The fourth edition of Booking.com’s Booking Booster programme, which recognises and backs the development of sustainable travel solutions, is now open to applications with a focus on sustainable accommodation.
The 2020 Booking Booster will bring startups, social enterprises, non-profit organisations and accommodations of all kinds together directly to explore solutions to become more sustainable. Participants with innovative products and services, including accommodations themselves, will have the opportunity to secure grants from the company’s US$3.4 million fund.
The accommodation focus for the 2020 Booking Booster programme is underpinned by Booking.com’s research, which shows that 82 per cent of the company’s accommodation partners want to collaborate on sustainability and that 87 per cent of global travellers think it is important to consider sustainable properties when travelling.
Designed to support accommodation partners as they strive to overcome roadblocks to make their properties and operations more sustainable, the 2020 Booking Booster will consist of two complementary 10-day programmes exclusively focused on sustainable accommodation.
The first programme in May is geared towards organisations with innovative products and services to help accommodations become more sustainable.
The other programme in September targets accommodations, including those that are just starting their sustainability journey.
Participants from both sessions will present live on stage at the Booking Booster finale in September to secure scaling grants.
The 2019 Booking Booster, held in Amsterdam, benefitted 10 finalist teams that hailed from eight different countries including India, Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia. Okra Solar from Australia and IMPULSE Travel from Colombia were awarded with the largest grant of 400,000 euros (US$442,478) for their proposed plans.
