“We believe that the future of tourism must be more sustainable and community-focused, and we need to elevate businesses showing the world what it looks like to create positive impact in destinations where land, life, and tourism meet. The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund provides flexible and affordable investment capital to help those leading businesses grow and drive our industry towards a better, more high-impact future.”
The UnTours Foundation is excited to partner with digital travel platform Agoda and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore in launching the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund (STIF), unveiled at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Malaysia on January 20, 2025. This initiative is a key component of Agoda’s fourth Eco Deals program, which aims to generate USD 1.5 million in 2025 to fund conservation activities across Southeast Asia.
Aligned with the ASEAN Tourism Forum’s theme, “Unity In Motion: Shaping ASEAN’s Tourism Tomorrow,” Agoda’s Eco Deals program supports the protection of wildlife and the conservation of critical habitats in Asia. For every booking made at a participating hotel, Agoda will donate USD 1 towards these conservation efforts such as wetland restoration in Japan, spoonbill protection in Korea, tiger conservation in Malaysia, and whale shark conservation in the Philippines, among others.
New to the Eco Deals framework this year is the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, inspired by and facilitated through the UnTours Foundation based on previous successes with its larger effort to provide affordable and flexible investment capital to tourism businesses around the world. The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund will focus on funding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in specific markets across Southeast Asia, targeting businesses that have a demonstrated commitment to enhancing their environmental sustainability and advancing conservation efforts.
Agoda has committed USD 100,000 to the fund, with plans to increase this to USD 150,000 if the Eco Deals program meets its USD 1.5 million target. The fund will provide low-interest loans ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 25,000, enabling MSMEs to adopt and scale impactful sustainability practices.
The UnTours Foundation will oversee fund management, ensuring a transparent and effective application process for tourism businesses. Agoda will contribute financing, mentorship, and strategic support, while WWF-Singapore will provide environmental expertise and due diligence support. Applications can be submitted through the official webpage: https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund.
“As an organization dedicated to supporting impactful businesses, we’re excited to collaborate with Agoda and WWF-Singapore on the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund,” said Jonathan Coleman, Co-CEO at UnTours Foundation. “The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is a powerful example of how tourism can drive conservation efforts and community resilience while also contributing towards innovation.”
Agoda’s Chief Commercial Officer, Damien Pfirsch, highlighted the program’s broader mission: “With Eco Deals 2025, we are committed to doing even more to support efforts to protect Asia’s remarkable destinations and wildlife. In partnership with WWF, our goal is to ensure that future generations can explore the world affordably while preserving its natural beauty. The Eco Deals Program has been an important initiative for our hotel partners since its inception in 2022, offering them an accessible way to support wildlife protection and habitat conservation projects. Building on past successes, we are scaling up this year by increasing our donation potential to USD 1.5 million and expanding our impact to projects in 10 countries. This expansion creates enhanced opportunities for hotels to participate in this meaningful effort. Additionally, the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund (STIF) will provide crucial support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), empowering them to adopt sustainable practices and contribute meaningfully to the tourism industry’s future.”
WWF-Singapore’s Chief Executive Officer, Vivek Kumar, emphasized the urgency of these efforts: “Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, intricately tied to the health of our planet and our well-being. Now in the fourth year of our impactful partnership, Agoda and WWF have made meaningful contributions to conservation across the region—supporting the protection of tiger populations in Malaysia, restoring degraded forest landscapes in Indonesia, and addressing human-elephant conflict and poaching in Thailand. This year, with our reach expanding to Japan and Korea, we’re poised to create an even greater impact. With WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report revealing a devastating 73% decline in global wildlife populations, the urgency to act has never been more pressing. Together with Agoda, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a future where people and nature thrive together.”
If your tourism business is located in the defined markets and focused on conservation and sustainability in Asia and seeking funding to take the next step in your impact journey, you can learn more about and apply for funding through the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund at https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund.
To apply, your company must:
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Be located in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, or Thailand
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Be a micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (MSME) directly connected to the tourism industry
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Have an existing sustainability commitment
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Have not been involved in extractive industries or practices
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Have an established financial track record and ability to repay a loan
About Agoda:
Agoda, a digital travel platform, helps anyone see the world for less with its great value deals on a global network of 4.5M hotels and holiday properties worldwide, plus flights, activities, and more. Agoda.com and the Agoda mobile app are available in 39 languages and supported by 24/7 customer support. Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs more than 6,900 staff in 25 markets, dedicated to leveraging best-in-class technology to make travel even easier.
About WWF-Singapore:
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the world’s leading independent conservation organisations. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
WWF works in nearly 100 countries, focusing on key areas including climate change, sustainable finance, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, marine conservation, and responsible sourcing and consumption. We advance these efforts by engaging communities, businesses, and governments through strategic partnerships, education, and outreach to achieve a lasting impact.
About UnTours Foundation:
The UnTours Foundation exists to fund changemaking businesses by providing affordable and flexible investment capital. The proud owner of the world’s first Certified B Corporation (UnTours), the UnTours Foundation has invested over $10 million since its founding in 1992 to help over 380 businesses grow and achieve greater positive impact. Through its work across the globe, the UnTours Foundation aims to create economic opportunities, strengthen communities, and regenerate the natural world.
