BANGKOK, 8 July 2026: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2026 is officially locked in to take place in Sarawak, Malaysia, from 18 to 20 August 2026, with buyers and sellers finalising their matching appointments at Asia Pacific’s pioneering travel mart.
The PATA Travel Mart (PTM) was established in 1978, with the inaugural event hosted in Manila, Philippines. It was the brainchild of the late Gerald Picolla, who was then the PATA Staff Vice President, designed to allow Asia-Pacific suppliers to conduct business with global buyers efficiently without travelling the world individually.
This marks the first time PATA’s signature travel trade exhibition will be hosted in Sarawak, making it a major milestone that aligns directly with the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. It also celebrates PATA’s 75th anniversary and the Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) 45th year of membership with the association.
Venue and core logistics
- Host location: The primary trade show floor and targeted B2B sessions will be held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
- Satellite venues: The Sheraton Kuching will act as a key hub for auxiliary events, hosting the PTM Knowledge Forum and the PATA Executive Board Meeting on the morning of 18 August.
- Scale: The mart expects participants from over 60 destinations worldwide, facilitating upwards of 10,000 pre-matched business appointments between global buyers (covering leisure, luxury, corporate MICE, and weddings) and Asia-Pacific suppliers.
Programme highlights
- PATA Youth Symposium: Scheduled for 18 August, this session will be hosted at UCSI University in Kuching. It features an interactive Tourism Challenge Lab workshop and panel discussions focused on navigating structural disruptions, aviation constraints, and evolving traveller behaviours in the region.
- PATA Gold Awards 2026: The official winners (to be announced in July 2026) will be celebrated live during the Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony on 19 August 2026. Winning entries will also be spotlighted on the main exhibition floor.
- Focus on sustainability: Building on Sarawak’s implementation of PATA’s Tourism Destination Resilience (TDR) framework, the event prioritises regenerative tourism. Notably, the host venue, BCCK, is highlighting its active circular-economy initiatives, such as its bioconversion program, which recycles food waste into organic fertiliser in partnership with local agricultural partners.
For registered exhibitors and buyers
The primary registration window closed earlier this spring, and the final cancellation deadline for full refunds passed on 30 June 2026.
Delegations are now moving into the final scheduling phase, where matching for the 26 structured appointment slots (divided into seller-meet-buyer business sessions across the three-day mart) is being finalised.
Itinerary and agenda breakdown for the week in Kuching
Monday, 17 August: Pre-Event Build-Up & Youth Day
0900 – 1800 | Organiser Hall Move-In & Raw Space Build-Up (BCCK)
0930 – 1500 | PATA Youth Symposium 2026 (UCSI University)
1400 – 1700 | Early Buyer / Seller / Media Registration (BCCK)
Tuesday, 18 August: Knowledge Forums & Media Briefings
0830 – 1700 | Delegate Registration continues (BCCK)
0900 – 1600 | PATA Knowledge Forum 2026 (UCSI University)
0900 – 1030 | PATA Executive Board Meeting (Sheraton Kuching)
1030 – 1200 | PATA Board Meeting (Sheraton Kuching)
1600 – 1800 | Welcome Reception hosted by the Sarawak Tourism Board (Pullman Kuching)
Wednesday, 19 August: Trade Day 1 & Business Sessions
0830 – 1700 | Delegate Registration (BCCK)
0900 – 0940 | Seller-meet-Buyer Open Hall Session (BCCK)
1000 – 1020 | PTM 2026 Opening Ceremony & VIP Tour
1100 – 1200 | PATA Media Briefing
09:40 – 12:30 | PTM Business Session 1 (Appointments 1–8)
1230 – 1400 | Official Delegate Lunch hosted by STB (BCCK)
1400 – 1730 | PTM Business Session 2 (Appointments 9–18)
1900 – 2100 | PATA Gold Awards 2026 Gala Dinner (Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Kuching Hotel)
Thursday, 20 August: Trade Day 2 & Walk-Arounds
0930 – 1700 | Trade Visitors Walk-Around Window (BCCK)
0900 – 0945 | Open Hall Networking Session
0940 – 1230 | PTM Business Session 3 (Appointments 19–26)
1230 – 1400 | Official Delegate Lunch hosted by STB (BCCK)
1400 – 1710 | PTM Business Session 4 (Appointments 27–35)
Evening | At Leisure (Independent networking or dining)
Friday, 21 August: Post-Tour Destination Experiences
0800 – 1200 | Destination Experiences (Hosted by the Sarawak Tourism Board).
For more information on PATA, visit: Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
For information on Sarawak, visit: Sarawak Tourism Board.
(Source: PATA and Sarawak Tourism Board)
