Asia is a big travel whirlpool with so many tourism businesses, activities and places to choose from. However in the masses, there are exceptional tourism businesses and projects in Asia that have done incredibly well, not just in a business sense but in leaving a positive impact on the environment and the lives of people living in those destinations.

Inspiring Stories from Destinations is an annual competition providing an international platform for tourism players to get their story heard at ITB Asia in Singapore. The competition seeks exciting stories from organisations and individuals who have found in themselves a passion to make a difference in the travel industry and leave a legacy for the next generation.

The selection of successful stories is based on the authenticity of the story, creative and innovative elements, and the power to inspire others towards making responsible tourism a reality. Wild Asia and Gaia Discovery together with our esteemed judges have chosen the TOP 3 winning stories from the list of applications received this year.

Top 3 Winners

Kutch Adventures Seeks Out Remote Artisans

The way Kutch Adventures started and introduced a completely different way of offering local experiences could be considered inspirational. By Kuldip Gadhvi, founder of Kutch Adventures India. It all began for me after the terrible earthquake of Gujarat in January 2001. We, the survivors of Kutch region were put in the awkward situation of having to accept aid. At the age of 18 I had to leave my school to help to support my family by working with various organizations that came to Kutch for earthquake relief, rescue and rehabilitation. Read more… 

Chi Phat Community-based Eco-tourism: Forests for Life

Forests nurture lives, yet living in the forest takes courage. A tale told by Sokhem, founder of Chi Phat Community-based Eco-tourism. When I was born, my parents named me Sokhem. In English, it means Hope. This name puzzled me, as at that time there was no hope, no future. The Khmer Rouge had destroyed my home, Cambodia. In 1980, when I was a small boy, we had no food, no land, no money, no schools, and no doctors. Read more…

Magic Tours for Authentic Experiences

Tourism can drive positive change – to bring deeper understanding between different cultures, provide economic benefits to local and disadvantaged communities. Deepa Krishnan, Founder of Magic Tours, relates how her business has brought about this new momentum in North India. Bringing change to local disadvantaged communities doesn’t happen by magic. To bring this change, businesses like us must actively work towards it. The effects of tourism especially can be negative; particularly in countries that have a lot of poverty. Read more…

*Stories were taken from Gaia Discovery, the joint partner for the 2014 Inspiring Stories from Destinations competition.