The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has signed a new partnership agreement with Filtrum Inc. to support efforts aimed at reducing microplastic contamination in drinking water across the tourism sector.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the PATA Annual Summit 2026 in Gyeongju, South Korea, on May 13. The agreement focuses on wellness, sustainability, and improving access to cleaner drinking water for travellers and local communities.
The partnership aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation. Both organisations said they plan to collaborate on research, advocacy, knowledge exchange, and marketing initiatives related to water safety and traveller well-being.
Following the signing, PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said, “While this partnership is cross-sectoral, both PATA and Filtrum share a common goal of improving public health and ensuring the availability of water and sanitation across the Asia Pacific.”
He noted that through this collaboration, “PATA and Filtrum aim to raise awareness, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support solutions that reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water and its impact on the well-being of travellers and communities alike. I sincerely thank Filtrum for the opportunity to collaborate on such an important cause.”
Filtrum said growing awareness of microplastic exposure is changing how travellers and hospitality businesses think about bottled water and guest wellness.
“Every human being is going to drink water today. None of them know what’s in it,” said Robert Brown, CEO of Filtrum.
He added: “Our partnership with PATA helps Filtrum reach a global travel audience as more people become aware of microplastic exposure and its negative impact on personal health, sustainability, and guest wellness. For many travellers’, bottled water has become the default — not because it is ideal, but because it is convenient. Filtrum is built to give people more choice, knowledge, and transparency in how they drink water on the go, while helping hospitality brands deliver a higher standard of service and care.”
PATA said the agreement was also influenced by recent efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address microplastic contamination in drinking water. The organisation said these developments highlighted the growing global focus on water quality and public health.
The MoU establishes a framework for future cooperation between the two organisations. PATA and Filtrum said they intend to develop joint initiatives that support cleaner drinking water and greater awareness of sustainability issues within tourism.
