- PATA and GBTA have signed a strategic partnership for PATA Travel Mart 2027.
- GBTA will serve as the Strategic Corporate Travel Partner for the 2027 event in Macao.
- The partnership aims to enhance corporate buyer participation and business event content.
- Joint marketing will promote the event to both organisations’ networks.
- The collaboration reflects the importance of the APAC region in global business travel.
PATA and GBTA have entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen the corporate business travel component of PATA Travel Mart 2027. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on August 18 2026, during the PTM Knowledge Forum at PATA Travel Mart 2026 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
The agreement designates GBTA as the Strategic Corporate Travel Partner for the 2027 event, which will take place in Macao, China, from September 20-22. This collaboration aims to integrate GBTA’s global network of corporate buyers, procurement professionals, and travel managers with PATA’s established Asia-Pacific tourism marketplace.
The partnership will focus on enhancing the business travel and business events components of PATA Travel Mart 2027 through programme development, corporate buyer mobilisation, knowledge exchange, and targeted business-to-business engagement. GBTA will contribute to the development and delivery of corporate business travel content for the PTM Knowledge Forum and will use its communication channels to encourage qualified corporate buyers to attend. PATA will facilitate the participation of these buyers according to its standard hosted buyer qualification procedures.
Joint marketing activities will promote the event across both organisations’ networks, connecting the Asia-Pacific travel industry with a wider international community of corporate travel decision-makers. This initiative positions PTM 2027 as a hybrid platform bridging leisure and corporate travel, reflecting the significant role of APAC in global business travel spending.
Noor Ahmad Hamid shared, “Corporate travel plays an important role in connecting destinations, businesses and communities across the Asia-Pacific region. Our partnership with GBTA will bring together complementary networks and expertise, creating new opportunities for meaningful business connections and knowledge exchange. We look forward to working together to further strengthen the corporate travel component of PATA Travel Mart 2027 in Macao.”
Elle Ng-Darmawan shared, “As the world’s largest and fastest growing region for business travel spending, APAC continues to play a critical role in driving global economic growth, trade and connectivity. GBTA’s recent 2026 Business Travel Index report underscores the scale and dynamism of the APAC market, which in turn makes collaboration across the travel ecosystem more essential than ever. Our partnership with PATA creates a timely platform to connect travel managers, suppliers, destination leaders and other industry professionals in Macao. By combining our networks and expertise, we can unlock new opportunities, drive greater value for our members and ensure the region’s travel industry will continue to thrive.”
