Vietnamese startup named Ecohost won innovation grant
By Hoai An
October 24, 2018 | 12:31 AM GMT+7
Vietnamese startup travel company Ecohost beat 110 competitors to take second prize in the 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism challenge.
The 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST)’s second prize comes with a $5,000 innovation grant.
Ecohost enables quality tourism experiences in the Vietnamese countryside, working village-by-village to develop tours and activities while improving the capacity of rural homestays to serve international guests.
Ecohost's presentation
CEO of Ecohost Bui Thi Nhan said that: “The MIST innovation grant will enable us to deliver skills training courses across three villages and upgrading homestays for 15 families.”
The elite travel startup competition, supported by the Australian Government and Asian Development Bank, includes Asia’s most prominent travel-specialized venture capitalists among its advisors.
MIST supports high-growth-potential emerging market startups in travel and hospitality – especially startups that generate positive impacts for communities, culture, and the environment.
Ecohost came in second to BambooLao from Luang Prabang (Lao). BambooLao is on a mission to eliminate single-use plastics from hotels and resorts across Asia. They have produced more than 80,000 reusable bamboo straws and other bamboo utensils, using indigenous bamboo varieties and a proprietary natural treatment process.
“BambooLao, Ecohost, and other MIST finalists demonstrate how the Mekong region’s bright, innovative entrepreneurs are finding practical solutions to solve industry problems, while striving to make tourism more inclusive and sustainable,” said Jens Thraenhart, co-organizer of MIST and executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.
Under unforgiving conditions, the outdoor workers - the backbone of urban economies - endure the harshest impacts of climate change while remaining overlooked by social safety nets. Their resilience and struggles highlight the urgent need for better protection in the face of rising temperatures and precarious livelihoods.
Doan Van Binh, Chairman of CEO Group and Vice President of the Vietnam National Real Estate Association, introduced his latest book, “Vietnam Real Estate for Foreigners,” at a launch event in Hanoi on Friday.
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The Politburo on Wednesday supported a plan to invest in a high-speed railway along the country’s North-South axis, marking a crucial step for the multi-billion-dollar project aimed at boosting economic growth and infrastructure development.
