Gyeongju, Korea (ROK), May 14, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TOP25 Restaurants, an AI-powered travel ranking system that provides travel recommendations for a variety of attractions.

The agreement was signed by Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA, and Bernard Metzger, founder and chairman of TOP25 Restaurants, and witnessed by over 300 professionals from the travel and tourism industry at the PATA Annual Summit 2026.

Following the signing, PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid stated: “We believe that when travelers have access to clear, reliable, and comprehensive information, they can make better-informed decisions and enjoy higher-quality experiences. That is why we support the work of TOP25 World, which makes a significant contribution to increasing visitor satisfaction.”

He added: “Furthermore, I would like to sincerely thank TOP25 Restaurants for the opportunity to collaborate and hope that this will open up new avenues for future joint projects.”

Bernard Metzger, founder and chairman of TOP25 Restaurants, said: “We are honored to be working with PATA to strengthen the role of gastronomic tourism as a strategic driver for destination appeal, cultural identity, and visitor engagement across the Asia-Pacific region. We are currently exploring the possibility of integrating the TOP25 Restaurants Awards into PATA events to provide significant international visibility for destinations, chefs, restaurants, and culinary ecosystems, while also enriching the overall event experience.”

He added: “Today, travel destinations increasingly compete not only on their cultural heritage and attractions, but also on their culinary identity and dining experiences. By recognizing and promoting outstanding restaurants through our internationally visible awards platforms, we help destinations strengthen their positioning as gastronomic tourism destinations and achieve greater visibility in the media, digital networks, and social media.”

This partnership should also benefit destination management organizations and tourism associations throughout the Asia-Pacific region by improving the visibility of destinations and bringing more attention to the local gastronomy and food industry.

According to the letter of intent, PATA and TOP25 Restaurants will collaborate on mutual promotion and participation in events. Furthermore, each organization will, where appropriate, give preference to representatives of the other organization for speaking engagements at its events.