Asian Trails’ recently-appointed Group Sustainability Manager Emi Weir brings a wealth of experience to the team, with a global travel journey that has included employment with a DMC, an international resort, leading airlines and a tour operator in her native Australia.

As part of Asian Trails’ commitment to incorporating sustainable components into every tour, transfer and activity, Emi is focusing on the development of inspiring initiatives, drawing on her previous experience with a start-up brand in Laos.

She said: “Whether working with travel companies or NGOs based in Laos, I focused on initiatives to help people employed in industries such as handicrafts become more resilient.

“The solution was skills training, enabling people to improve their employability and diversify their businesses. For example, we trained a group from a weaving community to sew and produce a wider range of products.

“This simple act of taking someone from a village environment and equipping them with a new skill exposed them to a broader world of connections, expanded their business activities and increased their income to support extended family members.”

Another ongoing focus is the use of evidence-based data for monitoring and evaluation, including carbon calculations and measurability for larger group tours. This allows for an overall carbon calculation to be presented to customers, particularly for MICE and large group tours.

Communication about sustainability with customers is another area Emi is developing to foster closer alignment.

Emi said: “We can provide more communication assets to our customers for them to share with their own clients. For example, our online Explore guides – a series of group-wide publications that detail our responsible travel and tourism practices.

“We have just completed one edition of Explore, which features 65 activities, 34 restaurants and 12 alternative transport options. These offer exceptional experiences that are low-impact and beneficial to host communities. Besides raising product awareness, our customers are discovering that sustainable travel doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Another key focus is managing overtourism, particularly in destinations like Bali, where this issue has strained local infrastructure.

Emi said: “We are proactively addressing this issue by raising awareness of alternative travel options outside peak season and to less-visited but equally beautiful islands of Indonesia. This targets a reduction of arrivals in Bali and spreads the benefits of tourism to other areas of the country.

“Our MICE team adopted this approach when they substituted a visit to the popular Sino-Portuguese architecture of Phuket Town with exploration of similar architectural heritage in Takua Pa in Phang Nga province. This sleepy town has fewer crowds and a strong cultural connection to the Siam of old.

“Encouraging people to explore alternatives that are equally enjoyable requires sensitivity. Destinations with smaller populations, less developed infrastructure, and little or no tourism experience need more of our support, as do the suppliers, so they can grow with us on a low-impact journey.

“This proactive and honest approach ensures that customers enjoy working with Asian Trails. In terms of this path of communication, I believe we are on the right track.”

An area for Emi to further develop is the connection between Asian Trails’ investment in technology – such as our online reservation platform, eConnect – with sustainability strategies.

Emi said: “We will be able to tag low-impact and responsible travel products, including hotels undergoing an audit for sustainability and resilience metrics through our partnership with Hotel Resilient.

“This monitoring is based on globally aligned standards and best practices across the industry. Once we are comfortable with the sustainable practices we can promote the hotels on our booking platforms.”

Emi said Asian Trails has a significant advantage in achieving our low-impact and responsible travel goals, thanks to us having a designated coordinator in every country office.

These focal points work at various levels to accomplish specific objectives and they regularly collaborate on larger, more intensive projects, such as the project with Hotel Resilient to audit partner hotels.

Emi said: “Our coordinators’ willingness to learn makes a huge difference to our progress. They are very eager to acquire new skills and take a hands-on approach. This is especially so in their attention to detail for ongoing Travelife certification as well.

“We are seeing a growing realisation among staff that sustainability is an integral part of their careers. I believe employees appreciate companies that embrace sustainability and Asian Trails’ team members have demonstrated a strong commitment to this approach.

“Their enthusiasm for our in-house training events and other initiatives reflects a deep connection to our goals, putting Asian Trails in a stronger position to meet future challenges.”

For advice about sustainable travel planning, connect with our Responsible Travel team at sustainable@asiantrails.org