Marriott International has become the first travel company in the world to provide immersive experiences for guests while traveling in the Asia Pacific region (except for China). Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy
provides guests with additional travel options in terms of interacting with the community in which they are traveling. Nearly 80 properties worldwide participate in the program and provide the community with cultural and environmental experiences. Nearly 100 activities are listed in the program for people who are aiming to travel purposefully with a focus on the environment, culture, and people.
Innovative Travel Options in the Asia Pacific
Marriott International has made a statement regarding the expectations of today’s travelers. Today’s travelers want to be a part of the places they are traveling to. With Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy, travelers get to enjoy a wide range of enriching experiences that are focused on the program’s key Community and the Environment.
The program is in 12 countries in the Asia Pacific region. One of the options is a coral restoration project in the Maldives and a program for cultural experiences in Japan. Marriott’s purpose is to support local people and ecosystems in allowing travelers to engage meaningfully in a place. This is through a collaborative role in the region’s cultural activities and traditions, in conservation, and in the protection of their ecosystems.
John Toomey, Chief Commercial Officer for Marriott International in Asia Pacific, said the program illustrates the commitment Marriott has to genuine travel experiences. Toomey says the new initiative lets guests appreciate the culture and traditions of the destination while also positively impacting the community and the environment.
Key Highlights of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy Experiences
Maldives: Coral Adoption for Conservation
One of the flagship experiences is at Sheraton Full Moon Maldives Resort & Spa, where guests are welcomed to become a part of a program for the restoration of coral in the lagoon. Guests, with the guidance of a marine biologist, will be able to plant parts of coral that will be instituted on frames. These frames, over time, will develop and grow new colonies of coral, and as a participant, you will be able to receive updates and follow the progress of the coral you helped plant, even from the other side of the world. In addition, this initiative has a positive economic impact on the community as the coral frames used for the project are made by the local people of the nearby island of Baa Atoll.
Japan: Learning about Culinary Traditions in Osaka
Marriott’s W Osaka in Japan offers tourists a taste of Osaka’s fascinating food culture. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in either walking or cycling tours to see the food heritage of the city’s food culture and its historical buildings. Additionally, they run a cooking class in which participants are taught to cook in an environmentally sustainable manner by using dashi, one of the region’s staple foods.
Thailand: Buffalo Bathing and Nipa Palm Planting
Guests at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa in Thailand can take part in a one-of-a-kind experience where they can plant nipa palms in an effort to restore local mangrove ecosystems. The experience offers a playful buffalo bathing session, which many guests consider the highlight of the experience, and a glimpse of the traditional Thai agricultural system. Participants learn about nipa palms as well as about the preservation of the area’s nature.
South Korea: Culinary Heritage and Culture of the Haenyeo
Travelers at JW Marriott Jeju are invited to participate in the island’s activities that celebrate the Haenyeo culture. The Haenyeo are famous for their diving skills and are the wardens of the beaches of Jeju. Guests will be taught a breathing exercise by a Haenyeo and will then take part in a cooking class using local seasonal ingredients from Jeju.
Indonesia: Being Balinese
While visiting Bali, guests at Sthala, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, can experience what it’s like to be a local. Participants are immersed in a traditional Balinese home and are taught about the island’s spirituality and ways to live in harmony, and also get to talk and spend time with locals, and gain a better understanding of Bali’s culture and the interconnectedness of nature, the people of Bali, and the spirits.
Building Communities and Protecting Nature
The Marriott Bonvoy experience seeks to build a connection between people and places, but also enable travelers to engage in sustainable tourism and protect the culture, nature, and practices of the places they visit. Marriott encourages travelers to plant mangroves and restore coral reefs, which are sustainable and environmentally-friendly, and also promotes the protection of the Earth.
Vietnam: Soap for Smiles
Guests at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon in Vietnam can learn and give back at the same time. The hotel’s workshop allows guests to take part in the recycling of soap into beautiful, new bars. The profits from the workshop go to charity and are donated to Operation Smile, which provides medical assistance to children with facial deformities.
Farming and Cooking With Mushrooms in Malaysia
Guests at W Kuala Lumpur are taught how to practice mushroom farming and other sustainable farming practices. They learn how to decrease food waste by partnering with the hotel’s culinary team to grow fresh mushrooms and herbs.
Fiji: Marine Health and Mangrove Planting
At Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, Marriott’s Mangrove Planting experience gives guests the chance to help restore important mangrove forests. Guests will plant mangroves that are vital to the coastal environment and help keep biodiversity healthy, all while being guided by marine biologists.
Travel With Purpose
There is a new way to engage with travel and destinations that involves Marriott International’s Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy program. With a variety of curated, hands-on activities, Marriott fosters responsible and positive engagement with the local community and the ecosystem of the visited destination. From coral restoration activities to learning methods of rice preservation, to working with local artisans, Marriott’s initiative fosters a sense of shared responsibility to the environment and culture of the destination.
The program is aimed at today’s travelers who pay attention to the effects of travel on the environment and the communities they visit. Marriott is changing the meaning of travel with purpose.
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