Booking.com Announces €2.6 Million in Grants to Support Sustainable Accommodation in 2020

by Suman Gupta

Applications open now for the fourth annual Booking Booster program to accelerate the development of sustainable solutions for the global accommodation industry

Three Indian startups have won grants worth €975k from the Booking Booster program over the last two years to support sustainable travel

• Global Himalayan Expedition (electrifying Himalayan villages) received a grant of €400k in 2018

• Sakha Consulting Wings: Women on Wheels (safe transport solutions for women by women) won a grant of €325k in 2018

• NotOnMap (sustaining off grid communities) which was awarded a €250K grant from http://Booking.com’s €2 million Booster fund in 2019. 

• Other APAC start-ups that have won grants as part of the booking booster program include SASANE Sisterhood Trekking and Travel(empowering women in Nepal who are survivors of human trafficking) and Picha Eats (a sustainable food business that helps to rebuild the lives of refugees living in Malaysia).

Mumbai, January 2020 – With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, http://Booking.com,one of the world’s leading digital travel companies,  announced the opening of applications for its 2020 Booking Booster program to support solutions in sustainable travel. Following on the success of the previous three years, the fourth iteration of the program in 2020 will focus exclusively on the topic of sustainable accommodation. The 2020 Booking Booster will bring startups, social enterprises, non-profit organizations and accommodations of all kinds together directly to explore solutions to become more sustainable. Through the 2020 program, participants with innovative products and services, including accommodations themselves, will have the opportunity to secure grants from the company’s €2.6 Million (₹18.5cr) fund. 

The accommodation focus for the 2020 Booking Booster program is underpinned by Booking.com research, which shows that 82% of Booking.com’s accommodation partners want to collaborate on sustainability* and that 87% of global travelers think it’s important to consider sustainable properties when traveling**. 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 programs exclusively focussed on sustainable accommodation: one program in May for organizations with innovative products and services to help accommodations become more sustainable and one in September for accommodations themselves, 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 from the company’s €2.6 Million (₹18.5cr) fund.

Both sessions of the 2020 Booking Booster program will consist of a series of hands-on workshops and tailored mentoring sessions to help the participants scale their impact. Participants are paired with the very best mentors from Booking.com to provide guidance and support on specific topics. Regardless of potential funding, mentors continue to support participants even after the program comes to a close, connecting them with access to a pool of additional Booking.com experts to assist throughout their journey.

“With the 2020 Booking Booster program, we’re excited to be championing innovative solutions that help our accommodation partners to adopt more sustainable practices. It’s not only what our customers want, but our partners, as well,” said Rob Ransom, Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Booking.com. “Bringing together products and services developed by startups and organizations from around the world with practical case studies from leading sustainable properties will accelerate our collective efforts to make every stay a sustainable one.”

Together with other public initiatives such as Travalyst, the Booking Booster Program sits alongside Booking.com’s internal volunteer program, where employees have long partnered with local organizations on projects that help improve destinations worldwide. Together these initiatives make up and further expand Booking.com’s commitment to create a positive impact on the global travel industry. For more information about upcoming programs and other opportunities, please visit the Booking Booster website.

Startups, social enterprises, non-profit organizations and sustainable accommodations from all over the world, including previous Booking Booster alumni, are invited to apply for the relevant session of the 2020 Booking Booster Program starting today (January 28, 2020). Interested parties should visit the Booking Booster website for full information and additional details, including application deadlines.

About Booking.com: Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch startup to one of the world’s leading digital travel companies. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com invests in technology that helps take the friction out of travel. With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com seamlessly connects millions of travellers with memorable experiences, convenient transportation options and incredible places to stay – from homes to hotels and much much more. Booking.com also provides a marketplace for entrepreneurs of all sizes in the travel and experiences industries to reach a global audience and grow their businesses. Booking.com is available in 43 languages and offers more than 29 million total reported accommodation listings, including more than 6.3 million listings alone of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay. With everything from convenient rides and great places to eat, as well as attractions, tours, events and activities across the globe, no matter where you want to go or what you want to do, Booking.com makes it easy and backs it all up with 24/7 customer support. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and for the latest news, data and insights, please visit our global media room.