Australia's Clean Travel, Okra Solar invited to 2019 Booking Booster Accelerator Program

Global platform for all things travel, Booking.com, has recently released the list of the top 10 sustainable tourism startups that will be apart of the 2019 Booking Booster Program in Amsterdam that will take place in April and May of this year.

One country particularly showcased in this new list is Australia. Both innovative software platform, Clean Travel, and solar energy developer, Okra Solar are among the 10 on the list for the Booking Booster Program.

Startups invited to the Booking Booster Program will be invited to a three-week accelerator program that offers lectures, workshops, and coaching. At the end of the program, startups will be offer a grant worth up to €500,000 from Booking.com’s €2 million fund, which can be used to help these startups enter the next stage of their business growth. 

Afnan Hannan, Okra Solar Co-Founder said: “We are excited to have support from the Booking Booster program as it enables us to solidify the link between energy access and income generating activities. Building on initial energy access, we foresee eco-tourism playing a big role in kickstarting these emerging economies.”

Clean Travel is the brainchild of Macartan Gaughan. It's a unique software platform looking to help local travel agencies manage their businesses and eventually expand internationally. Clean Travel bridges the gap between communities with local travel agencies that offer more ethical journeys. 

Okra Solar distributes solar energy. Created by Afnan Hannan and Damian Veling, this innovative company wants to disrupt the energy market by offering affordable energy access for more than 1.2 billion citizens that are currently living off the grid in Australia. 

Afnan Hannan, Okra Solar Co-Founder said: “We are excited to have support from the Booking Booster program as it enables us to solidify the link between energy access and income generating activities. Building on initial energy access, we foresee eco-tourism playing a big role in kickstarting these emerging economies.”

Hundreds of companies from all over the globe have applied to the program, but the 10 startups joining this year come from nine specific countries. These startups represent a mix of business models and solutions, ranging from technology to environmental and wildlife conservation, along with platforms that empower at-risk communities that rely on tourism to flourish.

Among the list of startups include:

• Avy: Located in the Netherlands, Avy a drone developer, building long-range wing drones that do a number of things that aid in the world as a whole; from delivering medicine, protecting wildlife, and other conservation projects.
• I Like Local: This travel marketplace connects travelers in the Netherlands with local people in developing countries for a better, more authentic experience for travelers and more money for the local hosts.
• Hydrao: A French smart demand-management solution for the management and conservation of water
• IMPULSE Travel: Colombia's IMPULSE Travel is a regenerative tourism website for in-destination experiences that offers over 200 tours and activities for travelers in seven locations across the country.
• NotOnMap: Located in India, this startup helps communities of marginalized or at-risk people in rural areas through the preservation of culture and heritage. 
• The Picha Project: Malaysia's Picha Project also works with cultural heritage and empowering refugees to help share traditional food from their mother countries with the rest of the world.
• SASANE Sisterhood Trekking and Travel: This startup trains local women in Nepal who have survived human trafficking as tour guides to lead groups through the rural mountain villages.
• Sumba Hospitality Foundation: Indonesian tourism startup that offers a hotel school for the underprivileged and a luxury eco-resort for travelers who are looking to lessen their carbon footprint.

All startups in the program will be given a year of ongoing coaching provided by Booking.com, along with possible collaboration with the company on future projects to help business growth for the participating startups. This include the Booking Cares Volunteer Program.

“We’re seeing the calibre of innovative entrepreneurship in the sustainable tourism sector continue to evolve and mature,” said Gillian Tans, President and CEO of Booking.com. “The diversity of perspectives that are represented with this year’s Booster finalists and the creative ways they are leveraging technology to grow and maximize their impact is truly inspiring”

SOURCE Booking.com
Edited by V. Haviland

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