The 75th edition of PATA Travel Mart (PTM) took place in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, Malaysia, recently (August 18 to 20).
Marking the first time that the travel trade event has been held in Sarawak, the three-day event attracted 1,100 tourism delegates from 48 countries and destinations, along with 221 buyers and 365 sellers.
The event opened with the PATA Knowledge Forum, hosted under the theme of “The Next Era: Impactful Partnerships, Purposeful Growth". Attendees were invited to attend a full day of talks and lectures focused on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of tourism, and discuss topics as diverse as artificial intelligence, sustainability and digital transformation.
Henry Oh, the recently appointed new Chairman of PATA, described Sarawak as his “second home” outside of Korea, and explained that the state’s “rich cultural heritage, diverse communities, extraordinary natural landscape, and spirit of innovation” made it the ideal host for PATA 2026.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, he said: “For the past three quarters of a century, PATA has brought people together across Asia, the Pacific, and further afield to share knowledge, build relationships and strengthen tourism. Our industry is evolving rapidly, driven by changing traveler expectations, technology and shifting markets and the conversations we have today will shape future partnerships and opportunities.”
Dr Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board, declared that the region was honoured to host one of the Asia Pacific tourism industry's most important travel marketplaces.
“PATA Travel Mart 2026 gives us an important platform to showcase Sarawak directly to the international travel industry and allow delegates to experience the destination away from the exhibition floor,” she said.
“After all, Sarawak is home to 34 ethnic communities, each with their own traditions, languages, music, crafts, and culinary heritage. Together with our ancient rainforests, spectacular caves, majestic rivers, vibrant festivals, and exceptional cuisine, we offer visitors an authentic destination, where there is always something new to discover.”
Following the Knowledge Forum, the main PATA Travel Mart took place in the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on August 19 and 20.
Featuring stands from Oman, Guam, Jordan, Berlin, Napal, Russia, the Maldives and dozens of other destinations, buyers, sellers and media representatives had the chance to schedule appointments, connect in person and explore market stalls selling local delicacies and crafts.
During the media briefing attended by Travel & Tourism News, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts, Sarawak, highlighted that tourism was on the rise within the state.
“For the last two years, tourism has brought an average of one billion Malaysian ringgit per month to Sarawak,” he said.
“It’s a very big industry for us. A large majority of our visitors are from Brunei, and others are from Central Asia, Europe, India, China and elsewhere. Between January to June 2026, we welcomed over two million international arrivals.”
As part of Sarawak’s considerable efforts to enhance tourism, the minister announced plans to expand Kuching’s direct international flights to the island of Jeju, Korea. Dr Sharzede added that direct flights to India through Air Borneo were also in the pipeline and that the tourism board is running a total of 92 separate initiatives in 2026 alone.
After the travel mart had concluded, attendees were encouraged to attend a choice of complimentary tours and experience a taste of what Sarawak has to offer tourists for themselves.
These excursions included a visit to the 28 semi-wild orangutans at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (visitors are welcome twice a day at feeding times), a gastronomy tour featuring a visit to a local market and cooking demonstration, a trip to the ‘fairy cave’ (a site famous for its dramatic limestone rock formations and magical ambiance) and an eco-friendly bike tour of the city of Kuching.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid noted that one of the organisation’s key aims is to promote smaller and lesser-known destinations.
“Events such as this prove that PATA makes an effort to go to its members, they don’t have to come to us,” he said.
“Of course, choosing to host PTM 2026 in Sarawak was a calculated risk as it’s not a direct destination and most attendees had to change flights in Kuala Lumpur. But, by taking PTM beyond the region’s traditional gateways, we are deliberately opening international markets to smaller and emerging destinations, helping disperse tourism, broaden economic opportunities and show that the next generation of tourism growth can come from beyond the established hubs.”
Hamid also expressed his delight that chapter representatives from as far as France and the UK had made the effort to attend, along with the fact that 300 university students and young tourism professionals came together for the PATA Youth Symposium, hosted in Kuching on August 17.
Attendees were also entertained in the evenings with two gala dinners: the PATA Gold Awards 2026 Gala Dinner sponsored by Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Soul of Borneo Gala Evening, featuring the Top 25 Restaurants Sarawak Awards.
The city of Macau received seven PATA Gold Awards, preceding the announcement that next year’s edition of the event will be held there from September 20 to 22, 2027.