With border restrictions being lifted in many markets, travel has been coming back slowly, bringing hope and joy to both travelers and the hospitality industry. As an industry leader, we wanted to encourage travel and community safety. And that was how Vaxxed to Go originated.
To travelers, Vaxxed to Go means getting travel discounts and extra perks if they’re fully vaccinated. To our accommodation partners, it means getting more bookings through the campaign and encouraging safety in their properties.
To us, it brings together people, not only to travel but also to contribute to community safety and to give back. As part of the campaign, Agoda is donating to nonprofit organizations helping communities negatively affected by the pandemic.
Here, we spoke with Agodans behind the scenes all about the campaign.
What is Vaxxed to Go?
“Vaxxed To Go is a campaign that incentivizes responsible travel. It offers special travel deals and benefits to travelers who are fully vaccinated. Through this campaign, we hope to support others in the travel and hospitality industry to come together and play a part in helping the communities return to normal,” explains Enric Casals, Associate Vice President, South Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Agoda was looking for ways to incentivize responsible and safe travel as well as helping the broader community to return to a new normal. The campaign is a collaborative effort across multiple teams i.e. Partner Services, Marketing, CSR & Sustainability, Brand, and PR.
Vaxxed to Go in the markets
We launched Vaxxed to Go first in Malaysia, followed by Australia and Indonesia. With different situations and travel restrictions in each country, the campaign has played its role in filling different gaps in travel.
Gede Gunawan, Senior Director of Market Management, Indonesia, shared, “According to a recent Agoda’s Travel in 2021 survey, Indonesians were least likely among the region to splurge on accommodation. But after months of restricted travel, Indonesians are no doubt looking for traveling again as it becomes safe to do so. With a campaign like Vaxxed to Go offering exclusive deals for vaccinated travelers, we aim to help Indonesians feel safe and confident to travel again while securing a good discount.”
Meanwhile, in Australia, the rigorous policy intensified the urge to travel. “After experiencing some of the world’s strictest and longest lockdowns and movement restrictions, Australians are no doubt looking forward to taking part in the activities they enjoy with confidence. Australians have always been keen to travel, so by promoting the concept of Vaxxed To Go, we hope to encourage more people to feel safe and confident to travel again, and to get their vaccinations,” said Zsuzsanna Janos, Director, Oceanea.
“Each day, we’re seeing more and more hotels signing up to join the program. And with Malaysia going through a period of recovery, Vaxxed To Go is helping travelers travel safely while finding amazing deals. It’s inspiring to see the surge of support we have received, not just from within Agoda, but from across the market, all of us together helping Malaysia champion responsible travel.” Cleland Robertson, Country Director, Malaysia & Brunei.
Malaysia CSR committee supported the Malaysian Red Crescent Society’s vaccination efforts with a post-vaccination awareness video
Supporting the communities
In connection with the campaign, Agoda is donating to nonprofit organizations helping communities negatively affected by the pandemic in Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. With the help of the country teams, we identified trusted and like-minded nonprofits working on some of the most relevant and urgent issues that have resulted from the pandemic in each market.
In Australia, we have partnered with Save the Children to support children and their families affected by the lockdowns across New South Wales and Victoria. We donate AUD 15 for each booking made (up to AUD 13,500) towards Save the Children Educational Activity Packs to support children’s continued learning and emotional wellbeing. In Indonesia, we are partnering with Scholars of Sustenance to provide bags of essential food items equal to 200,000 meals to an estimated 40,000 people in Bali and Java who have been affected severely by the impact of COVID on the tourism industry. In Malaysia, we are contributing RM 50 per booking (up to RM 125,000) to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society‘s (MRCS) vaccination program, which reaches out to marginalized communities across the country.
“These organizations share our passion and commitment towards serving local communities and driving long-term positive impact. Agodans in these markets also lend a hand by volunteering their time with the respective nonprofits. With these initiatives, we hope to play a part in facilitating the return of travel in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.” shared Kevalin Athayu, Global Head of CSR & Sustainability.
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