinental Danang (Thailand & Vietnam)
- Leisure Time Group (New Zealand)
- LJR Consultancy (Luxury hotel representative)
- SALT Representation (Thailand hotel representative)
- Singapore Tourism Board (Singapore)
- Taiwan Tourism Board (Taiwan)
- Tourism Australia (Australia)
- Tourism Seychelles (Seychelles)
- TreeHouse Villas Yao Noi (Thailand)
These suppliers are key representatives of the growing appeal of Asia Pacific destinations, known for their rich cultural offerings, natural beauty, and high-end tourism products. By connecting with these suppliers, travel agents can gather valuable insights into the unique selling points of each destination, making it easier for them to recommend tailored travel experiences to their clients.
Expanding the Asia Pacific Travel Market in the UK and Ireland
The main objective of these PATA roadshows is to enhance the promotion of Asia Pacific travel within the UK and Irish markets. The Asia Pacific region, which includes some of the world’s most iconic travel destinations, is seeing increasing interest from travelers looking for diverse cultural experiences, adventure tourism, luxury resorts, and wellness retreats. However, despite the region’s appeal, many potential travelers in the UK and Ireland are still unaware of the full range of experiences available.
By engaging directly with travel agents, PATA aims to equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to effectively promote Asia Pacific destinations. The roadshows will help agents better understand the unique cultural, geographical, and economic features of key destinations, giving them the confidence to recommend these locations to clients seeking something new and exciting.
Enhancing Tourism Knowledge and Agent Expertise
These roadshows also serve as a vital resource for travel agents to expand their expertise in specific areas of the travel market. By learning directly from suppliers, agents will be able to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the tourism sector, such as new hotel openings, flight routes, tour packages, and cultural experiences. In doing so, they will be able to offer their clients more personalized and relevant recommendations, leading to greater satisfaction and increased bookings for Asia Pacific destinations.
This training initiative highlights the important role that travel agents play in the tourism industry, especially in terms of educating customers about emerging destinations and experiences. With increased knowledge, agents can become trusted experts, helping travelers plan trips that offer both value and adventure.
Strengthening Asia Pacific’s Position in the UK and Irish Tourism Markets
These PATA UK & Ireland roadshows mark an important milestone in bolstering tourism to the Asia Pacific from the UK and Irish markets. By furnishing the travel agents with the right tools, knowledge, and insights for the business, PATA is really building a good foundation upon which further growth can be built in the travel sector within the Asia Pacific area. In this way, these roadshows are expected to enhance not just agent expertise but also interest in destinations in the Asia Pacific, thus contributing to the long-term success of the tourism industry within the region. The roadshows indeed promise an exciting opportunity for agents to connect with main suppliers, be in contact with new destinations, and finally contribute to driving tourism to the Asia Pacific over the coming years.
