Booking.com launches Accelerator Programme for Startups in Sustainable Tourism

Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, announced the launch of its new accelerator programme, Booking.com Booster. Designed to identify, mentor and fund enterprising startups from around the world that are seeking to have a positive impact on the global tourism industry, the 3-week programme taking place in June 2017 in Amsterdam will culminate in a chance to pitch for grants of up to €500,000 from Booking.com.

As an extension of the company’s existing Booking.com Cares programme, an internal company initiative where employees partner with local NGOs on projects that help improve destinations worldwide, the goal of the new booster programme is to support startups dedicated to sustainable tourism in the following areas: protecting the environment, preserving cultural heritage and/or promoting inclusive growth in tourism that supports and develops local economies and communities.

“At Booking.com, our mission is to empower people to experience the world,” said Gillian Tans, CEO of Booking.com. “There are thousands of beautiful, unique destinations to explore in every corner of the globe, but that’s not something we should take for granted. Through Booking.com Booster, we want to help ventures in sustainable tourism accelerate their growth in order to maximise the impact they can have globally. By identifying and funding these outstanding startups, sharing our expertise and working together, we can explore and learn how best to protect the future of the destinations we love so much so that our great-great-grandchildren can continue to enjoy them for years to come.”

The 3-week booster programme has been co-designed with partner organisation Impact Hub and will consist of a series of workshops, lectures, and coaching sessions with industry experts, as well as the opportunity to pitch for grants from Booking.com’s fund. In addition, the small group of selected startups that participate will also receive several months of weekly mentoring from expert Booking.com sponsors following the accelerator programme in Amsterdam.

For more information about the Booking.com Booster Programme, including details on how to apply, please visit Booking Booster. Booking.com is accepting applications from interested startups from across the world until March 1, 2017.

Source: Booking.com

About Booking.com Cares

In helping travellers to explore and experience more than 100,000 unique destinations all over the world, Booking.com also seeks to contribute to the ongoing health of these same destinations so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. Via our Booking.com Cares programme, we work on destination improvement in three key areas: the environment, cultural heritage and inclusive growth. Through our 180+ offices around the world, we partner with local organisations and startups to make a positive impact, both through our employee Volunteer Programme and our new Booking.com Booster Programme.

To learn more, visit: Booking Cares

About Booking.com

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in over 40 languages, offers over 1.1M hotels and accommodations including more than 579,000 vacation rental properties and covers over 105,000 destinations in 225 countries and territories worldwide. It features over 112M reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With 20 years of experience and a team of over 13,000 dedicated employees in 187 offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at Booking.com.