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The Pacific Asia Travel Association and the Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association have entered into a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding.
APOLA has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to support sustainable growth, innovation and excellence across the Asia Pacific outdoor lodging sector, often referred to as ‘glamping’.
The MOU was signed by PATA chief executive Noor Ahmad Hamid and APOLA executive committee member Willem Niemeijer on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the Thailand Tourism Forum 2026 in Bangkok.
Noor says the partnership will strengthen collaboration across the region.
“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,” says Noor.
“We look forward to jointly advancing responsible and sustainable tourism in the region alongside APOLA, and bringing value to our respective members.”
Willem, a founding member of APOLA, says outdoor lodging is growing at around 11 per cent a year across 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 the sector has to deliver quality, nature-based responsible tourism experiences,” he says.
Willem says demand for nature-first accommodation such as tented camps, cabins, yurts, treehouses and nature pods in coastal, forest and mountain settings has increased significantly during and since the Covid pandemic. Alongside promoting sustainable practices, he says APOLA also aims to establish standards for the sector.
Under the agreement, areas of cooperation include reciprocal, complimentary membership access, allowing both organisations to utilise each other’s member benefits at association level.
The partnership also covers research and knowledge exchange, with APOLA contributing selected research, tourism insights and travel trends on a quarterly basis through PATA’s members-only communication channels.
In addition, the organisations will support reciprocal activities, including promotion of events and speaker participation where appropriate. Members and representatives of both PATA and APOLA will also have opportunities to engage through networking and annual events, with registration support provided in line with the agreement.
