Our team is launching a series of new initiatives to further strengthen the sustainability of our operations.

By combining established practices with innovative technology, we are elevating our commitment to responsible tourism.

A key component of this strategy is boosting the online sales of our sustainable products through the centralised platform, Hotel Resilient. This brings together key players in the industry to promote low-impact tourism, equipping hotels with the necessary tools to meet environmental and related challenges.

Our Sustainability Manager Emi Weir said: “We are committed to advancing sustainable tourism by fostering partnerships with hotels that share our vision for a better future through the Hotel Resilient platform.

“We are currently adding hotels to our portfolio that we can confidently classify as sustainable because we have knowledge about their responsible operations.

“The next stage is to collaborate with our Sourcing and eCommerce teams so we can respond immediately when hotels release their rates. This allows us to verify sustainability alongside pricing, enabling agents to make well-informed choices about the properties they promote.”

Another forthcoming technical creation is the use of Vox City Walks for more group activities. These digital trails enable visitors to enjoy guided and self-guided walks using GPS-enabled smartphone routes.

Emi said: “We are modifying half-day MICE challenges, conducted on foot, where participants break away from the main group and explore a destination in small teams. This approach allows them to discover the destination in a cost-effective, low-impact way while maximising the local experience.”

On a personnel level, we are leveraging the local expertise of our dedicated Sustainability Coordinators in our country offices. These specialists ensure that our operations are adapted to local conditions, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

This Asia-wide team played a crucial role in supporting our applications for Travelife membership, a certification that validates sustainability credentials.

We are also continuously monitoring travel industry trends through a sustainability lens. One such trend is the expansion of train travel in Asia, particularly with the launch of the Vientiane-Boten Railway connecting Laos and China. This 414-km link has transformed Laos from a landlocked to a land-linked nation.

Emi said: “This is an exciting connection between two different worlds. Guests reach their destination by a form of transport that is eco-friendlier than flying or driving.

“It is particularly rewarding to see younger people, a key demographic in supporting environmental responsibility, embracing rail travel.”

We are also focusing on promoting lesser-known destinations to alleviate overcrowding in tourism hotspots, such as introducing travellers to Flores Island in Indonesia and Rayong province in Thailand, thereby offering fresh alternatives to Bali and Pattaya, respectively.

Asian Trails continues to partner with a wealth of community-based tourism (CBT) operators and this is an area ripe for future expansion.

Another key objective is the expansion of our corporate social responsibility initiatives. Recent efforts include planting coral off Bali’s coast to support marine life, conducting litter clean-ups in Luang Prabang, Laos’ top tourist destination, and recycling plastic waste into office supplies in Yangon.