Booking.com celebrates sustainability with light installation and plant-based menu

Booking.com rolled out an art x food pop-up experience in Singapore to celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June. The campaign aimed to bring sustainability and environmental consciousness to the fore and remind people of their impact on the planet when they travel, especially as many start to explore the world again.

As part of the campaign, Booking.com partnered with artists Mama Magnet and Human Spectrum and plant-based resto-bar Analogue Initiative to create an art installation and an exclusive menu respectively. The installation, titled "As We Move", features a light-focused piece that detects and mimics people's movements. According to Booking.com, the installation challenges visitors to be more conscious of the imprint they leave behind. It also aims to show visitors that they have a hand to play in bettering the environment. 

Laura Houldsworth, VP and MD, APAC, Booking.com told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that while the installation will be at Analogue for only three days, there are "no plans to switch it off". She said that the installation will be placed in Booking.com's office, before making a "tour" across other offices in Southeast Asia. 

At the same time, Booking.com and Analogue's exclusive menu, "A Conscious Affair", aims to get visitors to reflect on what and how they consume on their travels, featuring dishes inspired by iconic destinations around the world such as Japan, Spain and Morocco. 

Houldsworth said that while sustainable travel had been increasing over the past 10 to 15 years, it has accelerated significantly over the last few years. While working to meet the demand for sustainable accommodation, Booking.com also saw a rising trend of its partners trying to reduce their carbon footprint. Jumping off from that, Booking.com decided to work towards working with players in the industry to foster sustainable travel. There has been a significant demand for sustainable accommodation, sustainable transportation and wanting to make a difference in the community. 

The campaign also comes on the heels of Booking.com's travel report, which revealed that 77% of Singapore travellers said sustainable travel is important to them, with over half (57%) saying that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices. Additionally, 54% of Singapore travellers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived. 

Meanwhile, 39% of Singaporeans actively look for sustainability information when booking transportation for their trips. A quarter (25%) said they chose to travel to a destination closer to home to reduce their carbon footprint and one in four (25%) indicated that they researched public transport and options to rent a bicycle in their chosen destination. Over a quarter (27%) also chose to travel by train instead of by car for longer distances while 36% said they feel ashamed to fly because of its impact on the environment.

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