AMSTERDAM - Building on its successful launch in 2017, Booking.com, one of the world's largest e-commerce companies and digital technology leader, is announcing the 2018 Booking Booster Programme, a three-week accelerator in Amsterdam for social enterprise scale-ups in sustainable tourism. In addition to the 2 million euros in grants awarded through Booking Booster, the company is also announcing its plans to further expand its efforts to support organisations and individuals throughout the broader sustainable tourism industry with two new initiatives for a total of more than EUR4 million in support available in 2018.
The first new programme is the Booster Labs, a series of short, regionally-focussed weekend programmes that are slated to run globally throughout 2018, dedicated to giving early-stage startups in sustainable tourism the insights, tools and skills they need to grow and increase their impact. The second new initiative is the Booking Cares Fund, a separate 2 million euros grant programme to champion individual non-profit changemakers in sustainable tourism and support their search for new and unexpected solutions to strengthen local communities, preserve and promote culture, protect natural resources and spread tourism activities more evenly.
Booking Booster, the new Booster Labs and the Booking Cares Fund sit alongside Booking.com's internal volunteer programme, Booking Cares, where employees have long partnered with local organisations on projects that help improve destinations worldwide.
