Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Asia-Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association (APOLA) signed a strategic partnership agreement to advance sustainable tourism across the Asia Pacific region.

This was informed through a press release sent by Paul Pruangkarn, Director - Marketing & Communications on Sunday.

Memorandum of Understanding was signed on January 22 at Thailand Tourism Forum 2026 in Bangkok. PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid and APOLA Executive Committee Member Willem Niemeijer formalised the collaboration between both organisations.

APOLA, a not-for-profit organisation, focuses on fostering sustainable growth and innovation in the outdoor lodging sector, commonly known as glamping. Sector includes tented camps, cabins, yurts, treehouses and nature pods located in beaches, mountains, forests and natural areas.

Niemeijer revealed that outdoor lodging is growing at approximately 11% annually in the region. Demand for nature-based accommodations has increased dramatically during and since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This partnership 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,” Hamid said.

Partnership agreement outlines several cooperation areas. Both organizations will provide reciprocal complimentary membership access, allowing members to utilize benefits at respective association levels. APOLA will contribute selected research, tourism insights and travel trends on a quarterly basis through PATA’s members-only communication channels.

Organizations will support mutual promotion of events and speaker participation where appropriate. Representatives and members from both associations will receive opportunities to engage through networking and annual events with registration support.

Niemeijer emphasized that apart from promoting sustainable practices, APOLA aims to establish industry standards for the outdoor lodging sector. Partnership positions PATA as the leading voice on tourism in Asia Pacific while advancing responsible nature-based tourism experiences.