Asian Trails 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.

Asian Trails’ Group 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.”

Explore our Digital Trails in Bangkok, Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur

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.

A prominent intervention has been training our guides in responsible practices.

Emi explained: “As a B2B operator, we cannot impact the consumers directly – we can only influence the agents and the stakeholders we work with. The development of an online tool to train guides is a step forward, allowing them to raise awareness about responsible travel initiatives.”

Training also extends to our office staff, who participate in monthly instructional sessions. Topics covered so far include ‘What is a sustainable product?’ and ‘Carbon emissions and travel’.

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.

Emi said: “CBT is a powerful model for sustainable tourism. It emphasises community ownership and management of tourism activities. The economic benefits are more likely to stay within host communities when visitors choose CBT activities.”

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.

We have also published our Explore Guides, online resources that showcase diverse responsible excursions, dining options and transport choices.

Furthermore, we continue to monitor our carbon footprint to meet greenhouse gas emission guidelines. This includes tracking emissions from our offices’ energy use and employees’ business travel.

Additionally, the Carmacal carbon calculator helps us assess the carbon emissions of our tours and activities, providing clients with data to monitor the environmental impact of travel programmes and identify ways to reduce emissions.

To support ethical tourism, we’ve updated our Responsible Animal Experiences guide, ensuring clients can access transparent, responsible wildlife experiences.

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Summing up future initiatives, Emi said: “Platforms like Hotel Resilient and Travelife will increase our sustainable operations as more stakeholders join us.

“Achieving our future goals is not about a sustainability expert working in isolation. We need a collaborative approach that involves everyone. This journey will substantially develop as new technologies emerge.”

Stay up to date with Asian Trails’ sustainability initiatives at Responsible Travel