PATA Launches the Micro-credential Programme to Facilitate Tourism Professionals' Industry-Relevant Skills Training
PATA's new self-paced online programme offers short courses on ESG and AI-powered marketing, targeting tourism professionals from entry-level to senior roles across Asia Pacific.
Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA, announcing the launch of the Micro-credential programme at PATA Annual Summit 2026 in Gyeongju, Korea (ROK) — Photo by PATA
BANGKOK — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) officially launches the PATA Micro-credential Programme—a new global learning initiative that aims to empower tourism professionals in the Asia Pacific with practical, industry-driven skills—at PATA Annual Summit 2026 (PAS 2026).
Hosted on src.pata.org, this programme consists of short courses developed by two of PATA members, namely EarthCheck and The Sigmund Project, with self-paced learning and content focused on relevant tourism knowledge. The target group are Entry-level to senior professionals, Entrepreneurs and SMEs, and Government and tourism organisations. Learners will also be awarded with digital certificates upon completion.
The tourism industry is evolving rapidly, and many professionals and organisations are trying to keep pace with new challenges, technologies, and expectations. At PATA, one of our core aims has always been to support the industry through knowledge sharing and collaboration. Through this initiative, we hope to make practical learning more accessible and flexible, while drawing on the expertise and experiences of PATA’s global network. We believe that by sharing knowledge and learning from one another, we can help tourism stakeholders across the region grow, adapt, and move forward together.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid
The initial courses available under the programme include:
Integrating ESG into Tourism SMEs – EarthCheck
This course offers practical ESG strategies for small tourism businesses to build more sustainable operations and improve efficiency. Participants will learn simple, cost-effective actions that can deliver measurable environmental and social impact.
AI-Powered Marketing for Tourism Professionals – The Sigmund Project
This course offers practical applications of AI to create faster and smarter marketing campaigns, produce content, advertisements, and branding materials in-house, and significantly reduce marketing time and production costs.
The courses are now accessible at src.pata.org/online-courses.
About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to advancing a meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy. Guided by its mission to share knowledge, enable networking, and protect tourism economy assets through innovation, collaboration, and adaptability, PATA brings together governments, industry leaders, academia, and communities to drive positive, lasting change. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Bangkok, the Association also has an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.