PATA Capacity Building Programme

Building the capacity of tourism destinations, businesses and professionals towards a more resilient, sustainable and competitive future.

PATA has a long-standing commitment to human capital development, and under PATA Strategy 2030, these efforts are expanding with a renewed focus on capacity building and advisory services.

By collaborating with Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), and private sector partners, PATA is developing customised training and capacity-building programmes tailored to the evolving needs of destinations across the region.

The new Capacity Building Programme, led by experts from PATA’s Expert Pool, equips tourism professionals with essential skills for sustainable growth.

11

Trainings implemented

Since 2021,

20

Destinations served

1,699

Tourism Professionals trained

*PATA Expert Pool has more than 40 experts in 10 different areas of expertise, including:

  • Sustainable Tourism Development & Management

  • Marketing, Sales & Trends

  • Training & Human Capital Development

  • Community-based Tourism & Cultural Heritage

  • Technology & Innovation

  • Policy Making

  • Meeting, Incentive, Convention & Exhibition (MICE)

  • Standards & Certification

  • Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation

  • Disaster Risk Reduction & Crisis Management

What topics does PATA provide training on?

The PATA Training & Capacity Development Programme covers a wide range of topics to meet the diverse needs of destinations. These include:

Digital Skills & Technology for Tourism

  • AI Applications for Tourism SMEs

  • AI for MICE

  • AI for NTOs/DMOs

  • Digital Marketing 

SME Development

  • Digital Skills & Cybersecurity 

  • Digital and Online Payments

  • Digital Marketing

  • Financial Skills 

  • Internationalisation of SMEs

Tourism Resilience & Destination Management

  • Tourism Destination Resilience for DMOs and NTOs

  • Crisis Communication

  • Disaster Risk Preparedness

  • Tourism Offer Diversification

  • Destination Stewardship

Hospitality 

  • International Standards in Hospitality

  • Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

  • Carbon Footprint Reduction

  • Food and Plastic Waste Reduction

Sustainability in Tourism

  • Sustainable Tourism Basics for Destinations and/or Tourism Businesses

  • Net Zero Strategy for Destinations

  • Carbon Neutral Events / MICE

  • Circular Economy in Tourism

  • ESG in Tourism

  • EU Directives and Compliance

  • Sustainability Standards & Certifications

Did not see the topic you are looking for? Contact us through the form below to customise your training.

Who can receive training?

Destination managers
(DMOs, tourism organisations)

SME owners and managers

Informal tourism workers

MICE professionals

Hospitality staff

Tour guides

and more!

How much does the programme cost?

The training programme is designed to be flexible, with pricing tailored to different formats and durations:

  • Online Training: Starts from US $14,000 for a one-day session.

  • In-Person Training: Ranges up to US $60,000 for a five-day programme.

Additional Notes:

  • For in-person training, the host destination is responsible for venue selection and logistics. PATA can arrange this at an extra cost.

  • PATA Member Benefit: Members in good standing receive a minimum 10% discount on all training programmes.

What’s Included?

  1. Expert-Led Training Delivery – Engaging and practical sessions by experienced trainers.

  2. Comprehensive Training Materials – Participants receive all necessary learning resources.

  3. Certified Trainers – Industry professionals with deep expertise.

  4. Physical Certificates – Official certification for all participants.

  5. Training Impact Assessment – Evaluation of learning outcomes and effectiveness.

  6. Marketing & Promotion – Includes a press release, blog coverage, social media exposure, and a highlights video.

  7. Trainer & Staff Travel – Covered for training sessions within Asia (costs may be adjusted for the Pacific, EMEA, or the Americas).

  8. Sustainability – The full training is offset by PATA to ensure that it is carbon neutral.

Past Capacity Building Trainings by PATA:

  • Informal Workers Programme I: Bangkok, 2021

    Half-day | 500 pax | Tourism Informal Workers

    Topics:
    Health and Safety, Cashless Payments, Google Translate, Google Maps for Small Businesses, Child Safety

    In partnership with: Roundtable for Human Rights in Tourism

  • Tourism Destination Resilience I: Phnom Penh, Bandung, Manila, Hanoi, 2021

    2 days | 107 pax | DMOs & NTOs

    Topics:
    Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Planning, Crisis Communication, Adaptive Capacity, Sustainability

    In partnership with: GIZ

  • Tourism Destination Resilience II: Siem Reap, Bogor, Siquijor, Hoi An, 2022

    4 days | 125 pax | Destination Tourism & Non-tourism stakeholders
    (Associations, Businesses, Disaster preparedness department, Police, Health department, etc)

    Topics:
    Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Planning, Crisis Communication, Adaptive Capacity, Sustainability

    In partnership with: GIZ

  • Tourlink: Greening Thai Tourism

    Half-day | 40 pax | Tourism SMEs

    Topic:
    Food Waste and Plastic Waste Reduction in Tourism Businesses

    In partnership with: EU Switchasia

  • Informal Workers Programme II: Bali & Jakarta, 2023

    Half-day | 505 pax | Tourism Informal Workers

    Topics:
    Mobile Photography, Cross-Cultural Communication, Financial Management, Digitalisation, Hygiene and Food Safety for Food Sellers

    In partnership with: Visa

  • Finance and Digital Skills for Tourism SMEs I: Hanoi, Siem Reap, Jakarta, Santa Cruz, 2023

    2 days | 120 pax | Tourism SMEs

    Topics:
    Business Financial Basics, Financial Management, Risk Management, Sustainability Benefits, Digital Marketing, Online Payments, Cybersecurity

    In partnership with: Visa

  • Finance and Digital Skills for Tourism SMEs II: Kathmandu, 2023

    Half-day | 80 pax | Tourism SMEs

    Topics:
    Financial Basics, Financial Management, Digital Marketing, Online Payments, Cybersecurity

    In partnership with: Nepal Tourism Board

  • Tourism Destination Resilience III: Kuching, 2024

    2 days | 39 pax | DMO & Destination Decision-makers

    Topics:
    Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Planning, Crisis Communication, Adaptive Capacity, Sustainability

    In partnership with: Sarawak Tourism Board

  • Finance and Digital Skills for Tourism SMEs III: Kuching, 2024

    2 days | 42 pax | Tourism SMEs

    Topics:
    Business Financial Basics, Financial Management, Risk Management

    In partnership with: Sarawak Tourism Board

  • MICE Forward: Innovate, Sustain, Excel – Smart Solutions Training for Sustainable MICE: Macao, China, 2024

    2.5 days | 78 pax | MICE & Tourism Stakeholders- private & public

    Topics:
    Digital Marketing, AI Solutions for MICE, Sustainable Event Management and Best Practices, Case Studies of Sustainable MICE Events

    In partnership with: MGM

  • AI-Driven Transformation: Kuching, 2024

    4 days | 63 pax | Tourism SMEs

    Topics:
    AI for Written and Visual Content Creation, Chatbots, Ethical AI, AI Applications for Sustainability

    In partnership with: Sarawak Tourism Board

Testimonials

From the most recent workshops:

AI Training in Sarawak

98%

overall satisfaction rate

103%

increase in AI tool confidence

425%

boost in understanding

MICE Training in Macao

87%

overall satisfaction rate

259%

boost in understanding

89%

increase in subject confidence

  • “The topics I learned from the training were very useful and beneficial, I now plan to deliver products that align more closely with the needs of our customers to become more competitive.”

    Trix
    Informal Workers Training in Bali, Indonesia

  • "The most important thing for any MSME is to have strong finance skills. I gained a lot of knowledge with this workshop. Now I understand the importance of separating my personal finances with my business finances, and I know how to make my business better and more successful in the future."

    Zakiah S
    Finance and Digital Skills Workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia

  • “I am very happy to participate in this two-day training. I find these sessions very beneficial, especially the ones on digital marketing. In this rapidly-changing industry 4.0, clear knowledge is needed and businesses cannot thrive without it. If we continue to do business in a traditional way, this may limit our growth and progress."


    Eng Im
    Finance and Digital Skills Workshop in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Contact Us

Interested in enhancing the skills of your destination? Let us help you achieve your goals!

To request a customised quotation, please complete the form. A member of our team will contact you shortly to discuss your specific needs.