Marriott International today announced the expansion of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy™, a program that offers meaningful travel across Asia Pacific. The program now spans close to 100 hotels across the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio in Asia-Pacific and offers guests the opportunity to forge first-hand connections with local communities and the environment during their stay.

 With more hotels and resorts offering the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy program, Marriott is set to deliver richer and wider choices of meaningful experiences that promote both cultural understanding and positive, sustainable change. As part of the expansion, Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is collaborating with PARDICOLOR, an environmental creative arts initiative by conservation organization Wildlife Asia to reinterpret traditional travel posters with a purposeful twist.

 According to the 2022 American Express Travel Global Survey, people are more intentional about where they spend their money, and impact travel is resonating across all demographics. Travelers are placing increasing importance on making a positive impact on the destinations they visit. Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy will offer curated experiences that focus on three key pillars: Environmental Protection to support the resiliency of the natural environment due to environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change; Community Engagement to support local communities through cultural education or volunteerism; and Marine Conservation to restore and preserve marine ecosystems and species.

 “We are absolutely delighted to expand Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy to allow travelers even more ways to connect with local communities on a deeper level,” said Bart Buiring, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Marriott International Asia Pacific. “The pandemic has brought about an enhanced sense of purpose and travelers are increasingly looking for different and more meaningful ways to travel. Our expansion of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is well-positioned to allow guests to reimagine travel from a pure leisure experience to one that can positively impact the places they visit.”

 Each experience connects guests with local experts and NGOs at the destinations they visit, while promoting and deepening cultural understanding. Experiences range from planting mangrove seeds in the forests of Langkawi to restore the wetland, to joining a temple preservation in India to mitigate the destructive effects of sandstorms on its façade, to caring for fish species in Qiandao Lake in China to help improve water quality.  

 In Australia, Good Travel by Marriott Bonvoy experiences will be available at Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast, and JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, with the program set to further expand into Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, Sheraton Denarau Villas and Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay in the coming months.

 At JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa guests are invited to volunteer an hour of their time to provide direct support to local communities in collaboration with St. John's Gold Coast Crisis Centre, which supports in-need community members with access to food, shelter, welfare, healthcare and household necessities. Following an introduction to the issues faced by the local community by St John's Crisis Centre's General Manager, guests will work alongside the centre staff in activities like helping to prepare and serve food, sorting clothing donations and packing dry goods for food hampers.

 At Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast, those with a passion for environmental protection will be able to participate in the preservation of the marine ecosystems of the Gold Coast Seaway, home to over 470 species of fish and marine life. Guests are invited to learn about the diverse marine landscape that surrounds the resort and the species of life that grace the seaway by local diving veteran and conservationist Ian Banks. They will then be transported by boat to a snorkeling site at Wave Break Island to explore the wonders of the waters firsthand, while picking up ocean debris along the way and leaving the environment in a better condition than when they first arrived.

Marine conservation also comes to life at Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, where guests are invited to make a direct impact via a beach cleanup that helps to collect data for impact on an even larger scale. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's most diverse ecosystems spanning 348,000 square kilometres and home to almost 9,000 species of marine life, is struggling to survive as plastic pollution increases exponentially. In partnership with the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, guests will hear about the impact of pollution on the ocean's ecosystems before heading down to Four Mile Beach for a beach cleanup. They will input their waste collection findings in the Australia Marine Debris Initiative database, used by researchers to make a lasting impact on the Great Barrier Reef and also to help industry and government create large scale change.

 As part of the collaboration with PARDICOLOR, artist Joséphine Billeter has created travel art that depict the concept of holidaying while doing good. PARDICOLOR is an environmental creative arts initiative that supports local artists to raise environmental and social awareness across Southeast Asia, aligning with Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy's goal to allow guests the opportunity to create a positive impact while traveling.  

The creative designs follow the program's three experience pillars and will be seen across selected participating hotels in the form of digital displays, welcome and thank you emails, alongside digital post cards for downloads.

The expansion builds on last year's pilot with 15 hotels across the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio in the region, reaffirming Marriott International's commitment to doing good in the communities where it operates. Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is guided by the company's sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction.

 To learn more, please visit https://marriottbonvoyasia.com/goodtravel.

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About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of approximately 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly-awarded travel program.  For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

About Marriott Bonvoy®

Marriott Bonvoy's extraordinary portfolio offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world, with 30 brands that are tailored to every type of journey. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, and through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com.