Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association (APOLA) launch at Thailand Tourism Forum 2024

The Asia Pacific Outdoor Lodging Association (APOLA) was founded on the initiative of Robert Hecker, Bill Barnett, and Paul Dean at the PHIST conference in Phuket. The Association was officially launched at the Thailand Tourism Forum in Bangkok on January 15, 2024.

The founding members agreed that the trade body would be an advocacy vehicle to guide, promote and structure the development of the outdoor lodging sector in the Asia Pacific Region to meet the needs of operators, owners, government authorities, suppliers, investors, and tour operators associated with the outdoor lodging industry.

Given the recent growth of the industry and the strong fundamentals of the market, the members agreed that the organization should help define the standards for the region, raise awareness, guide policy, develop an accounting

The Association is in the process of being registered as a non-profit…