Sustainability is no longer optional for many travelers across the Mekong Region. Indeed, if you ask Edison Chen, Vice President of Trip.com Group, global travel behavior has shifted decisively in the direction of sustainable tourism – and as one of the world’s leading online travel agencies (OTAs), Trip.com has pioneered online booking tools that make sustainable decisions part of everyday trip planning.
“When people see that one flight produces 30% less carbon than another for the same route, many will choose the cleaner option if the price and timing work,” Edison explains. “Travelers genuinely want to make better choices when the options are clear and accessible.”
Trip.com’s tools are designed to meet this demand for sustainable travel head-on. Their platform’s new options allow travelers to compare carbon emissions across flights, hotels, trains, and car rentals – a feature that helped Trip.com facilitate over 100 million eco-friendly bookings in 2024 alone.
These tools are already influencing how both leisure and corporate travelers move through the Mekong region – from choosing lower-emission routes to supporting eco-lodges, community-based tourism, and rural cultural experiences.
In this conversation, Edison shared practical insights on strengthening tourism communities, expanding renewable energy adoption, and preparing the region for Trip.com’s ambitious 2050 carbon-neutrality vision.
According to your 2024 Sustainability Report, Trip.com facilitated over 100 million eco-friendly bookings. Could you share some insight into what kinds of sustainable travel products are most popular among users in your region?
We’re really excited about reaching that 100 million milestone. It shows travelers genuinely want to make better choices when the options are clear and accessible.
The most popular sustainable products vary by region, but we’re seeing consistent trends. In transportation, our carbon emissions display for flights has been a game-changer. Travelers can now see flights with lower emissions e and choose more energy efficient routes or airlines. Our electric and hybrid car rental options are clearly labeled too, and uptake has been strong, especially among younger travelers.
For accommodations, our Lower-Carbon Hotel Initiative now covers 3,300 hotels worldwide that have committed to environmental actions. We also partner with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to highlight certified sustainable properties. In the Mekong region specifically, we’re seeing demand for eco-lodges along the river and community-based tourism experiences.
What’s interesting is that corporate travelers through our Trip.Biz platform are often the early adopters – companies are setting carbon budgets and asking employees to choose lower-emission options. This business demand is really driving innovation across the industry.
From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities in encouraging customers to actually choose the greener options shown in your app?
Honestly, the biggest challenge is the gap between what people say they want and what they actually book.
Our 2024 consumer survey across 109 countries found that while 55% of travelers want sustainable options, many still hesitate when it comes to actually clicking “book”, especially if there’s a price premium involved. It’s not that they don’t care, they just need the sustainable choice to make sense practically and financially.
But there are real opportunities here. First, transparency itself is powerful. When people see that one flight produces 30% less carbon than another for the same route, many will choose the cleaner option if the price and timing work. We partnered with ACRISS for our car rental emissions data, so travelers can easily compare electric, hybrid, and conventional vehicles side by side.
We’re also making it easier to act on environmental concerns. Through our partnership with CHOOOSE, travelers can offset their flight emissions with just one click, supporting projects like forest protection in Cambodia or renewable energy in other parts of Southeast Asia.
The key is meeting people where they are. If we can make the sustainable choice convenient, transparent, and reasonably priced, people will increasingly go for it.
How do you expect this transparency on carbon emissions to influence the way travellers make booking decisions?
I think we’re going to see carbon emissions become as routine a consideration as price and timing, but it’ll happen gradually, not overnight.
Right now, most people book based on three factors: price, schedule, and convenience. We’re essentially adding a fourth factor to that decision matrix. Some travelers will prioritize it highly, others will use it as a tiebreaker between similar options.
We’ll see the biggest impact first in corporate travel. Companies are setting carbon budgets and sustainability targets, so business travelers are increasingly required to consider emissions. Our Trip.Biz platform already shows this happening – when companies give clear guidance to choose lower-carbon options, employees do.
For leisure travel, I expect it’ll start with what we call “conscious moments” – when someone’s already thinking about their environmental impact, perhaps planning a special trip or traveling to a destination they care about preserving. The Mekong region is perfect for this – many visitors come specifically to experience the natural environment and local cultures, so they’re already in a mindset to travel responsibly.
Long-term, I think carbon consciousness will become as automatic as checking the weather forecast. Younger travelers especially are growing up with climate awareness, and they’ll expect this information to be available and easy to understand.
The real change will come when sustainable options aren’t just transparent, but also competitive on price and convenience. As technology improves and sustainable infrastructure grows – like the expanding rail networks in Southeast Asia – green choices will often be the best choices overall.
Trip.com’s sustainability strategy is built on the “Friendly Four”: being stakeholder-friendly, community-friendly, family-friendly, and environmentally-friendly. Could you explain how these four priorities translate into tangible action for travelers in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region?
The “Friendly Four” isn’t just a framework for us – it’s how we actually operate on the ground, and the Mekong region is a great example of this in action.
Stakeholder-friendly means we work closely with local partners rather than trying to control everything ourselves. We have partnerships with over 230 destinations globally, and in the Mekong region, we prioritize working with local tour operators, hotels, and service providers. When you book through us, more of your money stays in the local economy.
Community-friendly is probably closest to our hearts. While our Country Retreats program is currently focused in China, it shows our approach – we’ve created over 40,000 jobs and increased local incomes by more than $5,500 per person annually. In the Mekong region, we support community-based tourism and cultural heritage preservation. When travelers visit traditional craft workshops or stay in village homestays, they’re directly supporting local livelihoods.
Family-friendly means thinking about all types of travelers. Our Global Travel SOS Service provides 24/7 emergency assistance in multiple languages – really important when families are traveling across different countries in the region. We also make sure our booking tools and travel information are accessible and easy to use for families with varying needs.
Environmentally-friendly comes through in everything from promoting the China-Laos Railway to highlighting eco-lodges along the Mekong River. We help travelers understand their options and make choices that support conservation rather than harm it.
The beauty of the Mekong region is that these four priorities naturally align. Sustainable tourism here means supporting local communities, preserving incredible natural and cultural heritage, and creating experiences that families and all types of travelers can enjoy responsibly.
Among 2024’s achievements, we noticed that Trip.com expanded its Country Retreats Program to 34 sites globally, raising villagers’ per capita income by more than USD 5,500. How does Trip.com view the impact of its initiatives in both uplifting village communities and promoting off-the-beaten-path tourism?
The Country Retreats program has honestly exceeded our expectations in terms of impact. When we started in 2021, we knew we wanted to support rural communities, but seeing how transformative it’s been has reinforced our belief that tourism can be a real force for good.
The numbers tell part of the story – 34 sites now, over 40,000 jobs created, and that $5,500 income increase is life-changing for rural families. But what really excites me is how it’s preserving culture while creating economic opportunity. We’ve launched over 70 cultural activities across our retreats, working with traditional craftspeople and heritage practitioners. These aren’t museum pieces – they’re living traditions that now have sustainable income streams.
For travelers, it’s opened up incredible authentic experiences. Instead of everyone going to the same crowded destinations, people can stay in beautiful rural settings, learn traditional crafts, participate in farming activities, and really connect with local communities. It’s the kind of travel that changes you.
The model also shows that sustainability can be profitable. Our retreats have reduced carbon emissions by over 30% through solar panels, water recycling, and other green technologies. Travelers aren’t compromising on comfort – they’re getting unique experiences while supporting conservation and community development.
We’re constantly asked about expanding this model to other regions, including Southeast Asia. The Mekong region has such rich rural cultures and communities that could benefit from sustainable tourism development. While we don’t have specific announcements yet, the success of the Country Retreats definitely informs how we think about community partnerships everywhere.
The UN Global Compact featured our program as an exemplar of sustainable development, which validates that this approach works. It’s not charity – it’s good business that creates value for everyone involved.
Inclusion is a strong part of Trip.com’s sustainability strategy, from workplace gender equity to childcare subsidies. How do you think these internal policies strengthen the company’s credibility as a leader in sustainable tourism?
You can’t authentically promote sustainability externally if you’re not living those values internally. Our inclusion policies aren’t separate from our tourism sustainability work – they’re the foundation that makes everything else credible.
When 57% of our workforce is female and 32% of our senior management are women, it means we have diverse perspectives shaping our products and partnerships. That matters when we’re working with communities in the Mekong region or anywhere else – we’re not just bringing one viewpoint to the table.
Our family support goes beyond typical corporate benefits. We provide childcare subsidies for over 900 children, offer up to $20,900 for fertility treatments, and give additional childcare leave. Since 2022, 70% of our employees have used hybrid work arrangements. This isn’t just nice to have – it creates a workforce that understands work-life balance and can better serve travelers looking for meaningful, sustainable experiences.
When our team members in Thailand or Vietnam or any of our markets see that we genuinely care about our employees’ families and wellbeing, it builds trust for partnerships. Communities and local operators want to work with companies that demonstrate consistent values, not just good marketing.
There’s also a practical element. Our diverse, well-supported workforce innovates better. Our multilingual customer service teams, our product development, our partnership strategies – they all benefit from having people who feel valued and supported bringing their full selves to work.
We earned an A rating from MSCI ESG partly because of these policies. But more importantly, when we sit down with governments, NGOs, or community leaders in the Mekong region to discuss sustainable tourism development, they know we walk the talk. That credibility opens doors and creates better outcomes for everyone.
Solar panels at Trip.com headquarters and resorts generated 457 MWh of clean energy in 2024, offsetting more than 245 tons of CO₂. Are there plans to expand renewable energy projects across Trip.com’s areas of coverage?
Absolutely. The 457 MWh and 245+ tons of CO₂ offset from our current installations prove that renewable energy makes both environmental and business sense for tourism operations.
We’re already expanding beyond our owned facilities. Our data centers now use 42.6% green electricity, and we’re working toward 100%. But the real opportunity is in partnerships. Rather than just installing solar on our own buildings, we’re exploring how to support renewable energy adoption across our entire partner network.
In the Mekong region specifically, there’s huge potential. The abundant sunlight makes solar very effective, and many tourism operations struggle with high energy costs or unreliable grid power. We’re looking at ways to help hotels, resorts, and other partners assess and implement renewable energy solutions.
Our Country Retreats model includes renewable energy as standard – solar panels, energy-efficient systems, even small-scale hydropower where appropriate. As we explore adapting this model for other regions, renewable energy would definitely be a core component.
The business case is compelling. Renewable energy reduces operational costs long-term, attracts environmentally conscious travelers, and provides energy security in areas where grid power might be unreliable. For tourism operations in more remote areas along the Mekong, this can be transformative.
We’re also exploring innovative approaches like floating solar installations – which could be particularly relevant for the Mekong river system – and micro-hydro projects that align with local conditions.
Our 2050 carbon neutrality goal requires dramatic scaling of renewable energy across all our operations and partnerships. The 457 MWh we generated in 2024 is just the beginning. We see renewable energy as infrastructure that enables sustainable tourism rather than just an environmental nice-to-have.
Looking ahead to Trip.com’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal, what key milestones or innovations do you foresee over the next decade that will play the greatest role in advancing Trip.com’s sustainability agenda across the Mekong region?
Our 2050 carbon neutrality commitment is the driving force behind everything we’re planning. We’ve officially launched our carbon neutrality roadmap, and we’re targeting the introduction of over 10,000 lower-carbon travel products to help 100 million travelers adopt more sustainable practices.
The foundation is already there with our carbon emissions display feature across flights, hotels, trains, and car rentals. Building on this transparency, we see opportunities to enhance how we help travelers make sustainable choices, though I can’t share specific technological developments just yet.
For the Mekong region specifically, the existing infrastructure developments like the China-Laos Railway create natural opportunities for sustainable tourism corridors. We’re exploring how to better integrate these rail connections with sustainable accommodations and community-based experiences.
Our Country Retreats model has proven successful in rural development while reducing environmental impact – we’ve achieved 30.8% carbon emission reductions at our retreat sites through solar panels and other green technologies. The lessons learned could potentially inform sustainable tourism development in other regions with similar community-focused approaches.
We’re continuing to expand our renewable energy initiatives beyond the current 457 MWh we generate. The goal is to support renewable energy adoption not just in our own operations, but across our partner network.
Partnership remains key. We’re working with organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and various regional tourism bodies to develop frameworks that work for local contexts while meeting global sustainability standards.
Our current carbon offset partnerships already support projects in Southeast Asia, including forest protection and renewable energy initiatives. We see potential to develop more region-specific programs that directly connect travelers with local conservation efforts.
Ultimately, success means building a tourism ecosystem where sustainable choices are also the most attractive choices for travelers – competitive on price, convenience, and experience quality. That’s the transformation we’re working toward by 2050.
