KUCHING, Malaysia, 20 August 2026: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) announced the winners of the 2026 PATA Gold Awards during the PATA Travel Mart hosted in Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia from 18 to 20 August.
Celebrating outstanding achievements across the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry, PATA identified 26 award categories that recognise innovative campaigns and impactful initiatives across marketing, sustainability and social responsibility segments.
Among this year’s leading organisations in the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry, PATA named Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia, as the Grand Title Winner in the Marketing category, while the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, China, has gained the Grand Title Winner in the Sustainability and Social Responsibility category.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said: “The PATA Gold Awards continue to shine a light on the creativity, innovation and commitment shaping a stronger and more sustainable tourism industry. This year’s submissions were among the strongest we have seen, reflecting the remarkable efforts of PATA members and the wider industry in pursuing excellence. The winning entries show how bold ideas can create lasting impact — from innovative marketing and emerging technologies to conservation, climate action, inclusion and community empowerment. They set new benchmarks for excellence and demonstrate tourism’s potential as a force for positive change.
“I warmly congratulate all of this year’s winners and commend them for the passion and purpose behind their work. I also extend my sincere appreciation to our independent judging committee for their time, expertise and commitment to ensuring a rigorous and fair evaluation process.”
This year’s winners were selected by an independent judging committee comprising senior tourism professionals, academics, researchers and industry experts from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
As the PATA Gold Award 2026 Grand Title Winner in Marketing, the Sarawak Tourism Board was recognised for its Sarawak Guinness World Record – Longest GPS Journey by Successive Drones.
On 31 December 2025, Sarawak officially secured a Guinness World Record for the longest GPS journey by successive drones, completing an unbroken aerial relay of 1,706.7 km across the state. The historic flight involved 128 continuous flight segments spanning the length of Sarawak and captured extensive aerial footage showcasing the state’s diverse landscapes. The achievement provided a creative and high-impact platform to promote Sarawak ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 202As the
The PATA Gold Award 2026 Grand Title Winner in Sustainability and Social Responsibility, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, was recognised for its Millennial Whispers of Stone, Shared Preservation of Heritage – Sustainable Development Program for the Systematic Conservation, Research, and Dynamic Inheritance of the Dazu Rock Carvings.
The Dazu Rock Carvings, an outstanding example of late Chinese grotto art, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. The initiative establishes a sustainable system integrating conservation, research, revitalisation and inheritance through scientific protection, academic research, adaptive reuse, community participation and international cooperation, supporting the long-term preservation and sustainable development of this important heritage site.
The PATA Gold Awards recognise excellence across a broad range of disciplines, from destination and industry marketing to emerging technology, climate action, conservation, human capital development, community-based tourism, inclusivity and youth and women empowerment.
PATA Gold Awards 2026 – Grand Title Winners
1. Marketing
Winner: Sarawak Tourism Board, Malaysia
Submission: Sarawak Guinness World Record – Longest GPS Journey by Successive Drones
2. Sustainability & Social Responsibility
Winner: Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, China
Submission: Millennial Whispers of Stone, Shared Preservation of Heritage – Sustainable Development Program for the Systematic Conservation, Research, and Dynamic Inheritance of the Dazu Rock Carvings
PATA Gold Award Winners 2026 – Marketing Category
1. Destination Marketing Campaign (Destination Marketing Organisation – Asia)
Winner: Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China
Submission: POP MART MACAO CITYWALK
2. Destination Marketing Campaign (Destination Marketing Organisation – Pacific)
Winner: Hawai‘i Tourism Authority – Korea
Submission: Hawai’i Summer Consumer Campaign: Experience Hawai’i in Korea
3. Marketing Campaign – Carrier (Airline, Cruise, Airport)
Winner: SriLankan Airlines Limited, Sri Lanka
Submission: Sri Lanka Ready
4. Marketing Campaign – Hospitality (Hotel, Resort, Management Company)
Winner: Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macao, China
Submission: House of Dancing Water Premiere
5. Marketing Campaign – Industry (Any Other Tourism Business)
Winner: China Tourism Group Travel Service Corporation Limited, China
Submission: 2025 Asia Destination Integrated Marketing Series
6. Printed Marketing Campaign – Destination
Joint Winners:
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand
Submission: Sawasdee Thailand
Taiwan Tourism Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Headquarters, Chinese Taipei
Submission: Checking In! Central Taiwan
7. Printed Marketing Campaign – Industry
Winner: Sands China Limited, Macao, China
Submission: Sands China Presents: Dopamine: Fountain of Happiness Artbook
8. Sustainable and Inclusive Marketing Campaign
Winner: Sands China Limited, Macao, China
Submission: Empowering Inclusive Communities: The Sands Shopping Carnival
9. Destination Article
Winner: Rachel Lees, Travel Writer, Australia
Submission: Fiji Beyond the Resorts
10. Industry Article
Winner: TTG Asia Media, Singapore
Submission: TTG Asia Luxury Dec 2025, Shades of Wellness
11. Best Use of Emerging Technology in Marketing
Joint Winners:
Tourism Fiji, Fiji
Submission: AI-Powered Destination Marketing: Fiji’s World-First End-to-End AI Ecosystem for the Chinese Market
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
Submission: Reshaping Scenic Experience with Technology: The Emerging Tech Marketing Project of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
12. Most Engaging Social Media Campaign
Winner: Macao Government Tourism Office, Macao, China
Submission: CreatorWeek Macao 2025
13. Travel Photography
Winner: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand
Submission: Behind the Falls
14. Travel Video
Winner: Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia
Submission: Visit Malaysia 2026 Campaign – Surreal Experiences
PATA Gold Award Winners 2026 – Sustainability & Social Responsibility
1. Climate Action Initiative – Destination
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organisation) or DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Nan’s Green Heart: Harmonising Green Hospitality to Elevate the Living Old City toward a Low-Carbon Destination
2. Climate Action Initiative – Industry
Winner: Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macao, China
Submission: RISE To Go Above & Beyond
3. Cultural Heritage Preservation Initiative
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organisation) or DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Chak Ngaew Ancient Chinese Market: Revitalising a Historic Community into a New Cultural Tourism Attraction
4. Ecosystem & Wildlife Conservation Initiative
Joint Winners:
Guangdong Chimelong Group, China
Submission: Key Technologies and Applications for Global Endangered Wildlife Biodiversity Conservation
Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka
Submission: Reimagining Landscapes
The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Malaysia
Submission: Living Ecosystems in Hospitality: Integrating Wetlands, Biodiversity & Coastal Conservation
5. Human Capital Development Programme
Winner: MGM China, Macao, China
Submission: Unleashing Greatness – MGM’s Human Capital Development Programme
6. Community-Based Tourism Excellence
Winner: Korea Tourism Organisation, Korea (ROK)
Submission: Biyangdo, Sustainable Island Travel Created Together with Residents
7. Destination Resilience (All Destinations)
Winner: Nantou County Government, Chinese Taipei
Submission: Extinguishing the False Lights: Cultural Identity and the Resilient Rebirth of Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park
8. Tourism for All – Destination Inclusivity
Winner: Incheon Tourism Organisation (Incheon Metropolitan City), Korea (ROK)
Submission: AI-Driven Inclusive Regeneration with INCHEON EASY
9. Tourism for All – Travel Inclusivity
Winner: China Tourism Association, China
Submission: Forging Innovation, Striving for Excellence – Promotion Initiative of “China Service” Tourism Products and Service Innovation Cases
10. Tourism for All – Workplace Inclusivity
Winner: DoubleTree by Hilton Phuket Banthai Resort, Thailand
Submission: Project Brighter Together – Workplace Inclusivity and Empowering Differently-Abled Youth in the Phuket Hospitality
11. Women Empowerment Initiative
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organisation) or DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Pha Mee: Empowering Akha Women through Sustainable Community-Based Tourism for Better Quality of Life
12. Youth Empowerment Initiative
Winner: Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organisation) or DASTA, Thailand
Submission: Empowering Local Youth: Creating Value from Waste (Trash to Trend)
For more information on the winners and winning entries, visit: www.pata.org/pata-gold-awards.
(Source: PATA)
