The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the corporate business travel component of PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2027.
The collaboration will bring a wider network of corporate travel buyers, procurement professionals and travel managers into the Asia Pacific tourism marketplace, creating additional opportunities for suppliers and business travel decision makers to connect. It will also give participating professionals a dedicated platform to exchange industry knowledge and explore tourism products and services relevant to corporate travel requirements across the region.
The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on August 18, 2026, during the PTM Knowledge Forum at PATA Travel Mart 2026 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Under the agreement, GBTA will serve as the Strategic Corporate Travel Partner for PTM 2027, which is scheduled to take place in Macao, China, from September 20 to 22, 2027. The agreement establishes a framework for both organisations to work together ahead of the event, particularly in developing corporate travel activities and bringing qualified business travel professionals into the trade mart.
Global Corporate Travel Network To Strengthen PTM Buyer Base
The partnership will bring GBTA’s global network of corporate buyers, procurement professionals and travel managers into PATA’s established Asia Pacific tourism marketplace. The two organisations will collaborate on program development, corporate buyer mobilization, knowledge exchange and targeted business-to-business engagement, expanding the opportunities available for tourism suppliers to meet professionals involved in corporate travel decisions.
This cooperation is intended to create stronger connections between businesses offering travel-related products and services and professionals responsible for identifying, purchasing or managing those offerings.
As part of the agreement, GBTA will work with PATA on the development and delivery of corporate business travel content for the PTM Knowledge Forum. The content will form part of the wider program of discussions and industry activities surrounding the trade event, while GBTA will also use its professional network and communication channels to encourage qualified corporate buyers to participate.
This will help bring additional business travel expertise and buyer representation into a marketplace traditionally used by tourism suppliers and travel trade professionals to establish commercial relationships.
Qualified Buyers To Connect With Asia Pacific Suppliers
PATA will work with GBTA to facilitate the participation of qualified corporate buyers at PTM 2027 through its standard hosted buyer qualification and approval procedures.
The established process will determine which corporate travel professionals qualify to participate, helping ensure that buyers entering the program meet PATA’s requirements and are appropriate participants for the business-to-business activities planned during the event.
The partnership will also include joint marketing and promotional activities through the respective communication channels of PATA and GBTA.
These efforts will be used to reach corporate travel professionals and other relevant industry stakeholders while increasing awareness of the opportunities available through PTM 2027. For Asia-Pacific suppliers, the arrangement provides another route to engage with an international community of corporate travel buyers and decision-makers who are involved in developing and managing business travel programs.
Partnership Adds Stronger Business Travel Focus
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said the partnership would combine the complementary networks and expertise of PATA and GBTA while creating new opportunities for business connections and knowledge exchange.
He said the organisations would work together to further strengthen the corporate travel component of PATA Travel Mart 2027 as the event prepares to move to Macao. The cooperation therefore places greater emphasis on connecting the region’s tourism marketplace with professionals whose work involves corporate travel, while maintaining the wider trade and networking objectives of the event.
GBTA Senior Director for APAC Elle Ng-Darmawan said the partnership would create a platform for travel managers, suppliers, destination leaders and other industry professionals to connect in Macao.
She also highlighted the importance of the Asia-Pacific market to global business travel and said combining the organisations’ networks and expertise could create additional opportunities for members and other participants across the travel ecosystem. Her comments underline the role of the agreement in bringing different parts of the business travel supply chain into closer contact through a major regional trade event.
Macao Set To Host PATA Travel Mart 2027
PATA Travel Mart 2027 will take place in Macao from September 20–22, 2027, bringing together tourism suppliers, buyers and other industry stakeholders for business exchange, networking and knowledge sharing.
The event will provide a marketplace where participating destinations and tourism companies can meet prospective buyers, discuss their offerings and establish professional relationships, while industry stakeholders will have opportunities to exchange information on developments affecting the regional visitor economy.
The stronger corporate travel component will give participating suppliers opportunities to showcase Asia-Pacific destinations, products and services to qualified professionals from the business travel sector. By adding GBTA’s corporate travel network to the event, PTM 2027 will broaden its engagement with business travel buyers while continuing its wider role as a business-to-business platform for the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry.
The collaboration is expected to make corporate travel a more clearly defined part of the programme, while allowing participating businesses to pursue direct engagement with qualified decision-makers from an international professional network.
