Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil on Monday received the 2005 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Journalism Award at the 54th PATA Annual Conference for his in-depth coverage of the southeast Asia tsunami.

Travel Impact Newswire based in Bangkok, Thailand, is Asia-Pacific's first e-mail travel industry news feature and analysis service. Following the Dec. 26 tsunami, Muqbil delivered 27 special editions via the electronic media to reach a global audience of 20,000 subscribers.

"Imtiaz's dispatches were forthright, factual and often impassioned," said PATA President and CEO Peter de Jong, adding that with this award, PATA acknowledges the hard work and incisive insights Imtiaz brought to his readers throughout the Indian Ocean tragedy.

The PATA Travel Journalism Award acknowledges one outstanding journalist for his or her coverage of the Asia Pacific region each year.

Founded in 1951, PATA is the recognized authority on Asia Pacific travel and tourism. PATA provides leadership and advocacy to the collective efforts of nearly 100 governments, state and city tourism bodies, more than 55 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies.
 
(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2005)