Launches the second edition of Booking Explorers campaign to celebrate the relentless spirit of travel

India, September 2022 - As travel roars back to life, the time is now for travellers to reconnect with the destinations, cultures, people and experiences that they love. With the aim of inspiring us all to rediscover ourselves and reignite our desire to travel, Booking.com, one of the world’s leading travel brands, launches the second edition of its award-winning Booking Explorers campaign today and  celebrates the adventurers and trailblazers among us who have kept the spirit of travel alive, despite the struggles and disruptions we continue to face post-pandemic.

Through the Booking Explorers campaign, Booking.com is bringing to life the compelling stories of 5 explorers across APAC, including the up-and-coming Bollywood actress Shanaya Kapoor, along with other leading travel personalities from Australia, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan. As part of the campaign, these APAC explorers share their travel stories and desire to explore all things new and familiar, whether it’s in their own backyards or around their home countries. Shanaya Kapoor, who is gearing up for her acting debut, shares her love for India – its colourful cities and picturesque countryside, Instagram-worthy destinations and most importantly, the need for responsible and sustainable travel among GenZs.

Through this year’s Explorers, Booking.com continues to celebrate the relentless spirit of travel, and their desire to keep experiencing and exploring all things new and familiar, whether it’s in their own backyards or around their home countries. However as much of the world seeks to travel again, we recognise the need for sustainability: from avoiding single-use plastic and making smart, responsible choices when choosing stays, to transforming how and where we travel so that we minimise our impact on the destinations we visit; and hopefully leave our destinations greener than when we first arrived.

Apart from Shanaya, this year’s campaign features four new personalities across Asia Pacific. Former MasterChef Australia grand finalist, Simon Toohey takes us on a culinary adventure through Victoria, Australia. Multidisciplinary artist MY Q brings us alive South Korea – from underground music scenes to contemporary art galleries. Nature-loving lifestyle personality Tran Quang Dai advocates for sustainable living and travelling as he takes us through Vietnam. And finally, Japanese supermodel Ai Tominaga, a familiar face in haute couture, shares her love for tranquillity, the beauty of nature, and the countryside.

“We want to inspire travellers in Asia Pacific through the rich stories of our Explorers,” said Laura Houldsworth, Managing Director for Asia Pacific. “They invite us to dig deeper into the sights and cultures of the countries they call home. I hope their stories stir travellers everywhere to open their hearts and minds to new experiences and put sustainability at the forefront of all they do.”

Shanaya Kapoor, the India explorer for this campaign said, “I am really excited to associate with Booking.com and be a part of the Booking Explorer campaign that celebrates the relentless spirit of travel in a more meaningful and responsible way. I personally love to travel and I feel as a young actor trying to work on my craft there is no better drama school than to travel into the unknown, find inspiration, enter new cultures, meet new characters and learn from new friends. Even if you are not an actor but knowing yourself, finding out qualities about yourself, about your personality, you will always know one new thing when you travel and that for me is a great achievement.”    

With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com is committed to helping travelers rediscover the beauty of travel and reconnect with the experiences they love. Offering the widest choice, great value, and the easiest experience so travellers can book their perfect place to stay, Booking.com offers the means to get around from anywhere and on any device.