With borders slowly opening up both here in Singapore and elsewhere around the world, many are starting to consider the logistics of travelling again. While sustainable travelling may have been on consumers’ minds previously, the pandemic has brought it to the forefront in a more profound manner. Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report shows that not only do 81% of global travellers believe that sustainable travel is vital, but also 61% of those surveyed indicate that the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future. 

It is important to note that sustainable travel is not just about the individual consumer who is pushing for greener choices in their travel itinerary. It is also about the greener choices corporate consumers can make through their investments and support for the industry-wide change being driven by a switch to alternatives such as airlines operating via sustainable aviation fuel, or properties and hotels that are going plastic-free, land transport that incurs low energy waste, etc. 

Despite the desire to travel sustainably, it has been observed that travellers still struggle to do so. The industry has yet to see a large-scale change in consumer behaviour and it would be valuable to discuss how companies can accelerate sustainable travelling given their insight into the constraints faced by consumers. Overall, this webinar seeks to understand the role companies within the travel ecosystem can play in pushing sustainable travel to the next level. 

Programme

4.15 pm Webinar Waiting Room Opens
4.30 pm Welcome Remarks by EuroCham
4.35 pm Opening Remarks by Mr Federico Donato, President of Eurocham Singapore
4.40 pm Presentations
– Thomas Loughlin (Booking.com)
– Edith Kraaijeveld (Air France KLM)
– Jon Cannon (Accor)
5.25 pm Moderated Q&A and Panel Discussion by Ms Marjolein Oyen, Innoboost
5.55 pm Closing Remarks by Ms Nele Cornelis, Executive Director, EuroCham Singapore

Speakers

Thomas Loughlin
Sustainable Supply Lead
Booking.com

Thomas Loughlin is the Sustainable Supply Lead at Booking.com. He has been working in the travel and hospitality industries for 15 years. Following the completion of his masters in tourism and business from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Thomas moved to the USA to work for one of the USA’s first LEED accredited hotels. At Booking.com, Thomas focuses on product innovation and partner education, working to help both partners and customers on their sustainability journeys.

Edith Kraaijeveld
Communication & CRM Manager,
South-East Asia & Oceania
Air France KLM

Edith Kraaijeveld was appointed Communication & CRM Manager for South East Asia & Oceania in 2015. She is responsible for communication and CRM activities for Air France and KLM in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Australia and New Zealand.

Edith Kraaijeveld started working for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in 1996 at Singapore Changi Airport and has experience in a wide range of positions within the company in customer care, marketing, direct sales and communication.

Jon Cannon
General Manager
Accor

Jon Cannon is Accor’s Planet 21 Champion for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Within this role, Jon oversees projects related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) at over 140 hotels and resorts across five countries. Planet 21 is Accor’s Global CSR programme consisting of a series of ambitious objectives structured around four strategic pillars: working with employees, involving clients, innovating with partners, and involving local communities. 

Jon is also the General Manager of the ibis Styles Bangkok Khaosan Viengtai, a flagship ibis Styles hotel in Southeast Asia. Having joined Accor in 2010 at Sydney Olympic Park, home to the first Pullman address in Australia, Jon took on various operational roles across the country before relocating to Thailand in 2015. Since then, Jon has held leadership positions in Phuket, Koh Samui and Bangkok. 
 
With a passion for CSR, Jon is actively involved in community initiatives and is a member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce Thailand CSR committee. Jon also supports three children at Yaowawit School – Kapong, in the Phang Nga Province of southern Thailand, as part of a community sponsorship programme.

Moderator

Marjolein Oyen
Partner, Marketing & Innovation Consultant
Innoboost 

After an extensive corporate career at companies like Philips and Kao, Marjolein joined Innoboost 1.5 years ago to set up their Asia hub. Innoboost is a boutique consultancy firm, focusing on driving sustainable impact through innovation, by closely connecting consumer insights with technical feasibility and business needs. They strongly believe that solutions should, and can, create a positive impact for businesses, customers and society altogether.

In her last corporate role, Marjolein headed the Global Marketing activities for Philips for its Kitchen Appliances business, for which she was based in Shanghai. Here she has also been driving the category’s sustainability agenda, in the product, packaging as well as through new business model innovation. 

Overall, she has a strong personal passion to deliver value to the world through sustainability building on her extensive experience in translating consumer insights into compelling, innovative propositions and creating seamless consumer experiences. 

Marjolein currently is also the President of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of the EuroCham in Singapore.