Booking.com has announced its top ten entrants to its 2019 Booking Booster Accelerator Program, continuing its focus on sustainable tourism, and four of them come from Asia.
Said Gillian Tans (president & CEO, Booking.com), “We’re seeing the calibre of innovative entrepreneurship in the sustainable tourism sector continue to evolve and mature.”
“The diversity of perspectives that are represented with this year’s Booster finalists and the creative ways they are leveraging technology to grow and maximize their impact is truly inspiring. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know these change-makers better and learning more about their inventive plans to transform the future of travel.”
This year’s entrants represent eight different countries, with four coming from across Asia.
Amongst those, a Malaysia-based startup has qualified for the first time. The Picha Project aims to promote cultural heritage by empowering refugees to share authentic traditional food from their homeland with the public.
From Indonesia, the Sumba Hospitality Foundation is laying the groundwork for sustainable tourism by combining a hotel school for underprivileged youth with a luxury eco resort.
SASANE Sisterhood Trekking and Travel from Nepal is empowering women survivors of human trafficking, by giving them the skills to lead tours and treks through rural Nepal.
And in India, NotOnMap aims to elevate low-income and marginalised populations as well as preserve heritage by offering travel experiences led by rural local communities throughout India.
NotOnMap aims to elevate low-income and marginalised populations as well as preserve heritage by offering travel experiences led by rural local communities throughout India.
Last year also saw four Asia-based startups qualify for the same programme, with Indian companies Sakha Consulting Wings: Women on Wheels and Global Himalayan Expedition being awarded the highest grants of €325k and €400k respectively, out of Booking.com’s €2 million fund.
The remaining six entrants come from Australia, France, The Netherlands and Colombia, spanning all forms of sustainability from a social angle such as in-destination experiences to more technology-focused initiatives like solar power, water conservation, drones and software services.
The three-week accelerator program consists of a series of lectures, hands-on workshops and coaching, culminating in a final pitch to receive a scaling grant of up to €500k from Booking.com’s €2 million fund in order to help support the next stage of the startups’ projected growth.
Lead image: Getty Images
