Designing Desire: The Business and Wellness Case for Biophilic Hospitality
Hospitality has long been measured by its ability to provide comfort and luxury, but things are changing. With the rise of biophilic design, guests now want more than just a place to stay. They are looking for spaces that bring them closer to nature and rejuvenate them. It's now about blending the natural world into architecture and creating experiences that go beyond the built environment.
This article explores the core principles and growing importance of biophilic design, highlighting its benefits and successes. It offers hospitality professionals a practical guide to creating spaces that deeply resonate with guests while promoting sustainability.
Rewriting the Script: How Vietnam’s Homegrown Hospitality Brands Are Reclaiming Luxury
Type “Vietnamese luxury hospitality” into Google or ChatGPT, and the top results still lean toward international names.
These global names have helped propel Vietnam into one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Naturally, they also dominate the narrative and expectation of what luxury hospitality should look and feel like in Vietnam.
A quiet shift, however, is underway.
Across the country, a new class of Vietnamese-owned hospitality brands is emerging, not just as operators of world-class resorts, but as cultural authors reclaiming their own space in the narrative. From the reforested valleys of Mai Chau to the artisan islets of Hoi An, properties like Avana Retreat, Namia River Retreat, The Anam, and Ancient Hue are reframing luxury on their own terms: rooted in people, attuned to place, and driven by purpose.
Hospitality’s Next Chapter: Sales, Marketing, and Leadership Redefined
What does it take to succeed in an industry where every guest expects more than just a room? At the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association Summit (HSMA Summit 2025) in the Philippines, held on June 19, 2025, more than 300 industry professionals and leaders gathered to share insights on redefining sales, marketing, and leadership while preparing the next generation of leaders with purpose, innovation, and connection.
“Leading the Shift: Redefining Sales & Marketing for the Next Generation” was more than a banner. It was a challenge placed squarely before every delegate.
What follows isn’t a recap, but a collection of ideas, firsthand lessons, and tested strategies drawn directly from the summit’s most honest conversations. This article is for those who want their work to matter and their teams to excel, not just keep up.
What Makes These Two Businesses Vietnam’s Best-Kept Sustainable Travel Stories?
Only a handful of operators stand out for placing sustainability at the heart of their business. Even fewer succeed in doing so while achieving commercial viability, proving that travel businesses can thrive while centering the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.
To uncover what sets these trailblazers apart, AST hit the road with Chôm Chôm Travel and Oxalis, two of Vietnam’s leading adventure travel companies. What we found were not just tours, but transformative journeys that are rooted in community upliftment, ecological awareness, and a deep respect for place.
Sri Lanka, South Asia’s Rising Star in Sustainable Tourism
Explore Sri Lanka’s transformation into South Asia’s leader in sustainable tourism. From eco-conscious initiatives like Sigiriya’s certification to diverse, high-value travel experiences, this article uncovers strategies shaping its revival. Hospitality and travel professionals will find valuable insights and future trends.
Key Insights from AST Forum Ha Noi
The Asia Sustainable Travel (AST) Forum Ha Noi gathered industry leaders to address two important challenges in hospitality and tourism. The discussion spanned two thought-provoking panels.
The first, “From Plastic Pollution to Solution,” spotlighted practical approaches to reducing plastic waste through innovative supply chains, guest engagement, and community partnerships.
The second, “Sustainability: Cost Center or Revenue Driver?” explored strategies to balance environmental, social, and economic sustainability while embedding these principles into business operations.
These sessions highlighted how the hospitality sector can achieve a meaningful impact by aligning business growth with responsible practices.
Pursuing Sustainability in Hospitality: Insights from PHILHOST 2025
Discover how the 4th Philippine Hospitality on Sustainable Tourism (PHILHOST 2025) is transforming hospitality with actionable strategies for sustainable tourism. From circular economy and data management to certifications and the journey toward Net Zero, the discussions provided valuable perspectives and practical strategies that are shaping the future of the tourism industry.
Why Asia’s Luxury Hospitality Has the Power to Lead Sustainability Innovation
Luxury hotels in Asia are uniquely positioned to lead sustainability innovation. By blending cultural heritage with bold experimentation, they can model holistic living systems that inspire guests and uplift communities. With flexibility, funds, and influence, these properties can redefine luxury—not as excess, but as purpose, impact, and deep-rooted connection to place.
Driving Change with Electric Vehicles for Low-Carbon City Tours and Resort Experiences
Learn how electric vehicles are improving city tours and resort experiences, cutting emissions, enhancing guest satisfaction, and highlighting sustainability-led practices in the hospitality sector.
Low-Impact Travel in Asia: What Does It Mean, and Who Stands to Gain?
Once a niche concept, low-impact travel has recently become a rallying cry among sustainability advocates in the tourism industry.
At its core, the movement has long championed reducing emissions through low-carbon mobility, which is a valid starting point, given that transport-related CO2 emissions of the tourism sector account for 22% of all emissions from transport, according to the UNWTO.
However, the definition of low-carbon or low-impact travel is evolving. In today’s climate-conscious landscape, low-impact travel can no longer rely solely on swapping flights for trains or diesel vans for EVs — especially in a vast continent like Asia, where building the cross-border infrastructure for rail and electric mobility requires large-scale, long-term inter-government investment.
Beyond Greenwashing: How Verifiable Storytelling Drives Impactful, Responsible Tourism
We recently co-hosted the Beyond Greenwashing: Enabling Verifiable Storytelling in Sustainable Travel webinar with Dimitri Syrris, Founder and CEO of Baotree. Together, we discussed one of the most pressing challenges facing the hospitality and tourism industry today: how can businesses move beyond vague claims and superficial eco-labels to tell stories that are authentic, impactful, and verifiable?
The webinar wasn’t just another discussion about being “eco-friendly.” We delved into how storytelling, backed by data and human connection, can turn sustainability efforts into meaningful stories that build trust and inspire action.
This recap covers the key takeaways, including solutions to common sustainability communication challenges, frameworks for structuring stories, and tools to help your business craft narratives that matter.
Bridging the Sustainability Say-Do Gap in APAC Travel: What Booking.com and Traveloka Reports Reveal
For years, sustainable travel was viewed as a niche, embraced by a small group of eco-conscious consumers and a limited number of businesses offering organic menus, off-grid wellness retreats, and carbon offsets.
But in 2025, the narrative has changed. Sustainability is no longer a fringe concern; it’s a mainstream expectation.
According to Booking.com’s latest global survey, 84% of travelers now consider sustainability important. Homegrown Asian OTA Traveloka echoes this shift: 80% of APAC travelers say they are open to choosing sustainable options, provided they are available and affordable.