The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced Nguyen Thao Van from VinUniversity, Vietnam, as the victor of the inaugural Investors’ Nest competition, held during the 24th WTTC Global Summit. This exciting new initiative, in partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) of Hotelschool The Hague, aimed to showcase groundbreaking solutions from students worldwide, aiming to reshape the future of the hospitality industry.
Over 75 universities participated in regional semi-finals, leading to the selection of five finalist teams. These finalists—representing the University of West London (UK), VinUniversity (Vietnam), Instituto Profesional Duoc UC (Chile), Cornell University (USA), and University of West Indies (Jamaica)—presented their innovative solutions at the WTTC Global Summit, tackling critical sustainability challenges such as plastic pollution, renewable energy, food waste management, and cultural tourism.
Nguyen Thao Van’s winning project, Dynapath, captivated industry leaders and investors with its ingenious use of plastic waste to create kinetic tiles that generate electricity from foot traffic using piezoelectric technology. This solution offers a two-fold benefit—reducing plastic pollution while providing a renewable energy source, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like hotels and airports. Dynapath has the potential to establish new sustainability benchmarks within the Travel & Tourism sector.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, expressed her pride in all the finalists, emphasizing that, “Dynapath exemplifies the kind of out-of-the-box thinking we need to drive our sector forward.”
The Investors’ Nest, a novel initiative, serves as a platform for supporting emerging talent and fostering innovation to address sustainability challenges within the hospitality industry. A distinguished panel of judges, including Greg O’Hara, WTTC Chair and Founder of Certares Management LLC; Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company; Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel; and Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale Spa, assessed the projects based on their sustainability impact, market potential, and innovative nature.
Greg O’Hara aptly remarked, “These students are the change agents of their generation, and their ideas are exactly what the travel industry needs to progress.”
The SHC theme for this year focused on scalable solutions that redefine hospitality practices, contributing to a more sustainable future. The WTTC Global Summit, themed “Ancient Land: New Perspectives,” brought together leaders from the public and private sectors to explore the future of Travel & Tourism, emphasizing collaboration and innovation as crucial drivers of sustainable growth.
