Warning, IMHO PATA are frauds, best avoided

I say the Pacific Asia Travel Association AKA "PATA" allude, for unfair commercial advantage, to be a higher level travel association, one that is there for everyone (the travel industry, the people of the region and travelers); they are not. Their corporation formation shows them to be a travel trade marketing membership association; a company that is there to help the travel industry sell, sell, sell. PATA claim to be "not for profit", which means nothing as it does not stop them from making a profit of course. In fact, PATA have made some very healthy profits in the past. They actually were registered as a US corporation in Hawaii but since have moved to Oakland, California. But their material says they are based in Bangkok! Ah, that is where their staff are located but the puppet masters are in California.

Why is this important? Because if you are a traveler / tourist, travel companies that are PATA members are to be avoided!

Because when most people look at a travel agent's or tour company's credentials and see "PATA Member" they believe this means the travel company is some higher level organizations and that some how their PATA membership gives them, the customer, some form of quality assurance and even protection, like when you see a business has IATA membership. This believe is false, in fact the PATA membership sign actually says "This travel company receives profit orientated marketing support from us". The PATA emblem means you are paying more for the service you get from that travel company because a) they have to pay PATA for their membership and b) PATA provide them with marketing help to increase their profits, not provide the customer with the best deal. There is absolutely no real quality control involved in becoming a PATA member, just the need to pay.

I believe PATA are frauds, that they are bad for the travel industry as a whole, and that they only survive because there is no real higher level travel association for the region, so they are allowed to get away with it. I say the selfish travel industry goes along with this illusion as it serves their purpose too. I say, if you book with a travel company that is a PATA member, you are an idiot.

Join the "PATA? No Thanks!" Movement

Fed up of travelers / tourists believing your PATA member competitor is offering them something special, like quality of service and / or protection when PATA membership is nothing at all to do with this?


Have you used a PATA member's services, been disappointed or even let down by them and would like to let other people know about the facts regarding the Pacific Asia Travel Association and their members?

It is simple! Just add one of the images on this page (royalty free) and then hyperlink it to this site so that people using your site can read about it! Join the PATA / Pacific Asia Travel Association No Thanks Membership free of charge! That's right, PATA / Pacific Asia Travel Association No Thanks members do not pay any fees!

Join the South East Asia Travel Association

The South East Asia Travel Association is a free membership association for any and all ethical travel businesses / web sites connected with South East Asia; only PATA members can not join!

The only conditions are that you operate a totally ethical and legal web site and / or travel business connected with SE Asia.

At the moment "SEATA" is a loose informal association where anyone who meets the criteria can join, but where there are no conferences, meetings, etc. The founder of SEATA simply created the organization in the hope it would take off and which presence would rid the world of PATA (or make them clearly show the world what they are, a marketing association). So, if you would like to take SEATA and make it something much bigger / more involved, it is up for grabs!

PATA; heartless, nasty, tacky salesmen

The Pacific Asia Travel Association used to advertise a membership code of conduct, yet when someone actually complained about a PATA member having committed several illegal acts, PATA removed it.

After the second Bali bombing PATA sent out a press release condemning the bombing and the effect it had on Bali's tourism business; not a word of sympathy for the tourists that actually were killed in the bombing.

Until someone brought it to their attention, PATA's membership information page was IMHO one of the tackiest LARGE FONT, SELL-SELL-SELL, SIGN NOW marketing pages I have seen since the mid-1970's. If PATA's marketing data to their members is as gross as their own marketing page (now removed of course), can you imagine the guidance they give to their members? It seems clear customers / guests / travelers pay more and get less by dealing with PATA members.