The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Ventures and Plug and Play, have announced the launch of Travel Lab Asia (TLA), Asia’s only corporate innovation programme focused on sustainability in travel.
The announcement was made by Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, Graham Harper, director of sustainability and social responsibility at PATA, Jason Lusk, impact labs manager at ADB Ventures, and Patricia Nordstrom, head of corporate partnerships of Plug and Play during PATA Travel Mart in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Dr. Hardy said: “The travel and tourism industry is recognising that responsible business practices must embrace innovative measures to offset the potentially irreversible damage to our planet caused by climate change, however the availability of technology is constraining them from going beyond quick solutions. Travel Lab Asia provides them the perfect opportunity to find the right solutions for their needs.”
Travel Lab Asia is a platform for triple-bottom-line innovation in Asia’s travel industry. In its first year, it will focus on helping corporate partners source and integrate CleanTech solutions for improved business performance and environmental impact.
Participating corporates will have unrivalled access to sustainability-focused technology solutions from around the world. They will receive support to articulate their sustainability-related technology needs and to develop pilot proposals with solution providers. Furthermore, they will have access to ADB’s research and counsel on environmental and social impact measurement, enabling them to tell clear and credible brand stories as regional leaders in sustainability.
“Booming tourism growth has triggered a hotel, venue, and infrastructure building spree across the Asia Pacific. We have a one-shot opportunity to steer tourism facilities down a sustainable path, which we intend to seize by helping corporate partners align their bottom-line interests with sustainable development goals,” said Jason Lusk.
