The 2025 EXO Foundation Sustainability Awards proudly recognises the outstanding winners in the ‘Planet’ category.
While tourism in Asia is a major economic force, it also presents environmental challenges. Beyond carbon emissions associated with travel, tourism increases waste and places additional pressure on local resources.
Striking a balance between tourism growth and environmental sustainability is crucial for the lasting health of the region’s natural landscapes and communities.
This year’s ‘Planet’ award winners, selected by a panel of industry experts, exemplify a commitment to advancing climate action, fostering a circular economy and regenerating nature.
Keep reading to learn more about the winners and their inspiring work.
Winners in category Planet (Non Profit)
APE Malaysia is an accredited social enterprise that connects everyday people with endangered animals in a sustainable, responsible, collaborative and unique way. We participate in ongoing conservation projects with willing partners who share the same ethos and who are working towards common conservation outcomes. Our current project sites are located at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia. Our participative processes include working with other stakeholders to enable local communities to become custodians of their own environment alongside meeting project goals.
Located in Balim, we focus on regenerative tourism around coral reef restoration. Currently, we’ve built the largest restoration site in Bali, and it continues to grow. We conduct coral workshops for school and corporate groups, as well as day trips for regular FIT guests who come to dive or snorkel. Our overall goal is to plant 5 hectares of reef in this area, and eventually to expand to other sites around the region.
Most of our 35 staff are local youth whom we’ve hired and trained how to dive and do restoration. We conduct this training for other interns and volunteers who join the project, and each day we head out with 20 plus people to work on the restoration site.
The mission of the No-Trash Triangle Initiative(NTTI) is to protect the Coral Triangle from the devastating impact of plastic pollution by implementing practical waste management solutions while empowering local communities.
We operate in Manado, North Sulawesi (Indonesia) and the surrounding islands, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, an area globally renowned for its exceptional marine biodiversity and world-class diving opportunities. Our work focuses on four key areas: waste collection and management, education and awareness, research and innovation, and corporate responsibility.
1516 is a Vietnam-based organization dedicated to the research, development, and implementation of small wind turbine systems, with a strong focus on promoting renewable energy access and sustainability. Since its inception, 1516 has successfully carried out over 500 projects in 15 provinces and cities across the country, bringing clean and reliable electricity to underserved communities, including poor households and remote schools without access to the national grid. Our team includes engineers, renewable energy experts, community development practitioners, and local partners who work collaboratively to design, install, and maintain customized wind energy solutions.
Winners in category Planet (Tourism Company)
Batu Batu is a sustainably-minded, 22-villa island resort located on Pulau Tengah, within the protected Sultan Iskandar Marine Park off the east coast of Johor, Malaysia.
As the only resort on the island, BB operates fully off-grid, requiring the implementation of resource-efficient, environmentally conscious systems across all operations. Our mission is to create a dual regenerative and sustainable tourism model that regenerates nature, empowers local communities, and minimises tourism’s environmental impact.
Kaomai Lanna Resort is a sustainable heritage resort located in San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Established on a 1950s tobacco processing estate, the resort has transformed 18 historic tobacco drying barns into 34 unique guestrooms and multifunctional spaces, blending cultural heritage with eco-tourism.
We operate as a privately run resort with a strong environmental and social mission. Our team includes hospitality professionals, sustainability experts, landscape designers, and local community collaborators. We are committed to regenerative tourism that benefits people, nature, and place.
Nomad Archipelago is a sustainable cruise company offering slow travel adventure cruises across Indonesia. It was founded with a simple idea: to provide a unique cruise experience for travellers in a way that is respectful, responsible, and beneficial to ocean ecosystems and communities.
Our focus on slow, off-the-beaten-track travel for small groups naturally results in low impact on the ecosystems and communities we visit. By avoiding peak times and crowded locations, and by adopting a mutually respectful approach to community engagement, our travel philosophy genuinely reflects sustainability.
MAADS is a Cambodia-based hospitality brand founded by Alexis de Suremain, known for developing boutique hotels that harmoniously blend heritage architecture with eco-conscious design. Its portfolio includes properties such as Pavilion, Templation, Plantation, and Penh House, all of which reflect a commitment to urban greenery, bioclimatic solutions, and light-on-earth structures. MAADS pioneered the Jungloo, a sustainable tented bungalow designed for tropical environments, and conducts research on solar cooling, passive architectural strategies, and water-centric landscaping across its projects. The company’s design philosophy values simplicity, natural materials, and local craftsmanship, offering guests comfort rooted in cultural authenticity and minimal environmental impact.
EXO Foundation, the non-profit arm of EXO Travel, operates across a growing number of countries, fostering sustainable development through responsible tourism. By supporting local grassroots initiatives, the Foundation aims to drive positive societal and environmental changes, maximising tourism’s potential as a tool for poverty alleviation and promoting good practices across the travel industry.
The EXO Foundation’s annual Sustainability Awards celebrates organisations—both non-profits and tourism companies—that are pioneering scalable solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in our destinations. Expert judges evaluate each of the applicants and prizes are awarded to recognise and support their efforts. Read about the 2025 winners in the People category by clicking here.
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