PATA and the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association (APOLA) have formalised a partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
APOLA is a not-for-profit organisation established to support the development of the outdoor lodging sector in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes accommodation formats commonly referred to as glamping. The association focuses on sustainability, sector standards and knowledge sharing.
The MoU was signed on January 22, 2026, at the Thailand Tourism Forum 2026 in Bangkok by PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid and APOLA executive committee member Willem Niemeijer.
Under the agreement, both organisations will provide reciprocal membership access, allowing each to extend selected member benefits at the association level. The partnership also includes cooperation on research and knowledge exchange, with APOLA contributing selected research findings, tourism insights and travel trend analysis on a quarterly basis through PATA’s members-only communication channels.
The agreement further outlines support for joint activities, including mutual promotion of events and participation by speakers where appropriate. Members of both organisations will have opportunities to engage through networking and annual events, with registration support provided in line with the terms of the agreement.
The partnership is intended to support information exchange and collaboration related to the outdoor lodging sector across the Asia-Pacific region.
Noor shared: “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.”
“Outdoor lodging is growing at around 11 per cent 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,” added Niemeijer.
