Establishment of a joint institution for the promotion of tourism industry among the nations of the Pacific area, was first advocated in Hawaii in 1951, and PATA came into being consequently in the following year in an inaugural meeting attended by 83 delegates from 12 charter-member states.

The regional tourism organization headquartered in San Francisco has continued to grow ever since, now boasting a total membership of more than 1500 from as many as 33 countries throughout the world. The annual general conference was first held in Korea in the year of 1965. In view of the fact that the delegates attending the conference are tourism specialists of the world, the forthcoming occasion will certainly provide us with the best opportunities for widely publicizing the image of an advancing Korea, and all our tourism resources. As is well known, all of us, the Korean people, have been exerting ourselves for the firm establishment of Korean tourism, designating it as one of our strategic industries.

The venues of the Annual Conference and Workshop, Seoul Sejong Cultural Center, and the International Conference Hall located at the Bomun Tourism Complex in Gyeongju, will no doubt help enable Korea to join the world-renowned countries of tourism industry on this significant occasion.