WiT (Web in Travel), Asia Pacific’s leading travel tech news and
events platform, will launch an awards series, the Travel Changemakers
Awards, at its signature conference in Singapore this year.
The Awards aim to recognise travel innovators – both individuals and
companies – that have used technology to build back better,
post-pandemic. Award winners will be announced at WiT Singapore, 2-4
October 2023.
The Travel Changemakers Awards are supported by ATTIA (Asia Travel
and Technology Industry Association), an association which represents
companies that operate in the travel and tourism sector in Asia Pacific
and have technology and innovation at their core. Its members include
Agoda, Airbnb, Booking.com , Expedia Group, Amadeus, Travelport and Skyscanner.
About the Awards
Travel Changemakers Awards recognises innovators in Asia Pacific who
have seized the opportunity to introduce new initiatives and programmes
to transform not only their organisation but also the industry, with the
imaginative and clever use of technology at the heart of the change.
There are five Awards categories:
- Environmental Awareness & Action: Spreading the message of environmental awareness through a specific programme/activity
- Local Community Engagement: Deepening engagement with local communities through a specific programme/activity
- Hidden Gems: Uncovering hidden gems in a destination through a specific programme/activity
- Regenerative Tourism: Repurposing of assets or regenerating a destination through a specific programme/activity
- Diversity & Inclusion: Empowering under-represented segments of the population through a specific programme/activity
The Awards are open to nominations by all in the travel industry, be
it a tourism board, NGO, NPO (not-for-profit), social enterprise, public
sector enterprise or private sector organization. The submission should
describe programmes and activities that were launched between May 2020
and December 2022.
A panel of experts, curated by WiT and ATTIA, will form the jury and
will be announced at a later date. The deadline for entries is 31 July
2023.
Conceiving the Awards
“Since the reopening of travel in Asia Pacific, there have been lots
of calls made in the travel industry to build back better, to take the
lessons thrown at the industry by the Covid-19 pandemic, to plan and
create a better future,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT.
“We felt it was time to honour those who actually did it – who turned
ideas into action and initiated programmes to build back better.
“The idea for the awards also came from the Global Travel Tech
Thinktank, held at WiT Singapore last year, when leaders gathered to
brainstorm for a better future for travel. It was clear that respect for
the environment, meaningful engagement with local communities,
unearthing hidden gems for travellers to discover, repurposing of assets
rather than building new as well as diversity and inclusion were
critical to building back better.”
Commented Chis Kerin, managing director – ATTIA, “Our focus within
ATTIA is to establish and promote productive relationships across the
travel tech industry. Having the opportunity to work with WiT and to
support the Travel Changemakers Awards is a perfect way for us to help
showcase the positive and productive initiatives that have developed
across the industry from various organisations in a post pandemic
environment.
“ATTIA hopes that the sharing of ideas, creation of relationships and
productive discussions will not only accelerate the recovery of the
industry, but also drive further change to improve our industry as a
whole in each of the awards category areas.
These categories were specifically chosen as fundamental areas that
could apply to most organisations in the travel tech industry and we are
genuinely excited to see how creative, impactful and meaningful these
initiatives are that our industry has to offer.
“Something like the Travel Changemakers Awards takes a lot of
planning, time and effort to be executed and ATTIA are very excited and
proud to be working with WiT for such an initiative in our industry.
“The WiT conferences are always at the top of the priority list for
most organisations in the travel tech industry each year and to have an
opportunity to formally recognise some of the great contributions made
within the industry is long overdue.”
View more information about the Awards here.