BANGKOK, 26 January 2026: The Pacific Asia Travel Association and the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association have entered into a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding signed last week.
APOLA has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation with the mission to foster sustainable growth, innovation and excellence within the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging sector, often called “glamping”.
The MOU was signed by PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid and APOLA Executive Committee member Willem Niemeijer on 22 January on the sidelines of the Thailand Tourism Forum 2026 in Bangkok.
PATA CEO Noor said: “This partnership between PATA and APOLA will lead to a stronger foundation for international collaboration within the Asia Pacific region, opening the door to effective exchange of best practices and meaningful collaborations. We look forward to jointly advancing responsible and sustainable tourism in the region alongside APOLA, and bringing value to our respective members.”
APOLA founding member Willem Niemeijer said: “Outdoor lodging is growing at around 11% a year in the region. It is therefore fitting that APOLA works with PATA, the leading voice and authority on tourism in Asia Pacific, to draw attention to the potential that the sector has to deliver quality, nature-based responsible tourism experiences.”
Niemeijer added that demand for nature-first tented camps, cabins, yurts, treehouses, or nature pods on beaches, mountains, forests, and other natural areas has increased dramatically during and since the COVID pandemic. Apart from promoting sustainable practices, Niemeijer said APOLA also aimed to establish sector-wide standards.
As outlined in the agreement, the areas of cooperation include reciprocal, complementary membership access, enabling both organisations to utilise each other’s member benefits at the respective association levels. The partnership also covers research and knowledge exchange, with APOLA contributing selected research, tourism insights, and travel trends every quarter through PATA’s members-only communication channels.
In addition, the organisations will support reciprocal activities, including the mutual promotion of events and, where appropriate, speaker participation. Representatives and members of PATA and APOLA will be offered opportunities to engage across organisations through networking and annual events, with registration support provided in line with the agreement.
About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to advancing a meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Bangkok, the association also has an official office in Beijing.
About the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association
APOLA is an industry body driven by local professionals dedicated to uniting and empowering the Asia Pacific outdoor lodging community, championing sustainable growth, innovation, and collaboration to elevate the industry’s standards.
(Source: PATA)
