Booking.com Seeks Sustainable Travel Startups For $3.4 Mn Grant

Global travel ecommerce company Booking.com has now taken its yearly accelerator programme forward with an additional fund for grants for select startups.

In a media statement, Booking.com announced the opening of applications for its 2020 Booking Booster programme to support solutions in sustainable travel. Through the 2020 programme, participants with innovative products and services, including accommodations, will have the opportunity to secure grants from the company’s $3.4 Mn fund.

As the fourth cohort of the programme, 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.

The 2020 Booking Booster will consist of two complementary 10-day programmes exclusively focused on sustainable accommodation:

• In May for organisations with innovative products and services to help accommodations become more sustainable
• In September for accommodations themselves, including those that are just starting their sustainability journey

The participants from both sessions will present live on stage at the Booking Booster finale in September to secure scaling grants from the company’s $3.4 Mn fund.

Rob Ransom, vice president of strategy and corporate development at Booking.com said, “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.”

Under the programme, participants are paired with the mentors from Booking.com to provide guidance and support on specific topics. Regardless of potential funding, mentors continue to support participants even after the programme comes to a close, connecting them with access to a pool of additional Booking.com experts to assist throughout their journey.

Global Vacation Stays Player – Booking.com

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com works to empower people to experience the world and invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. The company connects travellers with varied options for the stay including apartments, vacation homes, 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses, etc.

Booking.com offers more than 29 Mn total reported accommodation listings, including more than 6.3 Mn listings alone of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), last year, travel and tourism grew 3.9%, contributing a record $8.8 Tn and 319 mn jobs to the world economy. The report also found that the travel and tourism industry generated 10.4% of all global economic activity last year.