Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund Announces First Investments in Southeast Asia
The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, a partnership between digital travel platform Agoda, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore, and the UnTours Foundation, is proud to announce its first three investments in Southeast Asia to support businesses scaling community-led, environmentally responsible, and socially inclusive models of tourism.
Established to provide affordable, flexible financing for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is reimagining how tourism is financed by directing capital to enterprises that balance people, planet, and profit.
Each receiving USD 25,000, the three selected businesses offer a glimpse into how regenerative tourism can empower communities, protect biodiversity, and advance climate-friendly solutions:
- Local Alike (Thailand)
A Bangkok-based social enterprise working with more than 200 rural communities to co-create authentic tourism experiences that restore ecosystems and preserve cultural heritage. The Fund will allow Local Alike to expand its Travel With Care initiative into 10 pilot sites, developing regenerative tourism products and long-term community strategies.
- Ecohotels (The Philippines)
A regenerative hospitality company operating eco-hotels, hostels, restaurants, and farms across the Philippines. Investment capital will help scale Ecohotels’ Bahay Farms initiative, increasing organic food production, creating green jobs, and expanding regenerative agriculture training for local communities.
- Sejiva (Indonesia)
A tourism enterprise co-created by three responsible travel companies to restore harmony between people, nature, and culture. The Fund’s investment will support Sejiva in strengthening its marketing and operations functions, expanding its #travelpositive campaign, and advancing plans for Indonesia’s first regenerative tourism hubs.
“These first investments demonstrate the powerful role that small tourism enterprises can play in advancing sustainability and resilience,” said Jonathan Coleman, Co-CEO of the UnTours Foundation. “By partnering with Agoda and WWF-Singapore, we are unlocking affordable capital for businesses that are proving tourism can be a driver of regeneration, not degradation.”
The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is part of Agoda’s broader sustainability initiatives and ongoing partnership with WWF, anchored by the Eco Deals program. Through Eco Deals, Agoda collaborates with its hotel partners across Asia to offer travelers discounts of up to 15% while donating a US dollar to WWF for every booking made at a participating hotel on the Agoda platform. The 2025 edition of Eco Deals pledged up to USD 1.5 million to support critical wildlife and habitat protection in 10 Asian markets, from tiger conservation in Malaysia to mangrove restoration in Indonesia. As part of the Eco Deals framework, Agoda has also designated funding to launch the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, to deepen its impact on protecting nature and empowering communities.
“At Agoda, we are committed to making a positive impact on the places we love travelling to,” said Timothy Hughes, Vice President Corporate Development at Agoda and board member of the Fund. “Through initiatives like Eco Deals and the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, we channel funds to large-scale conservation efforts to protect natural habitats and provide vital capital to local tourism businesses, empowering the communities that call these beautiful places home.”
WWF-Singapore emphasized the importance of linking tourism with conservation outcomes. “Tourism ultimately depends on healthy ecosystems. When these systems are safeguarded, they not only preserve the natural and cultural value travellers seek, but also sustain the communities whose livelihoods are rooted in them,” said Vivek Kumar, CEO of WWF-Singapore. “Through the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, we are supporting businesses to operate within these ecological limits, ensuring that tourism strengthens resilience in nature and society”
Tourism enterprises advancing sustainability in Southeast Asia can find out more about how to apply for the next round of investments on the fund website: https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund.
