At Agoda, our commitment goes well beyond helping people see the world for less. We aim to preserve a world worth seeing by actively supporting tourism communities, championing more sustainability in travel, and fostering a culture of volunteering and giving back. Join us as we reflect on the strides we’ve made in 2023.
Volunteering with 2,800 Agodans to support our communities and environment
In 2023, over 2,800 passionate Agodans engaged in various volunteering and giving initiatives across 23 markets, collectively dedicating an incredible 12,800+ hours of our time to supporting 370 causes worldwide.
Inspiring 1,000+ future tech leaders in Bangkok
In partnership with the Bangkok Metropolitan Association (BMA) and the Saturday School Foundation, we launched Agoda Tech Camp Day, a series of in-depth workshops for high school students designed to inspire and nurture the next generation of tech talent in Bangkok. Our inaugural session saw us welcoming sixty students from Na Luang High School to our Bangkok office to learn how to build websites during React-Bootstrap. After the success of this event, it was clear that our students had more to learn – and we had more to offer!
In November, we welcomed over one thousand students from nine BMA schools, making it one of Bangkok’s largest tech gatherings for high schoolers. From hands-on workshops to career panels and fireside chats led by Agoda techies and Thai tech thought leaders, we wanted students to think big and be inspired to pave their paths in the tech space.
Channeling our skills to support Community-Based Tourism
2023 saw us continue strengthening our Community-Based Tourism Support initiative in Thailand, the home of Agoda’s biggest office. Through this volunteering initiative, Agodans lend their time and expertise to small to mid-sized businesses within local tourism communities and help them to grow sustainably. Since its launch in 2022, we’ve dedicated more than 2,000 volunteer hours to communities across five provinces and received the CSR Excellence Award from the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand for our work.
In Baan Tham Sue, Phetchaburi, we refurbished the community park, camping ground, and other facilities, to enhance the overall experience for visitors to this charming local tourism community. In Bang Kachao, Samut Prakan, we created new online and offline marketing materials for tourism businesses and lent our support to maintaining a local temple. While volunteering at Baan Ruam Thai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, we helped local homestays establish an online presence on Agoda and Google and prepared water and salt ponds for wild elephants at the Kui Buri National Park!
Collaborating with WWF to safeguard wildlife and conserve critical habitats in Asia
In 2021, our Sustainability Survey revealed that 20% of respondents felt personally responsible for driving positive environmental change. In response to this, in 2022, we introduced our cause-related marketing program, Eco Deals, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), empowering travelers to positively impact the destinations they visit. Through the Eco Deals initiative, Agoda commits to donating one dollar to WWF’s conservation efforts within popular tourist destinations for every booking made at participating properties. In return, travelers enjoy discounts of up to 15%.
Following the success of the 2022 program, which raised $140,000 in funding for WWF’s responsible tourism and habitat restoration projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, we decided to strengthen our collaboration with WWF and the Eco Deals program in 2023. Last year, Agoda successfully raised another $250,000 for wildlife conservation projects across all the countries included in 2022, including Cambodia, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In 2023, we maintained our support for WWF-Thailand’s Forest Landscape Restoration Fund, planting 5,000 trees on behalf of our Gold Circle Award-winning hotels and bringing our total to over 27,000 trees planted under this partnership since 2019.
Training 1,000+ Agodans and Hoteliers on Sustainability
Investing in knowledge is central to our sustainability mission. Over 1,000 Agodans underwent intensive sustainability and climate awareness training in 2023, equipping them with the knowledge to drive impactful change. Continuing our commitment since 2022, we expanded our hotel sustainability training partnership with GSTC, empowering over a hundred hoteliers in Thailand and India with specialized sustainability education and amplifying our impact on a global scale.
Moving forward
At Agoda, our dedication to volunteering, sustainability, and nurturing a conscious culture is unwavering. These numbers aren’t just statistics; they embody our values and the tangible impact we strive to make. As we move forward, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating a more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant world, one initiative at a time.
Want to join us in building a better, more sustainable world of travel? We’re hiring!
